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Household Altar Changes
Jan. 15th, 2008 08:55 pmEvery Tuesday evening I do simple blot for Tiwaz, making a drink offering to him at my household altar, affirming our bonds of fellowship, and thanking him for his protection of my household and his patronage of LM.
This evening I noticed that the surface of the altar had started to get dusty, so I moved everything off the shelf, dusted it, and put each piece back slowly and mindfully, being alert to whether or not it still should be there.
Most of it went back: my sword, LM's kukri (which he had left on the mantle in my old house as a protection before his death), the figurine representing my daughter, the statue of Tiwaz, the cup.
What didn't go back was the standing bear candle holder which for months had represented my house spirit. But my house spirit, who had come with us from The Old Place, departed a couple of months ago. I'm not sure if this location didn't suit him, or I wasn't paying him enough attention, or he missed the energy of my partners. . . but he's gone. The candle holder didn't fit anymore.
So I set it aside and asked myself and the spirits what should be there. The answer: a wolf. Bear is my personal totem, and is a family totem on my mother's side, but my daughter and LM both have strong Wolf associations, and I have been kind of absorbed into the pack. When we invoke protection, it's likely that wolf allies are the first on the scene. Daughter received a wolf's head figurine from her father for her birthday, so she has contributed it to the altar until I can find a new guardian figure.
Because Bear energy continues to be important to me, I also placed a carved wooden bear on the altar. This piece was a gift to my mother from her father, and so carries strong family/ancestral energy. My father's people were Norse and Swedish, so even though he's not Pagan, the Tiwaz figure also resonates with my heritage on his side.
Hmmm. . . . I just realized that I need a candle holder too. I'll have to wait and see what presents itself, what the spirits want.
This evening I noticed that the surface of the altar had started to get dusty, so I moved everything off the shelf, dusted it, and put each piece back slowly and mindfully, being alert to whether or not it still should be there.
Most of it went back: my sword, LM's kukri (which he had left on the mantle in my old house as a protection before his death), the figurine representing my daughter, the statue of Tiwaz, the cup.
What didn't go back was the standing bear candle holder which for months had represented my house spirit. But my house spirit, who had come with us from The Old Place, departed a couple of months ago. I'm not sure if this location didn't suit him, or I wasn't paying him enough attention, or he missed the energy of my partners. . . but he's gone. The candle holder didn't fit anymore.
So I set it aside and asked myself and the spirits what should be there. The answer: a wolf. Bear is my personal totem, and is a family totem on my mother's side, but my daughter and LM both have strong Wolf associations, and I have been kind of absorbed into the pack. When we invoke protection, it's likely that wolf allies are the first on the scene. Daughter received a wolf's head figurine from her father for her birthday, so she has contributed it to the altar until I can find a new guardian figure.
Because Bear energy continues to be important to me, I also placed a carved wooden bear on the altar. This piece was a gift to my mother from her father, and so carries strong family/ancestral energy. My father's people were Norse and Swedish, so even though he's not Pagan, the Tiwaz figure also resonates with my heritage on his side.
Hmmm. . . . I just realized that I need a candle holder too. I'll have to wait and see what presents itself, what the spirits want.
