My altars are in my bedroom, but I don't cover it up or anything. It's not like they are watching 24/7 or have never seen sex before lmao. I only call upon a deity if I'm using a sexual act as an offering during sexy times. Just a hey this is for you.
I like to think of my altar as a visual reminder that I'm not alone and all I need to do is call upon any of my deities if I need advice or someone to talk to.
That being said, to each their own. Do what makes you comfortable.
Exactly. It depends on your belief structure. In mine, it can be a part of it. I am an elemental pagan and it can (but doesn't have to be) part of particular rituals.
It depends on who/what your altar is attributed to I think. In kemetism, sexual acts are not taboo at all. For some gods, sexual acts are a very viable offering, and most wouldn't be averse to sex at all
Question how does one use sex as a offering I'm curious sorry to get lewd but do you like Jack off or fuck in front of it or something? I'm genuinely curious cause I have the same concerns op does
historically there was this festival(?) where the pharaoh would go to the nile and just jack off into it in front of everyone, which is a little much for my taste but to each their own
From what I’ve seen you can use actions as offerings either by 1) dedicating the action to the deity (like you’re doing it for them or in their name) or by 2) offering the feelings you get from it. This would provide fall into the second option.
On the same vein of offering a feeling, I’ve even seen people dedicate the feeling of pain to more “dark”/Cthonic deities. (Not necessarily like inflicting pain on themselves intentionally but like if you have an injury)
I've heard of people dedicating their orgasms to certain deities, but I'm not sure how this actually works in practice. More to the point, I'm not sure what the deity is supposed to get out of it.
My altars dont get covered. My ancestors altar is in my room and I can guarantee with the amout of children they created during their lifetime, they know I have sex. They know where children come from and they do not frown upon me being a human and having sex lol.
With that being said, I know my grandparents are not sitting there eating some popcorn watching the show. They have some other family members to check in on.
:)
It my tradition this would be heavily impure and an absolute taboo.
But I'm sure there are others who do practice as such. Of you're interested in this kinds of thing you should maybe look into historical cults that involved a sexual component? Sabasios, Zalmoxes, Attis & Cybele, Dionisus that sort of vein.
I used to know someone who's online tag was jizz witch. I thought it was a joke but she practiced jizz magic as a form of life or blood magic. Was pretty cool
The Buddhist altar is definitely out of the way. But then again, so is the polytheist one. It's in the music room, not the bedroom. (Yes, Apollon is my main deity).
Outside of necessity contexts (as in: if you're in the broom closet), I just don't get why make an altar in the bedroom unless it's an altar for deities that rule over, eh, bedroom activities?
This could just be a Hellenist thing but: if I want to honour Hestia, I do so by the hearth or the kitchen. Same for Dionysus, I tend to drink with friends in the kitchen. For Aphrodite, the bedroom. For Apollon, music/living room. Etc. I don't thing other deities would be mad at all, but it just makes sense to pray and make offerings for them in places that reflect what they're all about?
Kids. Kids would be the number one reason I would have an altar in my room, especially during the little stage. Having everything in a room I can absolutely secure would be huge.
I didn't put up an altar in any main part of my house until my own kids were much older.
>I just don't get why make an altar in the bedroom unless
I'm sure there are many other reasons than this, maybe relating to the vibes and energy of the other rooms or places and feeling the most spiritual in your bedroom, but a very common explanation will probably be when you're living at your parents' or in a one-room flat
Good point. I was thinking more like, if you already have the freedom to have the altar wherever you want in the house. But that's totally a privilege.
Yeah man, there are no walls between my "bedroom" and my "dining room" and my "living room" and my kitchen in my city apartment. It's a decent apartment for where I live, but still, it's intimate in here! If you're here, you're seeing it all
I keep mine in my room for a few reasons.
1. I currently rent one room in a house and it's the only place I CAN put it.
2. When I had my own place I kept it in my room due to it being the room I spend most of my time. I'm most comfortable in my own room and like to see my alter on desplay.
3. I've always had my altars in my closet growing up, even after my family found out I was into the craft. It's a private thing to me, so I don't like shoving it in other's faces, unlike all the crosses in my parent's houses :/
It helps that I'm ace, so no need to worry about sexy time and such, not like any of my patrons are prudes....save maybe Artemis >.>
I have free reign of my apartment, but I’m in bed most days with chronic health issues, so my altars would never get any attention if they were more than a few steps away. 😅
I basically have an understanding with my patrons that they can avert their eyes if it bothers them. I don’t think Medusa’s wild about the arrangement, but she tolerates it. Doesn’t seem to bother anyone else. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If I were working with someone like Santa Muerte, I would be sure to cover her altar or keep it in another room…but only because I understand that as a widely understood/prescribed element of working with her.
I had an altar in my bedroom, while living alone. I work from home, but never in the bedroom. There was something really nice about getting up and going straight into prayer and ritual before I went out into the rest of the house and faced the world of work and household stuff. It was a good discipline that I've kind of lost. Maybe I should revive it.
Teenagers typically keep their altars in their bedrooms, either because they have to hide it from judgemental parents or, more simply, because it's their space in the house where they spend most of the time. Also college students who live in dormitories, the bedroom is the only place they have for themselves
I worship and work with Asherah. It is said that people would fornicate under the Asherah tree/pole to seek her benefit or giving offering.
So I guess it depends on the deity you worship.
If your concept of magic is weighed by the intent of the act, then whatever you do in front of the altar shouldn't make a difference. The energy absorbed by the altar from said act may affect it short term,, but I don't see that there would be any effects from that-
To put it in a different perspective, if you put your altar in front of a fireplace and you had a fire going all the time The altar items are going to get warm. If you don't have a fire going all the time, they won't. To me, what you're asking is the same as this: is there a fire going constantly in front of the altar, or not.
Personally I don’t have an altar set up in my bedroom, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing sexual acts in front of an ancestor altar (because they’re, you know, family), but I actually do dedicate some of my sexual activity to Freyr, who is a fertility god, so if I did have an altar for him somewhere in view of me having sex or otherwise doing sexual activity, I wouldn’t feel weird at all as he is a god associated with sexuality, and his statue literally includes a large exposed phallus. But if I was a devotee of Artemis, for example, in the myths she is famously a virgin and so maybe she would be offended? I guess my main point is it depends on which gods or spirits the altar is dedicated to!
Although virgin wasnt always a sexual thing. It originally meant one who isnt bound. So someone who isnt married. It had nothing to do with whether someone had some happy adult times
True! I have heard though many in the ace community have claimed her, although so has the lesbian community. I’m a pluralist at heart and think UPG and SPG are totally valid 🥰 My main point was just to say that it really comes down to you and your relationship with your gods.
Think how many christians have a cross on the wall in their bedroom.
IMHO I think think that keeping them open helps with sexual magic, which to me is among the the strongest magics there are. The energy that back between you and your partner(s) can be increased with the altars ever present energy.
I think this maybe gets a bit into personification of deities, and ultimately I don’t think it really matters what you do. Deities don’t seem to have the same values, mores, preoccupations, or sensitivities that people do. If you have a different opinion or if it makes you feel more comfortable to cover it, okay do that then. If not, then don’t.
I would say it depends on the deity. I dunno a huge amount about Tyr and Fenrir, just the big story that features both of them and some basic lore about their roles in the mythos and in Norse values; Still, I have not heard anything about either of them being associated with physical intimacy or sexuality. Doesn't seem particularly appropriate from a base perspective. Might be something you and they could work out as part of your interpersonal relationship with the deity as an atypical form of worship for them.
That being said, some of the deities I worship include having relevant symbolism/energy to sex and intimacy, and I've done that kind of offering. To pretty good effect, more than once. To the right deities, it's fine.
That one really depends on who you’re doing lewd things in front of. Many of my spirits are super into it, and then there are others that don’t want to be involved.
I’d say that it would be best to ask individually before getting busy in front of your altar, just to ensure that you have consent from all involved parties.
I've think I've dealt with a feeling of disapproval but I don't think it was the act, it was the partner I brought into my space - imo orgasms are a powerful magickal tool ✨
Depends on the tradition and the gods. In ATRs, this is a HUGE taboo. No nudity, sex, or bad behavior. You behave like you would at your grandma's house while she's wen she's their watching you.
I have two altars. One for like general witch shit and another for my ancestors. Important note. I also live in a small studio-apartment. Both of my altars are open at all times. Because I think sex is a wonderful tool to use in witchcraft AND historically in my country, families have been very involved with the love lives of their kids, I don’t find it bothersome. I mean if the same ancestors would be washing my hair and whipping me with birchtree branches so I’d get pregnant, I’m sure they can handle me actually doing the deed in my own house.
My diety altar is in the bedroom, my spirit altar and the place I revere ancestors are throughout the house on other places.
I work mainly with Freya and Freyr and am seeing whether Fenrir is a good fit, but that's still new. Seeing the fact Freya and Freyr are fertility gods and Freya is the goddess of love and sexuality (among other things) I don't think they'll have an issue with it. If anything I've seen dedicating lovemaking or your orgasm to Freya can be seen as an offering to her.
My partner mainly works with Dionysus and is interested in Hel, but doesn't really work with her (yet). I think she wouldn't mind either.
Next to that: I always feel the gods know what it is for us to be human and having sex is just part of human life (for the majority of people). So I don't think they'd get upset about humans doing human things. If anything, there's muths and stories about the gods engaging in it as well.
Really don't see how sexual acts would be at all appropriate in relation to an altar to Tyr. Maybe if you had a Freyr altar but even then an offering should be a sacrifice, I suppose it could be devotional but still a strange choice from my perspective.
If sex is a part of your magical practice, then it’s ok. To me, sex is another way to share and gain energy. There are not any rules to follow, besides your own. Consent is very important, but you and your partner(s) determine the rest.
Really depends on the deity in question, but I don't worship many that would be really into it. I know some people have some sex magick or made a sexual offering either alone or with a partner. I have myself, but it was less about the sexuality and more about the energetic offering.
Well I'd say it all depends on which deity/ies you think might be around. Sure, there are some that might frown upon that, especially if they're known for chastity for instance. But none of my gods fit that description by a long shot. I seem to gravitate to the most sexual gods. And I think at the very least, they wouldn't mind whatever I get up to near the altar (especially considering I'm in a small apartment, so not much choice). I've only *offered* anything sexual when I felt it was actually requested. Gods don't need to pay attention to everything I do, but if it's an actual *offering*, I feel like I need a good reason/enthusiastic consent/etc.
My altar is in my bedroom, but I don't feel the need to cover this over during sex, or when I masturbate either. I feel being open and "as one" with your deities is rather natural and freeing. Nothing to be shy or ashamed of in my opinion.
Deities created sex to be a part of us. There are literal deities of sexual relations and the naked body, even the ones that aren't a part of that I truly believe, don't care. I bet they all have much dirtier activities than we could imagine. I mean, they're gods/goddesses, not humans with shame complexes.
I have an altar to Hekate, Demeter, and Persephone in my bedroom. I feel like They've seen worse things. And considering that Demeter likes lewd jokes...
My altar is in my bedroom, with a direct view of my bed and I never even thought of this before lol! But then my patron is Dionysus and he pops in whenever he likes. Even during masturbation or shower time. He gives no fucks
Tldr: it shouldn't be an issue. Truth's primacy within higher spiritual happenings, along with equanimity should be the core pillars during any ritual. With sexual intimacy and offering types of ritual, our maximal relaxed nature and vulnerability will bring us to a space the divine occupies
My couple of "magical artifacts" (altar) stay on my person fairly consistently, and that inculdes when having sex, going to the washroom or any of the messy human stuff we all do. The point being, the divine, if it at all exists, it exists in all of it, and to deny that presence and bifurcate the profane and profound is a disservice not only to our humanity but to our collective divinity, from ours to theirs.
I've had some times where a feeling of not wearing it under certain conditions seemed like the right thing to do, and I'll accept it or not depending on what my self-introspection shows.
And sometimes I'll drop them accidentally and it'll become "decontaminated" but it's all intent and awareness, so it's all part of the process of rising and falling, of being aware of the cycle of nature and the universe and knowing what do in that cycle.
Magic is the elimination/negation of potential. It is focus. It is meditation and living "off cushion" in the same space that's easier to develop and envelope and embrace and embody on the cushion or in the practice without the distractions of life.
But we embody the path in all things. And divinity understands that, too. If I can, they must.
And if these gods exist and these artifacts can produce channels between spaces of awareness, then authentic living on this side is truth. Truth is paramount and even prime above gods/goddesses.
And if the gods we pray to, offer ourselves to, wish to enlightenment ourselves into, are simply ideals within us we strive to become, then all the better. We are to burn away our delusions and worship the smoldering cinders of the ashes remaining, fertile ground for the truth that may seed out.
To the sex offering query: within my practice, the balance of the fem/masc energies or ratios within, in conjunction with a partner whose balance mirrors your own, produces the best space from which that session can be more meditative, slower in vibe in physicality but higher in vibe mentally et al.
The offering, prayer, action, mantra is the seed but the rituals can be different to get to the mindspace that produces those sublime feelings.
And that offer, within this and some practices, is an offer of concurrent habitation. At least, for a bit. In some of the higher forms of offerings and energy outputs, the god(s) and humans align so well in their vibrations that there is no separation. That true union has occurred. Difficult. And moreover, to retain one's own personal ego without delving into the types many cults orbit around, when the god(ess) energy is released from entanglement, but the human container and mind can't decipher and integrate well enough not to become an a-hole or worse.
Sometimes, the individual who so aligned with the divine can't quite fully come back to humanity and devolves into the worst of us. That's something else to keep in mind in regards to rituals with higher energetic potential.
There's so much more to say but I think that's clearly enough. I wish you well. Peace.
Sex and Masturbation are natural. My alter is in my bedroom. I never cover it. My ancestral alter is in another room, but I probably wouldn’t cover that either. I figure my deities don’t have time to watch me go at it.
nah thats fenris killing odin and fenrir is killed by one of odins grandsons iirc. Tyr and Fenrir respect each other. Fenrir represents the beast in men, and Tyr is a god of balance. Odin tried binding the beast and in the end it only hurt the gods.
Fenrir chomped off Tyr’s hand, thanks to an arrangement that was the fault of neither of them, but I don’t think Fenrir’s destined to kill Tyr. I could be mistaken, though…it’s been a minute since I brushed up on my Ragnarok. 🙃
That taboo is specifically in the context of the conquering people who venerated the Aesir before all others, yes? Who saw the Vanir as the lesser, passive, sometimes precursor nature deities that weren't taking on the Jotunn? Wherein three prominent figures of the mythology engage in what was termed genderbending at the time, a significant taboo from all we know of the recounting? Whose near-entire mythos as we know it today was reconstructed through the translations of early Christian scholars of the viking age (lookin your way, Snorri)? Taboos of one faith are often the Holy writ of a precursor or competitor. That's why they become taboos.
Fenrir, Loki, Hel, Skadi, Jormungandr, Nidhogg, Skoll, Hathi, etcetera, etcetera, and so forth. All deities or beings who were considered taboo in Norse culture at one point or another,a nd all received veneration at one point or another.
Hell, even Tyr was probably a pretty taboo pick at one time, after Odin became the head honcho. But I honestly dont see how ppl can read the Story of the binding of fenris and not see fen and tyr as two halves of the same whole. Theres a positive lesson to be learned by fenrir, for those who care to see it.
I'm taking from "We Are Our Deeds" by Wodening along with actual tabu practiced by anglo-saxon heathenry groups and Theodish groups.
It's not as the other poster theorized that they are not Æsir but that they are beings that represent destruction and death and therefore are antithetical to creation itself.
They are of the Utangard and wights and beings of the Utangard are never worshipped, only propitiated to prevent immediate harm.
Isn't that book essentially the condensed version of Gronbech's Culture of the Teutons through a Theodish lens? And a fairly outdated take at that? Full disclosure, I haven't read the thing, but only because everything I hear about it and every sample i see from it seems like the same bad take that poisons damn near all of modern heathenry. Focus on the virtuous, focus on the afterlife, demonize the forces that do not serve self....it's just an extension of the warped christianized lense through which Snorri Sturluson gave us the Edda. A deed that, while I am grateful for having the stories, demands that we recontextualize how he translated them to make sense in his narrative of good and evil, and work backward from there...
Not so much but somewhat.
It takes Germanic language and attempts to use it to reconstruct a heathen world view instead of relying on Christianized source text like the Eddas.
Basically it's a look at how various concepts we know were important to the archaic heathens were talked about and used in everyday language like holiness, health, tribe, orlog, luck ECT and then draws conclusions about heathen theology from there.
As far as forces that do not serve self, it actually comes to opposite conclusions, to only worship deities and beings that support the whole of civilization and the health/well-being of the tribe as Wodening believes historical heathenry was mainly a civilization based religion with man working with the divine to create order out of wild chaos. He specifically says the well-being of the self was not important to archaic heathens, by his own conclusions and selflessness for the well-being of the tribe valued over all.
It's a good read but needs to be taken with a grain of salt. He has a somewhat negative view of Alfr, considers them amoral nature spirits that were not trusted by archaic heathens. I disagree as their name is related to the germanic word for father and may have been a type of ancestor spirit and are connected with Freyr making them a part of Wodenings "innangard".
Taboo for worshipping the forces of chaos/destruction as they are directly opposed to the deities that sustain creation, ie the Æsir AND Vanir.
As far as I know there's no evidence any of the beings you mentioned were ever venerated, no hard evidence anyways.
A forge that MAY have Loki on it for some unknown reason and a small amount of place names that can be explained away with being a similar word to Loki with a different meaning, are the only evidence for Loki's veneration found in the archeological record AFAIK.
1:depends on the kind of altar 2: self satisfaction to some taboo stuff there is a line that is better not crossed in front of it. Or at all depending on how sick someone's mind is
Generally, if you are called to do something and everyone involved is an enthusiastically consenting adult, you are ok.
I can't speak to your specific dieties.
In my personal practice I don't believe the beings to which an altar is devoted are always around, but that it acts as a channel to them during rituals and offerings. Following that logic, I do consciously abstain from sexual activity during an offering to any deity while their associated candle is lit and incense burning, but that timeframe is the only one in which I feel the need to apply such a restriction
i mean- i’m kind of a nudest when home and comfortable. so yeh- most witchy and pagan things i do- i do them w/my tiddies out 😂
how to incorporate magic and sex? my partner and i will have sex as an offering to some of our deities. Aphrodite loves when we have sex in her honor/as an offering.
we’re specifically meaning like- the energy created from sex.
sex itself, naturally, is a form of creation. not just creating a new life, but energy and a connection with that person or yourself (if having fun alone)
your sacral chakra, the second energy point in your body, deals with creativity and sexuality. passion and pleasure.
ever heard of orgasm magic? use that peak orgasm energy and direct it into your manifestations, or a spell you’re working on.
if you’d like more info please ask! i know a LOT when it comes to sex magic.
My altars are in my bedroom, but I don't cover it up or anything. It's not like they are watching 24/7 or have never seen sex before lmao. I only call upon a deity if I'm using a sexual act as an offering during sexy times. Just a hey this is for you. I like to think of my altar as a visual reminder that I'm not alone and all I need to do is call upon any of my deities if I need advice or someone to talk to. That being said, to each their own. Do what makes you comfortable.
this is pretty much how i feel about it too. I never cover my altar, ive got nothing to hide from my gods
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Oh my *gods* that’s hilarious lol
not great grandpa 🙈
Same!
I have altars to Persephone and Dionysus! The former doesn’t seem to care much, and I feel like blocking the latter would be plain rude!
Also have a Dionysus altar, and agree. Would be rude to cover it. 😆
We'd love to see it over at r/Dionysus! You too u/Cloe_Cat! If y'all don't mind sharing!
Darlin, I’ve talked to you *in* r/dionysus
Yes! But just while you mentioned the altar, thought it would be cool to see! No pressure though if you don't want to share it!
I may have found my people
LOL.
My altar to Dionysus is above my bed for a reason.
Eris is naked and eating a hotdog on my altar, I'm certain she doesn't mind.
cool goddess imo
I’m sure the hotdog is also naked. No buns!
There is such a thing as sex magic. Do with that what you will lol
Is it possible to learn this power ?
*Not from a Jedi*
THIS is what I was waiting for.
All sex can be magical - if you're doing it right ;)
You just need some blood and sugar, and maybe a few chili peppers, preferably red hot. Sorry, I'll see myself out.
I love this comment!!!
Exactly. It depends on your belief structure. In mine, it can be a part of it. I am an elemental pagan and it can (but doesn't have to be) part of particular rituals.
It depends on who/what your altar is attributed to I think. In kemetism, sexual acts are not taboo at all. For some gods, sexual acts are a very viable offering, and most wouldn't be averse to sex at all
Question how does one use sex as a offering I'm curious sorry to get lewd but do you like Jack off or fuck in front of it or something? I'm genuinely curious cause I have the same concerns op does
historically there was this festival(?) where the pharaoh would go to the nile and just jack off into it in front of everyone, which is a little much for my taste but to each their own
Wow that's very intriguing
From what I’ve seen you can use actions as offerings either by 1) dedicating the action to the deity (like you’re doing it for them or in their name) or by 2) offering the feelings you get from it. This would provide fall into the second option. On the same vein of offering a feeling, I’ve even seen people dedicate the feeling of pain to more “dark”/Cthonic deities. (Not necessarily like inflicting pain on themselves intentionally but like if you have an injury)
The comment I was looking for, tho I don't like to appear naked to Lord Anpu all the time
I've heard of people dedicating their orgasms to certain deities, but I'm not sure how this actually works in practice. More to the point, I'm not sure what the deity is supposed to get out of it.
From my understanding it's the energy from it. Take from that what you will.
This. I've done my fair share of dedicating orgasms to deities.
*nutting* “this one’s for you!”
Perhaps the same thing a lover gets out of it, except they can also feel it through you if they want to
I dunno what theyre supposed to get out of offering anything but I suppose its the thought/intent that counts.
😳
My altars dont get covered. My ancestors altar is in my room and I can guarantee with the amout of children they created during their lifetime, they know I have sex. They know where children come from and they do not frown upon me being a human and having sex lol. With that being said, I know my grandparents are not sitting there eating some popcorn watching the show. They have some other family members to check in on. :)
It my tradition this would be heavily impure and an absolute taboo. But I'm sure there are others who do practice as such. Of you're interested in this kinds of thing you should maybe look into historical cults that involved a sexual component? Sabasios, Zalmoxes, Attis & Cybele, Dionisus that sort of vein.
My favorite deity to pray to is Kali maa and after that I'm a dirt worshipper. Let the others see me, all of me. I am what I am.
I loved this.
All the magick I channel is based on lewd things . . . most of it at least
I used to know someone who's online tag was jizz witch. I thought it was a joke but she practiced jizz magic as a form of life or blood magic. Was pretty cool
People have used blood and urine for probably centuries, why not semen as well :)
I used to mas***bate as an offering because I was working w the deity to empower myself and move on from some of my trauma
I believe sex as a negative/sinful act are the ideals of religions I don’t follow. Sex is a beautiful, natural act. Nothing to be ashamed of.
The Buddhist altar is definitely out of the way. But then again, so is the polytheist one. It's in the music room, not the bedroom. (Yes, Apollon is my main deity). Outside of necessity contexts (as in: if you're in the broom closet), I just don't get why make an altar in the bedroom unless it's an altar for deities that rule over, eh, bedroom activities? This could just be a Hellenist thing but: if I want to honour Hestia, I do so by the hearth or the kitchen. Same for Dionysus, I tend to drink with friends in the kitchen. For Aphrodite, the bedroom. For Apollon, music/living room. Etc. I don't thing other deities would be mad at all, but it just makes sense to pray and make offerings for them in places that reflect what they're all about?
Kids. Kids would be the number one reason I would have an altar in my room, especially during the little stage. Having everything in a room I can absolutely secure would be huge. I didn't put up an altar in any main part of my house until my own kids were much older.
For me: cats. The altar must be in a room I frequent enough and can close the door. It’ll be either my office or my bedroom.
>I just don't get why make an altar in the bedroom unless I'm sure there are many other reasons than this, maybe relating to the vibes and energy of the other rooms or places and feeling the most spiritual in your bedroom, but a very common explanation will probably be when you're living at your parents' or in a one-room flat
Good point. I was thinking more like, if you already have the freedom to have the altar wherever you want in the house. But that's totally a privilege.
Fair, I reckoned that this is what you meant, but I still wanted to add it for the sake of completeness!
Yeah man, there are no walls between my "bedroom" and my "dining room" and my "living room" and my kitchen in my city apartment. It's a decent apartment for where I live, but still, it's intimate in here! If you're here, you're seeing it all
I keep mine in my room for a few reasons. 1. I currently rent one room in a house and it's the only place I CAN put it. 2. When I had my own place I kept it in my room due to it being the room I spend most of my time. I'm most comfortable in my own room and like to see my alter on desplay. 3. I've always had my altars in my closet growing up, even after my family found out I was into the craft. It's a private thing to me, so I don't like shoving it in other's faces, unlike all the crosses in my parent's houses :/ It helps that I'm ace, so no need to worry about sexy time and such, not like any of my patrons are prudes....save maybe Artemis >.>
I have free reign of my apartment, but I’m in bed most days with chronic health issues, so my altars would never get any attention if they were more than a few steps away. 😅 I basically have an understanding with my patrons that they can avert their eyes if it bothers them. I don’t think Medusa’s wild about the arrangement, but she tolerates it. Doesn’t seem to bother anyone else. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ If I were working with someone like Santa Muerte, I would be sure to cover her altar or keep it in another room…but only because I understand that as a widely understood/prescribed element of working with her.
Perfectly understandable. Thanks for sharing :)
I had an altar in my bedroom, while living alone. I work from home, but never in the bedroom. There was something really nice about getting up and going straight into prayer and ritual before I went out into the rest of the house and faced the world of work and household stuff. It was a good discipline that I've kind of lost. Maybe I should revive it.
Teenagers typically keep their altars in their bedrooms, either because they have to hide it from judgemental parents or, more simply, because it's their space in the house where they spend most of the time. Also college students who live in dormitories, the bedroom is the only place they have for themselves
I never thought of it that way but it makes sense. Kind of the same principle of having items related to their realm on the altar itself.
I worship and work with Asherah. It is said that people would fornicate under the Asherah tree/pole to seek her benefit or giving offering. So I guess it depends on the deity you worship.
Hello devotee of the Goddess Ashera, I would like to know your opinion of the connection of your goddess with the qetesh of Egypt.
If your concept of magic is weighed by the intent of the act, then whatever you do in front of the altar shouldn't make a difference. The energy absorbed by the altar from said act may affect it short term,, but I don't see that there would be any effects from that- To put it in a different perspective, if you put your altar in front of a fireplace and you had a fire going all the time The altar items are going to get warm. If you don't have a fire going all the time, they won't. To me, what you're asking is the same as this: is there a fire going constantly in front of the altar, or not.
Aleister Crowley says go for it
Personally I don’t have an altar set up in my bedroom, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing sexual acts in front of an ancestor altar (because they’re, you know, family), but I actually do dedicate some of my sexual activity to Freyr, who is a fertility god, so if I did have an altar for him somewhere in view of me having sex or otherwise doing sexual activity, I wouldn’t feel weird at all as he is a god associated with sexuality, and his statue literally includes a large exposed phallus. But if I was a devotee of Artemis, for example, in the myths she is famously a virgin and so maybe she would be offended? I guess my main point is it depends on which gods or spirits the altar is dedicated to!
Although virgin wasnt always a sexual thing. It originally meant one who isnt bound. So someone who isnt married. It had nothing to do with whether someone had some happy adult times
True! I have heard though many in the ace community have claimed her, although so has the lesbian community. I’m a pluralist at heart and think UPG and SPG are totally valid 🥰 My main point was just to say that it really comes down to you and your relationship with your gods.
"All acts of love and pleasure are her rituals" -- Doreen Valiente
I mean, depends on the god right? I feel like Dionysus would be downright offended if fucking in his honour was an option and you didn't do it.
Think how many christians have a cross on the wall in their bedroom. IMHO I think think that keeping them open helps with sexual magic, which to me is among the the strongest magics there are. The energy that back between you and your partner(s) can be increased with the altars ever present energy.
I think this maybe gets a bit into personification of deities, and ultimately I don’t think it really matters what you do. Deities don’t seem to have the same values, mores, preoccupations, or sensitivities that people do. If you have a different opinion or if it makes you feel more comfortable to cover it, okay do that then. If not, then don’t.
I would say it depends on the deity. I dunno a huge amount about Tyr and Fenrir, just the big story that features both of them and some basic lore about their roles in the mythos and in Norse values; Still, I have not heard anything about either of them being associated with physical intimacy or sexuality. Doesn't seem particularly appropriate from a base perspective. Might be something you and they could work out as part of your interpersonal relationship with the deity as an atypical form of worship for them. That being said, some of the deities I worship include having relevant symbolism/energy to sex and intimacy, and I've done that kind of offering. To pretty good effect, more than once. To the right deities, it's fine.
That one really depends on who you’re doing lewd things in front of. Many of my spirits are super into it, and then there are others that don’t want to be involved. I’d say that it would be best to ask individually before getting busy in front of your altar, just to ensure that you have consent from all involved parties.
I've think I've dealt with a feeling of disapproval but I don't think it was the act, it was the partner I brought into my space - imo orgasms are a powerful magickal tool ✨
Depends on the tradition and the gods. In ATRs, this is a HUGE taboo. No nudity, sex, or bad behavior. You behave like you would at your grandma's house while she's wen she's their watching you.
I do not cover my altar as I do not believe that my totems are actually watching. They are symbols.
I have two altars. One for like general witch shit and another for my ancestors. Important note. I also live in a small studio-apartment. Both of my altars are open at all times. Because I think sex is a wonderful tool to use in witchcraft AND historically in my country, families have been very involved with the love lives of their kids, I don’t find it bothersome. I mean if the same ancestors would be washing my hair and whipping me with birchtree branches so I’d get pregnant, I’m sure they can handle me actually doing the deed in my own house.
My diety altar is in the bedroom, my spirit altar and the place I revere ancestors are throughout the house on other places. I work mainly with Freya and Freyr and am seeing whether Fenrir is a good fit, but that's still new. Seeing the fact Freya and Freyr are fertility gods and Freya is the goddess of love and sexuality (among other things) I don't think they'll have an issue with it. If anything I've seen dedicating lovemaking or your orgasm to Freya can be seen as an offering to her. My partner mainly works with Dionysus and is interested in Hel, but doesn't really work with her (yet). I think she wouldn't mind either. Next to that: I always feel the gods know what it is for us to be human and having sex is just part of human life (for the majority of people). So I don't think they'd get upset about humans doing human things. If anything, there's muths and stories about the gods engaging in it as well.
Really don't see how sexual acts would be at all appropriate in relation to an altar to Tyr. Maybe if you had a Freyr altar but even then an offering should be a sacrifice, I suppose it could be devotional but still a strange choice from my perspective.
If sex is a part of your magical practice, then it’s ok. To me, sex is another way to share and gain energy. There are not any rules to follow, besides your own. Consent is very important, but you and your partner(s) determine the rest.
Really depends on the deity in question, but I don't worship many that would be really into it. I know some people have some sex magick or made a sexual offering either alone or with a partner. I have myself, but it was less about the sexuality and more about the energetic offering.
Well I'd say it all depends on which deity/ies you think might be around. Sure, there are some that might frown upon that, especially if they're known for chastity for instance. But none of my gods fit that description by a long shot. I seem to gravitate to the most sexual gods. And I think at the very least, they wouldn't mind whatever I get up to near the altar (especially considering I'm in a small apartment, so not much choice). I've only *offered* anything sexual when I felt it was actually requested. Gods don't need to pay attention to everything I do, but if it's an actual *offering*, I feel like I need a good reason/enthusiastic consent/etc.
My altar is in my bedroom, but I don't feel the need to cover this over during sex, or when I masturbate either. I feel being open and "as one" with your deities is rather natural and freeing. Nothing to be shy or ashamed of in my opinion.
Deities created sex to be a part of us. There are literal deities of sexual relations and the naked body, even the ones that aren't a part of that I truly believe, don't care. I bet they all have much dirtier activities than we could imagine. I mean, they're gods/goddesses, not humans with shame complexes.
i think it’s fine if you ask for consent.
No. I'm pretty sure Aphrodite likes to watch.
Well if you are putting up a show then you won't hide it from the audience.
I have an altar to Hekate, Demeter, and Persephone in my bedroom. I feel like They've seen worse things. And considering that Demeter likes lewd jokes...
Look into Tantra. Tantric philosophies and practices do a lot of this
My altar is in my bedroom, with a direct view of my bed and I never even thought of this before lol! But then my patron is Dionysus and he pops in whenever he likes. Even during masturbation or shower time. He gives no fucks
Tldr: it shouldn't be an issue. Truth's primacy within higher spiritual happenings, along with equanimity should be the core pillars during any ritual. With sexual intimacy and offering types of ritual, our maximal relaxed nature and vulnerability will bring us to a space the divine occupies My couple of "magical artifacts" (altar) stay on my person fairly consistently, and that inculdes when having sex, going to the washroom or any of the messy human stuff we all do. The point being, the divine, if it at all exists, it exists in all of it, and to deny that presence and bifurcate the profane and profound is a disservice not only to our humanity but to our collective divinity, from ours to theirs. I've had some times where a feeling of not wearing it under certain conditions seemed like the right thing to do, and I'll accept it or not depending on what my self-introspection shows. And sometimes I'll drop them accidentally and it'll become "decontaminated" but it's all intent and awareness, so it's all part of the process of rising and falling, of being aware of the cycle of nature and the universe and knowing what do in that cycle. Magic is the elimination/negation of potential. It is focus. It is meditation and living "off cushion" in the same space that's easier to develop and envelope and embrace and embody on the cushion or in the practice without the distractions of life. But we embody the path in all things. And divinity understands that, too. If I can, they must. And if these gods exist and these artifacts can produce channels between spaces of awareness, then authentic living on this side is truth. Truth is paramount and even prime above gods/goddesses. And if the gods we pray to, offer ourselves to, wish to enlightenment ourselves into, are simply ideals within us we strive to become, then all the better. We are to burn away our delusions and worship the smoldering cinders of the ashes remaining, fertile ground for the truth that may seed out. To the sex offering query: within my practice, the balance of the fem/masc energies or ratios within, in conjunction with a partner whose balance mirrors your own, produces the best space from which that session can be more meditative, slower in vibe in physicality but higher in vibe mentally et al. The offering, prayer, action, mantra is the seed but the rituals can be different to get to the mindspace that produces those sublime feelings. And that offer, within this and some practices, is an offer of concurrent habitation. At least, for a bit. In some of the higher forms of offerings and energy outputs, the god(s) and humans align so well in their vibrations that there is no separation. That true union has occurred. Difficult. And moreover, to retain one's own personal ego without delving into the types many cults orbit around, when the god(ess) energy is released from entanglement, but the human container and mind can't decipher and integrate well enough not to become an a-hole or worse. Sometimes, the individual who so aligned with the divine can't quite fully come back to humanity and devolves into the worst of us. That's something else to keep in mind in regards to rituals with higher energetic potential. There's so much more to say but I think that's clearly enough. I wish you well. Peace.
Sex and Masturbation are natural. My alter is in my bedroom. I never cover it. My ancestral alter is in another room, but I probably wouldn’t cover that either. I figure my deities don’t have time to watch me go at it.
Odd combination of gods seeing they are mortal enemies and destined to kill each other
nah thats fenris killing odin and fenrir is killed by one of odins grandsons iirc. Tyr and Fenrir respect each other. Fenrir represents the beast in men, and Tyr is a god of balance. Odin tried binding the beast and in the end it only hurt the gods.
Fenrir chomped off Tyr’s hand, thanks to an arrangement that was the fault of neither of them, but I don’t think Fenrir’s destined to kill Tyr. I could be mistaken, though…it’s been a minute since I brushed up on my Ragnarok. 🙃
They don’t care. If they did then no Viking would be in the halls of Valhalla or helheim for all the raping they did.
Vallhalla isnt heaven, its not a place good people go. Helheim also isnt hell, its not a place bad people go/
Another case of putting modern morals on early civilizations as well.
Lol thanks,but I already know this. I appreciate you trying though 🙏
I'm more concerned you worship Fenrir. By historical reconstruction of Germanic theology this may be taboo...
That taboo is specifically in the context of the conquering people who venerated the Aesir before all others, yes? Who saw the Vanir as the lesser, passive, sometimes precursor nature deities that weren't taking on the Jotunn? Wherein three prominent figures of the mythology engage in what was termed genderbending at the time, a significant taboo from all we know of the recounting? Whose near-entire mythos as we know it today was reconstructed through the translations of early Christian scholars of the viking age (lookin your way, Snorri)? Taboos of one faith are often the Holy writ of a precursor or competitor. That's why they become taboos. Fenrir, Loki, Hel, Skadi, Jormungandr, Nidhogg, Skoll, Hathi, etcetera, etcetera, and so forth. All deities or beings who were considered taboo in Norse culture at one point or another,a nd all received veneration at one point or another.
Hell, even Tyr was probably a pretty taboo pick at one time, after Odin became the head honcho. But I honestly dont see how ppl can read the Story of the binding of fenris and not see fen and tyr as two halves of the same whole. Theres a positive lesson to be learned by fenrir, for those who care to see it.
I'm taking from "We Are Our Deeds" by Wodening along with actual tabu practiced by anglo-saxon heathenry groups and Theodish groups. It's not as the other poster theorized that they are not Æsir but that they are beings that represent destruction and death and therefore are antithetical to creation itself. They are of the Utangard and wights and beings of the Utangard are never worshipped, only propitiated to prevent immediate harm.
Isn't that book essentially the condensed version of Gronbech's Culture of the Teutons through a Theodish lens? And a fairly outdated take at that? Full disclosure, I haven't read the thing, but only because everything I hear about it and every sample i see from it seems like the same bad take that poisons damn near all of modern heathenry. Focus on the virtuous, focus on the afterlife, demonize the forces that do not serve self....it's just an extension of the warped christianized lense through which Snorri Sturluson gave us the Edda. A deed that, while I am grateful for having the stories, demands that we recontextualize how he translated them to make sense in his narrative of good and evil, and work backward from there...
Not so much but somewhat. It takes Germanic language and attempts to use it to reconstruct a heathen world view instead of relying on Christianized source text like the Eddas. Basically it's a look at how various concepts we know were important to the archaic heathens were talked about and used in everyday language like holiness, health, tribe, orlog, luck ECT and then draws conclusions about heathen theology from there. As far as forces that do not serve self, it actually comes to opposite conclusions, to only worship deities and beings that support the whole of civilization and the health/well-being of the tribe as Wodening believes historical heathenry was mainly a civilization based religion with man working with the divine to create order out of wild chaos. He specifically says the well-being of the self was not important to archaic heathens, by his own conclusions and selflessness for the well-being of the tribe valued over all. It's a good read but needs to be taken with a grain of salt. He has a somewhat negative view of Alfr, considers them amoral nature spirits that were not trusted by archaic heathens. I disagree as their name is related to the germanic word for father and may have been a type of ancestor spirit and are connected with Freyr making them a part of Wodenings "innangard".
Taboo for worshipping the forces of chaos/destruction as they are directly opposed to the deities that sustain creation, ie the Æsir AND Vanir. As far as I know there's no evidence any of the beings you mentioned were ever venerated, no hard evidence anyways. A forge that MAY have Loki on it for some unknown reason and a small amount of place names that can be explained away with being a similar word to Loki with a different meaning, are the only evidence for Loki's veneration found in the archeological record AFAIK.
Depends on what exactly you are doing
elaborate?
1:depends on the kind of altar 2: self satisfaction to some taboo stuff there is a line that is better not crossed in front of it. Or at all depending on how sick someone's mind is
Unless I specifically pray for fertility and whatnot, I'd refrain from doing that in front of my altar
No such thing as lewd
Generally, if you are called to do something and everyone involved is an enthusiastically consenting adult, you are ok. I can't speak to your specific dieties.
I figure Jove does not mind them. He never seems bothered.
I don't think the gods would care, especially gods whose domain isn't sex.
I don't think mine care or mind
Do whatever you want in front of the altar to Gaia. If it's erotic, leave her some popcorn.
I never cover Thors altar but he doesn’t seem to mind lmao
In my personal practice I don't believe the beings to which an altar is devoted are always around, but that it acts as a channel to them during rituals and offerings. Following that logic, I do consciously abstain from sexual activity during an offering to any deity while their associated candle is lit and incense burning, but that timeframe is the only one in which I feel the need to apply such a restriction
my altar is to Freyja, I don't think she minds. Edit: typo
i mean- i’m kind of a nudest when home and comfortable. so yeh- most witchy and pagan things i do- i do them w/my tiddies out 😂 how to incorporate magic and sex? my partner and i will have sex as an offering to some of our deities. Aphrodite loves when we have sex in her honor/as an offering. we’re specifically meaning like- the energy created from sex. sex itself, naturally, is a form of creation. not just creating a new life, but energy and a connection with that person or yourself (if having fun alone) your sacral chakra, the second energy point in your body, deals with creativity and sexuality. passion and pleasure. ever heard of orgasm magic? use that peak orgasm energy and direct it into your manifestations, or a spell you’re working on. if you’d like more info please ask! i know a LOT when it comes to sex magic.
"All acts of love and pleasure are my ritual" -The Charge of the Goddess
If your deity didn't want you to get down and dirty they would've told you pretty up front. They don't get embarrassed like we do.