Preparation Phase

Creating Your Altar

An altar is simply a small, intentional space that holds objects meaningful to you. It gives your intention a physical home — something your eyes can rest on, your hands can reach for, and your mind can return to.

What an altar actually is

You don't need to approach this in any particular spiritual tradition. An altar for a psychedelic journey is a practical object: a grounding point in your physical space that you set up with care before the session begins.

During peak effects, the mind can become unmoored. Having a dedicated spot — something you deliberately arranged, that holds things that matter to you — gives you somewhere to look when you need to reorient. It's an anchor, not a decoration.

Keep it simple. Three or four meaningful objects on a small surface is more than enough. The care you put into choosing them matters more than how many you include.

What to place on it

There are no rules. These are examples of what people find useful:

A grounding object

Something you can hold — a stone, a crystal, a smooth piece of wood, a piece of jewelry. Texture and weight help during moments of anxiety. Your kit includes a touchstone for this purpose.

A personal item

A photo of someone you love, a letter, a small keepsake. Something that reminds you of who you are and what matters to you — especially useful if the experience becomes challenging.

Your written intention

The statement or question you're bringing into the journey. Written on paper and placed where you can see it. It connects the altar to your purpose for being there.

Something from nature

A flower, a stone, a small plant, or a leaf. Natural objects often feel grounding during altered states and can provide a point of simple, uncomplicated beauty to rest your gaze on.

A candle

Soft, warm light and the living quality of flame can be settling. If you use one, position it safely and extinguish it before effects peak — you won't be monitoring it reliably afterward.

Fabric or cloth

A small square of soft fabric — silk, linen, or cotton — can serve as both a surface for your altar and a tactile grounding tool during the session. Your kit includes a silk square for this.

How to set it up

Choose your surface

A small table, a nightstand, a windowsill, or a folded cloth on the floor — anywhere that's at a comfortable height and within your line of sight from where you'll be lying or sitting.
Place your objects with attention

Don't rush this. Handle each object briefly, think about why it's there, and set it down deliberately. The act of arrangement is itself a form of preparation — it signals that something intentional is beginning.
Include your intention

Write your intention on a piece of paper or card and place it on or near the altar. You'll read it aloud during your opening ceremony. Seeing it written, in your own hand, makes it more concrete.
Make sure it's safe

Nothing on the altar should be fragile, sharp, or a hazard. Extinguish any candles before you take your substance. The altar should be something you can interact with safely when your coordination or judgment may be altered.

Using it during the session

If you feel lost, anxious, or overwhelmed during the journey, your altar is somewhere to return to. Look at it. Pick up your grounding object. Read your intention. These simple acts reconnect you to why you're here and that you're safe.

You don't need to engage with it constantly — most of the time it will simply be there in your peripheral vision, a quiet reminder of the container you built around yourself.

The altar doesn't make the journey sacred. Your attention does. The altar is just the place where that attention has a home.

Questions to help you choose objects

What object do I reach for when I want to feel grounded?
What reminds me of the people or places I love?
What represents the intention I'm bringing into this journey?
Is there something from nature that feels calming to hold or look at?
What would I want to have within reach if I felt frightened?