Catholic households have prominently featured home altars for a very long time. Such Catholic homes’ altars, also known as home altars, praying tables, or altar seating, provide a focal point for prayer and devotion. So you can incorporate the same components within your home altar using some of the best altar ideas for home if you cannot attend Church as frequently as you want.
Uses and significance of an altar
Dedicatory candle pairs and, occasionally, a tiny vase of flowers are the typical decorations for home altars. The entire family members may meet to worship at the home altar in many Christian homes, and there may also be the singing of Christian hymns. Home altars are also utilised to encourage growth or amplification of individual piety and good behavior.
In front of their house altar, Western Christians frequently have a prie-dieu, which gives believers a place to set their Bible and divine liturgy while kneeling before God in prayer. Other Western Orthodox Christians utilise the prayer rug to create a tidy environment for praying to God, much like some Oriental Christianity. On the Candlemas Day, which is celebrated in the Catholic, Protestant, and Anglican faiths, among others, the lights that adorn the house altar are frequently those that were blessed that same year.
How to choose an altar for home?
- Choosing a suitable location
Most individuals comprehend that a person’s zodiac sign is determined by the time and location of their birth. In feng shui, a similar strategy is employed. Each home thus has a birthdate and a unique energy chart called a soaring star chart. You can arrange specific stuff in your home using the diagram.
In addition, you could find your floating star chart using calculators, but doing it without the assistance of a qualified feng shui designer might be challenging. Fortunately, you can choose the position of your altar without a flying star map. Therefore, your decision about where to position your Altar is entirely up to you.
In addition, the best location is a peaceful one. However, any area hidden from noise is acceptable. You may want to look for a small closet or a corner area. Have your altar facing a balcony or a door if at all possible. By doing this, more will travel through your Altar. Just be careful not to position them in front of a bathroom or kitchen door.
Furthermore, if the previous two are out of your control, you should adhere to this one. Always set a house altar up against a strong wall. It is so that your altar may receive all the support it requires, which it cannot if it is placed against a window. Moreover, put it away from a staircase or a beam. Beams produce a heavy, oppressive vibe that should not be hovering over your Altar. If it is under the stairway, you do not want to walk across it either.
- Choosing the appropriate foundation
Each home altar needs a solid base. Home altars are typically wood, but any sturdy structure would work. Excellent options include a shelf, table, mantle, or desk. The Altar, according to some altar practitioners, should always be above your neck, but if you are using it for meditation, it makes more sense to place it closer to the ground. So altars that are hip- or knee-height also function.
- Choosing your goal
As you mentioned, everything vital to you can be placed on your feng shui altar. However, you should determine your objective for the home altar before deciding what should be present. Before choosing your goal, we advise spending five minutes in meditation or writing down your desires. Finally, if unsure, you may center the Altar on your intentions for love, job success, or religion.
- Choosing the things to place on your altar
The altar should be a physical representation of whatever you are honouring, whether it be your loved ones, yourself, your goals, or your religious beliefs. Add items that relax you and make you happy if it is merely a place for meditation.
- Maintaining your altar
You crafted a magnificent altar in honor of a meaningful object to you. However, you are not finished yet. Regularly updating and rearranging the objects on your Altar is considered a good home altar. In addition, you constantly keep the Altar flowing and rejuvenated by changing things up. Make sure to replace everything you give, like food or flowers, with the object you are honoring with your Altar regularly.
Therefore, try to keep up a good routine with your altar. Its qi will grow more powerful the more focus you give it. Alternatively, you might incorporate your future home altar into any wellness rituals you practise, such as journaling or meditation.
10 altar ideas for home
Building a home altar does not have a set procedure. Instead, you are creating an atmosphere that promotes prayer and acts as a permanent reminder that God’s presence is of utmost importance. Here we are mentioning some of the best altar ideas for home.
- A level space
Your altar should be placed on a flat surface, but you do not need to wait for the ideal furniture before getting started. Almost anything can be used to put up your home altar, including the top of your kitchen table, a countertop, an old small table or media room, a mantle, a small desk, and solid shelves.
- Cloth
Although it is unnecessary, tablecloths for your Altar might assist in replicating the Church’s ambience in your home. Try matching your linens’ colors to the liturgical season if you want to go the additional mile. Again, you will be subtly reminded of the Church’s routines and periods.
- Light
For meditation, lights are frequently utilized. According to Catholic tradition, the flame’s brilliance reminds us of Christ, whereas the smoke represents the ascent of our prayers to God. Light on your Altar may assist you in focusing on your prayers and serve as a potent tangible sense of God’s existence.
- The Bible
The majority of us are guilty of neglecting to read the Bible enough. To remember to incorporate Bible reading into your daily prayer regimen, put your Bible on the upper edge of your home altar. Catholic doctrine is the best there is.
- Prayer manuals
You know the assortment of prayer books you have hidden in a box. The one that you keep walking past that table at the rear of your parish to see steadily growing. It would be best if you preserved it on your Altar. You will be more inclined to bring out and use your religious texts once they are all in one place.
- Religious sculptures, statues, and other works of art
Religious symbols, saint figurines, religious art or emblems, unique holy things, or relics, if you possess them, can all be displayed on your home altar. These objects, like candles, serve as tangible reminders of spiritual reality and encourage us to pray more deeply.
- A prostrate
A great approach to make your prayers more deliberate and to think of the Church is to have a kneeler in your prayer area. However, kneelers can be expensive and hard to find. If buying a kneeler is out of your price range and you do not fully commit to constructing your own, a straightforward pillow will do the trick just as well.
- Prayer requests
Keep a list of your prayer requests on a piece of paper in a dish. You won’t remember to pray in the future if you continue in this manner.
- Rosary stand
It is a good idea to keep a rosary in your quiet space for prayer. Establishing some crucifix holders is an intelligent method to prevent them from getting misplaced or twisted if you own more than one. You can hang them on your wall with the help of a critical hook rack. If money is an issue, you might also place them on thumbtacks. Although many rosaries can be stored in a shallow container or basket, doing so can cause them to become tangled.
- Unique things for holidays and religious seasons
If you desire to go all out, you can switch around the ornaments on your Altar for different liturgical seasons or even special feast days. Consider nativity sets, shades of linen, saint figurines or prayer notes, Christmas wreaths, etc. All your belongings not on the show can be kept in small storage units. Your containers will be simple to locate and draw out as needed if you organize and mark them according to feast or season.
What to add to your home altar
- Incense
A traditional incense stick and burner has a smokey, sensual, soulful aroma and is a quick and simple way to clear the air.
- Candles
Any candle that speaks to you works nicely for a home altar. For instance, the candle on my Altar is topped with mystical embellishments like crushed petals and crystals. You advise going that route if you want something that harnesses particular energy.
- Crystals
Additionally, placing crystals on an altar is usually a wise energetic choice. Not to be overlooked are stunning stones like fluorite, an exquisite aquamarine stone that tries to keep you focused on your journey. In addition, rose quartz, lavender, and siderite are common go-to stones.
- Tarot cards
The spot where you would store your tools if you follow a spiritual discipline is your Altar. I keep my vintage Rider-Waite tarot deck on my Altar, but I like this hot pink branding that is incredibly vivid and holographic.
Again, these are merely ideas for different things, including things that have specifically been done for you. Nevertheless, not everyone shares the same preferences for taste, fashion, or spirituality. With all that in mind, keep in mind that if you are loyal to your heart and make pleasant, deliberate choices, you will undoubtedly find a beautiful place.
FAQs
What are the altars used for?
Why is having an altar at home important?
Home altars have traditionally been significant in the Christian faith; they serve as a central place and a stark reminder that God is not confined to a building. Instead, wherever you live, the holy spirit anoints you.
Which way should the altar face?
It must be mounted on a wall facing either north or east. Each time you stand in front of it for prayer or meditation, it will force you to face that direction. Religious institutions and churches are almost universally facing north or east.
What exactly is a living altar?
An altar is the focal point of ceremonies, where sacrifices are performed. It is the setting where the ordinary can become sacred. As the place where humans congregate with mom earth's other offspring, the planet is a living altar.
Where in your house should you put an altar?
If you are unsure where to put your Catholic home altar, it is best to put it in the sitting room facing the entry or the front door. This location guarantees that the deity will always watch over you because he guards the house.
How do you make a bare altar at home?
Finding a central location for your deity statues or images, a rosary, a vial of magic water, and a candle is the easiest method to create a small home altar. When putting up your home, do not bother about making things fancy and ornamental. You can always gradually beautify your home altar.
