Have you ever thought about creating a Self Care altar? A space to practice self love ?
Why not.. its the perfect way to grow self love and develop a self care focus and use daily affirmations that help you practice positive thinking and a empowerment.
Creating abundance with a self love altar is a great way to make this a tribute to your self care practice and visit it every day which in its’ self will create more self love and abundance of self care.
How might you do this?
Well you might want to begin by having a single altar with items devoted to your practice of self care and add things to it that represent the Elements.
In my home, I have different altars devoted to my self care and love of others and I add things that are symbolic for my life; including people who have shown my love e.g cards, flowers or messages sent to me, as well as crystals I have picked up over the years. All of which help create better harmony in my home and a focus and ritual of using my altars for my own reflection of the love in my life.
I currently have 4 altars in my house and each one represents different aspects of my life. I collect things to put on my altars that I have brought over the years and include different seasonal objects which I have show proudly on my mantel pieces.
Each altar symbolises my intentions of self love and I keep in mind anyone that is significant for me in my life and include people who ask for my help or support. I have birthday cards, small toys and tokens to represent my children, messages of thanks from clients as words are powerful statements and a good reminder of my kindness towards others.
An altar can have the Five Elements represented, such as those known in Traditional Chinese Medicine or the Four Elements which are often used in traditional altars.
It really all depends on your purpose and what you wish to be represented in your life.
The Five Elements consider the expansion of Wood, manifestation of Fire, intention Metal, relaxation Water, and grounding Earth and can be presented easily.
Earth: Grounding in with Earth
My altars are mostly based on Earth and include crystals, stones such as Rose Quartz, a salt lamp, pieces of nature from a nature walk, seasonal herbs or flowers, natural stone, and sticks from many places I love to be in .
Your altar could have offering from a tree you admire or things that are important in your life too. Keeping an altar in a family room where you love to sit invites more love.
You might want to place a little altar in your garden to invite or encourage a loving home or you might want it to represent the playfulness from people you love or your children if you have them. Theres no right or wrong.
I take daily walks to keep me grounded. My favourite thing is to take a walk in nature and maintain my connection with mother earth. I love to smell the earth . Its a fantastic for the senses and helps me ground each day using the essence of the Earth element in the wood I have on my altar.
I mirror these in my home for my self love using earthenware and decorative bowls that I eat in.
By ground in this way, this invites the expansive energy of earth into my life and keeps my rooted.
You might wish to create a water altar and have it in a bathroom or bedroom to represent peace and tranquility. Seashells, sea salt, or a bowl of water are simple altar decorations and fantastic for creating ideas.
The Moon is also associated with water since it guides the tides, and I use my goddess cards to remind me of the power of the Divine Feminine force and the brilliant energies of the moon. I also use these cards to remind myself of my self care self-love taking guidance from them and the moon when I take a card.
You could Anoint your altar items with water, using just one drop on your finger will do the trick. I have holy water from India in mine. Try it, say a blessing while you anoint yourself with water . You can also use your favourite perfume or essential oil.
A Simple Blessing to say at your Altar :
I gift myself love as I am worthy of this as I stand here before you. I place an intention of love for all that I hold dear in my life and wish to keep this way. Love is the key and love is the single most important thing in my life for myself and those around me.
A simple candle is perfect to honour the fire element after you say your blessing or in silence as you think of yourself and the love you wish to invite. Fire is used for renewing life. I include fire in each of my altars and a star cluster quartz is on one of mine representing a white flame! Simply saying a prayer or blessing while lighting any candle can kindle your relationship with this powerful element and practice self love.
Placing the altar on a hearth or kitchen for warmth, in a bedroom for passion, or office and studio of creative energy is wonderful way to ignite more love. Write love messages to yourself to remind yourself of the many ways you can practice self love. Eating well, resting well and having people who make you love life is essential too.
Transformative Properties of Fire
Fire is an energy of transformation. and used in eastern ceremonies and ritual from my heritage. It burns away the old to make way for the new. The Fire Element in the form of a flame represents energy in its most focused, pure form and is so medium potent for manifesting. Using candles, sage, palo santo or incense on an altar is a great way to add the Fire element and celebrate the new.
Each time you light a candle, add an affirmation or intention that relate to a desire or wish. A candle flame can also be used for meditations and helps create focus. Notice this as you gaze into a flame – see how it helps to focus the mind.
Feathers, butterflies, incense and smudge are wonderful Air associations for an altar and I have many on mine as they make a beautiful altar.
Try placing an altar in your studio or office to focus and create; or by your favourite reading nook to engage your mind; a meditation spot to calm and focus the monkey-mind; or by your phone for peaceful communication. Simple lighting the incense or smudge and breathing deeply offer this element the honour it deserves invites a new act of self appreciation and love.
You can learn much more about the elements and develop personal rituals, recipes, meditations, and more on altars and engage your self love and the practice of self care. I offer guidance on this as part of my intuitive healing and guidance work . So get in touch so I can help you on your self care journey and self love.
Randhiraj Bilan 07976686592