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My altar. I did some rearranging recently, got some new pieces. The great glowing orb is an oil diffuser, makes the whole room smell like citrus, it’s lovely!

That piece of rose quartz on my casting plate is the piece I’ve chosen as my repository for excess magic in my chest. It works wonders, really! No more nights feeling like I’m going to explode!

The glass cauldron is what I usually cast in, since most of my magic is (surprise!) water-based. Bit messy otherwise.

This post includes many notes and writings from my own grimoire about altars, their construction and their maintenance. I have tried to keep things generalized, however please note that this is based around my own personal belief system and so may not match up with your own beliefs.

Altars are deeply personal to each practitioner. Altars are often for our Gods, for ourselves and for our goals, which obviously leads to very different altars depending on the practice. While in this post I will list things that I personally do with altars, it is important to understand that there is no right or wrong way to make an altar. Altars can be small or large, elaborate or simple, hidden or in the open. If you are new to building altars, I recommend experimenting with different styles to find out what works best for you and go from there.

⛤ What is an Altar? ⛤

In my grimoire, I define an altar as “An important powerspot in your home, a place for you to contemplate and honor the divine.” 

Going based on this definition, an altar can serve a variety of purposes, such as:

- Honoring your Deities - Praying or asking the spirits for help - Communicating with your guides and spirits - Meditating on a spiritual issue - Reflecting upon Sabbats or Esbats - Performing spells or rituals

⛤ How do I make an Altar? ⛤

The simple answer to this is, anyway you want to. As I’ve said before altars are personal and unique to each person. You don’t have to set up your altar any “certain” way. That being said, here is a run-down of how I build my altars.

1. Purpose. Figure out what purpose your altar will serve. Is this an altar for a specific deity? Is it a place to cast spells or do divination? Is it an altar for you?

2. Decor. Next you must establish what items should go on your altar. These items or decorations are meant to honor and reflect your purpose. 

3. Storage. Some of us like to keep all of our witchy things together in one space. Maybe due to space constraints or secrecy, or simply to keep everything neat and organized. This can be achieved with a shelf or a box to hold all your extra things on, or near, your altar, so if you get the urge to change your altar you don’t have to dig around your room to find things.

4. Images. If you have an altar for a specific deity or spirit or ancestor, keeping a photo or other image of them on the altar can help you feel more connected to them. These images can be drawings or paintings or symbols that represent your spirit or deity. They can be framed on the wall above the altar is that is more comfortable. You can also have statues or clay models of your deities.

5. Offerings. Usually on altars for deities or spirits, offerings are left. Depending on what kind of offerings you may want to use, leaving a space on your altar may be important. Different ideas for offerings are talked about below.

⛤ Why do I use an Altar? ⛤

1. Meditation/Reflection/Grounding. Having an altar set up can help us reach our “witchy” mindset much easier. This helps if you are a beginner, as having the “proper” mindset is often key to working magic. The altar can also serve as a reminder to meditate, or to ground after spell work. It’s also another way to work with your tools in a relaxed manner. For example, working with a new crystal or tarot deck at your altar.

2. Spellwork/Ritual. Having an altars sets aside a certain amount of space where we can perform our spells, crafts and rituals. If you have all your tools in one space, then you don’t have to worry about forgetting anything during your spell or ritual. During Sabbats and Esbats, you can decorate your altar as part of your celebration as well. 

3. Offerings. For altars that are made for deities and spirits, leaving offerings to them is usually the way to show them honor and gain their respect or favor. Depending on the deity or spirit, different types of offerings are more appropriate than others. It is best to research before hand what offerings are typically made to that deity or spirit. Some basic offerings usually include:

 - A bowl of water (changed daily) - A stick or cone of incense - A bit of food (if it is part of your own meal, theirs is normally served first out of respect) - Something you’ve made for them. This includes paintings/drawings, poems, letters, jewelry, trinkets, etc. - Prayers. Often the most simple offering is a word of thanks and a word of appreciation to your gods. - Flowers (usually changed when the flowers start to die) - A dish of milk or olive oil (this depends on what spirit/deity you are working with. Faeries are often left milk as an offering, and olive oil was a common offering to the Greek gods) - Candles (these can be simple tea light candles, or they can be colored to match your deities colors)

4. Deity/Spirit Communication. One way of using your altar is as a devotional platform to your chosen deity/spirit. Your altar can be a place where you simply sit and ask your deity/spirits to talk to you. You can use divination at your altar to receive messages from them as well. 

As often as altars are linked with deities and spirits, there are other things you can dedicate your altar to. Below is a short list.

Spirits

- Gods and Goddesses - Ancestors  - Faeries, Elves, Mermaids - Elementals (Sylphs, Gnomes, Salamanders and Undines) - Saints, Angels

Non-Spirits

- The Earth, the Sun or the Moon - The Planets or the Stars - A place, such as the ocean, a forest or the mountains - The Elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water) - Your Self

⛤ Items to Include ⛤

There is a never-ending list of possible things to include on your altar, however in my grimoire I have a few items marked as “essential” to my practice.

- Elemental Representations - 

In my practice, the concept of the four basic elements is a main pillar. The four elements are (in my eyes) necessary for all magic to occur, and so out of respect for these elemental powers, I always keep a representation of them on my altar. When I first started out I used a rock, a feather, a candle and a sea shell to represent my elements. Years later I use little soapstone figurines in the shapes of animals I associate with the elements.

- Deity Representations - 

Unless I am working with a specific deity, I normally do not include this, however if I am not working with a deity I usually keep something on my altar to represent balance or yin and yang, light and dark.

- Candles - 

I see candles as not a necessity, but as a versatile tool that can fit almost any situation, which makes it valuable. Candle magick can be used for literally any purpose, which makes it great for spell work, and it also is a offering to the spirits I honor.

- Altar Cloth - 

This is optional for many witches, but if you plan on burning incense or using loose herbs or burning candles, altar cloths can help keep all that mess off your table/shelf so that it doesn’t get ruined.

Other Items for your altar can be your grimoire, any spiritual books you are reading/like to keep handy, your tarot deck(s), crystals or herbs, incense sticks or cones, feathers or colorful cloths, shells or stones or beads, etc. The list is literally endless.

According to Dictionary.com, an altar is “an elevated place or structure at which religious rites are performed or on which sacrifices are offered to gods, ancestors, etc.“ As a witch, an altar isn’t absolutely necessary, but having one is incredibly useful. An altar can be a place to store the tools you use in your craft, or a space set aside for working on spells or even just meditating. If you work with a deity, your altar can serve as a space dedicated to that being and communicating or working with them. This post is meant to serve as a short and detailed guide to setting up your altar.

Decorating Your Altar:

The easiest way to decide how you’ll decorate your altar is by finding what symbolizes your deity. What colors is your deity associated with? Are certain plants or natural elements used to represent them? Let’s say you’re an Aphrodite devotee. You might use pink or red candles for their association with love and passion. Seashells are often used in paintings of Aphrodite, so collect some from the beach and scatter them on your altar if you wish. Rose petals are also a good choice. In my case, finding decorations was easy. Crosses, crucifixes, rosaries, and devotional candles are the main elements on my altar. The important thing about the decorations you choose is that they correspond to your deity. And these don’t have to be traditional correspondences because the strongest ones can be the ones you’ve come up with yourself. For example, say you have a really special candle that reminds you of your deity and you want to put it on your altar. Does it have to be a specific color or scent that corresponds with them? No. If it has some special connection to your deity, that’s a good enough reason to have it on your altar! That’s a personal correspondence, which is just as valid or important as any traditional correspondence you might find.

Using Your Altar:

Altars are most commonly used as a space to leave offerings for your deities. As a witch, you might also choose to use this space for any work or communication with them, or just as a space for performing your craft. I use mine for both. Before my altar was my altar, it was a desk sitting in the corner of my room collecting dust. Now I decorate it for sabbats, and use the drawers to hold my herbs, jars, candles, grimoire, crystals, and my other witchy stuff. I usually perform spells there. When I want to do something honoring my deity, I leave my phone and other distractions aside and sit at my altar. Whether it be having a cup of tea with Him or just lighting a candle and remembering His presence, it’s useful to have a space dedicated to your deity and your craft, and only that.

Alternatives:

Of course, I haven’t forgotten all of you witches that don’t work with deities! Decorating your altar is basically the same process I’ve explained above. Make it a space for your tools and your craft! Arrange them based on how you use them, or just in a way you think looks cool! Decorate based on the seasons and upcoming sabbaths you might want to celebrate! I made my altar right before Samhain, and decorating with what you have or what you can find is so much fun. Set out candles and crystals that correspond with the upcoming sabbath! For example, I have lots of tangerine quartz and carnelian. I arranged those and Halloween themed candles on my altar for all of October, and threw in fallen leaves and the apple for a touch of the season.

And below is a picture of my altar decorated for Yule. I arranged crystals and candles with corresponding colors, pine cones for a seasonal touch, and the tea was my offering that day.

If you’re a secret witch or just don’t have the space to dedicate, there are also alternatives to this. I’ve known witches to use Pinterest boards as digital altars by collecting pictures that remind them of their deity or their connection with their deity. Mystak ( @ikilledamanimeanwhat ) even used the Neko Atsume app to make an altar for Apollo! If you’re particularly close to nature, you could even make an altar outdoors. An outdoors altar would definitely be affected by the weather or any critters nearby, but it’s possible. When it comes to altars, the sky is the limit. Whether it be a drawer in your room or an entire room, an altar in a box you carry with you, or a space under a tree outside, you can make an altar out of almost anything! This is all of the advice I have for you. Thanks for reading and happy altar decorating!

References:

Thank you to @skyestarseed and @ikilledamanimeanwhat for your feedback and input on this post! The mini altar/travel altar post linked in the last paragraph is courtesy of Cass ( @thestudiouswitch )!

Want to put stuff on your altar?  Want to start collecting witchy ingredients?  Want ideas on concepts for your altar to research?  You’ve come to the right place! 

TRADITIONAL TOOLS:

Athame 

Boline 

Chalice 

Cauldron 

Besom

Wand

Pentacle

OTHER TOOLS:

Your Grimoire/Book Of Shadows 

Tarot Cards 

Oracle Cards

Runes

Pendulum 

Scrying tool or bowl (I have an obsidian mirror for this) 

Crystals 

Mortar & Pestle 

A Bell 

SUPPLIES: 

Pens/Pencils 

Jars 

Candles

Herbs & Spices 

Flowers 

Feathers 

Needles 

Thread

Ribbons 

Nails 

Sun/Moon/Storm/Rain water 

Essential oils

Other oils 

ENTITIES:

Offerings for deities 

Offerings for the fae 

Representations of the deities/fae (Candles or statues) 

Representations of other things, like people you love (A picture or candle)

Representations of nature (A plant, for example)

OTHER:

A place to burn things like candles/herbs (I have an old cookie tin lid) 

Matches or lighter (Lighting candles or burning herbs) 

Dried herbs (I have mine hung above my altar)

Jewelry (Like crystal necklaces to charge!)

Wish box (My post about them here) 

Books 

Branches or flowers 

Plants 

Seashells 

Drawings 

What is an Altar?

Altars are a hub of your magickal energy. A lot of witches perform spells there, seeing it as a source of valuable energy. It is also a place of worship if you have patron deities. For worshippers, this is where you would communicate and give offerings to said deities. This is also a wonderful space to charge and store your magickal tools. Altars are not a witchcraft-specific object, either- most christian churches have Altars dedicated to Jesus Christ as well!

What can be considered an Altar?

Anything that you use for any of the above can be considered an Altar. I use a bookcase as an altar but it can be anything from a table to an entire room to something as small as a suitcase or even an altoid can- something used commonly among closeted witches as it is not easily found or recognized by loved ones who might be so pleased with the concept of Witchcraft.

How do I decorate my Altar?

You can decorate it in any way you like! An altar, like the Craft in itself, is an extremely personal concept. However, here are various common ways I have seen some being decorated:

To honor their ancestors

To celebrate the seasons

To celebrate holidays such as Ostara or Yule

To honor their deities

Minimalist, having only their supplies and tools with it

Here are some ideas for each one one of these examples on the above list:

To Honor Your Ancestors 

Give Offerings of their favorite foods 

Decorate it in their favorite colors

 Have pictures of them on it 

Leave letters addressed to them on the Altar, sending your love and appreciation to them wherever they may be in the afterlife.

To Celebrate the Seasons 

Spring- decorate in bright colors such as yellow and pinks; regularly have flowers (real or fake) on or near it; dedicate your Altar to your patron fertility/life/nature deity 

Summer- decorate in bold colors such as reds and greens; leave plants such as cacti or produce plants like tomato plants on or near it; leave offerings of fresh (preferably local and in-season) plants on it; dedicate your Altar to your patron god of passion/sun/hard-work 

Fall- decorate in muted and comforting colors such as browns and oranges; leave offerings of wheat/cinnamon/squash; leave a small letter addressed to your late loved ones in this time of thinned veil; dedicated your Altar to your patron god of harvest. 

Winter- decorate in colors such as whites or blues or even black; leave sprigs of evergreen tree needles or cones near or on it; dedicate it to your patron god of death or life cycles

To Celebrate the Holidays 

Samhain- In this time of the thinnest veil, you would want to decorate your altar in a way similar to the way you would in honor of your ancestors. See above for ideas regarding that. 

Yule- Leave an (artificial) burning yule log on it, have sun imagery to celebrate the return of the sun 

Imbolc- Leave a burning candle (or an artificial candle on) on your altar all day; decorate with a bundle of wheat, a pomegranate, or other symbolism of fertility 

Ostara- Decorate with jasper or incense for jasmine or any other floral scent; leave offerings of food; if possible, move it in front of the sun

Beltane- Decorate with phallic decorations; leave items on it that bring great joy to your life, leave a candle of an earthy smell burning 

Litha- Decorate with imagery of the moon to welcome the growing darkness; leave it in dark colors for the same reason; similar to Imbolc, display symbols of fertility 

Lammas- Decorate in Fall-themed colors; Leave an offering of (preferably home-made) bread 

Mabon- Decorate your Altar in items and symbols of things that you are grateful for; leave a letter of thanks to your deity; cover in colors of transition such as orange-red, grays, blue-green, etc.

To Honor your Deities 

Cover your altar in their patron colors

 Display symbolism of their domain (for ex. A bowl of salt-water if they are over the Sea)

If their worship permits, display a portrait or artistic rendition of them! Feel free to do this yourself, no matter how you gauge your artistic abilities. I’ve even seen people represent gods with dressed-up dolls or barbies 

Light an incense in a smell that reminds you of them

The Minimalist Approach 

Typically these kinds of altars hold simply the tools of the trade and representations of the elements (none of this is mandatory ever and you should follow your gut with what is necessary for you): 

Incense to represent air 

Candles or light to represent fire 

A bowl of water to represent… well… water 

A bowl of salt to represent Earth 

Athame 

Candles 

Crystals

Wand

Hey Guys! I made some more printable reference sheets for y’all! You can download them along with my other reference sheets and printables here. Feel free to request printables and reference sheets as I am always looking for ideas to create more!! Also! Feel free to share Altar tips and decorating ideas on this post ^_^

‘’ A dryad (/ˈdraɪ. æd/; Greek: Δρυάδες, sing.: Δρυάς) is a tree nymph or tree spirit in Greek mythology. Drys signifies “oak” in Greek, and dryads are specifically the nymphs of oak trees, but the term has come to be used for tree nymphs in general, or human-tree hybrids in fantasy. ‘’