Spirituality
- Awakening to the Divine
- Recognizing the God and Goddess and Bringing them into
Your Life
- Creating your own temple
- The Altar
- Altar Dedication
These
days people many people seem more concerned with whether they
have a snazzy looking car or a closetful of designer clothes
or whether they are going to "clinch the deal" than with their
relationship with the Divine. Perhaps
that is why there are so many people who seem as though they
"have it all" but who remain dissatisfied, feeling there is
something missing from their lives.
All that is needed to worship the God and Goddess are
a mind, heart and soul that are ready to receive them.
For anyone who doubts that there is a Divine Force
that is present on Earth, I suggest you take a look
around you. The first glimmer of dawn in the morning,
as it must have been at the dawn of Creation, the
warmth of the sun, the blue sky, the swirling clouds
that you can dream into shapes, the sunset,
breathtakingly beautiful, each one different from the
next, as though some divine painter is testing his
palate. The stars, the moon, the things that grow from
the earth, the creatures who inhabit her. The spark of
Divinity is here, in the world and in each of us. And
when you realize it, it changes your whole life.
Although the God and Goddess are always present, it is
generally considered that the God is associated with
the Sun and therefore rules the daylight hours. The
rosy fingers of dawn ar the symbol of His awakening.
The Goddess is primarily associated with the Moon and
Her essence becomes symbolically manifest at the
setting of the Moon.
These days,
especially in the city, so few people take the time to look
at the sky. When you awake in the morning, if the weather
is fine, go outside or if it's too cold for that, open a
window and look to the sky and as your body awakens, awake
your spirit as well to the presence of the Divine. Weather
permitting, feel the Sun's rays on your skin, feel it's
powerful energy filling your being. Raise your hands to
the sun, fingers outstretched and feel the Sun's raw energy
and power flowing through your fingertips into the whole
of your being. This is a technique known as "The Salute
to the Sun" and it has been practiced by diverse cultures
for millenia.
At nighttime, take a little time to look up at the
sky, gaze at the moon, feeling the light of the
Goddess changing you, feel your body and soul
absorbing Her luminous magick. You can also raise your
hands to the Moon and visualize absorbing energy and
wisdom through your fingertips.
Being alive is, I think, like being a winner in a big
cosmic lottery. Each day, count your blessings. Maybe
you could even write them down. There are times when
we all feel great sadness and frustration and forget
the good things in our lives. It is important to
remember them, to strive to be truly present each and
every moment because life, despite the bad things that
can happen, is a gift to be savoured and appreciated.
As belief in the Divine becomes part of your life,
your home will transform itself into a temple. While
it may be that there is only a small area of your
room, apartment or home that is dedicated to worship
and magickal work, the energy of the Divine will
permeate every corner of your home.
Without realizing it, you may even have started
assembling a collection of objects that mean the God
and Goddess to you. You may notice that you have
already started an altar without even knowing it.
You've got an image of images of a God or Goddess,
flowers, maybe some stones and/or gems, maybe even a
written meditation(s) that you have put together.
Some people choose to view the God and Goddess as
many-named and therefore nameless and others feel a
tug of attraction toward a particular
god
or
goddess.
Whichever path feels right to you is the one you
should follow.
This
is an altar for worship, different from the altar on which
spells are worked, although it is best if you work your spells
in the same room that your worshipping altar is located so
that the blessing of the God and Goddess
will add power and strength to your spell.
A basic altar can be created from the top shelf or
shelves of a bookcase. Or you can be more elaborate
and buy an altar especially designed for worship, but
this is not neccessary. An altar should contain an
image of the God and/or Goddess, an incense burner and
a candle. One note of caution here. Never leave a
candle burning unsupervised. You might want to add an
altar cloth if you find one that strikes your fancy.
Of if you have a garden or if there is a flower market
handy, you may want to place fresh flowers or herbs on
the altar. This can be done daily or as a special
offering.
When the time seems right, you can dedicate your altar
formally.
Light the altar candle or candles, light the incense,
and stand before the altar and take three slow deep
breaths. Then incant:
- This is my altar to you, Goddess. May you be present
in this place. Great Goddess, may you always be
present in this place and in me. Great Goddess come to
me, smile upon your shrine and let your goodness, your
greatness, your power be always present here. Great
Goddess, smile upon your priestess. Come to your
shrine. Great Goddess, abide with me.
You should feel the energy that the Goddess's
presence has created. It is a feeling of warmth, of
strength, power and Divine Love. It is knowing that
even in your darkest moments, you are not alone.
