There are various types of spiritual practitioners who maintain relationships with spirits–and there are also various ways to keep spirits. Different types of spirits, or spirits interacting within different types of relationships, will employ differing methods of interacting with our physical world. Here, I’ll break down the methods spirit workers employ to keep their spirits accessible to three general categories: altars, anchors, and vessels. (A spirit may also interact directly with a human’s body or energy, such as forming an attachment to a human, but that is a complex topic for another post.)
Altar
The most familiar method for keeping venerated spirits close at hand is the altar–be it at home, or in an official building of worship. Making an altar for a spirit is like making a vacation home for them. Most often, altars are made for divine spirits–the gods, goddesses, and other divinities, which of course are the biggest and strongest spirits of all. This means that when we experience a divine spirit at our altars, we are experiencing just a sliver of their presence, but even a divine sliver is a massive amount of energy compared to other spirits or to us; that is, even a sliver of a protective deity at an altar two hours ago will fill the space with enough energy to keep protecting it. Repeated interaction at the same altar, as is the case with most spiritual tools, will strengthen its connection to the spirits honored there.
Anchors
Somewhat like being halfway to a vessel, an anchor is an item to which a spirit has formed an attachment. As the name suggests, an anchor gives spirits a foothold in our physical world, like a well-worn pathway they can use to visit it and the practitioner keeping the anchor. Due to this, it makes anchors an ideal method for interacting more easily with a spirit that wouldn’t normally be found in our earthly space; many fairly powerful spirits that can be beneficial allies to human practitioners belong to other spiritual realms as their main place of existence, and an anchor allows them to easily come visit us, but then return to their world and their personal affairs. An anchor can also be a good way to maintain a relationship with a spirit whose energetic presence might be too much to have in close proximity at all times.
Vessels
Unique from altars or anchors, keeping a spirit vessel is more like having a roommate or an extra family member; this is the method of object inhabitation in which a spirit is present all day, every day, usually in their energetic entirety. Whereas an anchor allows the spirit to return to their separate lives, not being fully present at all times and able to leave to fulfill their own interests, the spirit living within a vessel lives with you. Depending on the needs of the individual spirit, this can be a demanding relationship. However, if the spirit is well cared-for, then obviously having a live-in spirit on hand at all times can be indispensable; rather than having to call in a spirit to protect the home, placing the vessel of a protective spirit by your front door means it’s guarding constantly. As usual, higher demand can equal higher reward when it comes to spirit keeping via a vessel; the main warning I would offer regarding vessels is that, since the spirit is constantly present with all its energy grounded in this world, it can usually interact more strongly with us and its surroundings, meaning that a vessel that isn’t properly cared for (regardless if this is due to neglect or simply inexperience) can become quite disruptive to your life. Experience with spirits and spiritual communication is recommended before keeping a spirited vessel, as this will make it possible for the keeper to discern normal behavior versus an expression of displeasure from the spirit; while some spirits certainly will create noise or activity to express themselves or get your attention, not every bump in the night from your vessel is going to mean trouble. You might just be hearing your spiritual roommate getting up for a late-night walk around the house. (For example, I used to keep a particular spirited doll who stayed in my bedroom all the time, and at night I’d sometimes hear her clicking away at the buttons on my video game controllers. Spirited activity doesn’t necessarily mean trouble; in this case, it was just the imitations of a companion who had been watching me play video games for hours during the day.)
When actually keeping spirits, there’s no easy rule to follow that I can offer you, other than this: communicate. As with any other relationship, communication and understanding is crucial to a mutually-beneficial relationship between you and your spirits. Communicate with them often. Check on how they’re feeling. Tell them about your day. If your spirit is doing something that’s troublesome to you, explain this to them; many spirits, especially those who aren’t human or don’t have a lot of experience with humans, may be irksome without realizing it, so explain what they are doing that bothers you and why. Try to reach an agreement that improves the situation for both parties, provided of course that the behavior isn’t malicious–you don’t owe anything to a spirit that is intentionally trying to harm you. But otherwise, it’s entirely a matter of getting to know the individual spirits you’re keeping, what particular things they like and what will make them upset; this is why I recommend having experience working and communicating with spirits before attempting to keep them. (Tip: most spirit workers begin by keeping a divine altar, as deities already have known reputations and preferences that make beginning to serve them easier, as well as other devotees that can nowadays gather via the internet to offer support or advice.)
A mature spirit keeper must also understand that, as with anyone else you interact with throughout your life, not all relationships are meant to last. While some spirits will be with you for the rest of your life, others will come and go. You don’t want an unhealthy, dependent relationship with a spirit any more than you would with a human; when it’s their time to leave, be thankful for your time together and your growth, and respect their needs and their right to move on as an individual.
Where Spirits Tread 