Setting up an altar honouring the 4 elements.. any advice?

[Mika_03]

Hi all!
I was just wondering if anyone has any experience or advice with setting up an altar with representations of the four elements? I tend to shy away from deity because I am a little unsure about what I believe in that aspect.

Is there a certain way the elemts should be placed on my altar? Or is it totally up to me and how I feel?

Any advice is welcome!

Thank you!

[[Silver Dove]]

I worship the divine power which to me is present in every thing that it has created ( the heavens & the earth, and everything in between), therefore I do not have a diety representation at my altar. However, I do have candles representation of the 4 elements. Green for earth at the north facing, yellow for air at the east facing, red for fire at the south facing, blue for water at the west facing. I also have candles representing the creator both in male & female referance at the north facing. Silver for female on the North west facing & gold for male on the north east facing....you can also use stones & crystals or salt or sand to represent the earth, chalice for water, incense for air and of course candle for fire....
I did a lot of research before I set up my altar and I found that the elements have to be set at their correct points, but you have a total choice of the material you use to represent them.

Hope this helps.

[[cherokeewind]]

I worship the divine power which to me is present in every thing that it has created ( the heavens & the earth, and everything in between), therefore I do not have a diety representation at my altar. However, I do have candles representation of the 4 elements. Green for earth at the north facing, yellow for air at the east facing, red for fire at the south facing, blue for water at the west facing. I also have candles representing the creator both in male & female referance at the north facing. Silver for female on the North west facing & gold for male on the north east facing....you can also use stones & crystals or salt or sand to represent the earth, chalice for water, incense for air and of course candle for fire....
I did a lot of research before I set up my altar and I found that the elements have to be set at their correct points, but you have a total choice of the material you use to represent them.

Hope this helps.

That is the very same color correspondence I started with and used for many years (East-yellow, South-red, West-blue, North-green). Candles work fine, I've suggested it in other threads here. But you can just visualize those colors at each direction when calling the Quarters.

In Native American sweat lodge ceremonies, heated rocks, one for each direction plus in the center...placed in a pit, water poured over for steam. I like to use polished tumbled stones to represent each element for my Native workings...I use Native color correspondence now.

[[Silver Dove]]

Hi Cherokeewind,

Can you please tell me a little bit more about Native color correspondence. I would like to know more about it.

Thanks

[[cherokeewind]]

Hi Cherokeewind,

Can you please tell me a little bit more about Native color correspondence. I would like to know more about it.

Thanks

Here is the thread that you need...
http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/f ... php?t=7909

Covers the colors, used by different tribes, the stones of a circle, the shaman's pipe ceremony too.

I use both rough and tumbled stones for ceremonies and to construct a stone circle. I once bough rough stones by lbs. sold for cabbing (cutting) or tumbling. I rub cocoa butter lotion on the rough stones, sometimes soap/water cleaning doesn't make them look as nice. Wash them first, then rub with the lotion.

Here is rough Amethyst after cleanig with cocoa butter lotion.



There are times you can get a super good deal on Quartz crystals if getting by the lbs. I did that once on ebay for a 2 lb. lot of clear Brazilian crystals. Most beautiful crystals...here is different views of my largest one...have used it as the power crystal, for many healing ceremonies. Natives will take a crystal, when it is used for healing, place the crystal in the circle, toward and at the West or South. Depending on their tradition for a healing direction. Lakota Indians use the South.







!2 stones for the outer circle is enough for a simple stone Medicine Wheel. I've cast my outer circle with healing stones already, a lot of good uses for stones.

[[Silver Dove]]

Wow those Amethyst look beautiful....I am going to try the cocoa butter lotion. And your quartz crystals are beautiful as well. Thanks for the link and all that wonderful knowledge....On 29th & 30th Nov, 2008, there is a Pow Wow ceremony happening in Toronto....people come there from all over to experience it. It is the biggest Native Indian event here and this year I am going...I am so excited that I can hardly wait...I can't wait to experience and learn everything I can.

Thanks again for all the great information.

[[cherokeewind]]

There are a lot of Pow Wows going on through the year. Dancers like to go so that they can use the circle to dance out prayers.