Altars: Bringing Sacred Shrines into Your Everyday Life

by Denise Linn

"The creation of an altar is a sacred act, an act of power and grace. For a few timeless minutes you enter a dimension beyond ordinary reality, where light, sound, and energy merge into an exquisite state of being."

The human urge to create physical sacred centers for our lives is so deep that we often create them unconsciously. Photos on the dresser, personal objects on our desk or around the computer are tangible tokens of our longing for balance and wholeness--and of our attempts to strengthen connections between our loved ones, nature and community, and other great sources of spiritual power.

The internationally acclaimed author of Sacred Space, Denise Linn, speaks directly to this primal need for hallowed and holy places. In Altars, she demonstrates in photos and text how you can further enrich the areas around us at home or in the office by creating unique shrines for personal devotions, intimate centers for healing and contemplation. Beautifully illustrated and thoroughly practical, Altars shows how to

- Create personal altars for prayer and devotion, stillness and listening, loss and mourning, relationships and love, and connecting with the life energy
- Find the right place to install a home shrine, according to the points of the compass and the ancient and honored principles of feng shui
- Select altar objects that are particularly suited to your special needs
- Purify yourself and your altars with incense, prayers, drumming, and chanting
- And much more!

Everyone who yearns to draw near the mysterious and wondrous, to infuse ordinary moments with sacred meaning, will find a great wealth of beauty, inspiration, and wisdom in this unique book.

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Paganism, Reference, Art, Magick, Witchcraft

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Denise Linn’s personal journey began as a result of a near-death experience at age 17. Her life-changing experiences and remarkable recovery set her on a spiritual quest that led her to explore the healing traditions of many cultures, including those of her own Cherokee ancestors, the Aborigines in the Australian bush, and the Zulus in Bophuthatswana. She trained with a Hawaiian kahuna (shaman), and Reiki Master Hawayo Takata. She was also adopted into a New Zealand Maori tribe. In addition, Denise lived in a Zen Buddhist monastery for more than two years.
Denise is an internationally renowned teacher in the field of self-development. She’s the author of the bestseller Sacred Space and the award-winning Feng Shui for the Soul, and has written 16 books, which are available in 24 languages. Denise has appeared in numerous documentaries and television shows worldwide, gives seminars on six continents, and is the founder of the International Institute of Soul Coaching®, which offers professional certification programs in life coaching.

Reviews

[Belenen · Rating 3 out of 5]

lovely pictures, but I found it redundant... maybe I'm just more intuitive about this sort of thing but it seemed to explain things that didn't need explaining (after you've said "you can create a permanent altar for everything, or a temporary one for a specific purpose" what else is there to say?). I did find the last few pages inspiring -- they described a process of using an altar that I liked and hadn't already thought of.

Worth checking out if you want visual inspiration -- but don't get it purely for the words.

[Caitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mostly enjoyed this because it was a relaxing before bed read. This whole book could have been a blog post, but it was worth the five dollars I bought it for used because it is a pleasant little meditation on the practice of creating and using altar spaces. Very charming with lovely visuals.

Linn makes the point that people seem to naturally create altar spaces, placing objects just so in the places they look at or use every day. She goes on to say, "However, because this process of creating an altar is a subconscious one, many of the spiritual benefits derived from the deliberate creation of the home altar are lost" (13). Doing things mindfully and intentionally, even if not spiritually, is a great way to look at projects like this. A great insight.

[Mark Matzeder · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't really what I was looking for or expected. Had some interesting information and lavish illustrations, but a little too broad, saccharine, and unfocused for my preferences.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful overview of the history, meanings, and types of altars. This made me realise how often I am unconsciously making an altar without realizing and they are now all the more important to me.

[Pepper Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book as a coffee table book, a simple, almost repetitive read but with gorgeous photography and inspiring ideas if you have intentional spaces/altars in your own home.

[Dan TheMan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the images and the information about different types of altars. A lot of the things weren‘t new to me, but it was a good read. Nothing special, but would recommend.

[Francine Apollo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book at least 3 years ago. I was preparing a presentation which included a bibliography. Lynn's book is lovely; the writing is clear, inspiring and adaptable. The photographs are wonderful.

Whatever your religious practice is (or spiritual path) Lynn has something for you. I've browsed this book before; this time I REALLY read it. It will open up something in you; I found it happening to me.

I was moved to look around my house to see just how many altars I do have. I know I'm an altar builder but, I was surprised at just how many I found in my little 1.5 floor house.

[Maeve Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book descibes several types of altars & shrines. It does use the two terms interchangably. It goes into a very brief history of altars and cultures that use altars today. It has plenty of color photos of different altar examples, what kinds of things to put on an altar & their symbolism. I consider this a very beginner book on the subject. It is a good resource for anyone to create their own altar. Different cultures are looked at briefly including pagan symbolism. It gave me some interesting ideas. This book is appropriate for all ages.

[Carolina Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A generic "how-to" book examining the history, purpose, and use of altars. The author provides examples of various types of altars (Love, Abundance, Creativity, Marriage, Inner-Child, Ancestors, etc..) as well as loads of pictures that provide visual inspiration.

This is a great book for non-creative types who need a little more instruction than the average person or the new seeker who wants to do things "just right". Hint: if it feels right TO you, then it IS right FOR you.

[Claudia Loureiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a real wonderful book about sacred shrines. The photo altars offered in this book are a visual and spiritual feast for its readers. Each section is filled with original images and ideas that inspire us to create a small sanctuary in every room of our homes. Each time I flip through this book pages, I see something new. Love it!

[Ann Kucera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Altars by Denise Linn has over 100 photos and drawings to illustrate the ideas in the book. You'll come away with many ways to incorporate your intentions into your space easily. This book is out of print. Many copies are available on the used market.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting in that it gives you ideas for a personal altar and pictures. Just a "gives me creative ideas of setup" guide.

Wish List

[Lillian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kinda generic, but great ideas that can be personalized to manifest all kinds of things in the readers life. I like the examples and creative use of items.

[Jo Halstead · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read - took inspiration from the pictures