Travel Altar

There seemed to be some interest in this when I mentioned it, so here goes!

A travel altar is, oddly enough, a small altar setup you can take with you when you travel. It usually consists of non-breakable, non-spillable items -- or things that are very well packaged with foam "frames" and such that they won't shift and break.

For this swap, any size from an Altoid tin to a lunchbox will count, though I'd suggest that smaller is better in this case. 250-count matchboxes are good, but not the 32-count.

What you include really depends on your partner's Deity -- you'd have a very different setup for Kali-Ma and for Buddha! Some basics, though, might be

1) A representation of the Deity/ies your partner looks to. A mass card, ATC, cross-stitch picture, sculpy figure...or a $75 bronze statue if you can afford it AND want to send it, but I sure can't!

2) Representations of the elements they use -- do your research!

3) A meditation you wrote for her/him.

4) Prayer beads.

5) A tiny offering dish.

This site (stolen w/o permission) has a very nice idea: altar pouch -- note that this would NOT be suitable for a vegan, nor could it be sent to Australia.

And here is an idea for our Military folks that can be adapted: A.R.E.S. kit

Rules: 4.8 rating or better with NO ones in the last 6 months; 5 swaps that required work (not e-swap or postcard).

When you sign up, comment below with the name of the Deity / Deities you want your altar to honor -- but be kind to your partner, no-one that it's really hard to find data on!

If you are not in the US, a list of things (or a link to the customs site) that cannot be sent would be VERY considerate :) Also a list of allergens if this is a problem for you.

This is more about imagination and your partner's Deity-of-choice than about buying expensive toys and such -- if you make candles and your partner looks to Brigid, there ya go! If you are a writer and your partner worships Ganesha, again, that's an obvious tie-in :)

You'll have 3 weeks to make the altar and mail it, as this is a busy time for most. Please, take a moment to clear your head and relax before working on this swap -- it should be a time to refresh yourself in the midst of the hurry.