Gift from the Sun

    When I created this arrangement in our living room it was not intended to be an altar, and yet it does include three of the elements necessary for a sacred nature space. The earth is represented by the fruit and bare twigs which are replaced by pussy willow in the Spring. On the wall a partridge in a pear tree represents the element of air. Above that is my father's wood representation of the Great South Bay, the body of water near my childhood home. 

    The only element missing in this arrangement is fire. But one morning the sun hit the nearby piano lamp in such a way that it created a halo of light over this scene, transforming it into a sacred space. My husband recognized the beauty of this fleeting gift, and took the picture. 

    Homemade altars often include connections to and reminders of family members and ancestors. The music cabinet on which this arrangement sits belonged to my mother, and the doily was tatted by my paternal grandmother. The halo blesses all three loved ones who now dwell beyond the veil. 

photographer: Mark VanLaeys

wood sculptor: Eugene Lissandrello

doily tatting: Marie Lissandrello

pianist: Mary Lissandrello