Pagan Idols

If you look up altars, you almost always find them with small statues on them. Idols of ancient gods, goddesses, or mythical creatures. I’ve seen dragons and unicorns, sometimes fairies, but the figurines can get expensive.

Here are some options:

Make your own idols. They may not be as details or turn out as well as you like, but idols made from wood or clay become infused with your energy, and represents how you view the Divine.

You can buy clay such as traditional clay, but this requires baking in a kiln. Other options include;

Sculpey Polymer Clay which also includes baking, can be put in an oven. You need to follow direction for baking time since the thicker the item, the long you bake. You have to be careful with burning. It comes in many colors, can be painted, and takes shape very well.

Paper Clay comes in white and other colors, but I made the mistake of buying the kind that is gray. Everything I made needed to be painted, and it tends to have a coarse feel, that can also crack when drying. You can, however, file edges down and shape and mold to refine the form. This type of clay needs some learning to work it correctly, but you can find tons of free tutorials online.

More options include making your own clay out of materials you have at home. This allows for trial and error.

Salt Clay – I find this a bit rough, but for making primitive idols, this works great. You can add color to the clay, or paint afterwards.

Cold Porcelain (3 recipes)- which has the smoother texture and air dries. You can add color to the clay or paint. The final product will shrink a bit after drying.

Some tips:

Use wire to shape the clay with, and position as needed.
Add essential oil to the clay as a type of scent diffuser.
Add dye or even mica powder (metallic powder) to add a shimmer.
Use things around the house for texture tools
Try various styles, but also remember that idols can be almost formless, to only represent a god or goddess.

Another tip I offer is to forego an idol and use imagery instead. You can easily print out pictures of a god and/or goddess to sit on your altar. I like this method best because it is easy to personal a picture frame, but also you can change the picture seasonally or whenever you have need to change.

What do you use? Post in comments. Don’t forget to share this post.