Altars to the Living...

Good evening.

In my journeys, I've come across all types of altars.

My question, however, centers on a certain type. An "altar to the living", as I see it.

The ones I've seen are used to bring luck, fortune, etc, to whom it's dedicated to.

So, my question is, are these altar legit? Could you build an altar to anyone you choose, and bring them good will or harm?
Which magical path allows you to do this?

I hope I don't sound ignorant. I'm just looking for information, in hopes to protect me from the ones who are.

Thank you in advance.

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Besides sounding creepy, it is legitimate. Most spiritual paths that use altars and focus on living people don't have an entire altar dedicated to a specific person. Rather, it is more common that people use photographs, items, poppets, and candles etc. that either belong to or represent the person. One key difference between an altar to the living vs. an altar to the dead is simply that the spirits of the living have a stronger connection to their physical bodies. One could use sympathetic Magick to affect a person's luck, health, career, money, and various other aspects of their lives. If one wanted to connect to a spirit of the living, they would be connecting to a person's higher self or their subconscious (depending on the practitioner's belief system). Rarely would a practitioner make a conscious connection to a person unless they were also a practitioner that has developed their psychic abilities (I often call this energy linking and those I have linked with were also conscious of linking with me). It can manifest differently for each person, but on even rarer accounts do people have conscious and verbal telepathic communication.

Back to the topic of an altar to the living; one can be made in similar fashions as other altars and the focus is really all that is different.

Thank you for your response.

Where could one learn this sympathetic magick?

I admit, it's a path I've never heard of.

Thanks.

Sympathetic Magick is honestly something I consider a part of the basics. What affects the microcosm affects the macrocosm, and vice versa. The examples I listed are a part of Sympathetic Magick and it can be found nearly everywhere in the world. Using a coin as a focus to help bring in money, pouring water over a sacred well to ask for rain, and using anything to symbolize another aspect are all part of Sympathetic Magick. The limits are your creativity and physical laws.