Hmmm... where would I find an ocean? OK. Kidding. I got it. Fire, water - anything else?

I have to start from the very beginning. LIke VERY beginning, if you know what I mean.
A place in my room- is there any particular place you tend to place an altar?
Can there be something else on the same wall? I have a very small room.

Then- do you put the fabrics on a shelf? On a table? On 'where' basically is the question (told you
I am an absolute beginner).

Can I have more than one altar? Or, can I have more than one deity on one altar? (what does exactly 'ishta' mean?)

Arati tray will be the next step, though I've never even seen one (except for films and tv).

Can I use any bell or do I have to have a special one (probably not available in Poland)- don't tell
me to buy it through the Internet. I don't even know how to do it. When EXACTLY should I use it?

Thanks for answering. And sorry for so many questions, but you asked for it :)

Yesterday I read about debts we are born to the world with. The more I read, the more I am
convinced this is a faith for me. My intuitive choice was right.

I know! That's... so sweet? :)

I also made a private sacrifice, as I started to suspect myself of
a serious problem with eating too much - whenever I want to
eat something sweet just because of being greedy,
I think of NOT doing this as a special way of an offering.

I also asked for a help in this matter from Ganesha.

And guess what?
I bet you know what, already =)

with all due respect danella / ravencrow, although altars are presonal. anna asked in regards to a hindu altar. now it is fine to have beautiful objects found in nature. i also use them to decorate and adorn the altar. she also mentionned that she doesnt have the entire house to use, but, rather a small space which is her bedroom. which is y a shelf in her case would be appropriate.

a "hindu" altar (i prefer vedic as hindu is a misnomer) has certain standards and guidelines (such as framed pictures, deities, incense, flowers a bell etc) so although personal flair is wonderful and creative, a hindu / vedic altar is not something that u just use ur intuition for. from a vedic perspective, that is speculation / concoction. had she asked for a pagan altar, i would say let urself do whatever.... however, in this case, i would advise against letting ones intuition guide them as it would no longer be a hindu altar, it would be something else, which is fine, just not a hindu altar, which after reading her posts is what she wants :)

I love prasadam,
I love
I love
Prasadam!!!

Eat it!! Drink it!!

When it comes to meat being cooked in the house etc... There are some exceptions for offering and eating meat. Goddesses Kali Maa, Durga Maa, Tara Maa, Chinnamasta Maa, Dhumavathi Maa, and Bhairavi Maa all accept offerings of Meat, wine, liquor, and blood. They also accept offerings of animal sacrifice, and in ancient times, human sacrifices to fierce Goddesses were have supposed to have taken place. I think Mathangi might take meat as well. Mathangi also likes left overs and menstrual blood as an offering, and her devotees to be in a state of pollution. So it depends on if you are going by Orthodox Vedic tradition, or Tantra which breaks all the orthodox rules.

The same goes with the shrine area. There are rules and guidelines, especially if you are following an orthodox tradition. But un-orthodox traditions, especially Vama Marga and other practices of Tantrika all encourage spontaneity and rule breaking to a certain extent that encourages it's followers to be free from all restraints, orthodoxes, taboos, etc.

Anyway, I just thought I would add this to this thread just for a little FYI, even though it's not specific to uja of Shri Ganehsa.

Ganesha is not the one to approach however, with meat or in a state of pollution.

Actually mental offerings are much better than physical offerings. If one can actually sit there for the length of time, and clearly visualize the deity, and each offering that is to be made, then it's excellent. Much more powerful than physical offerings, however physical offerings are needed to help the physical awareness and the body to associate with the divine as well as the mind. The most potent offerings are made in truth and in spirit. Many people go through the motions of offerings and rituals and forget that it's all symbols of an inner process. One can offer all they like to a murthi with physical pujas, but to obtain real spiritual progress, one should elevate to the level of meditation and inner worship, because really the energies we are worshipping are mostly within us, and can be built up within us. Each diety represents an energy and a necessary power, and level, and face of god.

That is why it's best to worship Ganesha in the beginning of a spiritual path because he is should always be invoked for new beginnings, especially the spiritual path. When you absorb the energy of Ganesha and allow Ganesha to grow inside of you, him and his Vahana will clear the obstacles that are most important... The obstacles that are preventing you from obtaining higher levels and that blocks Mother Shakti from safely rising. Him and his Vahana, the mouse crawls through all the Nadis and destroy all the things blocking the free flow of energy. When they say he is the lord of hosts, the meaning of this applied to the inner being, is that he is the lord of the physical senses. The hosts of Ganas represent obstacles to be overcame in the spiritual path, and obstacles that can be placed in your path when you are not yet ready to ascend to a certain level. Ganesh is capable of removing and creating obstacles, and he will do each one according to what is best for you. But only through devotion can we bring life to the diety that lives within us, and allow that diety to start working on the inside of us. Each time you pray, chant the mantra of a diety, make offerings, and do Sadhana you are building the power of that diety within yourself.

Ganesha is also very important because the worship of Ganesh establishes a strong muladhara, which is essential to stay grounded. It is sometimes said, to worship Mother Divine you should become Ganesha, and to worship Shiva, you must become Maa, to worship Vishnu, one most become Shiva. But it's in my opinion it's best to start with Ganesha. It's also good to focus on one form at a time, and not worship many dieties. It will become confusing. Chant the mantra, obtain the diety and then move to the next.

Oh goodness, I am babbling again.

-Rasa Devi