THE TURTLE ALTAR — A PRECIOUS SHRINE FOR OUR SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

It’s easier and more powerful to meditate and pray when you can create sacred space in your home. To follow up on my article on spiritual practice last week, I will offer a time-honored way of creating a spiritual light giving altar in your home. It’s the one practice all my students have implemented in their lives, the one most important teaching they all thank me for. Thus, an excellent transmission to share with you all today.

A wise Cherokee priestess once taught that every race of humanity had a specific responsibility on earth. The White race is responsible for inventions, the Black race is the guardian of the rhythms of the world, the Yellow race deepens the understanding of community structures and social protocols and the Red race is guardian of the earth. The turtle altar or shrine carries this name because it is the altar or shrine of the Earth. Indeed, all First Nations of North America called this continent Great Turtle Island. The turtle has always been for us a symbol for the Earth Mother.

Formerly, people always had a shrine in their homes, a place dedicated to their spiritual path. When we leave this world and cross the doors of death, the only thing we take with us is our karma, our memories, spiritual practice and highest thoughts. All the rest is short-lived… It is thus wise to give daily time to spiritual practice. The creation of a sacred space in our home, namely a turtle altar, will make our meditations and reflections more inspired and easier.

We find on the turtle altar seven essential elements: a candle, some water, a crystal, some salt, some corn flour, a “machikoué” (rattle) and a shell containing some sage. All these elements are symbolic of some aspect of mother earth.

The fire of the candle represents the essence, the omniscient light, the spirit of the earth. Formerly, it was in fact the central fire of the teepee, the wigwam, the kiva, the long house or the hogan which represented this essential fire of life. All Native homes had a fire in the center of the dwelling. It was more than just a utility, it was also a place for connecting with the spirit world.

The water symbolizes the blood of the earth. It is also an offering so that all the lost spirits and hungry ghosts who seek solace may quench their thirst. It is the fresh, cool water which heals, nourishes, cools and calms. It represents mirror wisdom, enlightened mind that sees things as they are.

The crystal or stone represents the bones of Earth Mother, its skeleton. The crystal symbolizes perfection in the form and pure intention. It is the symbol of our unmanifest potential and an amplifier of the beneficial energies created by the shrine. Its largest termination or point is directed northward, aligning the altar with the electromagnetic energies of the earth. Not like the AI image created for this article it’s better to have a multipointed crystal that just one.

The corn flour will feed the lost souls and hungry ghosts. We offer the sacred corn so that all beings have enough to eat. This yellow luminous flour symbolizes the uncountable blessings of Mother Earth. If the disembodied spirits, lost between worlds, come into our house, they will find on the altar a spiritual food that will lead them towards the light.

The sea salt represents the flesh of Mother Earth. Salt is a mineral synthesis of the elements that are indispensable to life. In the Bible man is called “salt of the earth” because his role is to promote the well-being of all life on earth. The salt on the shrine acts as a magnet to attract all negative vibrations and anchor them down into the salt structure (which is in fact a kind of crystal) thus neutralizing dissonant subtle energies.

The rattle, called life force shaker in our tradition, represents our spiritual practice, our will to remember what is important, that is to have a daily time to think and meditate in unity with the essence of our being. It reminds us that it’s our daily practice that counts. Words are not enough. The rattle won’t make a sound if we don’t shake it. Thus, if we don’t do spiritual practice in front of our shrine then it has no meaning. Most rattles have 2 parts, the stem and the empty gourd holding seeds and crystals. These two parts represent the masculine and feminine aspects. The rattle represents the life-giving energy of the Earth Mother.

The shell with sage is used for purification. It represents the purity of our intentions and the will to continue to cleanse and purify ourselves. Purification is the single most important practice of all spiritual practices. Our core being, our spirit, is by definition pure, inalterable, without any limitations, eternal and immortal. What covers this essence is what gives us all our problems and suffering. Always we must purify. The shell and sage represent the healing tools Mother Earth gives us.

We start by putting down 2 linens of clothes that represent our foundation, what we all share, the Earth. Then we lay down the elements we have just described in a sacred manner. Then we sing of give some kind of blessing to activate the shrine.

These 7 elements are the skeleton of the altar, its simplest expression. Once these essential elements are laid on the shrine, one can add personal items, those objects that have for us a particular importance or a symbolic value. It can be a picture of a spiritual Elder, guru, Lama or teacher, a rosary or a mala, a feather or any other object that is a part of our “medicine”. As an example, a healer will keep his healing tools on the altar so that they become infused with spiritual energies, thus more powerful when used in his healing practice.

Once the altar is installed and blessed we give offerings, the shrine ritual. The water will be changed every day. The bowl will be rinsed three times and filled on the fourth. When we lay the bowl of water on the shrine, we pray: May this water quenches the thirst of all those who are thirsty and may we see the true nature of our minds. This new fresh cool water represents the light of our being. In the same way as the water reflects the sky we can also, by cleansing ourselves every day, become crystal clear and acquire mirror wisdom, the ability to see things as they are. Periodically we also renew the salt, asking it to purify our sacred space and the corn so that all those who are hungry may find food to eat.

This altar becomes a symbol of the light, blesses our house and protects it. It enhances communion with Source, this space in our hearts which is connected with the whole universe. The energy which is generated by the shrine increases in time as we do our daily spiritual practice. It will help to harmonize our environment. The presence of the shrine also serves as a reminder of the importance of spiritual practice.

We have special moments with ourselves in front of the altar, this place of beauty that we have created. The shrine is the reflection of our inner beauty. It is easy to soak in this light because it’s the visible demonstration of our own light. I’ve often pointed out to my students how there is the presence of heightened luminosity when an altar is created. All have noticed the reality of this phenomenon. We can easily perceive more luminosity in a room where a turtle altar has just been activated.

The shrine represents the Earth. It is the planet which is there, in front of us, shining in beauty with all its elements. And we are an integral part of mother earth.

Our thoughts, words and actions are the wood with which we build tomorrow. All that happens we have in some way created. Our thoughts are alive, our words resonate in the world and all our acts create waves which, one day, will return to us. We are responsible for the seeds which we sow. May this creation of sacred space accompany your path to liberation and enlightenment!

In peace, light, love and joy I offer you this precious teaching: the Turtle Altar.