Witch’s Altars
Altars are wonderful things, I am very fond of having them and I like to change them and dress them up with the turning of the wheel. Many of you ask me during my classes and when you pop into the centre if you need an Altar to practice?, What is it used for? Do you need more than one? What do you need on your altar? And the questions go on...The answers I give are always very simple…but firstly, No! you don't NEED one but they are a lovely way to hone in on ur practice, to have a space where the energy is ready and waiting for you to cast your spells or perform rituals.
A lot of people just starting out on their witchcraft path (or other spiritual path that uses altars or shrines) get information online or in books and start obsessing over following the directions in it exactly - finding the perfect items for rituals and their altar. But what they often fail to realize is that the most powerful altar is one the means the most to you - altars are very personal objects so don't worry if you can't or don't want to follow directions in some book. Do what feels right to you. Your altar is for you, and should be assembled, customized, modified, and changed according to your needs. It is a place that should make you feel relaxed and invigorated all at once.
What is an Altar? An altar is really just a working space set with objects that reflect you, the purpose of the altar, or the ritual or season you are celebrating at it. There are many types of altars - an ancestral altar, meditation altar, or moon altar are all great supplements to your main, working altar. Perhaps you will want to create your altar fresh every time you need it (practical if you don't want everyone in your house to know what you are practicing) instead of being set up permanently. Decide what the main focus of your altar will be (and don't be afraid to change it as your practice evolves).
Before you go hunting for all those items you want to buy for your altar, relax! First decide the best location for your altar. It should be one that is relatively "safe" - meaning a place that isn't in the main traffic zone of your home where it might be bumped or disturbed (or become a place to dump mail or keys) or where your children or pets will think it's the perfect spot to play. If you have a spare bedroom or unused space you can use, awesome but even a small shelf on the wall or a unit in the corner of a room can work well. You could even keep your altar in a box or storage chest and only get it out as and when you wish to use it. It doesn't have to be a permanent fixture. And remember, you can have more than one altar depending on your path and what you want to use them for.
How to Create an Altar Once you find a place and decide the purpose of your altar, start with a simple altar cloth - measure the flat surface you are planning to use and take a trip to the fabric store. You can often find remnants of very beautiful fabrics for just a few £1. Get some fabric paints, beads, feathers - whatever you like and decorate it if you want. Get several fabrics of different colours if you want to set up a seasonal altar. Let your intuition guide you and have some fun with it - your altar doesn't have to be serious! Now that you have a cloth, most altars have one item for each of the elements of the Craft - Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit. Look around for things you already have that mean something special to you - they will already have great energy. - Traditionally a chalice or cup is used for water, but perhaps a beautiful sea shell you found could represent water. Small fountains are also perfect adding the beautiful sound of water to your rituals. - Candles are wonderful, but not always practical depending on where you set up your altar or if you have animals and children that can knock them over, then perhaps a night light or battery candle would be a better fit for fire for you or the more traditional witches dagger known as an Athame - or even a photo or painting of flames. - Air is usually represented by incense or a wand, but a feather would do as well, especially if you cannot have the smoke incense creates. - A pretty potted plant, a crystal, a rock or pine cone works as well for Earth as well as the traditional pentacle. - Spirit could be represented by a candle again or any image of a God or Goddess that you like, or have statue representations. Don't feel like you have to stay traditional or use tools that may not feel comfortable to you. The more personal the items you use, the more personal the energy of your altar.
Beyond the basics, add special objects depending on the purpose of your altar. Ancestral altars are great to make and pretty easy. These are great to do around Samhain. Photos or mementos of members of your family in pretty frames with a candle or offering dish is all you need. On the birthday or another special date of the person that has crossed over, you can sit down and write out one of your favourite memories of them or find a photo or make something that reminds you of them and place on your altar.
Moon altars can have any shiny, round object to represent the moon such as a silver tray. Crystal spheres, pictures, star decorations, you name it, if it screams moon and celestial energy to you, use it. Do your magical workings and rituals for the moon and celestial work via this altar to help keep the energy of the moon around as you work. I personally have a Celestial Altar which I use for my Moon spells and rituals along with other celestial bodies I want to work with.
Spell altars should focus on the purpose of the spell so take the time to consider correspondences of colour, candles, oils, herbs and anything else you want to use. Set up the basic Elemental altar first to balance the energies of it and then add whatever you will need for your spell or items you want to charge or cleanse. A Lot of us witches will use the same altar for every part of our work, I personally cleanse my altar space before any spell work or ritual so I'm starting with a clean slate.
Keeping A Secret Altar If you're in the broom closet so to speak and you want to set up an altar where others don't appreciate or don't follow your beliefs, Keep it simple and secret. No-one has to know you have an altar, it could just be a shelf with some pretty items like a plant, a candle, a picture and a sea shell.
Traditional Wiccan Altar Tools - Athame - Besom (Broom) - Bell - Candle - Cauldron - Chalice - Incense - Pentacle - Wand
While these altar adornments are some of the most commonly used items in the Witchcraft and pagan traditions, they are by no means required. Every altar is unique, and should reflect the personality, interests, aesthetic, and goals of its creator.
I hope this has helped clear up a few things for you all when questioning your Altar spaces. Below are some of our altar setups which I hope gives you inspiration when you may start to set up your own. Blessed Be The Wonky Witch
