Creating a Halloween Altar
Happy Hallowe'en! This time of year is an exciting time for kids (and all of us kids at heart) to dress up, to watch scary movies, and feast on candy. But there's more to Halloween than that, isn't there?
The answer is Yes! To understand Halloween, simply look to the name. Derived from "Hallowed Evening," and thus, Hallowe'en, it is actually a holy time of the year. Like Samhain, Dia de los Muertos, All Saints' Day, and the many other traditions from cultures all over the world, Hallowe'en is a powerful time of connecting to our ancestors and reflecting upon the sacrifices they made and the adversities they overcame in order to help us be here now. The thinned veils offer us the opportunity to commune more intimately with the Saints and Masters of Light who continue to assist and inspire Humanity's progression from higher spiritual realms. And if we focus our awareness and listen, we gain access to a deeper, more meaningful connection to Spirit, and significantly who each of us is as Spirit. It is a very special turning point in the year!
So how can you honor the holiness and power of this time and take advantage of these opportunities? A simple and effective way is to create an altar.
What is an altar?
An altar can be defined in many different ways, but in a nutshell, I think of it as an anchoring point, or “landing pad,” for spiritual energies to manifest in the physical world. A means of tangibly honoring the intangible forces of the higher powers that be through intentionally arranging items and objects of meaning to us.
So on Hallowe’en, and other holidays and sabats we choose to celebrate, we can create altars to amplify and preserve the spiritual and historical significance of these special occasions in our present lives.
So what is appropriate for a Hallowe’en inspired altar? While there’s no one-size-fits-all formula, here are some general suggestions you might find helpful to spark your creativity & imagination:
Candles. My altar for Hallowe’en has the most candles on it, no question. For me, I learned as a child that lighting a candle helps ancestors from the other side to find their way and bears the message, “We haven’t forgotten you - your memory still burns brightly in my heart.” Also, as we enter the darker, colder half of the year, the brightness and warmth of candles honors this truth and our commitment to preserving the Light in the darkness.
Gifts from Nature. Whether it be pinecones, branches, stones, leaves that have changed color, feathers, crystals, or even bones, placing these items on your altar honors the changing season and instills a reverence for the cycle of Life. Flowers such as chrysanthemums, marigolds, and roses also carry special significance.
Fruits and Gourds. Apples, pears, persimmons, figs, oranges, and pomegranates are wonderful fruits to place on your altar along with tiny pumpkins and fancy gourds. These anchor in the energies of harvest, abundance, and the promise of sustenance through the Winter!
Photos of family members, ancestors, and loved ones who have passed on. Or things that once belonged to them, or that they gave to you, that have sentimental value. This is a powerful time of honoring our ancestors and their continuing journey in the spiritual dimensions. So commemorating them on the altar can be a profound expression of gratitude and love. Depictions of Saints, Archangels, and Masters of Light fall into this suggestion.
Food and drink. This is my favorite, and comes from a long tradition in my family of creating an “atang” (ah-tahng), or food offering, for deceased family members and relatives. The offering can be their favorite food, drink, candy or snacks. It can also simply be an extra plate of what you’re eating and drinking so you can share with them. The point, for me, is to include them in the celebration of life woven directly into this time of the year.
Incense, potpourri, dried herbs, spices, and essential oils. Smells are intimately connected to memory. So in reflecting on our ancestors and our blood lineage, including items that are fragrant is appropriate. Warmer smells, like sandalwood, cinnamon, nag champa, frankincense…smudging with white sage, palo santo, and dried rosemary or pine…these are all good ideas appropriate to the sacred meaning and energy of the Hallowe’en spirit.
My Hallowe’en altar this year.
As I said, there’s no one-size-fits-all formula. So feel free to use these suggestions as inspirations, reminders, or jumping off points for you to follow your intuition and allow your heart and Soul to guide the process. And above all, and perhaps most importantly, have fun! Hallowe’en is a sacred time, yes, but it’s also a celebration! So infuse joy, passion, love, and spontaneity into the creation of your altar!
I hope these suggestions are helpful in serving you to not only create a beautiful altar, but to further awaken to the deeper meaning of Hallowe’en and this powerful turning point in the year. Blessings be!
