Of altars and spindles

I have a book called Little Altars everywhere by Rebecca Wells. She also wrote Divine secrets of the Ya Ya sisterhood. I've had the books for quite a while now, I first bought them when I was doing paper crafts and mixed media.It came to mind yesterday when I was thinking of faith, beliefs and practices.
I know, I know such a weighty subject but stay with me.

I have many little altars around my home. They are on windowsills, fireplace,on chests, in the garden.
They all contain things that mean something to me and are special in one way or another.
There are statues of Bast, Anubis and Buddha. ( I told you I was an eclectic shaman:) ) There are Goddess figures, green men here and there.
Crystals, hag stones and pieces of wood are on there also.
Things that came into my life  by various means and they stayed.
They all have meaning, all with a memory attached of when I got them , where and why.

I don't have a regular daily religious practice as such. I try to live my life mindfully and honour and follow the turn of the wheel and the seasons journey around us.

But these little altars jog my memory. They help remind me of places and times, they give me a focus to give thanks. To just be glad to be here in this now.

To be, not just to exist in a pattern of every day habits and deeds.

To sometimes stop what I'm doing and breathe.

We all do things from habit or routine and yes that is necessary sometimes.
We do however need that time of mindfulness, of being in the present.

For me, those little altars link me to that.

A space for oneness.

A silence of the babble within my mind.

We all have it and it is hard to stop, even for a second.
Those moments of silence help.

The journal and the morning pages do the same for me.
Anything that empties the clutter from my mind. To allow time for the day, for creativity. For my muse to visit.

I often add to my altars things that come my( our ) way. I also send others onwards when the need arises in another person. They are flexible and not set in stone.
Currently the main altar has a collection of cards sending healing and best wishes from all around the world.
People who also took a moment and in that space thought of someone else. They sent those thoughts for Mr Mog and I.
A magic all its own and very much appreciated, especially as quite a number of them are cyberspace friends and we have never actually met in person.
That doesn't matter though, we are all linked by the webs of kindness and small and large deeds.

On another note but linking in,
This arrived today from the US, a Jenkins spindle made of Holly that I had ordered. I almost dropped it when I opened the package there was so much positive energy within this small item. I tried spindling with some fibre they packed it in and Wow, think electric shocks running through the body, a tingling of old earth energy given by the Holly to me via Ed who turned it into this beautiful piece of working art.
I shall enjoy using this spindle and will honour the tree that gave it to me.