Dedicant Path: Week 37 – “Home Shrine Revisited, Final Essay”

This is my home shrine where I will conduct my devotionals, meditation, and my rituals.

In describing my home shrine I will reference the photo that I have provided. I will start with the items closest to the wall and work my way forward. The first item of note is the picture of Odin on the wall. The Allfather is my representation of the deities on my shrine, a symbol of my chosen hearth culture (Norse), and my tribute as I form a relationship with Him that may lead to patronage. The land wights are represented by the sweet gum leaf, gumball, and acorn to the left of the Sacred Tree. These were acquired on my nature awareness trips and are also symbols of my relationship with these particular land spirits. To the right of the Sacred Tree is a black resin skull, which is the symbol for the ancestors. Clustered in the back center of my shrine, among the representation of the Three Kindreds, are the Hallows. The Sacred Tree is a stick planted in a mason jar full of dirt, the Well is an iron cauldron, and the Fire is a group of three votive candles. The two candles in the back corners of the shrine are used for illumination. Below and to the left of the Fire is a censer, followed by the offering bowl which sits beneath the Hallows, and the wooden box on the left side is my ancestor box. This box will contain photos of the ancestors that I honor. To the right of the offering bowl is a bell that signals the beginning of my rituals. Next to that is my drinking horn from which I drink the Waters of Life and the blessing of the Kindreds in my High Day rituals. On the far right is a television tray where the candle snuffer sits, and it also acts as an area where I can place my offerings prior to ritual.

While I enjoy my modest home shrine, there are several improvements that I’d like to make. First, I would like to have a larger table for my shrine because it’s beginning to get crowded. In fact, I can’t really add much more because I wouldn’t have the space for it. A larger shrine would allow me to add more representations of the Kindreds (like statuary) and give me room for seasonal decorations. The goal here is to change the decorations on my shrine as the seasons change. I would also like an altar cloth over the surface of the shrine with a depiction of the Earth Goddess, for it is Her that holds up all things. At some point, I would like to replace the stick that serves as my Sacred Tree with a more fitting representation. While the stick has served me well, I would like something that looked more like a tree. Currently, I don’t have any ideas on what I’d like to use, but I’m sure something will present itself in the future.

Nature awareness (continued):

I did not take a trip to Silver Lake this week. However, I did get a chance to drive through a large park in the city this last week. The leaves cascaded down from the trees in brilliant yellows and oranges. In fact, many of the streets were covered by so many leaves that you could hardly see the road beneath. It was quite a sight to behold. But, as is typical with Midwestern weather, a storm blew through a day later and stripped the trees bare. I’m glad I got a chance to see the wide array of autumn colors while they were still around.