In the Dedicant Program, we are asked to write an essay on our home shrine. I have completed mine (shrine/altar) to the point of using it on a daily basis and am very pleased with the feeling I am getting there. It becomes stronger and stronger each day I step into this area and I am developing a good connection to commune with powers/deity/spirits while there. In addition to this, I am finding that the peace I need and the balance I need so desperately to make it through my days is freely accessible by spending time in this area.

I would like some opinions on something however. My representation of the World Tree on my altar is a ceramic tree incense burner that Q gave me as a Yule gift last year. I feel it is perfect for this as I fell in love with this incense burner when I saw it, and have the matching censer as well. My “Well” is represented with a small Cauldron and 3 candles for fire. In addition, I use to censer as an offering bowl, have incense to represent the sky, small shell with sand from the ocean to represent sea and crystals/stones resting on soil from a sacred area representing land. There are a few other things on the altar as well.

My question is this: When I am meditating, doing my devotional, visualizing anything in regards to the World Tree….my eyes and mind go to the trees that surround my altar, the mountain to the East, the Oak trees beside me, the Sweet Gum tree in front of me, etc. I rarely focus on the ceramic tree in the center of my altar that I have placed there to represent the World Tree.

Is it a waste? Should I remove it? How will I explain to those who merely look at the picture of my altar in my essay that one of the main focuses of the altar is missing from the picture? Does the “tree” have to be ON the altar? It is suggested the “well”, in my case the cauldron, be at the base of the “tree” so if I remove it, then it will not be at the base. Is it of great importance that these items be placed as suggested in the handbook? How can I have my mountains, my surrounding trees, represent the World Tree for me if they are not actually ON my altar? Any opinions?

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