How do women create altars—and more importantly, why? This slim guide by Cunningham (I Am a Woman by Rite) explains the background of altar making, which she demystifies by observing that "an altar helps you to quickly focus on the spirituality inherent in common things," such as photographs, candles or fresh flowers. In the opening chapters, Cunningham describes various kinds of altars—indoor and outdoor, temporary and permanent, entirely private or open for public viewing. She guides women through the process of selecting objects for their altars, choosing a theme and creating meaningful rituals. These chapters will be useful to a wide range of women who want help in establishing their own altars. The last few chapters, which discuss special occasions, seasons and holidays, will be best appreciated by readers of a New Age or Neo-pagan bent. The book is generally well written (though the author's poetry is superfluous), and the 66 b&w photos by Denise Geddes offer valuable visual cues. (Sept.)
