In my living room, my altar is in plain view and is a prominent part of my decor. Sometimes it can be irritating to have friends or family come by for a visit and feel compelled to pick up my altar tools and other altar objects. A witch's altar is a sacred space and my tools and other objects are charged with my energy and when someone comes in and handles my things, it interferes with this energy and sometimes I have to charge them all over again. To put it in perspective, it would be like walking straight up to the altar in the local church and start picking things up and oo-ing and ahhh-ing.... not very polite behavior indeed.
Here are some general Do's and Don'ts:
* You don't need to touch anyone's sacred items. Always ask permission.
* Just because the owner of the altar has said yes once, doesn't apply to any other time or place. You are not free to handle things on the altar whenever you choose.
* Interpret any hesitation as a "no."
* And gracefully accept a "no." It may not be anything personal. Some things are simply too private to share.
* Ask before placing things on a group altar. Usually for group work, you will know ahead of time the kinds of things that might be appropriate. But sometimes very specific energy is being raised, and other items may not serve the ritual.
* Avoid talking about their sacred items and spiritual practices with "outsiders." People who don't use them don't understand, and it dilutes that individual's power to share sacred things . Especially if they turn out to be judgemental about it.
6 comments:
I am going to print your words out and put it on my front door! very true, and quite annoying when people do that!
I totally understand your feelings about this, but if you put pretty baubles and works of art on display, people are going to touch them. The sensual experience of the line of a bottle or jar, the shine of a crystal in your palm...these are nearly irresistible for most of us. I assume your friends are not pagan and do not recognize that these are sacred spiritual objects, they are drawn by the beauty.
There are some things that I just don't leave out in plain sight because of this. I leave candles, jars, pictures, statues out. I do not leave specific objects dedicated to the Elements or a particular deity out where anyone can touch them. Athame, wand and candle snuffer are all out of sight. Crystals that I am currently using are put away, crystal that I haven't used lately and don't plan to I leave out.
It is easier than the aggravation of watching someone wave my athame around.
A little addition....the things I don't want touched are in a pretty carved box that can sit on the altar and be part of it, just not an invitation to pick things up.
Wonderful post! My 'alter' is in the living room as well.Im still in the beginning steps of my path and have not felt it was the right time to set it up fully.So its just cluttered with everything and not put together at all so to call it a alter isnt really fitting.However I still have my items there and since its as new to me as it is to the people EVERYONE wants to paw over it all.Kids especially.My wand is like a magnet for little fingers lol They have been respectful but they just want to hold it.I do not mind so much right now because I have not yet cleansed,consecrated or empowered anything.But I have told everyone that when the alter lets me know its time to set up shop that things are to be left alone.I have my fingers crossed that it wont be much of a problem.Im hoping that by the time its all set that it will be old news to them.Im with clairedulalune though and I might just have to print this out lol Thanks for sharing this.
Liz, thanks for sharing the picture of your beautiful altar. My sister, who is Lutheran, has an altar set up in her living room also and I would never dream of touching anything on it and she's my sister.
Peggy
I find the same thing happening with my crystals. The one I use for healing I have had to put away b/c their energy naturally attracts people to them and they help but touch them.
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