When Adding Items to Your Altar
Continuing on the awareness of bringing intention to all aspects of the altar, when you have found an item you wish to bring to your altar, there is an opportunity to deepen what the altar can offer through how you add the item.
Recalling the idea of Ritual, you can add your item in a ritualistic way. The act of adding the item is a moment of connecting with the spirit of your beloved that resides within you. The act can look however allows the moment to feel special for you.
Aside from the rituals you may already have of lighting a candle or ringing a bell or spinning around three times (this doesn't have to be so serious if you can manage that, and if you feel your beloved would appreciate it) or whatever it might be, when you are bringing a new item, take a moment to share what you are adding and why.
This sharing can be done out loud or within your head, as feels appropriate for you. But it is important that a sharing of some sort happens. Speak to your beloved and share the story of the item- how you came to select it, what it reminded you of, why it felt appropriate, why they would appreciate it, or whatever else feels right to share. If you are doing this program with others, then the sharing can be to the group.
Part of the grief of losing someone is the feeling that they are Gone. Yes, they are physically gone. But their energy persists within you. In this sense their spirit remains as a resonation within all whom they touched. The Spirit Altar enables a channeling of this resonation into physical form which can offer space for connecting to their spirit within you. It is not a replacement for their physical presence, but for many this can offer comfort, particularly when grieving is intense.