This page will tell you how to create an altar. You can change anything you wish. There is no set way to set up an altar. First, however, let's talk about what an altar really is, what it is for, and why one would want one. An altar is a place where one can do Craft work, perform rituals, or pray, communicate with spirits, or worship one's deities (gods/goddesses). The altar can be set up on any flat surface. It can be a table, dresser, a big rock, a large piece of wood or whatever else you can think of. The only important thing is it's significance to it's user.
In Wicca, we believe that magick can be practised anywhere and anytime, although for many, outdoors is the favored place of coven meetings and spell & ritual performance. Nature is a great source of energy for us, so to be close to it during rituals is mood-setting and helpful. It also provides us with energy for our rituals or just to make us stronger.It is not vital, however, which is good because not all of us can do magick-related things outdoors or in public. This is when an indoor altar comes in handy.
Hopefully, if you are a teen or a person in their early 20's, you don't have nosey parents and siblings that like to come into your room unnannounced or go through your drawers and closet when you aren't there. If you do, though: make sure that you always lock your door before doing spellwork, ritualwork, or praying,(obviously, so that they can't walk in on you and catch you by surprise)make sure that you work at times when they won't bother you, (such as late at night and early in the morning. Also, don't leave your altar set up for them to see later!
Items placed on your Altar and used in Craft workins:
Altar Candles:
Candles are placed on the Altar. Best to use the color that corresponds with the magick you are doing. Check the 'COLOR' page.
Incense:
Its best to use the Incense that corresponds with the Magick you are doing. Cone, Stick, or Charcoal with herbs can be used. {Check the 'INCENSE' page for the right correponding incense for the Craft work you are doing.}
Chalise:
Your Chalise is a stemmed glass, goblet, or any other container that you feel is appropriate can be used. You drink water or wine from it during Rituals.
Book of Shadows:
Also called the 'BOS'. Your 'Book Of Shadows' is very important, its a journal that you keep all of your Craft info wrote down. You can have a table off to the side to put your BOS on. Be sure you can read it from your altar. To work magick you need to concentrate. Constantly moving from one place to another all the time to read makes it extremely difficult to nearly impossible to work magick well.
Also, make sure that you pretty much know what you are doing before you start. Don't setup for a spell or working of some kind ever before you have made sure that you know that spell well enough to do it by heart.
Offering Bowl:
This can be a basic Cauldron or a flower vase (with real or silk flowers). I like to use a mixture of dried herbs and flowers as my offering to the Goddess.
Extra's:
Herbs, especially ones significant to holiays or gods and goddesses, stones, crystals, seashells, anything which has significance to you, can be placed on this altar. Your altar can also be re-arranged at holidays or other times during the year to get rid of negative spirits, to sweep out negativity, and to bring positive energy.(Think feng shui) Your negative thoughts, any fights you've had, anything negative in your life, can be eliminated at these times.
Witches Besom {Broom}:
A witches' broom is an important tool, its used for symbolic cleansings. Used before Rituals to sweep away all negative energy. The witch walks the outer edge of her circle while sweeping outward.
Deity images:
It's helpful to have an image of the Goddess and/or the God nearby to remind you of the energy they provide us. Some Christian witches use images of Mary and Jesus in place of the Goddess and God.
