Home Altars

It's been rainy here the last two weeks or so. The up side of all the rain is that we're getting a lot of snow in the mountains, too. The down side is that the mornings have been socked in, so I haven't been able to see the string of five planets in the morning.

Over the holiday, I cleared off the top of my chest of drawers of all the hats and receipts and paper projects and spent batteries and spare change and and turned it into a kind of altar space. I've placed some tokens at the cardinal directions: an athame to the east, a green lava-lamp to the north-east, a shell to the west, crystals to the north, some Egyptian-themed boxes, and other assorted items. In the south is my gym pass... Against the north wall I put up a mini stand for my necklaces and pendants; I used to wear them more, and I'm hoping that having them out will remind me to wear them more often.

In the center is a finger labyrinth. It takes about fifteen seconds to run my finger through the course; usually I hum "Center of the Sun." While this isn't a full-blown ritual, which the rest of the family probably appreciates, I suppose it counts as a daily prayer.

I've fallen out of observing full moon and the stations of the sun with ritual... which comes with being a solitary. But being aware of the cycles of the seasons is sort of the point to Earth-based mystery religion... Now of course, while I'm thinking about it, there isn't enough room for Portable Stonehenge. Hmmm. If I re-arranged some of the boxes, I might have room for it. I'm sure having too many symbolic, ritual items on one's altar is a metaphor.

And don't forget the cat -- it's only a matter of time before Smokey decides that jumping up onto the chest of drawers is a good way to get us to spring out of bed and pick him up before he knocks something over.


Working Out: Went to the gym Saturday morning and opened the place up. Did my regular routine at my latest high weights (except the barbell curl), and I think I pulled my lats. On the plus side, when I clench my back, I'm just barely beginning to look like those guys with a V-shaped chest. I probably look U-shaped.