Devoured by Flame

Earlier, I talked about establishing a shrine or altar. I  spoke about beginning the practice of going to the shrine everyday to maintain a sort of energy around the altar so that it would be more easily accessible. In this particular post, I likened a shrine to a battery needing to be charged, you being the conductor to this energy, and the Divine being a power source of Their own.

If you did not read that post, I suggest you read that and then come back to this one as this is the next process in which we begin to take the shrine and its uses outside of the actual shrine itself. I will speak briefly on making objects sacred and establishing a connection to the Divine alongside your altar.

The Divine Want to be Around

One thing people often argue about is how close are the Gods? People feel that by saying one answer or another, they must be able to be correct based upon whichever way they lean. In my experience, the answer is both: the Gods can be close and the Gods can be far but no matter where They end up, They want to be near humanity. By that, I mean that They do not wish to be so separate as They have been over the last few millennia. This idea was conceived via various messages from which the answer was always two opposing ideas that formed an answer in the middle.

The shrine is a way for the Divine to interact with our bodies and environments and They can come down via the shrine to engage more appropriately and more personally with us. When used properly, They can become from a houseguest to a roommate to a life partner through various means. 

In order to really understand this fact, you have to also understand where They are coming from in regards to sensing our presence and how it affects Them when we are not intentional in our own lives to assist Them in coming to us. The Divine use what is more effective in means of connection with us and if that means They have to go about it in ways that are more significant and impactful over ways that we can maintain in our everyday practice, if They have a will, They certainly will have a way. 

On the other hand, if we want to maintain a devotional relationship with Them and have a connection that is strong enough to handle the whims of our everyday lives, we have to meet Them between the two planes. If the Divine are up above ourselves in a metaphysical placement, and we are below Them, halfway is where we will need to meet Them in order to maintain a lasting connection that is good for both sides. 

We tend to lean towards assuming They want nothing to do with us instead of wondering whether we are building an environment that can be helpful for Them to engage with us, as well. The predisposed idea of the Divine seems to be as though They should be able to reach us no matter what we are doing and no matter what our frame of mind tends to be. Though They are capable of reaching us in many ways, They are more capable of reaching us in ways that suit Their purpose and would be more likely to succeed given the appropriate conditions.

Effectiveness of Their Presence

Like all things, there is a sliding scale of how well They can be sensed or how difficult it can be to sense Them. If you think of molecules that vibrate given certain conditions, the molecules also can be built into a solid or liquid depending on how fast or slow they vibrate. The colder the temperature, the more conducive it is to making objects freeze or form into more palpable things. 

Akin to when molecular compounds are frozen, we can also help the Divine transition into becoming more palpable Themselves. The more often we try to build this kind of thing, the less likely we are to misunderstand what They are trying to tell us and the less likely it is that They are unwilling to come by at all. 

These conditions play a role in how we can make ourselves and our surroundings a better environment for Them to come down closer to us. At the same time, we can make ourselves a little more open to the way They are needing to communicate.

Discernment, of course, is always important, but we can sharpen our discernment first by understanding the mechanics of how They operate. 

The following is more or less an opinion more than anything and it is also a way that I have had this explained to me by my own connection. It has made it easier for me to understand why things happen in some circumstances more than others and hopefully they will help you understand the level it takes for us to build this with the Divine.

Building a connection in the material 

First, I want to talk about the ways in which the Divine can begin fostering an internal working relationship with humans by way of making humans or objects an anchor for Them to hold onto.

Consider the thought that the Divine does not see the material world as we do. We go through our day, looking at things and internally engaging with objects we can see with our own two eyes. We relate to them as objects instead of a response to an object. What the Divine are looking at are the responses and awareness  of objects instead of the object itself. The object would have a sort of meaning to the process of establishing that connection and that’s what they see is going on rather than how it looks or presents itself. It’s the meaningful use of that object that would determine how it anchors to Their presence. 

A pen and paper would be just a pen and paper until you give it a purpose. When you’re writing a letter onto a piece of paper, you make something out of the two objects and give it a point. 

When giving objects a meaning, we are the pen writing this meaning into a piece of paper. What the Deity sees is not the pen or the paper but the meaning behind what you’re writing. If you were writing to your partner, they would see the love behind it – if you were writing to a sibling they would sense the distinction between the two parts of a whole side of the family. 

Same thing happens when you create a sacred object. It’s not the object that’s the purpose, it’s the meaning you give to the object that matters. We are sending a letter to the Divine when we enact our meaning into an object of power and substance hoping they would receive it. These things are what creates a sort of anchor for the shrine and this is what makes it work over time. If you are unable to give the object a value to yourself and to the distinct different characteristics about the divine, you’re not just doing something without a purpose but you’re creating a blockage between you and the deity you’re trying to connect with. 

A lot of people stick something onto the altar and hope it is relevant and serves a purpose but ultimately an altar without purpose is like an old phone without a landline. It can’t connect anywhere but you can at least dial a number and hope it connects somewhere. 

There comes a point, however, where we do want to assign meaning to ourselves and make it mean something in order to do what we are designed to be doing. Giving things an obvious use when relating them to the Divine give it power. Same thing happens when we assign what we want to assign with relationships to the Divine and we can make ourselves believe however we are wanting to based upon that. 

An “anchor” is this object that has weight to give the Deity a presence in this world. This “anchor” can be a person, an object, a movie, a book, a story wherein They can relate to the idea and usage of it to create a meaningful response to that particular object or space. If you ever realize that Their presence comes when you’re reading a particular portion of a book or you connect a story to Them, that would also be something in which they have been anchored to that story about Them in some form or another.

An anchor can also be developed by using an object or idea through ritual repeatedly on the shrine or as a way of affirming the connection. Meaningful ritual combines the process of creating a narrative in and around that object that attracts the Divine to the usage of it which then creates a beacon for Them to look for when finding a way to creat prominence in this world. 

Instead of a geographic locator, They see humans and their responses as architects of their geography. Unless They come down through a human through means of possessory trance or if They have a shrine which stays in one particular area, They are not able to see the same way a human can. They do not think of colors or decoration or details of items, They think of the way they were made, and how they correspond in a way that makes them useful to keeping them in this realm. Same thing goes for an offering – an offering cannot have value unless it is given value by the one who is giving it. It’s kind of like judging something off of a heat signature when the rest is dark. 

If you offer something you don’t like, you’re not going to build a better relationship with that Deity because you’re imbuing it already with the intent of disdain. For example, I am a picky eater. I don’t like gummy bears. However, I know Loki loves gummy bears. I know there were a whole collection of them at Easter time and Loki would be able to have some if I had the money. When I went to ask Him about it, He told me He didn’t want something I wasn’t already wanting for myself. I thought perhaps this was a Loki thing – He is fairly fickle. However, the more I thought about giving him something I didn’t like, the more it made no sense. Why would I give up something I didn’t want to begin with? Why would I waste money on something I don’t want? The only time I’ve ever offered something he didn’t share the same opinion about with me was when making his coffee. Because I would drink it with or without creamer, he preferred only sugar in his coffee – not Splenda or any other kind of fake sugar, just regular sugar. 

Now that I’m realizing the whole purpose of giving to a Deity something material is not worth doing unless it has been given a sort of meaning, I realize that a lot of the things I used to be told to do had no place in my practice or relationship. Just because someone told me he prefers a certain thing doesn’t mean I should get it to appease him if I didn’t want it myself. But that isn’t what you see on forums or basic books – you just see the Deity and their correspondences that are assumed by preference when it’s actually much more complicated than that.

An offering can be a sort of anchor, as well. It is what would lure a Divine being toward a shrine that wasn’t already being given an anchor for Them to hold onto. If you do it enough, eventually, it would be made into something more than just an offering because it would become that altar’s primary purpose to Them. 

They also do not relate to humans based on appearances or how their environment appears, but They do respond to the treatment of their appearance and the way the environment changes in response to the usage of it. So instead of being self conscious for having a zit when you go to their altar, They would pick up on the way you are being self conscious over how your skin appears. Instead of thinking that your house is dirty or not clean, think about how you’re setting apart the area for them. If you make a circle in your disorganized home that hasn’t been vacuumed, cleanse it, and only vacuum where you need to vacuum inside of it, They won’t look at the rest of your home unless you worry about it and make it part of the distinction you feel They are looking at. In general, it’s probably more useful to have a clean environment if you are wanting Them to be around you in the way that you work closely with Them instead of having it be disorganized around you as it is an energetic framework that is easier to work out of. 

When you look to create an area for Them to come around in, the less you are worried about it, the more They can go about treating the area with less caution and use that sort of calmness about it as an easier way of distinguishing you from the materials around you to create a stronger tie to you instead of your area. You will find it easier for you to maintain a connection and communication to the Divine the less stuff you have going on around you and in the area you are in. When you are less worried about maintaining a clean apartment or home, the less stuff you have going on that will make you self conscious. The more you stuff you have around you when you’re making an anchor point or building a shrine, the less stuff you will have in your head when going to the Divine.

Humans can also become anchors though that can take a lot of time, dedication, skill, and usefulness. 

In the beginning of a relationship being built, you need to know that objects are a lot more valuable for your time to use as treating them as an anchor or beacon. Objects don’t have as much stuff going on inside of them that would be treated as a blockage for the Divine to use.  Humans, however, do have a lot going on around and inside of them which makes for a very difficult anchor in general. 

Deities do not tend to tie Themselves to humans as anchor points because it is more often not conducive to the way They are wanting to be presented in this plane. They can, however, tie Themselves temporarily in the span of a ritual and also maintain a presence throughout it through that human, but they leave the human unmarked and untied once it is over. This would be more along the line of oracular and possessory rites instead of a simple act or spell for a holiday or honoring Them in some form. 

A Deity does not often make Themselves known through simple acts of devotion unless that is a thing that is built over time in a space dedicated to Them and Their shrine. If you are intending on hearing Their voices or seeing to receiving messages, you are not going to get as accurate of a message if you are not thoroughly distinct through this process. 

So how do Deities use humans as an anchor and is it possible?

Yes. Humans become anchors once they have had their life rewired to maintain the way for the Divine to access them. Think of it like having Them on speed dial or a gate that’s been opened for Them to cross and only opened for Them and not for any other spirit or Deity to go by. 

This is more along the lines of being a Spouse to only one Divine being instead of two or five. This Spouse also becomes a path of the Divine to make connections with other humans through using Their body as a platform for lifting the human towards the Divine and making sure they can come down. Generally, a Spouse would also become a priest through that path.

This is not a goal by any means. This is not something to aspire to unless you have specifically felt as though you have been called to going down this path. It is not something you can easily back out of and is more often than not a permanent part of your entire life. It is not something you easily turn off, either. 

This is why making vows to a Deity in pursuit of marriage is not often what people think of it. It is not something that you can just get out of at any time, at any part of the day just because you don’t want to listen to Their words. Just like a partner or spouse in any household, you’re meant to live with Them for the rest of your time in this plane. And by “live” I don’t mean they are encountering your environment as a place for Them to be a part of, they are essentially living through using your body as a portal to this world. 

They can use your home if They feel like it’s entirely open and accessible to Them to use but more often They are tied to objects you have specifically used for Them to have access to and use as that source of energetic battery I referred to in my previous post. 

Designating your home as Theirs can also mean that you’re tying Them down to one specific area instead of being with you throughout your life. They cannot often leave that area in a meaningful way and maintain a connection with you unless you bring with you an object that They can build on. 

This can be a piece of jewelry, a rock, a stone, a piece of metal or material, or art – anything that you can carry around with you that They can use to be around you all the time.

In other cultures, you’ll find these objects being referred to as a fetish for a spirit to inhabit. This is the same idea – just that you have to continue working on maintaining this object as their anchor point everyday. You also cannot close off the connection through your own mind in order to get any use out of it. You can have as many devotional pieces of jewelry on for Their benefit as you’d like, but if you’re not being receptive to Them, it is possible to be closed off to Them in a way that cannot be crossed. The object will be deemed useless until the next time you let it “charge” on your already established shrine or altar. 

Some people don’t necessarily understand the consequences of carrying these things around – just as people don’t understand the consequences of claiming marriage to a Divine partner unless you really know what the consequences are.

For now, this is how you can build a sort of shrine that you can keep with you always throughout your day-to-day functions. It’s also easier to maintain boundaries with the Deity you are wanting around you because you can easily leave the object at home if you do not want Their presence around you that day and you can “turn off” the spiritual side of things. It can be more beneficial for the Deity to keep using that sort of object because They can distinguish you from that in order to be separate. However, you must also have built a working relationship with Them through usage of your own shrine or altar – otherwise, They will not know whether to be around you or not because They don’t know what They are looking for. 

We tend to look at the Divine as miraculous beings – and They are to a certain capacity. They can be much bigger than our household shrine, our devotional jewelry, or even Their associated partners. We carry a much smaller part of Them around with us that are less capable of manifesting in a plethora of ways unless you are surrounded by sacred objects within a sort of temple or build an entire room for Them to be around. It’s the container in which They can use to navigate around in and thus fit Themselves appropriately inside of which also has a different ratio, as well depending on how skilled or suitable the container is for Them to be put into. 

They are not, however, omnipresent nor are They omnibenevolent. They are not going to automatically have a connection to you from the one time you prayed to Them and They are not going to love you for it if They don’t see why They would make that sort of connection with you. To automatically assume something without having any sort of process to decipher Them from what you’ve made up within yourself is essentially how most neopagans operate with the Divine. We either see Them as too far away or too self absorbed to do anything with us as humans. 

However, we are seeing Them in a way that is monotheistic and Christian instead of seeing Them as ourselves to some capacity. We are making Them out to be far more powerful when They are down on this plane than They are on Their own side of the veil. We cannot expect Them to assume what we want out of Them. They are not reading our minds. They can read our intentions and emotions – and those can be clouded. This will also be spoken of more in detail in a future post.

For now, this is how you can use a shrine to build a connection outside of your sacred space. This is, in general, a more advanced practice and not common for the beginner to attempt at as this is built over time and experience rather than seeing to it happening all at once. 

Practice

Making an anchor out of an object on your altar. 

An anchor can be an effigy, a piece of jewelry, a stuffed animal, a toy, anything that you find to be particularly meaningful and can be carried around elsewhere. Prayer beads, prayer cards, stones, crystals, or anything else you can keep in your pocket, wallet, or bag are recommended, as well. 

The object does not have to be inherently sacred but it can be something that’s not meaningful for either side so be careful when you choose something. 

The altar you place it on has to have more “juice” for it to be used as a charger. You cannot go to the store, buy yourself an altar and the next day expect it to charge your object. However, if your altar has already been used for multiple years and it has had a history of usage, it would be easier to use to charge an object. You can find more information about creating a useful altar on my last post.

Cleanse the object before placing it on your altar. You can do this through smoke, blessings, water, or any other things you have at your disposal to cleanse with. You’re replacing the energy the object already has with the energy of the Deity you want to hold onto that object. 

If it is a piece of jewelry or something small you want to use right away, it’s okay to take it off and bring it with you if you place it back at the end of the day. Like a phone, these objects need charging. Even prayer beads can lose their “juice” after a while. 

If you are traveling, I recommend having a mini altar to bring with you to charge these objects. I have a small Loki candle holder I bought from Etsy that I bring with me when I am out and about. I light the candle so often while I am at home and while I am traveling that I often don’t need to light it all the time based on the fact that it is so frequently and for so many years. 

In Summary

An anchor is a portable way of bringing the Divine with you in however way you want. It can be used as a focal point of an altar, and used in a way that serves the purpose of developing discernment, communication and divination. Once activated, it is a tool that can be regarded as a portal for the Divine to come into this world with you. 

It is my personal opinion that having jewelry, objects, and other things I use to maintain a connection to Loki (and other Deities but for me it’s mostly Him) can make for an easier time connecting with Him in my life and throughout my day. I bring anchors into my cubicle to have as an altar and charge them by writing Him notes I keep under the skull that He uses. So essentially, my altar is spread out over multiple places that started from one place that I used in ritual. 

Disclaimer

Everything stated here are the observations and experiential evidence accrued after 6 years of practice. This is not the only way to do anything. I am only looking to inspire those to go deeper into their relationships with the Divine and learn how to do that. There are more than enough beginner books out there that can tell you what these things are and how you can relate to them. However, I am more so speaking to those who have been at this for a while and wish to find the next steps of inspiration.

You can bring the Divine into your life in simpler ways. The purposes of these particular practices are for the mystically inclined and those who wish to share life with the Deity of their choosing. Restrictions can apply. Some things take less time than others, but all things require time and usage.

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Let me know in the comments how well this has worked for you. Feedback is critical for me even if it’s negative. You can follow my blog here or on Tumblr at Devouredbyflame.tumblr.com. If you enjoyed what I have to say, please share it by reblogging, liking, or commenting.