Pix from my personal altar.
Curious about the rose path? You might be thinking about how to build your own altar for Mary Magdalene. An altar is one of those things that doesn’t have any rules. The only requisite is that it feels meaningful to you. It’s a place to sit and reflect, and the objects you chose to include should hold a sense of meaning. It can be objects like a rock or feather you found on a special walk, a statuette of a deity you are working with, flowers, tarot cards, prayer beads, whatever you want! Let’s dive in with how to build your Mary Magdalene altar.
Build Your Altar
I’m sharing my Magdalene Altar and why I chose certain things so you can get some inspiration for your own. I sit on a mat in front of it every morning to pull cards and journal my reflections. I read a few pages from whatever book I’m currently studying, and record my thoughts about my rose path work. Pictured above is my Mother Mary statuette adorned with diamante strands, vintage millinery, and Caribbean Calcite crystals, and my Mary Magdalene figurines, rose quartz towers, rhodochrosite, and a vintage salt cellar with rose quartz chips, a photo of Frida Kahlo, and a pink butterfly.
Elements to consider for your personal sacred space
To make your altar rose path specific, here are some ideas to explore for setting it up:
Figurines: Most of my figurines are from thrift shops, ETSY, or eBay. Search for Mary head vase, vintage Mary statue, retro Mary figurine, or altar statuette. A lot of the statuettes have prayer hands which is nice, but when I see ones that are holding roses, or are decorated with roses, I go for those. Also appropriate for a Magdalene altar are figurines of Isis, Venus, Aphrodite, or Quan Yin as these are all expressions of the lineage.
Roses: Any type of roses are great for yoru Mary Magdalene altar— think paper garlands, porcelain roses, ceramic rosettes, or a vase with roses to put fresh flowers (ideally roses!) in. There is something so inspiring and calming about having fresh roses at your altar and they last a long time too. I have two Luminara candles shaped like roses that I really love.
Make it your own!
Found objects: Ooh this is my favorite. Dried roses, feathers, pretty rocks or anything from nature are all great options for building texture. I also have a collection of altar cards that I collect from various churches I’ve popped my head into, and cheapie plastic rosary beads. I have a vintage key with a ribbon that I found in a dollar bin, and a creepy lock of hair that I found thrifting. This is my favorite category for assembling your altar because you get to decide what has resonance for you, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. It’s all about the goodies taht find their way to you.
Crystals: Two thoughts about crystals. One, they can get pricey (and addictive!) so do a little bit of research about what you might like, the energy you are trying to call in, and what is beautiful to you personally. Additionally, crystals can get pricey, but you will have them for life goddess willing. Some of my favorites are: rose quartz, peach moonstone, rose calcite and mookaite jasper for my Mary Magdalene altar thank you very much.
Curate: An altar is a wonderful source of personal expression. You don’t have to put every single thing you hold dear on it. Change it up a few times a year depending on what energies you want to work with. I like to curate with themes, vignettes and artful display. Have fun with it. Keep in mind that you can always change it. Also, bear in mind you can change it to align with seasons, sabbats, holy days, colors, inner child work, or deities. Freshen it often, curate it with ritual and intention and you can’t go wrong.
