3 Ways Kemetic Shamans Work Their Altars

Hetepu (Peace & Blessings) Family.
You know Family, it is very common and easy for individuals transitioning from Protestant Christian beliefs to traditional spiritual practices.  To build an altar and be instructed to tend to it religiously as if it is a place or worship.
It should be understood that unless you are converting and/or joining a traditional religion. Anyone transitioning from any dogmatic religion to a spiritual tradition should feel relieved because they are no longer controlled by religious fear and guilt.
That being said, an altar should be liberating but what often occurs is that we listened to people who are in traditional religions and take their advice as Absolute Truth. The next thing you know, we find ourselves confused because we were told by these individuals that we cannot mix our ancestor images with our spirit guides, we cannot mix our ancestors or spirit guides with the divinities, or we cannot adopt or mix different divinities from different pantheons, and so on.  A big part of spirituality deals with living your life based upon what works, and not upon what others theorize or tell you what to do. Because the only one who knows what is best for you is your Higher Self. Since there are no rules and regulations on how to work your Spirit. You learn by trial and error and this is the beauty of shamanism because instead of relying on someone else’s word or hearsay.  You are given an opportunity to develop your own rapport with the Spirit so that you know how the Divine works, instead of theorizing how the Divine works as most religious people do. (Please note that this is not in any form or fashion a criticism directed to those who follow religious order. I am simply stating observations based upon my experience.)
To avoid this spiritual pitfall, it is important to understand first and foremost that the altar is a physical representation of the vast energies that exist within our mind/spirit. When you erect an altar, essentially what you are doing is calling a specific energy (ancestor, archetype, etc.) out of latency in your Infinite Spirit. It is similar to retrieving a file off of your computer or retrieving a memory from your Spirit because the true altar is within.

For instance, before I became serious about venerating my ancestors, I used to speak with my ancestors in my mind.  I would simply imagine them and talk to them as if they were right in front of me, similar to how Napoleon Hill would consult his 9 Invisible Counselors.  This really needs to be understood because I have had people contact me and say, “I cannot build an altar for my ancestors, spirit guides or guardian spirits.”  They usually say that they cannot build an altar because of lack of space but mostly it is because they live with someone who does not respect their views about spirituality (e.g. roommate, family member, etc.). I usually have to explain to them that if they have a photograph of ancestor hanging on a wall that is an altar. If they have a wallet size photo, picture, a drawing of a spirit or even a small symbol like a pebble, this is an altar as well if they see it as a manifestation of the spirit. There have been times I have been walking down the street and I see a small black pebble, which reminds me of the netchar Npu (Enpu, Anpu or Anubis in Greek). So, I pick it up, thank Npu, place it in my pocket and go about my business.   In fact, most of the items that are on my Npu altar (het Npu) are items that I found, which I interpreted that my Npu wanted on their het.  This is because according to Bantu-Kongo thinking an altar can be created wherever there is a maa aankh (a Kemetic crossroad where two realms exist). 
So the idea that some spirit is going to punish (or reward) you for how you tend to their altar is another form of religious fear and guilt, promoted by people who 1) do not understand the nature of the human spirit, or. 2) They want you to view them as an authority over your spirituality. You have to understand that when people tell you that Oshun doesn’t like you to eat pumpkin and other taboos, this is based upon their perspective. This may be a restriction that Oshun wants a particular person, group, etc. to adhere, which is why it is important to remember Code 1: Maa is Truth and is Based Upon Perspective.   Everyone is not going to share your perspective, agree with you or have the same experience as you, which is why you should always test everything out for yourself.
Second, when it comes to building an altar, you can do as you feel. If you feel that something needs to be placed on your altar do so. If you feel that something needs to be removed from your altar, then do so. As stated earlier, unless you are in or following a traditional religious order, no one (living or dead) has the right to tell you what to do with your altar. Just like no one has the right to tell you what to do with your mind.
Last, but not least, if you call an energy (ancestor, spirit guide and guardian spirit) out of latency.  Understand that it needs energy in order to stay in your awareness, which means any time and thought given to it, feeds it. Our ancestors, spirit guides and guardian spirits do not care if you offer them a glass of water and a candle, or choose to contemplate on them for ten minutes a day. Remember, our ancestors and spirit guides are not invasive because they understand the perils of living in this physical realm.  They are happy that you are even consider giving them an offering, which is the reason they will assist you despite the fact that your family sees you as a “black sheep” due to the spirituality you are involved in.
Therefore, understand that our ancestors and spirit guides know that we are not at the level where we can communicate with them by simply shifting our awareness, but one day we will get there.  If they want something, don’t be afraid to tell your spirits, “Help me to get it.” Your spirits want a bigger altar, then tell them, “Hey, I need a larger space to have a bigger altar.”
Remember, all of this is a dialogue that takes place within the mind.
Hope this helps.
Hetep