Keeping an Altar With Kids in the House

It can be difficult to keep an altar, when you have little kids running about.  Even slightly older children (8 or 9) get curious, want to play with the things you have up there, etc.  And, animals too can get in the way and/or hurt themselves on what you have on your altar.

The first thing you can do, to help with these concerns, is put your altar up on a higher surface (fireplace mantle, etc.).  I have mine on top of a rather high dresser in my room.  Given it's height and location within the room, items are kept "out of sight, out of mind" for the most part, and it's too high to encourage the kids to play with it, or the cats to jump all the way up there when there are other surfaces, closer to the window.  ;)

Another thing you could do is to place your altar in a location not easily accessible to children.  For instance, if you have your office closed most of the time, with a child gate up so that your toddler can't play with your computer or the plugs.

You may also wish to consider the kinds of items you have on your altar, to prevent injury to any of your loved ones.  An athame is a pretty standard component of most altars, but they're not a good idea when you have children running around.  They'll be naturally curious, and you certainly don't want them playing with that!  Chalices as well might not be such a fab. idea.  Kids will want to drink out of them, or wash barbies hair with them, or...

There are other ways to represent the divine feminine and/or divine masculine energy upon your altar.  One such alternative, and I know many of you already do it, is to simply have a silver candle for the feminine and a gold candle for the masculine (left unlit, unless in ritual).

For me, that alone didn't seem personal enough.  And, I don't know if you've run into this, but gold and silver candles are really hard for me to find.  When I do find them, from new age suppliers, they are much more expensive than any other colored (or white) candle!  So, I decided to go with a representation that would be much more personal, and much more permanent (no worries about either injury OR melted wax, the kids eating the candles, etc.).

I went to a craft store and purchased two wooden, UNfinished candle stick holders.  I also purchased some non-toxic paint that would work for wood projects.  I bought silver and gold paint, along with white, yellow, and orange.  While concentrated on what these would be solely used for (i.e. concentrating on the Goddess while doing the silver candle, the God while doing the gold candle), I went home and painted the unfinished candle stick holders.

I painted one of the holders silver.  When that one dried, I used the white paint to paint a moon symbol on it.  The other holder I painted gold.  When that was dry, I painted a yellow (with orange accents) sun on the side.

Now I can use these with white candles (MUCH easier to find), or with the gold/silver when I can.

I'm a pretty creative person, but I really suck and drawing anything.  Honestly, I can mess up stick figures for cryin' out loud!  So, if I can do something like that and have it look pretty decent, anyone can.  In the end though, it doesn't matter how awesome it does or does not look.  What matters here is that it's personal to you and the divine, and that it represents what you need it to represent, while still being as safe as is humanly possible for and around your family.

Various Pagan Paths and Some Definitions and Resources

Pagan

Pagan is an umbrella term, used to label/describe a variety of religious paths and ideas/beliefs. In it's broadest form, it can include any religion that isn't either Christian, Jewish, or Muslim. Though, I have yet to meet a Buddhist (among many other religions) who would call themselves Pagan. And, though Asatruers are often labeled as "Pagan", they tend to prefer "Heathen".

Reconstruction

A 'reconstruction' religion, is one that is currently attempting to reconstruct an ancient religion. As such, most have limited resources on precisely how the original religion was practiced in ancient times, and exactly what was fully believed by the original peoples who practiced said religion. Reconstructionists do the best the can, with what they've got, essentially. The reconstructing of the religion is largely based on whatever writings, archaeological finds, temples, knowledge, etc. has survived through the ages, and what is researched and concluded by scholars and scientists in regards to the way the culture and religion worked at the time it was in place. The religion in question is then typically molded to fit modern times. NOT changed, mind you, but modern day culture (such as restrictions on acceptable animal sacrifice) is taken into account when reconstructing the religion for feasible practice in the modern era.

Sumerian

I haven't done too much study on this particular religion, other then researching and writing a paper on the legend of Gilgamesh. But, I'll do my best to provide links to information that seems as trustworthy as I can find, given my ignorance on the subject.

Sumerian culture and religion

Sumerian/Mesopitamia culture and religion at wsu.edu

History, contributions, mythologies, etc. of Sumer

Wicca

In order to legitimately claim the title of "Wiccan", one must be initiated into a lineaged coven. You'll only be able to obtain the 'inner court material' (protected by oath) this way, and fully grasp what it is to be Wiccan. So, much information cannot be obtained by merely reading about it. That said, I hope that I can provide some very basic 'outer court material'/information on the rede, and tenets, through more knowledgeable individuals who've written it online, though these resources can be difficult to find, given the number of people who've taken the path and run with it to their own version. Never mind the fact that it is a mystery religion, and as such is rather mysterious as to what is believed, until one is initiated.

Article on the Wiccan Rede, on witchvox

Wicca and Witchcraft on religious tolerance.org


Asatru (Norse Heathenism)

This is the reconstructed religion of the ancient Germanic peoples. If you're looking for some reading material...

The Asatru Alliance

Asatru Folk Assembly

Irminsul

Kemetic Reconstruction (Ancient Egyptian Religion)

This is the reconstruction of the religion practiced by the ancient Egyptians. Like Asatru, much of it is conjecture (or inner feeling/message from the divine), with many of the ancient writings and oral traditions having been lost through the ages. Perhaps even more so, as the religion of the ancient Norse was kept a bit more 'in tact'.

One could go Orthodox in this religion, or not. Here is some material that will give you a good idea about what it entails...

Kemetic Orthodoxy Contains many indispensable resources, and a free class one can take online to further their knowledge.

Ancient Egyptian Proverbs

An Article on Tales of Magic in Ancient Egypt (based on papyri found)

An unorthodox church of Kemet

Hellenic Reconstruction (Ancient Greek Religion)

There are a couple different ways of looking at this one. Hellenismos tends to frown upon the practice of magic, but magic was a big part of ancient Greece, at least in earlier times.

Hellenismos - one branch of Hellenic Reconstruction, that appears to be most popular

A nice article, with a great many scholarly resources on the subject

Magic/Witchcraft in Ancient Greece

Reconstruction of Roman Polytheism

Here are some resources which seem reliable, given what I know of the religion of ancient Rome, and what I've studied/researched.

Article on Witchvox (scroll to the bottom for indispensable resources)

Temple of Religio Romana

Celtic Reconstruction

Deiuokara (Reverence of the Divine) - These guys aren't CR (Celtic Reconstructionists), though they are attempting to reconstruct the religions and culture of the ancient Celtic peoples. They do distinctly separate themselves from CR though, given their differences in how to go about this. For more on this distinction, see their FAQ. They are included here only because they are involved in the construction of a Celtic Pagan tradition, but they are not CR.

A Celtic Reconstructionist Gateway This one is really incredible for so much information on CR. Be sure to check out their FAQ.

Another Witchvox article, again, scroll to bottom for some great resources