I knew I wanted a
garden. A place outside yet private. A place I could plant tomatoes in the
ground. A place with a sunny spot to
sit.
My husband and I were looking
to leave our small dark apartment and move into a house with a yard. Somewhere warmer. A little bigger. A house with lots of light. As we began the process I started collecting
pictures from magazines. Images of
garden paths. A bench surrounded by wild
flowers. Stepping stones leading to a
lemon tree. I bought a candle the color
green to reflect the space I so desired and the money it would take to get it. Once I had enough scenes to evoke my dream I
assembled my garden altar. As this was a
shared dream I placed it where both my husband and I would see it every day –
above the kitchen table wedged in a corner. I used clear tape to stick my pictures
on the wall in a star shaped fashion. As
I found more images I added them in, adjusting and removing existing ones to my
liking. Below the images went the candle
and a small potted African violet. We
made a list of “must-haves” and “don’t wants” to keep us focused and on
task. And then we were off! Without fail, every weekend we went to look
for our new place to live.
Unfortunately, we weren’t the
only ones looking. Other people wanted a place to call their own too. There was competition and it wasn’t going to
be easy. We looked for more than ten
months. It took time, perseverance, and
a little luck before we finally found a home that we liked and could
afford. The house was bright and
spacious, but had its troubles too. We’d need to have some foundation work done,
and all the bedroom walls had a strange texture we’d want to replace ASAP. But the backyard was ready and waiting to be transformed
into the garden of my dreams. It was
more space than I could have imagined.
There was also a big oak tree I’d have to contend with, and in the end, remove.
Overall, it was a long process, but a worthy one.
When I think of that time, I
remember returning each Sunday to our tiny apartment exhausted from looking
at house after house. I worried we’d never
find the right place. But then we’d sit
down to dinner, light the green candle, and look at the illuminated
images. In those images I found hope.
Now, when I sit in a sunny
spot in the garden, I remember my garden altar and feel a great sense of gratitude. I wanted something and I trusted in that
want. I carried myself through it and to
it.
Images are powerful and
altars are great ways to help you “see.”
They’re incredibly easy to assemble and disassemble. And they’re also fun to create. As your life and needs change, so do the
images you find yourself attracted to.
Having a designated space for an altar makes it easy to adjust what you
include. Desks, corners, tables, outdoor
spaces, even bathrooms, are all suitable spaces to put the images,
thoughts, and words of your dreams.
Looking for inspiration? Here are several sites to get you started:
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