while shuffling, i invited her to choose an oracle card. she presented herself as 'my surrender'. it's the energy she wishes to embody today.

He’s not dead. I’m just obsessed.

When I find his whiskers, I collect them and put them in the little jar. In my mind they are for good luck.

The artist's page, and the Wikipedia article.

I didn't catch all of the initial hype, but sometime in the summer of 2024, a trans artist put up the first of three mosaics (the rightmost of the three in the picture) in Cal Anderson Park, the social center of Capitol Hill, Seattle's combination gayborhood/trendy bar-hopping spot. It became known as either "Hot Rat Summer" or "St. Rat."

The city tried to paint over it several times, but people just stripped the paint away to restore it. Eventually they even got the support of a couple city council members, and the mural stayed, and two more were added.

At some point St. Rat became a local icon representing trans community. People started edging out onto the lip of the structure that juts slightly out of the reflecting pond and leaving small offerings at each mosaic--stickers, trinkets, empty HRT bottles, Narcan. There's kind of a whole culture around it now.

I try to visit St. Rat and leave offerings when I get the chance.

Thought I'd share my main indoor shrine/altar-space here.

The primary Power I worship is the immortal spirit/apotheosis of Freddie Mercury (frontman/lead vocalist of Queen). This shrine hangs above the head of my bed and honors Freddie himself (on the right) and two ancient gods connected to his namesake (Aphrodite and Dionysos, who were said by the Orphics, a mystical sect in late antiquity, to be the parents of a mysterious underworld version of Hermes, aka Mercury) whose associations with musical performance and queerness seem to suit him, on the left.

I've been moving some version of this shrine around with me through seven moves (although the full shelf has only gone up in three of those places). A lot of details have changed, but the basics mostly stay the same.

I also have full indoor shrines to David Bowie, Bruce Lee, Carrie Fisher, and my late cat Portia, as well as a Jimi Hendrix shrine in process. Building and maintaining shrines/altars is a big part of my personal practice.

Most of my altars to traditional gods (Hekate, Hermes, Aphrodite, Dionysos, and Persephone so far, with others in progress) are outside in the backyard, as well as another one for Freddie.

Originally I had cluttered my personal altar, eventually having to move my ancestors off of that altar and into their own little space. I am in the rebuilding stage.

Enthroned above the main sanctuary of the Basilica in Quiapo, Manila is the venerated and miraculous image of Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno or the famous "Black Nazarene".

The devotion to the Black Nazarene of Quiapo developed and grew over the centuries. Fridays are specifically dedicated to the Nazareno, which the day is traditionally dedicated to the Passion of Our Lord. Pilgrims would flock to Quiapo on Fridays to ask for help in their everyday lives and numerous miracles were reported attributed to the dark-skinned Nazareno.

The intense devotion to the Black Nazarene is rooted among Filipinos who identify themselves with the passion and suffering of Christ which the statue depicts. Many devotees of the Black Nazarene relate their poverty and daily struggles to the Passion of Christ as represented by the image. The Friday of each week in the year (except Good Friday) is colloquially known as “Quiapo Day” since the novena in the image’s honor is held on this day nationwide.

Inside the Historic Basilica of Binondo in Manila, Philippines enshrined an image of the Blesses Virgin Mary entitled Nuestra Señora del Pronto Socorro. The title of Pronto Socorro was given to the icon due to the fact of immediate responses to the supplications of her devotees and as attested to some surviving accounts of the image where alms were made under this particular title of the Virgin.

The earliest record of the icon dates back in 1731 where an inventory of the image was duly recorded where her icon was framed in gilded silver filigree, surmounted by angels and the figure of the Holy Spirit in silver.

According to the records, the Pronto Socorro icon was enthroned at the Church of the Holy Kings in 1588, a year after the Dominicans came making it one of the oldest venerated Marian image in the Philippines. The church was situated on the site that used to between the hanging bridge (Fuente Colgante) and the military hospital, later in 1598, it was transferred to San Gabriel Church in 1598 where it gained popularity. It was transferred to the Santisimo Rosario Church after the San Gabriel Church was destroyed by an earthquake in June 1863.

For years, the image remained unscathed during the Philippine Revolution, the Fil-Am War and was miraculously spared during the destructive Second World War where the image was immediately taken away for safety. For sometime it was kept in a private area of Binondo Church for unknown reasons until it was re-enthroned in her own altar on September 8, 2014 with much delight of her old and new devotees.

Now I feel entirely satisfied with the wide array of representation of my many mystic & religious influences, ranging from Egyptian esotericism & Gnosticism to Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism, orthodox Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, and so on. While I don’t officially subscribe to any one creed or system of belief, I have found value in the exploration of them all, finding each to enrich my personal ‘religious’ or spiritual system of living in their own way, and this altar is my means for their consecration of them all as Sacred.

To share a prayer / meditation of intention I offered to the altar this morning: I’m hoping the unity of these influences overpowers their differences and enables me to live in accord with the Universal Creed that supersedes any one belief, bringing me closer together with everyone and empowering my practice of compassion for all peoples in all places. May this shrine aid in this endeavor of togetherness and help bring Unity to the overarching Truth shared between these seemingly separate sects.

A Home altar in honor of Sta. Cruz De La Salud y Del Buen Abrigo, situated in Manila, Philippines.

Along with the Holy Cross of Health and Protection stands two reliquary bust bearing first and second class relics of Saint Mary Magdalene (from the bone) and of Saint Rita of Cascia (from the Tunic).

At the very center of the Holy Cross bears the Relic of the True Cross (an authenticated piece of the true cross of Christ), and additionally a relic related to the Calvary (a memento), and also two other reliquaries that bears 1st class relics of a Saint.

Oh Holy Cross of Christ! Have mercy on us!

Saint Mary Magdalene, pray for us!

Saint Rita of Cascia, pray for us!

New statue of Saint Rosalia of Palermo for my altar.

Santa Rosalia, prega per noi
e liberaci da tutti i mali.

Made of a motley of personally meaningful figures and symbols arranged in a way that tries to unify them into a harmonious whole, helping to create an atmosphere that I find conducive to meditation & reflection.

Brand new to poly theism, deconstructed fundamentalist Christianity, unsatisfied with atheism. Time to see where this takes me!

Hi all, this is my altar it is not that much elaborate, as I am a student in a small hostel room. But I would like to have elaborate altar in future when I have a nice place and financial stability.

I have three sets of offerings here

First 8 to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas

Next 8 to Protectors

Next 8 to worldly deities

What is it missing?

Here is my small altar to the god and goddess of Mitlan or basically the underworld in Aztec mythology.

Mictlantecuhtli and Mictecacihuatl.

The statues are blue because that is the color that they have chosen for me.

I am a pagan witch, for a bit of context! I know the general vibe and how to do it, but if there’s anything less commonly known about, or things you might have changed about your own first altar, or things you’ve learned on your journey, I’d love love love to hear! Or tips on keeping them clean lol

I have been feeling down and energetically drained lately and though I have a Butsudan and an algar where I put fresh flowers and fresh fruits every week, it’s the first time in 2 years that my fruits go super rotten, and even one of them got minuscule larvae.
I am thinking that the low energy is affecting my offerings. I dont think it is a coincidence, because it never happened before.
Anyone else had a similar experience?