The altar pictured above is simply a wooden board on top of a wooden box. The box itself is special to me because it started out as
In the top row of pictures you can see my altar lit up with the candles, my holy flame, or in the Roman hearth culture, the Focus. The center piece of the cherub-like folk is my representation of my house's Lares (household Gods). To the right of that is the newest addition to my altar, my Portus, the representation of the sacred Tree for the Roman hearth culture. It's actually an aquarium decoration, so it was only $3.50 and it's water proof so I can take it into the shower with me when I meditate. To the left of the Lares are the only deities I have on my altar now - Libertas, the Goddess who our statue of liberty was modeled after, and a neat figurine that is serving as my temporary Minerva. I would like to eventually have a better Minerva statue, Apollo, and Brigid (though she isn't in my hearth culture she was my first patroness and I think she'll get along well with the others). On the bookshelf to the left of the altar I have a blue shell offering bowl, a bird bell for my musical signal in solitary rituals (I would like to replace with a brass bell; many instruments of the Romans were made of wood or brass), and my Mundus. The Mundus is the representation of the sacred Well, though for the Romans, it was usually a hole in the ground with a cover. My mundus is a classic-looking covered pot that I can easily put offerings into. It feels much more comfortable to me than a cauldron.