all about altars

Discussion of ritual tools and other items used in the Craft.
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Witch13
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all about altars

Post by Witch13 »

hey everyone, i just got my altar ..it doesnt have many things but the basics.
so for me and all the other people here who just started their own altar post fotos, tips, layouts and all you find worth mantioning.
mine has
on the top: a white candle for the Goddess, a green one for the God, an oil burner, and some amethyst stones i cleansed yesterday
top drawer>> herbs i paper bags (respect the environment)
middle drawer>> candles and matches (the candles wrapped in paper so they dont leave staines)
bottom drawer>> a paper box with my oil bottles (also leave stains so be carefull)
gwenblackbird
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Location: Clovis, California

Post by gwenblackbird »

Could someone tell me how to get an alter started, and everything that is needed for it?

And are you ab;e to put and take down your alter if needed? I ask this because my family it all Christian and if they were to find these things or anything I would be in pretty big trouble.

Any information will help.

Oh and how do you cleanse stones and etc?
willow_witch
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Location: Australia

Post by willow_witch »

What i used to do was; i had my alter set up in a box that i kept under my bed so i could easily sent it up and down with out my parents seeing it.
Another thing i did when i got a small table was set it up to look 'pretty' with out any symbols (i drew them with chalk each time) and then just say you think its pretty
~willow~

*blessed be*
~Merry meet, Merry part, til we Merry meet again~
stormer89
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Post by stormer89 »

i always carry a portable alter in my purse with me. it has candles a lighter a switch blade to use as an anthame a pen a seashell and a butterfly pendant. its in a cute lil brown pouch my friend gave me. my other alter has a bunch of candles incense stones oils and other things on it. good luck bulding ur alters!
peace and love and blessed be
~ * ~ stormer ~ * ~
silvio_aeson
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Location: Kansas, USA

Post by silvio_aeson »

My altar isn't anything fancy, it's just a piano bench, but what makes it more than that is simply putting this beautiful black and purple pentagram saraong thing I bought at a local store over it as an altar cloth.

I keep all my tools in a small old chest I acquired a while ago. I just take them out and set it up when I use it, and then all of it goes back into the chest, and the chest goes into my closet.

That's how I work my altar. My parents are a bit hesitant when they see all of it, but mostly I like a temporary altar because a lot of friends or other family might not understand all of it. I hope that helps in some way!
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kaaaaaaatie

Post by kaaaaaaatie »

My altar is my tall dresser at the foot of my bed, in front of my window. It's not exactly a working altar - it's too tall and my room is too small for an actual circle to be cast or anything. I mainly use it as more of a dedication to the God and Goddess. Whenever I'm casting a circle, I do it when no one else is home and I have to pull all my items out into the living room with my miniature altar table, which is really just a tiny nightstand.

My large altar has a plastic vase (which I crafted out of an empty chocolate soy milk container), two candles (one silver, one gold), a another candle I can use to meditate, a feather, a wand I crafted, a heart-shaped glass container with a lid, a smaller heart-shaped bowl-type thing, matches, stones and gems, herbs, containers of oils, shells, and sometimes I put my BoS, Tarot cards, etc.

As a young teen witch, I must be crafty! My two candles, I can't light - I don't have holders for them. The candle I CAN light has a birthday cake picture on the front of the holder. My heart-shaped container with the lid holds beads since I plan on making Wiccan crafts with in the future. The other smaller heart-shaped bowl has some drying rose petals in them. The matches have pin-up girls on them. The stones and gems, I got them from the zoo gift shop. The shells I got from school in third grade. I'm so glad I'm a pack-rat! I would have NEVER had anything on top of my altar if I had thrown away all of those things!

Also, my dresser has four drawers. It's a bit hard to describe, but on the bottom half, there are two big drawers you can just pull out, then there is a divider, and on the top, you have to open up two doors to get the the top-most drawers. The bottom drawers contain all of my junk and CDs, while the top ones contain all of my Wicca/Witchcraft items - books, papers, information, things I could maybe use in the future.

My altar is only temporary at the moment, but my system works for now. :] I'll take some pictures of it to post on here.
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SpiritTalker
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Re: all about altars

Post by SpiritTalker »

Extremely old topic but one asked again and again: how to set up a Wiccan magical altar?

Any flat surface away from flammable curtains or overhanging shelves will serve. Dressers & night stands have built-in storage space. Folding tray tables are portable. Wall shelves keep things out of reach of cats & toddlers. Storage boxes can do double duty as a small altar table. Most people don't have space for a permanent altar & set-up/take-down as needed.

Cleanse the altar before initially setting up by wiping down the surface with lightly salted water & bless by fuming with incense smoke. Anoint with dabs of olive oil at the corners & center (:-:) then spread it around with a paper towel & wipe dry. Charge 🙌🏽 the altar by grounding & centering yourself & then push your magnetism from your belly & out through your hands.

Salt🧂 has all the trace minerals we need to live; and water💦 is life-giving. Symbols of Life are magical. Olive ⚱️oil represents the vitality of life-force & victory. These along with incensing💨 will have introduced the Elements Earth, Water, Fire & Air and established a life-enhancing foundation for future spells to build on.

Starter supplies - salt🧂& water💦bowls, incense💨, candles🕯& oil⚱️, represent the Elements Earth, Water, Air & Fire. A heat-safe pot or bowl is handy for small burning tasks. Candles come in various sizes & colors. White is all purpose. Size determines burn time. Tea lights in colored cups are an option, as are utility candles on thrift-shop colored saucers. There’s no rule that altars have to copy the ceremonial magicians’. Your altar is yours to create.

I hope you’re starting to see a pattern - altars hold symbols of the Elements of creation. Altars balance energy to support worship, rituals & spells. The Elements are also represented by the formal ritual tools: ⭐️Earth, Water🍷, 🪄Air, 🗡 Fire. Tools should be acquired thoughtfully, over time, and aren’t needed to start. Gear doesn't need to come from occult shops or look "Witchy" because we magnetize 🙌🏽 our own tools to make them magical.

A🕯candle can symbolize The Divine itself. The cup🍷& pentacle⭐️ are used to charge potions/spells. The wand🪄invites & the blade🗡commands but both focus & direct energy. You can choose not to use a tool & use your hands👆🏽. The altar itself represents the sacred Earth & a cloth covering represents the ethereal plane “above” 🌎. You may also want any spell materials, instructions, or a pendulum. A working altar should be left in place for the duration of the ritual or spell casting & can then be dismantled or leave it up permanently if you have the space :)

If flame & smoke aren't allowed you can substitute battery-powered candles & aerosol mist. The Fire & Air symbolism is obvious.

Altar layouts - There are various layouts that affect magical energy & we can match the arrangement to our purpose. Seasonal & devotional decorations can be used in any arrangement.

The Wiccan standard Polarity ↔️ model groups items by (-/+) energy: Goddess (-) passive, Earth & Water on left & God (+) active, Air & Fire on the right. This is like a battery🔋& makes energy GO.

The intuitive eclectic altar layout expresses the personal 🤩 emotional energy of the Crafter & uses their gut-feeling instead of polarity for placing decorative and ritual items just because it "feels right".

A devotional altar 🛐 would honor your 🪆🦌 deity, guardian 👼 spirit, or 🥸 ancestors with items connected to them, any devotional 📖 texts or chants & meditation 📿 aids. Offerings get changed before they go bad & food can be placed outdoors, directly on the ground for Nature to consume.
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Shekinah
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Re: all about altars

Post by Shekinah »

I consider our Altar the dwelling place reserved for the presence of Spirit in our home. (our Ark of the Covenant) The practitioner will create his/her altar to best represent and attract what they seek. Few Altars are generic. My altar is also a storage chest for magickal tools and expendable supplies. Occasionally in the wee hours of the morning I have been awakened by flashes of light around my altar.
Truth and Reality are highly guarded secrets. Nothing is as it appears. "The ONENESS sleeps in the stone, breathes in the plant, dreams in the animal and awakens in man" (Indian proverb)
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