pomegranateandivy:

I see so many people ask about what’s needed on a Hellenic altar or shrine, so I thought I’d share what I do real quick, since I changed up the altars in my house today.

1. The Most important thing in my altars and shrines is a bowl, plate, or chalice for offerings. knotted-vines and I have purple wine glasses, carnival glass chalices with grape designs on them, a clear glass dessert bowl on a stem, and a tiny silver ashtray I picked up at an antique shop that has grape designs that we alternate as offering dishes.
2. The next thing I try to have at my altar is a representation of the deity that altar is dedicated to. For the two of us, this usually consists of flowers that are sacred to Dionysus or Persephone. For Dionysus we also add ivy, and will usually use an old wine bottle as a vase. We also have a jar of amethyst shards we’ve been collecting from Micheal’s for years, and we use that to represent Dionysus too. This doesn’t have to be an image of your deity. Aphrodite? Try using shells. Hera? Peacock motifs are popular right now. Athena? Owls, shields, books, the list goes on. Hermes? A nice pair of shoes maybe. 

Those are the two elements I try to always incorporate. When my altar was nothing but a little wooden box in the back of my closet, I kept my jar of amethyst and a shot glass in it. Those two things were all I needed to feel like I’d set up an altar. 

Some other items I like to include are still functional and important though. I’ll usually place either candles or an incense holder on my altar. They can be used in katharmos, and add a nice feel to any ritual I do. When I decide to use a candle instead of incense I will usually go with one plain candle that I’ll light while I cleanse the area. When I go with incense I like to use incense cones, but that’s just me.

I also have a nice pitcher that I can use to hold khernips, but I don’t typically include it at my altar. I’ll include it when I set the whole table as an altar, and add a bowl so you can do the whole thing where you pour khernips over your hands and the water goes into the bowl. Otherwise though, when I use khernips I’ll typically just make a bowl of it and wash my hands and face with that. I don’t think it’s necessary to have khernips at your altar though.

Everything beyond that is just regular old decoration. I’ll sometimes include an altar cloth if I feel like it. I may also include candles and lights that are just to look pretty, not to be lit.

If you are planning on using it as a shrine, then you don’t need to worry too much about leaving any free space. If you’re wanting an altar, then I recommend leaving enough room near the front of the altar that you can prepare a bowl of khernips there. If you can prepare khernips on your altar then you should have room to do just about any other altar work you may want.

pomegranateandivy:

Alright, I get this question a LOT. So I’m actually gonna go a bit more in detail than you probably need, and then link this in my FAQ.

So, you’ve been reading up on a deity, and you’re ready to introduce yourself! The specific details will vary depending on the practice you’re coming from, and the deity you’re approaching, but the basic ideas will (usually) be the same.

1. Set up a shrine or altar, this can be temporary or something permanent, it’s just a place to introduce yourself. Think of it like setting up for a skype interview with a potential boss. You don’t have to clean the whole house, just the area that they’re gonna be seeing 
2. Invoke the deity. This can be calling their name and asking them to join you. This can be hymns or even just something along the lines of “Okay, okay, so I’m really feeling a bit silly right now but here goes. Um, Deity? I have an offering for you, so yeah, it’d be great if you would receive it.”
3. Make an offering of some kind. I don’t believe you have to make an offering every time you interact with a deity, but as an introduction, it’s a good way to go, even if you just burn a candle or some incense in their honor.
4. Tell them why you think they’re awesome. You can list of their epitaphs you know, you can talk about how/why you’re drawn to them, ect… Just kind of let them know why you want to work with them.
5. You can ask for a sign of their approval, you can make a promise to do this again some time, or even just talk to them. If you do divination you can pull out some tarot cards or whatever you prefer and see if they’re willing to have a conversation.
6. Thank them and clean up.