My current ancestor's altar is a bamboo bush in a planter.
In Japan, the altar space for ancestors and gods/goddesses have strict formats; Strong influence from Buddhism tradition for ancestors' altars, and strong influence from Shintoism tradition for the gods/goddesses' altars. My family house had those altars inside as a normal Japanese household.
I turned my back to spirituality in my young ages, and I thought those alter spaces are only for the ones who are connected to the spiritual realm.
In time, with some mysterious experiences, I started feeling my ancestors and spiritual beings more and more. I started dreaming about creating alerts in my space, yet I didn’t want to have a traditional Japanese altar in my house while I love the sacred atmosphere of the shrines and temples.
I got very confused during this time. Why do I feel blockages to create an altar in my space? Some part of me doesn't want them to come visit me???
But my curiosity won. So, I started exploring the alter spaces in town, listening to stories from people connected to their ancestors and spirits, looking for the high energy space in the forest with lots of questions; What are the common threads in those spaces? What makes alters alive? etc… After a while, I found that the ways of alters are varied and unique to the cultures and people.
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Going back to the time when Shintoism and Buddhism were not merged into Japanese culture, I believe there were no rules in alter spaces. Ancient people knew the high energy spaces in nature, and they created alter spaces there. They saw gods/goddesses in the trees, stones, and water. They placed their ancestors' altar at the top of the hill. Perhaps, those places became sacred sites in time; more people visit and strengthen the connection to the other side with their prayers.
Rules are made by humans. I am not saying we can ignore it. I am saying when we dig back to the roots, what we believe and how we connect with the other side is very personal. I believe it can be a personal art.
I am not denying traditional altars either. Those traditions are sharpened by many masters and people for a long time. They are crystalized wisdom of the traditions. There are depths to each object and placement, and there is beauty to sincerely follow the traditions. At many Shintoism shrines and Buddhism temples, spirits look so happy and proud of their space to me.
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What kind of space do spirits like?
What does offering do?
What motivates ancestors to visit the altar?
What makes an altar chaotic?
How to keep alters alive??
I still have too many questions about alter space. I don’t have a perfect answer to it, and it’s such a lovely thing to explore. I may have a super traditional Shintoism and Buddhism altar in my space in 30 years. I accept that. I enjoy exploring, making mistakes, and learning what is authentic to me. I like it.
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My ancestors' altar is a bamboo bush in a planter right now.
You may have many question marks in your head after I wrote such a big idea about the altar space. I have a dream idea in my mind, and with my current space, this is what I can do. This is the result of my tries and errors and the process of creating altar space for my ancestors. I make prayers in front of this bush, telling them my dreams. “Dear healthy ancestors, please keep weaving this beautiful life with me. And please teach me what makes you happy and how to make this altar alive…”
I believe so many people resonate with the traditional ways to connect with the other side. Please keep making prayers and deepening the connections! At the same time, if you are like me; need to start from the scratch, please keep exploring your ways! If you have questions or comments to me, please reach me out. I’d love to exchange experiences and knowledge. I’d love to know your ways! Let’s weave our art and make the connection to the other side deeper with love and life together!!
With love,
Kyoko
Photo credit: Unknown
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