Hi everyone! 🥰 Hope you’re doing well🫶🏻
Here I am with another post after the poll I made! And you chose “How to make an altar?”! I’ll try to explain what I can and advice you about one of the most questioned thing in Hellenism!
Hope you enjoy and find it useful! 🌻
How the ancient Greeks did it?
If we peek into the past, ancient Greek altars were very different from modern indoor shelves. Usually they had these principal points:
Most altars (called bōmoi, singular bōmos) were outside, often in a courtyard, garden, or right in front of a temple!
•Public altars faced the open sky for burnt offerings🌎
•Private household altars were usually near the hearth, sacred to Hestia, because the fire connected the family to the gods! 🔥 If you wanna know more about this check my other post 👉🏻 https://www.tumblr.com/eternalmneme/786586502372245504/the-sacred-household-in-hellenism
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How did they offer with these altars? On top, they would burn offerings (like fat, incense, or small portions of meat).
They’d also pour libations (wine, milk, honey, or water), they were pour either on the altar or onto the ground for chthonic deities!
And of course different gods, meant different “styles” for the altar!
•Olympian gods (like Zeus, Apollo, Athena etc.) were honored with raised altars and offerings burned upward toward the sky to show the connection with the Olympus.
•Chthonic gods and spirits (Hades, Persephone etc.) received offerings closer to the earth, sometimes in pits or low altars, because their domain was below, and that showed respect for the earth.
Basically, an altar was often the way they’d communicate their respect for the Gods!
But how does it work today? Is it completely needed? Do we need to do everything the ancient Greeks did to build Kharis and show our respect to the Gods?
Well that brings us to the next point!
☮️Step 1 Find your space!
First things first to know: your altar does not need to be huge or fancy. Your altar can be small, pretty, poor, fancy or not, you decide! A little shelf, the corner of your desk, a windowsill, all of that works.
If you need to keep things low-key, you can even use a tray or box you can tuck away when you’re done!
Just think a spot that feels like a “hello” to the gods every time you see it! Something that you feel comfortable about and want the Gods to see how much you put yourself into it! Even if its “poor”!
🌻Step 2 Who are you honoring?
Try and choose who you want to honor for the altar! Remember! You do NOT need to honor all the Gods in the same time. Its pretty difficult to keep it up sometimes and we could end up worshipping less than we want to! Take it easy, do your best and the Gods will know it🫶🏻
Also, you dont need to have multiple altars if you’re honoring more Gods. Of course, I would say its better, it keeps it tidy and like that every God you worship has Their altar. But its not need at all! Specially if you cant spend much on it.
With this step I cant do much! Just choose a God/ more Gods you want to worship and find a space for the altar!
If you want to take things a step further, you can match the height of your altar to the type of deity you’re honoring.
•Chthonic deities are connected to the earth, so having your altar low to the ground or even directly on the floor symbolizes that connection.
•Olympian deities are associated with the sky and the upper world, so a higher altar, like on a shelf or table, reflects their lofty domain.
This simply adds more symbolism to your practice!
🍷Step 3 What to put on it?
Again, this step changes based on how much you can and want spend on it! Its fine if you cant have fancy things and offerings for the Gods, they wont be mad, take it easy.
I would reccommend these things on the altar (based on which God you are worshipping)
Candle, the flame is very important and it symbolizes divine presence! (Hestia approves!) Just please be careful to not leave your candle on when you’re not there.
Offering bowl for food like bread, honey, fruit, water, wine etc!
Libation cup for water, milk, wine, or honey
A deity image: statue, picture, or even your own drawing! Its a great devotional act too for every God! Putting yourself in the altar makes it more as a “home”!
Incense, flowers, herbs, stones, crystals and seasonal offerings!
And of course put anything you think it connects to the God you’re honoring! They will love everything you do for Them.
🏺Step 4 Care for your altar!
Ancient altars were kept clean and active, and so should yours.
Remove old offerings like food or drinks (bury or compost if possible). Be careful for the food! It growing mold is NOT a sign from the Gods, just a food growing moldy and its NOT safe for us!
Refresh water and flowers!
Keep it clean, its also a devotional act! And I would “cleanse” it every time you pray/practice, it shows respect for the Gods! Of course I would reccommend it everytime, but no push, dont worry!
Give the space a little tidy-up, it’s like hosting the Gods in your home.
🏛️Step 5 Start your Practice!
And here we are! Start to try and practice worshipping. With many things that are too long to write all down, but I would say to give devotional acts, anyway you can show respect to Them!
Try to pray for the first time, it will sound weird at first but you’ll do great! The Gods will appreciate it!
Ancient Greeks often started with Hestia, giving her the first and last part of every offering. A simple “Hail Hestia, keeper of the hearth” is already in the spirit of the tradition.
What matters is devotion and consistency. Start small, keep it genuine, and your altar will naturally grow with your practice!
These things should be for a whole other post 😅 If you want I could make one!🌻
And, this post is finished here! But as always, if you need to ask me anything be free and ask! No question is useless or stupid!
Also, if you have any advice or want simply saying your opinion on something feel free to do it!
Hope you understood everything and I said everything right! I am not english so maybe its not perfect but I hope I satisfied some questions! 🫶🏻
