Healing Altar with 6 Crystals: Guide to Spiritual Healing

The practice of altar-making can be effective for all sorts of healing. Healing on an energetic level has ripple effects that can affect the healing of all other layers, including the emotional, mental, and physical.

How can we experience spiritual healing by creating a healing altar?

Altar making is the creation of a sacred spiritual space for healing. It is a way to cultivate and attune to a specific vibration that resonates with your clear intentions for healing.

In a healing altar, we can include various magic tools, objects, elements, archetypes, imagery, and symbolism that contribute energy aligned with a healed and harmonious state of being.

You can create a healing altar to support you through the process of healing, for personal healing, a specific situation, for a loved one, for ancestral healing for earth, or for collective healing.

History of Healing Altars

The making of an altar in various forms is an ancient and very likely prehistoric practice. Altars can be extremely simple or layered and complex. They have been created for multiple purposes, including healing.

Healing altars were set to revere deities associated with healing. They have been used as a wellness practice and a way to bring a sense of belonging by Xicanas and Xicanos as well as other indigenous peoples.

There is also the practice of memorial altars, which can be seen as a form of a healing altar, as these are made to honor the deceased but also to find solace, to help heal as we grieve.

Healing altars have been created in various temples around the world and have been created by medicine people and witches throughout time. There are numerous ways to approach making a healing altar, and no one way is superior. It is all about your connection, presence, and authenticity.

Basic Tips to Make a Healing Altar

Select objects and elements that feel resonant healing and are significant to you.
Make your altar in a space where you feel at peace and will be undisturbed.
During the making of your altar and when you visit this space, intentionally envision the manifested healthy state you are creating with this magic.
This is your magical space to create from. Know that you can trust your intuition and power.
Express gratitude to the deities, energetic objects, magical tools, knowledge, and magical perspectives you hold within this space.
Take the energy of your healing altar into the world as you actively embody your intention for healing in every way you can.
Learn the benefits of specific spiritual healing crystals to choose the best stones to energize, amplify, protect, and support your sacred altar space.

How to Make a Healing Altar

The energetic and deeply connected somatic process of creating an altar can be a healing activity in itself. Allow yourself to be fully present and engage in this process and the changes, integration, and embodiment of the fresh energy you manifest with your altar.

The healing energy you call in with this altar ritual can have profound effects. It is not unusual that you may face a stage of detox, shadow work, unmasking, and integration, as this clearing and authenticity is necessary for deep healing to take place.

Be sure to add elements to your altar for energetic support through the process, and continue to take time to connect at your altar to remind yourself and continually feed attention to your healing intention.

Step 1: How to Choose the Perfect Place for Your Healing Altar

Choose the location of your altar according to your specific or general healing intentions. You can have a healing altar within an indoor space or even create an ephemeral altar outdoors.

If it’s possible, you can also consider starting a collaborative altar in a shared space for collective healing.

Create an altar somewhere you see it often, where you can intentionally practice and tend to it. This is best, as healing is a process that can take time. An altar can offer a safe, supportive space during the different stages of healing.

If you wish to consider the symbolism of the direction where you place the altar, then according to feng shui, the East is the best for a healing altar as it is associated with health and new beginnings.

Step 2: When to Set Up Your Healing Altar

There’s no strict rule about when to set up your healing altar, but it is a good idea to work with the natural elements and cycles for an added layer of earthy healing vibrations.

You can consider setting and activating your altar at sunrise, as this is a serene time of day, perfect for engaging in this ritual with full presence. Sunrise symbolizes new beginnings or a fresh start, which can resonate with intentions for renewal through healing.

If you feel more connected to the lunar cycle, the new moon is the best time to set up a healing altar, as this is the time to set intentions by arranging your altar. As you attune to this energy, the waxing moon will amplify the healing energy.

Step 3: How to Cleanse the Altar Space

In preparation for meditating on your intention, choosing your objects, and setting your healing altar, it is highly recommended to ensure the area where your altar will be is physically and energetically clean.

Clean any dirt or dust and tidy clutter, as this is a sacred space and the visual impact of a neat and clean space can improve your focus and clarity.

To energetically cleanse your space, use the smoke of natural incense or a herb smudge stick. Set your intention for cleansing and move the smoke around the area where you will set your altar and your body.

Another option is to use cleansing sound frequencies from a singing bowl, instrument, chanting, or playing recorded music aloud in the space. You may also choose to grid the space with Selenite (or other self-cleansing stones) to ensure a consistently cleansed space.

Step 4: Setting Your Intention Affirmation

It’s really important to clarify why you are making this healing altar and form an intention and affirmation for this intention. Do this by taking the time to meditate and deeply consider what you would like to manifest surrounding your health.

Practice visualization, envisioning yourself having achieved your intention in the most ideal way. Feel into the emotions you would experience once you have received these desires. This will help you to have an energetic reference point for what you are calling, and you can set a clear intention based on this.

Once you have your intention, rephrase it as an affirmation. For example, if your intention is to experience full vitality and health, your intention affirmation could be, “I am energetic, entirely at ease, and grateful for the health of my body.”

Speak your affirmation aloud or write it down to include within your altar. A clear intention is so important to fully engage in an altar ritual and choose the objects that specifically resonate with it.

Step 5: What to Add to Your Fertility Altar

Choosing the special objects and laying them on your altar is such an enjoyable process. Each object you include contributes a layer of nuanced beneficial energy to empower your intention.

Remember to use your intention as a guide to choose objects that will specifically empower the healing experience you are aligning to. Here are some of the healing altar items you want to consider including. Feel free to use your creativity and intuition when deciding this.

Crystals: Crystals are an awesome addition to any altar, especially a healing altar, as you can select healing stones that resonate with and align with specific healing intentions. Read more about the best spiritual healing crystals in the next section of this article.
Plants or Herbs: Living plants or dried herbs radiate supportive and healing energies. You can choose to add plants you are attracted to or plants known for healing specific conditions or experiences in alignment with your intention.
Elements: Natural elements, such as water for refreshing and cleansing, soil for grounding and physical vitality, and fire (candle or incense) represents transformation and illumination.
Deities: Include sculptures or artworks of healing deities. Some options include Panacea, Aja, Artemis, Brighid, or Isis.
Symbols: Choose a healing symbol you resonate with and add it to your altar in any way. Reiki symbols can be a good option here, or universal healing symbols, such as the snake, the sun, or spirals.
Offerings: You may want to include a small tray or bowl to place offerings at your altar.
Candles: Candles always bring a feeling of calm and increased presence to a space, so these are highly recommended. You can choose candles in colors that symbolize different effects and energies that you want to include within your altar.
Spell Jar: Create a health and healing spell jar to add to your altar.

Step 6: Activate Your Fertility Altar

Activate your altar when you have first completed setting it with magical objects. You can also benefit from repeating similar activation steps whenever you visit your altar, change the setup, or add new objects

Sit at your altar, and light your candle or incense.
Repeat your intention affirmation for healing.
Close your eyes and face your palms over or toward your healing altar, feel the energy present, and take 3 to 5 full breaths.
Visualize your desired healing experience.
Meditate at your healing altar for as long as you would like.
Express gratitude to the crystals, deities, elements, and yourself for creating this healing altar.

6 Crystals for Your Healing Altar

Adding healing crystals to your altar is a perfect way to energize your intention for making this altar. Many stones have a general healing vibration and many have specific healing benefits or properties.

Crystals help us attune on a spiritual or subtle level, which eventually leads to alignment on other realms of experience (the mental, emotional, physical, and relational). Let’s learn about a few of the top healing crystals you can include within your healing altar.

Clear Quartz

Clear Quartz is the master healer crystal. It can be programmed with intention and greatly amplifies the energy it is programmed with. This makes it a versatile stone to include within your healing altar.

You can charge and program this stone with your specific healing intention. Hold this crystal, repeat your affirmation, and then write it down and place this paper on your altar with your Clear Quartz crystal on it.

Peridot

Peridot has a profoundly healing vibration. It is energetically supportive on an emotional level throughout various healing processes. It promotes the release of old patterns that are no longer aligned and brings greater clarity and understanding.

Peridot is excellent for healing aligned with an intention relating to emotions and spiritual growth. It would be perfect in a healing altar for personal healing, collective healing, or earth healing through compassion.

Visualize your intention coming true and focus on the emotions you would feel when this happens. Feel these positive emotions for a while, and hold your Peridot crystal while doing so. Then place it on your altar.

Labradorite

Labradorite is a crystal that encourages inner strength, which is always helpful during a deep healing journey. This crystal is beneficial for healing communications and mental clarity. It boosts mental health, balances mood swings, and is supportive during PMS.

Before you place this stone on your altar, be sure to cleanse and charge it in moonlight or with another suitable technique. Labradorite’s energy helps us to heal through spiritually aware and self-expression. It also has protective qualities, so be sure to cleanse and recharge it regularly.

Rose Quartz

A stone that aligns us with the vibration of divine unconditional love, this energy is supportive during any healing. Rose Quartz provides physical benefits for the heart and the female reproductive system. It is an excellent emotional healing and relationship healing stone.

As this is a variety of Quartz, it responds well to intentional programming. Hold your Rose Quartz and repeat your healing altar affirmation before setting it down with the other healing elements you include.

Malachite

Include Malachite on your altar for healing conflict, trauma, and transforming through the power of love and empathy. Add Malachite to your altar to let go of fear and increase confidence in manifesting your healing intentions.

It is also effective at absorbing negative energy. Because of this, please remember to cleanse it regularly. Malachite is a soft stone, so use a cleansing method that does not involve water.

Lapis Lazuli

This brilliant blue stone is suitable for an altar intended for healing and clarifying your confidence and intuition. Lapis Lazuli helps us to uncover and accept the truth of any matter. It brings greater mental clarity and is helpful in healing communications.

Lapis Lazuli is associated with Isis, the Egyptian Goddess of Healing, so it would be powerful to honor and amplify her healing presence by setting an image or sculpture of Isis together with Lapis Lazuli on your healing altar

FAQ

What is a Spiritual Healing Altar?

It is a sacred space you create in alignment with your intention for healing. It is made by placing symbolic, energetic objects, and elements to contribute to this intention. At your altar, you can work on aligning with the healing you wish to embody.

What is the Purpose of a Crystal Healing Altar?

Crystal healing altars offer us a way to connect with the amazing properties and benefits of a healing crystal. Through the ritual of altar-making and the consistent spiritual practice at your crystal healing altar, you can receive and deeply attune to the healing vibrations of your chosen healing altar crystals.

How Do You Make a Powerful Healing Altar?

A powerful healing altar starts with deep consideration of your intention, space, and the things you will include. Make sure you set a clear healing intention and choose objects that feel powerful for you to align with and energize your intention.

Where Should a Healing Altar be Placed at Home?

Your healing altar can be placed anywhere in your home where it is practical for you to care for the altar and engage in spiritual practices with it. It can also be in a room related to your specific intention. If you want to consider feng shui, then placing it anywhere in the Easterly direction of a room or your home best

Make Your Own Crystal Healing Altar!

I will conclude with a quote that I found especially relevant to my understanding and practice with healing altars. It is taken from a paper entitled Mom’s Healing Altar and Dad’s Obsidian Blade by Claudia-Itzel-Marquez and Santiago Andrés Garcia.

“The altar, I have come to learn, makes sense of time, space, and belonging to bring about new visions and responsibilities.”

Making a healing altar is energetically potent, and it is a therapeutic process. It can reveal and clarify the actions or changes necessary to fully manifest the desired healed state. Enjoy the healing and support this process has to offer, and be willing to rise to embody the transformation it brings at all levels.