Very confusing alter Q/A

Ok so, my bf has DID (dissociative identity disorder) and his host alter is the embodiment of the god of death Thanatos. If I added a picture of him to my alter, what would happen? If the picture is intended for the actual god of death, would he be offended, would it work at all?

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I wouldn't do it for a few reasons I list below but bare in mind these are only based on my teachings & beliefs. Other people might have actual experience where it worked for them.

1) Some believe you never put photos of the living on your altar, (unless your working magic on them) because it puts them between the worlds or in the spirit world - with negative consequences to the person in the photo.

2) Residual magick that you perform at the altar can affect the person in the photo.

3) The altar represents the relationship between the practitioner and deity.

4)Using your boyfriend's picture will add interference when trying to connect with the deity. Will you be connecting with your bf or Thanatos? What about when you bf annoys you and you just want to relax and meditate at you altar?

Personally I don't usually want to think about living people when I'm at my altar unless it's part of the magick I'm working.

Also to consider is if/how could it impact your bf's DID and how he would feel about being on your altar as your representation of Thanatos?

I'm confused; is your bf saying the host alter IS Thanatos, the actual Greek god? Because that is definitely impossible.

well, yes and no. Alters can be anything the system needs in order to intake trama. He just happens to be the god of death because his system needed a strong figure in order to stay sane.

Ah okay. In answer to your question then, I'm not sure if it would offend Thanatos if you pick a picture of your bf or his alter on His altar, but given the large expanse of art we have featuring Thanatos that can be found online, I don't think it's really necessary?

This thread has been moved to Misc Topics from Wicca.

If I understand correctly, one of your boyfriend's personality fragments believes it is Thanatos, the Greek God of Death. And you are asking whether you can use a picture of your boyfriend to represent Thanatos on your altar. If I am mistaken in this, please correct me as it will make a difference in how I answer your question.

If you are working at your altar with a particular deity, in this case Thanatos, then the item you use to represent that Deity is there to help you build a connection between yourself and the Divine. That item can be a statue, a picture, or some other thing that speaks of Thanatos and Death to you. The more clearly the item links you to the Divine the more powerfully you build the connection.

So, using a picture would normally be fine. However , understand that no matter how much your boyfriend believes that one of his personality fractions it is the embodiment of Thanatos, he is not Thanatos . All of his personality fractions remain human. So, in this case, using your boyfriend's picture on the altar might work to create a connection between the two of you, it will do nothing much to create a firmer connection between you and Thanatos.

Rather than use a picture of your boyfriend on your altar, I would suggest that you look on-line for pictures of some of the statues of Thanatos from ancient Greece and use that on your altar instead. Because those statues had a history of actual worship even a picture of the statue already has an energetic connection to Thanatos. I think you might find that works better for you.