I was out for a walk last week and only had 30 minutes, so instead of getting out on the hiking trail—my preferred way of being in nature—I headed over to the local soccer field near my house. I can do a few laps, enjoy the sunshine, and sometimes catch a game in progress.
I have a particular route that I take most days. It skirts several soccer fields and sometimes has me walking on pavement for a few minutes. But there’s one short section where I can go off my path and be in the woods for about five minutes. So, the other day, I decided to do that.
I hadn’t even walked 20 paces and I stumbled across this!
What a sweet little altar!
My guess is that somebody’s little brother or sister who wasn’t on a soccer team got bored and was playing in the woods. It looks like they had fun gathering twigs and leaves and flowers—and I love the addition of the blue pom-pom!
Whoever made this was very deliberate about it and may have had meaning for each of the squares. We will never know, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is that the person—or people—who created it had their own intention and created a sacred experience for themselves.
I’m sure you’ve seen other altars out in nature. Cairns—piles of stones intentionally stacked one upon the other—are popular as a meditative tool and can also symbolize the gratitude of whoever passes by.
I snapped a photo of this cairn at Gooseneck Bay in Massachusetts last winter. There was nobody else on the beach (it was pretty cold!) but here was evidence that someone else had been there, appreciating the barren beauty of the space.
When I am doing a shamanic journey on behalf of one of my clients, I create a custom altar just for them. I intuitively gather items from my office—flowers, crystals, divination cards, books, feathers, candy, stuffed animals—and what’s always amazing to me is how deeply my clients resonate with what I’ve chosen. Sometimes I select something to represent their totem animal. Other times, a crystal I’m drawn to turns out to be a match for a beloved piece of their grandmother’s jewelry. It’s always uncanny, and I trust the divine wisdom of all of it.
If you’re curious about what a shamanic journey might surface for you, I’d love to hold that space for you.
Chapter 20 of my book Sacred Celebrations is devoted entirely to how to build a home altar. It’s not complicated, and there’s no one right way to do it. I offer suggestions and stories for how to make your altar feel personal—something you can return to and interact with regularly. Whether you’re just starting out or ready to deepen your practice, it’s a beautiful place to begin.
Order your copy here
Bookshop.org
Amazon
My website (signed copy)
Altars can show up in the most unexpected places—a five-minute detour into the woods, a cold and empty beach, a corner of a healing practitioner’s office. Whether assembled by a bored little sibling, a stranger marking gratitude on a shore, or a coach creating sacred space for a client, every altar carries the same energy. Someone paused to be present and gathered special items to mark the moment. You don’t need a special occasion or a perfect space. You just need the impulse to say this matters—and the willingness to act on it.
If you have an altar in your home, I’d love to see a photo of it! Or if you’ve come across one in nature recently, please share that as well! Simply leave a comment.