A ritual altar is a dedicated space where you can perform sacred rituals for personal healing, transformation and empowerment, manifestation of desires, communicating with the divine, enhancing divination, calling on the divine powers to bestow blessing on oneself or another, enhancing spiritual practice and sending healing or transformational energy out into the world.

RITUAL IN THE AQUARIAN AGE

The Aquarian Age is the age of the return of the mother energy. It has the associated requirements of taking responsibility for one’s own evolutionary journey and intelligently cooperating and co-creating with nature to restore order in one’s personal life and in the world.

The 21^st century magician, who is an Eighth Ray ritual magician works with the magic of the Goddess that is both universal and inclusive. Eighth Ray magic is the highest, most comprehensive and sophisticated expression of the ‘magic of light’. It is quintessentially regenerative magic, the magic of rebirth and renewal. It works on a personal and transpersonal level. This means that the Eighth Ray ritual magician is seeking and is motivated to operate from a place in consciousness where the personal will is aligned with higher will, the personal mind is aligned with higher mind and the personal purpose is aligned with higher purpose. This means that all Eighth Ray magical work is undertaken to effect change not just for oneself and one’s personal world but for a transpersonal outcome that benefits oneself, the world and the greater universe.

MAGICIAN’S ALTAR

The magician depicted in the major trump tarot key number 1 The Magician is standing at his altar. The table, or altar, symbolises the area of his focus. It holds four power objects: a chalice, a coin, a sword and a wand, which represent the four elements and directions that the magician uses to work with universal forces during ritual. The lemniscate above his head and the position of his arms symbolise the act of co-creation with the divine.

Like the magician in the tarot card, the Eighth Ray ritual magician, uses their sacred altar to consciously and powerfully work with the elemental kingdom and the unconquerable magic of light to bring about positive change and transformation in their own life and on the planet.

CREATING YOUR RITUAL ALTAR

Your altar can be very simple. The Eighth Ray ritual altar has five essential elemental power objects that represent the four elements: earth, air, fire and water and the fifth element quintessence. They have a natural correlation to the five primary compass directions: north, east, south, west and the centre. The centre represents the abode of the magical self, which is that part of us that exists in a state of total presence in the moment, acute awareness and all-pervading peace ready to co-create with the cosmos.

You can select any surface to create your Eighth Ray magical altar. This can be made from any material and can be any size that is practical for placing your altar items on and conducting Eighth Ray rituals. Your altar can be free standing or it can be on a shelf or against a wall. It will need to remain undisturbed by others and be in a place where you can work at it comfortably to undertake your rituals.

Elemental Earth

An item to represent the earth element is placed in the north of your altar.

Ideally it is represented by a heartstone. The ritual heartstone carries strong feminine energies and is very balancing and calming. It helps the Eighth Ray ritual magician to attune to the powers of nature and the stars and mediate the powers of heaven and earth.

If you do not have a heartstone you can use a rock, stone or pebble of special significance, earth or rock salt.

Elemental Air

An item to represent the air element is placed in the east of your altar.

Ideally the Air element is represented by a bell. Ringing the ritual bell is representative of the harmony between the Eighth Ray ritual magician and the heavenly realm. It calls the magical self to attention and helps you to remember your true nature.

If you do not have a bell you can use a highly fragrant flower, ideally a rose.

Elemental Fire

An item to represent the fire element is placed in the south of your altar.

Ideally the fire element is represented by an incense burner and ritual incense. The Eighth Ray ritual magician uses the ritual burning of incense to intentionally and purposefully adjust their consciousness to be ready to co-create with the divine.

If you do not have an incense burner and ritual incense, you can use a joss stick or cone incense.

Elemental Water

An item to represent the water element is placed in the west of your altar.

Ideally the water element is represented by a chalice. By ritually drinking the alchemical libation from the dedicated chalice the Eighth Ray ritual magician consciously and energetically aligns themselves to the ritualising powers of light.

If you do not have a chalice you can use a bowl, a goblet or a cup containing pure water.

Quintessence

An item to represent the quintessence element is placed in the centre of your altar.

The quintessence is represented by a candle, ideally white or beeswax. The ritual lighting of the central candle sends a signal to the higher realms that the Eighth Ray ritual magician is ready for, and receptive to, instruction and revelation.

If you do not have a white or beeswax candle you can use a candle of your choice.

Other items

You can add other items to your altar as needed to enhance specific ritual work you are undertaking.

The Eighth Ray ritual magician uses the spirit breath to blow the pattern of creation through the worlds to create something new. Intentionally sending the energy out on the spirit breath is a ritualised magical act that projects light. It is a divinely creative act as all things are created by and through the movement of light. This is done by sending the energy out on the spirit breath to magically open the Eighth Ray magic portal on the selected energetic or vibrational frequency using a wand, ideally crystal wand.

Other items on your altar can include fresh flowers and plants in a specially selected vase, crystals, plant matter, photographs and items from nature that suit the chosen purpose for your ritual. When adding these items select those that tell the Eighth Ray magical or ritual story you are working with.

An altar cloth is a useful and beautiful sacred addition to the altar. Any fabric or cloth can be an altar cloth. You can use scarves, tablecloths, remnants and heirlooms as altar cloths. Wash altar cloths separately from your normal laundry and store them in a special place.

Always keep your altar clean and tidy and take time to dismantle it, clean all the items and refresh it at least once a month, preferably at the New Moon. Holy water is ideal for cleaning the altar surface and items.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Once you have set up your ritual altar, you are ready to undertake Eighth Ray Magic rituals, which enable you to establish your magical focus, determining WHAT you want to do, HOW you want it to express and WHERE you want the energies to manifest in your life or in the world.

Within the dedicated working space, the magical energy becomes increasingly spiritually potent and concentrated over time, making it all the more conducive to connecting with the power of the universe.

I would love to hear from you, please share your comments and experiences below.