Creating & Being Inspired By An Altar

I never consciously set out to create an altar.  It happened over time.  Just like everything, it changes, evolves. It gets cluttered then clarifies.  Without realizing it, its orientation shifted from my facing West to East when I  rearranged the room. Behind it is the Atlantic Ocean, perhaps 1500 feet away?

Each piece has meaning.  There are reminders of ancestry, friendship, kinship with fellow students, support, new energy, great masters, art and creativity.  The senses are included.  I used to have books on the altar, but no more. 

There is a play on words:  alter and altar.  One is a verb, one is a noun. The words have different meaning.  Yet, there is a subtle difference in the essence of the meaning behind each word.  Indeed, an altar does alter something within us.