Paying tribute to your goddess means paying tribute to yourself. Setting up an altar is a powerful way to pay homage to the various high-level beings who guide you, but it is also a crucial way to honor yourself as the goddess you are. Throughout her myths, the Sumerian goddess Inanna does so unapologetically in part by singing about herself with awe. Let Inanna inspire you to create a sacred space in your home dedicated to celebrating all that you are. Doing so will help promote your own unapologetic nature. As we move through the start of 2022, now is a perfect time to start a regular practice of honoring you.
Sacred Altars
Creating an altar manifests the Divine on earth. It cultivates the energy of sacred worship by collapsing time and space through the heart. Intention is key, but so is playfulness. With an open mind, go within to discover what items you will include on your altar and where you should build it. Anywhere will do. Inside, outside, or both. It can be as small or as large as you want. Take the time to consider what area of your home or yard feels right. For some folks, direction is crucial, and they position the altar accordingly, facing north, south, east, or west. Follow your intuition.
How To Set Up Your Altar
Meditate on items that feel sacred to you. Are there photographs of a loved one you’d like to include? Are there particular images of art, statues, crystals, or items from nature like a shell, a rock, or a leaf that would symbolize a significant association for you? Should you wish to have a representation of the elements on your altar (earth, fire, air, water, and spirit), you can include a candle for fire, a potted plant for earth, a cup of water, a feather for spirit, and incense or essential oil for air. Are there specific mantras or prayers you want to call in? Write them out on decorative notepaper and place them on your altar. Get creative. There is no right or wrong way to do this. Assemble what speaks to you. Gifts from the Universe will show up for just this purpose. Pay attention to what arrives.
How to Use Your Altar
The ways you engage with your altar are entirely individual and unique to you. You can use it as a place to meditate. If you use tarot or the I Ching, this may be the space where you engage with the practice. Sitting before your altar can encourage your connection with your own oracular nature. Perhaps it is where you offer prayers to self, others, and the planet. Your altar is like a bridge—a doorway or portal to the unseen realms. If you need to process something emotionally, your altar can be a soothing place to do so. This is a concrete place for you to give yourself the holy attention you deserve.
Offerings
Working with an altar allows you to offer blessings to yourself and the higher beings with whom you are connected. For example, Inanna appreciates beer as an offering. Indeed, her myths reveal her people pouring dark and light beer for her. Perhaps you have a garden and wish to offer your particular goddess a flower or some fruit or vegetable that you have grown. Maybe there is an object that captures beauty like a small mirror or a dreamcatcher that would make a lovely gift. You could even include your favorite piece of jewelry.
By engaging with yourself as worthy of devoted worship, you develop your unapologetic nature like the goddess Inanna. When you create a space to regularly honor yourself and work with the energy therein, you begin to realize your own Divine nature and how connected you are to the heart of the world.
*Inspired by the wisdom of the Sumerian Goddess Inanna, this blog is an invitation to live as she does, like an Unapologetic Heroine.
Seana Zelazo, LICSW is a psychotherapist, spiritual coach and intuitive channel committed to helping us live unapologetically, by restoring balance within and without through the wisdom of the Sumerian Goddess Inanna. Look for her upcoming book The Return of Inanna: The Unapologetic Heroine in 2022. seanazelazo.com
