Creating a home or space that helps you feel like yourself is an important part of cultivating your intuition. One of the simplest things you can do is set up an altar.

What is an altar?

An altar is the energetic center of your home, where you can call on, or call in, your spirit, guides, loved ones, or inspiration from the Spirit World. Think of your altar as an extension of your energy. Altars have been used by nearly every religion since the beginning of time. As humans, we are naturally predisposed with foraging instincts from our hunter-gatherer origins. Even if you haven’t thought about it before, gathering meaningful objects to display in a dedicated space may feel natural to you. Altars may be non-denominational and are a natural way to bring the energy of your hopes, dreams, and intentions into the physical realm.
As someone on a spiritual journey, your altar can help to focus your intention, manifest what you desire to bring into your life, ground you, and connect you to your physical space.
All you need is a dedicated space, like a small table-top or even a bench. Let your intuition guide you in creating this space, making it as elaborate or simple as you desire. As you’re setting it up, think about what you’d like to call in or release.

Creating a sacred space

Setting up an altar in a new space helps change the energy and makes it feel like your own. Every living thing on your altar has its own energy and can influence its surroundings. The vibration of your plants and crystals stretches beyond the physical world into the energetic realm. It will change the feeling of your space. Whatever you choose to place on your altar is personal to you. Make it your own and be free with it.

Organize your altar by elements

I tend to organize my altar to include all four elements: water, fire, earth, air. I add items to call in the presence of my loved ones in the Spirit Realm, also adding anything that aides my intention-setting for the day, week, month, or year. Begin with items that resonate with you, knowing that you may swap them out whenever it feels right.

Develop a spiritual practice that supports your intentions

- Sit in front of your altar for a few minutes a day and speak your intentions out loud as you light the candles. Periodically replace the water, salt, candles, or incense.
- Burn herbs to cleanse your space or spray herb-scented water to intentionally clear the energy of your altar. As you wave the smoke around (with a window open nearby), state your intention to clear the energy. When the energy feels clear to your intuitive self, it is cleared.
Your altar is for you to connect, and it represents your unique hopes and desires. Make this a safe space, a conditioning-free zone for you to express your desires.
Let yourself be free with it—you make the rules.

Using color on your altar

I encourage you to consider the use of colors as you set up an altar. Understanding and connecting to the world around us can help create a space that feels supportive. Just as we are connected with every living thing, the shapes, colors, and symbols that surround us in the universe affect us. The more we understand and connect to symbolism, color, geometry, numerology, astrology, the more tools we have to understand and interpret our experience. I have always been very visual, and color plays an important part in the way I set up any altar or
sacred space.

What about crystals?

All over the world, occultists, seekers, and mystics admire and collect crystals. They are one of the easiest ways to bring something beautiful and living into your space. They are alive, and like plants, have an aura—an energy that can be felt by highly sensitive and intuitive people. Crystals not only enhance the beauty of a space, they are healing.
We don’t need to invest money into crystals, plants, tarot cards, or expensive items. Your intuition and innate wisdom are not dependent on the presence of a crystal. They are simply beautiful yet optional part of complementing your physical space. Let your body and intuition guide you towards what feels right for you.

Using tarot and oracle cards on your altar

I often use Tarot Cards as an intentional tool. While the origins of the Tarot are unknown, it’s believed they have been around since ancient times and are linked to ancient Greece, the Kabbalah, and Romany people. I have a deep relationship with Tarot, and my deck feels like an extension of my energy—a living force that asks to communicate and cards that beg to make themselves known.
When considering cards for your altar, it helps to understand some of their fundamental meanings. The Tarot typically has 78 cards that begin with the Major Arcana, followed by the Minor Arcana, the suits of swords (air), pentacles (earth), wands (fire), cups (water). The Major Arcana are twenty cards, beginning with The Fool, and follow his journey as he meets and collides with every facet of human existence from The Magician, Death, The Tower, ending with The World.

Tarot Cards to represent various intentions:

· Call in more love: The Lovers, Two of Cups, Four of Wands, Ace of Cups
· Call in joy: The Sun, Six of Wands, Ten of Cups
· Manifest abundance: The Magician, Ten of Pentacles
· Connect to your intuition: The High Priestess

Oracle Cards are another divination tool you may want to include on your altar. These cards are free flowing and don’t typically follow a prescribed set of rules or order. Choose the ones that draw your eye and feel good to you. I have cards that simply contain one word like “Authenticity,” which is useful in connecting to intuition and our authentic self, or “Visible,” when working through anxieties around being seen or vulnerable.
Just like with Tarot, place the Oracle cards on your altar that speak to you or embody your intentions.

Casting Spells with Your Altar

Spells are just another way of being intentional with your altar. You can create spells for yourself for anything you’d like to call into your physical space for example you might create spells for more self love, abundance, creativity, protection, or deepen intuition.

To learn more, check out:

Your Sacred Space: Creating an Altar online class (recording available) and explore how to create and altar, set intentions, call in and connect to your ancestors, and spell work for beginners

Read next: Tarot Cards vs Oracle Cards: How to know the Difference