Finally got the chance to redo my shrine space. Things were all askew and dusty. I aquired new shrine items so I needed to find homes for them. I got rid of some bits I don’t use anymore that could be safely thrown away. I’m quite pleased with the new set up.
I didn’t actually look at the time when I grasped frantically for the candles. With shaking hands I cleared away the remnants of the last tealight, lighting the new one as I whisper His name.
Hear me, Hermes! Hear me, my Beloved. Hear my prayer and be with me.
The prayer itself is wordless. It’s really an outpouring of emotion into the void, so to speak. I need Him to feel what I am feeling. I need to feel Him in return. As I sat, chatting with a beloved friend, I would look at the candle from time to time. It helped reduce the panic. Life is heavy right now. The lows are payment for the highs. Or at least the balance to the highs.
I had not intended to keep a candle burning all day but when I discovered the first had burnt out I felt compelled to light another. And so I have all day. Lighting another as soon as one goes out. I always figured I didn’t have time for proper vigils but this impromtu one has proven otherwise. Vigils work perfectly well if you aren’t there every second.
Hail to Hermes. My Beloved God. May He always be remembered. May He always have a spark burning.
I promised Hermes a permanent shrine once we moved. That was in May. I’ve been thinking about it a lot but was, admittedly, procrastinating.
An opportunity to provide a ritual service for Him on behalf of another presented itself. Through that service I aquired this beautiful wooden shrine box in gratitude. I am overwhelmed by this gift.
I finally felt that it was time to light it up. It was a very rough day on every possible level. My Beloved Psychopomp was very close to me today. I felt His warm hands upon my heart.
I sing the praises of my Beloved Hermes. May His name forever be spoken. May His grace touch us all.
Redid the altar because it was a bit of a disaster. Also other reasons that will be brought up in a later post. Enjoy!
New addition to the altar. A necklace given to me by an anam cara when I went into recovery. I can’t bear to have it against my skin, there’s all sorts of emotional baggage attached, particularly since this person has passed on. But it needed a place of prominence.
(The cord behind it was a custom order from Beth Wodanis)
My altar all cleaned up for the new year!
In all the photo’s I’ve ever shared the altar has been immaculate. Everything dusted and places just so. In real life it only looks like that for about a week. Then the odds and ends of actually living my Path start to accumulate.
Jars of herbs and resins to be burned, charcoal wrapped in foil, the dirty tongs I use to light the charcoal, the ashes I spill. Combine what I call a working or living altar(this meaning one that is used not just up show or not to be disturbed like a shrine), with work and family life and things get messy.
I’m not exactly happy about it’s current state. As soon as I can save up a spoon it will be cleaned. It takes a good 45 minutes since I clean the mirror and treat the wood with spray cleaner/protector. I’ve had the armour since I was about seven years old.
I’m quite proud of myself. I’ve never been good at regular practice. The Gods are constantly in my thoughts but actual physical ritual has never been something done regularly. A few weeks back I switched from stick incense back to charcoal discs. The whole act of getting the disc lit, sprinkling the powdered incense on, the way the smoke billows up; I love it and so do They. In my studies for Greek and Roman Paganism I gathered that the Gods are particularly fond of the physical act of burning offerings. This has kept me at it with the charcoal. It’s been a week now that I’ve remembered and made the time to stand in front of my altar, give my burnt offerings and prayers, every day. The Gods are quite pleased and so am I.
Cleaning and setting up shrines and altars has always been a great love of mine. Here is the latest rendition.
I’ve always been a big fan of shrines. I’ve had a large personal one for about 17 years. There was a point where it took up a whole corner of my room. I don’t have the luxury of that kind of space anymore. Thankfully my spouse has a very good eye for detail and symmetry. He’s never really said specifically that he is making shrines but that’s how they feel to me and it’s how I treat them. We went on a cleaning and rearranging rampage today. We are planning on relocating before the end of the year, hopefully six months, so we have to make things more presentable for both our sanity and to appeal to potential buyers. I am a borderline hoarder, I’m better then I used to be but there is a good amount of old stuff that still needs to be cleared out. Combine that with our tendency to procrastinate and it becomes a bit of an issue. ANYWAYS back on topic…shrines! In our cleaning today we set up some nice displays(*cough*shrines!*cough*). The photos of the one with multiple candles I did myself. The others my spouse put together. He calls the statue-candle holder tree, “Old Man Willow”. He was also the one who found it and was immediately drawn to it.
A Matter of Faith 