Confession: I've Got Marilyn Monroe On My Spirit Altar (Edited to Add Pic)

I've got three altars, one for my ancestors, one for all other spirits, and a special one I won't name here. If I had the space, I'd keep a few more, such as a special one for Coyote and his fellow tricksters.

Anyways, yes, Marylin Monroe, along with a few other people who've inspired me, has a place on my spirit altar. I keep her picture, a small bottle of Chanel no. 5, a small bottle of Fracas, and a tube of red lipstick on it for her. She gets a glass of water and the occasional candle. I've never petitioned her for anything, this is just my way of showing gratitude to her for the joy she's brought me through her films and writing. I've always felt such a strong connection to her.

This is one of the pictures I use.

 I think sometimes people forget that honoring and thanking the spirits is the most important part of spirit work. The spirits are not gumball machines, they are beings with thoughts and feelings. Everyone knows that one "friend" who only drops by when they want something... don't be that guy.

Are there any people who've passed on to whom you are extremely grateful? Perhaps an author or musician or even a human rights activist. I've known a few people with beautiful, heart-felt altars devoted to Martin Luther King Jr. Even if you don't put together an altar, just leaving out a picture, a candle, a glass of water, and maybe some flowers once in a while is a great way to give thanks. Pray to Spirit that they know peace and happiness.

Some advice:
-Your ancestor altar should be dedicated to your ancestors only. Friends may go on a general spirit altar.
-An altar need not be complex! A cross, a white tablecloth or doily, pictures, a bible, glasses of water once a week or so. Many homes have "ancestor altars" but they have no word for them... it's just the special place for pictures of those who've passed on.
-Never put a photo of a living person on an ancestor altar. If your only photo is a group shot, scan it and crop the image.
-Add things your ancestors or spirits like(d). Cigarettes, snuff, dip, coffee/tea, whiskey, wine, fresh or dried flowers, perfume/cologne, honey, books, poems, prayers, Bible verses. If all you have is a glass of water, that's ok.

Tips for Working With Animal Spirits

In my last post, I spoke out against the cruel source of many of the zoological curios sold by marketers for use in conjure/hoodoo. (Just in case I wasn't clear, I am not opposed to zoological curios obtained responsibly.)

How can one work with animal spirits in more humane and positive ways? There are lots of possibilities. Remember, even if you're "just" using something like a coon dong for money luck, you are still, in fact, working with the spirit of that animal. Animal spirits, just like plant spirits and, really, all spirits, will be much more willing and much more generous with their powers to people who have forged good relationships with them. If you start out that relationship by callously buying cruelly/irresponsibly obtained curios, you are obviously off to a bad start.

-Connect with responsible hunters. Offer to buy the pieces you seek from them. They'll more than likely be thrilled to get some cash for their scraps. Avoid trophy hunters and fur-trappers, who only kill for the hide and discard the rest.

-Buy vintage, and I mean real vintage. Don't readily trust online sellers who claim to be selling vintage bones, teeth, fur, rattlesnake rattles, etc.

-Buy authentic Native American goods. The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 made it illegal to mislead consumers by presenting non-Native American made goods as if they were authentically Native-made. If a manufacturer wants to, say, sell a line of dreamcatchers, they may do so, but if they label them "Native American/American Indian/Indian Dreamcatcher" or attach a specific tribe name, like "Ojibwa Dreamcatcher", they are in violation of the act. Don't let this lull you into a false sense of security when shopping, especially online. Check out the Buy Native campaign.

-Find ways to work with wild animals. Set up things like bird houses and feeders, bat roosts, and hummingbird feeders. You may bless them beforehand and tell the spirits that in return for their help, you will maintain and care for the shelters/feeders. I will write more about the uses of hummingbird feeders in a future post.

-Construct a spirit altar. You can either have a general spirit altar, a specific spirit altar for animal spirits, or even an altar for a single spirit. Decorate your altar with pictures, statues/figurines, a glass of water, things associated with the animal (for example, fresh or dried flowers which are known to attract hummingbirds), and maybe even Biblical passages that mention the animal if appropriate.

A neat way to honor animals spirits and build up your altar(s), while helping real wildlife, is to "adopt" an animal through charity. Both World Wildlife Fund and Defenders of Wildlife offer these great packages where, when you symbolically adopt an animal, they will send you a plush of that animal, pictures, a certificate of adoption, info sheets, and other things.

For example, if you work with Hummingbird (I know, everyone online seems to prefer the Spanish name, La Chuparosa), how sweet are these plush versions?

Or maybe you work with Bat or Wolf?

Whatever you choose to do, just be responsible and ethical.

EDIT: I forgot to mention another great method.

-Incorporate symbolic elements, such as metal charms, small figurines, pictures, and plants associated with the animal. Take my silver Hummingbird charm, for example:

Check out places like Michaels and A.C. Moore for inexpensive charms and pendants. I got my sterling silver Hummingbird charm from Michaels for under $4.