Shrine

What do I typically put on my shrine?

Well, there's a few things I always include, no matter the deity I work with:

1. Altar Cloth

Oh, how I love my altar cloths.  If it were up to me, I'd have TONS of these in just about any and every color and design.  I tend to go for more simple ones, and I like using scarves and table runners, but I have been known to cut up an old shirt and make an altar cloth out of that.  I've been noticing an increase in cheaper cloth place mats that are sold separately, so I very well may start using those in the near future.  I don't usually have an altar cloth per deity; I tend to reuse the altar cloths I have based on color and the vibe I get from the cloth, since I have so few to actually work with.  I prefer altar cloths over a bare altar.

2. Deity Representation

I love candles.  Always have, always will, lol.  My deity representation is usually in the form of a candle, sometimes colored, sometimes not, on a candle holder.  If I have an appropriate oil, or can make one, I'll try to anoint that candle in the oil, and use it to anoint myself when praying or in ritual with that deity, and when making a non-food/drink offering.  All my tools and objects that are dedicated to the deity (as long as it's not fabric - oil stains!) will also be anointed with this oil.  Deity representations can be flowers (usually fake), crystals (I don't often dedicate crystals to deities since I don't actually have doubles of any crystal other than rose quartz, citrine and clear quartz), symbols of that deity, a statue (I never buy statues of Greek gods; they run too expensive - but I do occasionally make a very simplistic deity representation out of salt dough), or even a printed - or drawn picture, as I am more likely to do - of that deity.

3. Offering Plate & Chalice

I like to have a general offering plate and a cup for liquid and solid offerings.  These are mostly for food and drink, but can work for holding other stuff too.  When it comes to the chalice, I typically do not pour things in there that is not edible; so no anointing oil out of the container or any such thing.  The offering plate gets washed whenever it comes in contact with anything that is not food, dusty, dirty, etc in addition to a monthly ritual washing - and of course, after having food on it.  I like to have a chalice and dish for each deity I'm working with, but most of the time lack of finances prevents this.

4. Incense

There's just something about incense and a lit candle that really gets me calm, focused, and in the zone.  Even if the incense doesn't serve as the offering, I usually have something burning.  I prefer cones for deity offerings, but I'm having trouble finding a good quality cone that stays lit all the way through; I would like to do more research into the art of making homemade cones out of herbs and such and maybe have a general batch for offerings, a general batch for ritual purification, and maybe smaller batches for the specific deity I'm working with.  It would be a good monthly craft for me!  As you can guess, I obviously don't shy away from incense sticks, and actually have a HUGE variety (and by huge, I mean literally hundreds of various scents - and I occasionally add a new box, usually of 100 or so, when I come across it).

5. Various Symbols

Every deity has symbols they are associated with; Dionysus is associated with the vine, Artemis with arrows and the crescent moon, Apollo with the sun, Hestia with the flame, Zeus with thunderbolts, etc.  As you accumulate items for your altar over time, or make them, they will usually be in line with the deity's traditional symbols.  These are added to the shrine, or stored safely until needed.