#wtiches

Constructing an altar:

This part always proved a little more on the difficult side since I set up my altar on my desk which is in blatant view and looks suspicious when crowded. I don't have a Tarot deck or runes or incense or herbs or anything like that, which I've noticed are extremely common items in any practice, but I just don't have them. So I make do. The basic items put up on an altar normally stay along the lines of candles, crystals, a representation of your God or Goddess, jars or vials for keeping things, essential oils, etc. Since I tried and am still trying to remain hidden in my practice, I use as many common items around the house as substitutes for things I don't have while still looking completely inconspicuous. But I'll admit, I do push that boundary sometimes because I'm horrible at not looking suspicious when I'm trying. But also, I have no job so I can't buy myself things so beggars can't be choosers, right? So let's begin:

Candles:

Why is this sideways? You can never have too many candles but at the same time, that's a lie. Having many candles looks suspicious and lighting them all at once is a definite bad idea, especially if there's multiple. I have about five I believe, and having them burn at the same time produces the most amazing smell, but also a lot of smoke. I've picked up candles from around my house, I ask for them for birthdays and other gift-giving holidays, and I'm hardly ever disappointed. I've found a package of 20 tealight candles for around $7 in my local Target, but it really depends on where you go.

Storage:

sideways? Reused kitchen jars are my best friend. A lot of the jars I use are washed out jelly jars or decorative jars I've found in my garage or at Hobby Lobby which I should note is a store that is so incredibly useful for these kinds of things. You can collect rainwater or anything useful to you and seal them away but jars are also good for keeping elixirs and other things like that.

Representatives:

Ok, so this is a turtle, yes. A tortoise more specifically. The God it portrays is Mercury (Hermes) who is represented by the tortoise. So, I collect ceramic turtles from places around the world so finding one to use wasn't hard for me. I also pour candle wax into a seashell so that I can carve animals or names or faces into the wax after it's cooled and it works just as well, as long as the God or Goddess is represented in some way.

Items from around the house:

I'm a hoarder, that much is for sure. I use an old ashtray to hold certain crystals and little pots to keep random things that may be useful.

Kitchen spices! I'm not sure about you, but my family keeps an entire spice cabinet. I'm notorious for stealing the sage and burning the powder.

Every anniversary, my father brings home flowers to my mother and when they die, I peel away the dead petals and store them in a glass bowl. Burning them and throwing the leaves into the flame is said to bring good luck in some practices but it's rare that I do since it symbolizes other, darker meanings if the intent is there.

I also use a lot of jewelry that has been blessed and anointed with oil, especially pieces that hold charms of trees or moons, anything like that. Olive oil is an excellent substitute for anointment oil. Your God or Goddess will understand and will not punish you for replacing things you do not have with things that you do. It is a means of trying and showing the effort and your intentions are clear.

Extra:

I have a dagger. Except it's not a dagger. Originally, it was actually a letter opener and now I use it to work with candle wax since the blade is slanted in such a way and to carve sigils into the face of candles. It sometimes serves a purpose as an athame but other than that, it mainly is used for candle work.

Substitute Tarot decks can be created. My first makeshift deck was made from a deck of regular playing cards and notecards and it worked in a pinch. It's not exactly the most convenient or anything, but it works if it's desperately needed. Note: I don't recommend this method unless absolutely necessary.

Always open a window while and after working with smoke!!!

I do suggest getting a nice plate or dish or something to place offerings on if that's part of your practice, plus you can use the dish for other purposes.

Crystals aren't hard to locate if you know where to look. I was lucky enough to collect tons of raw quartz growing up and managed to keep them through the years. Quartz is one of those crystals that can replace anything no matter the purpose because it's just great for any type of energy. I suggest looking into certain stores or places because I've managed to find crystals everywhere, i.e. Spencer's, 2nd and Charles, roadsides, etc. I also use rocks and seashells which definitely aren't hard to find.

Your altar is a sacred place for your practice. I'm sure you've heard the phrase 'your body is a temple'. Treat your altar like that as well, respect it and the things you use it for.

When making a Book of Shadows:

Never underestimate the power of witchblr. Like ever. There's so much information and so many helpful people, honestly, it's one of the least toxic parts of Tumblr. That's probably how you happened upon this post actually.

Do everything how you want it. There are multiple methods, multiple ways to design the book, and it can be as pretty as you want. If you want to draw and make the book cute, go for it as long as you can still use it with ease. If you want to keep it strict and such, go for it. You are the master of your book and it will be your very best friend so it needs to be fit to your standards. If you want to write as you go, that's fine, if you want to plan it first then write, that's just as ok. It's your book, go crazy. Don't let anyone tell you how to make your book, it's yours for a reason.

On that note, it needs to be useful. Don't make it so glamorous that you're afraid to mess it up so you never use it. The whole purpose of making one is to be used for your craft.

Don't stress! You'll have multiple books because you grow and mature and your preferences change. I've had at least two so far and my most recent isn't even a book, it's a bloody binder. I've gotten over the need to be perfect and have cute little books and have just stocked up on a binder. It looks ordinary and fits well in my backpack so I can carry it to and from school without much suspicion from my parents and teachers.

Please!! Don't spend a lot of money on fancy blank journals!!! Unless you have the absolute skill and precision to work with a blank journal, I highly advise against it, especially if making even a small error will upset you. Recycling old books or using notebooks you have at your house is a lot easier and since they aren't as nice, making mistakes isn't that big of a deal. Binders also work, spirals, blank cookbooks if you really feel like it, anything will work as long as you're willing to work with it.

My first book was made from a composition notebook and I went the whole nine yards on that sucker, coloring in it, tearing out a page if I made a mistake, going complete detail freak on it. My second was made in an actual recycled book. I painted the pages with this acrylic primer called gesso because I figured if the pages were already messy, the fear of making mistakes would disappear. I have unfortunately lost that book from a move but it was a big accomplishment for me. And my current book is pages of loose notebook paper divided by mismatched dividers in this old, black binder that's partially held together by duct tape. It's easy to use and is strangely organized in its own messy way and it's very near and dear to me.

Compile a list of stuff you would think to be good to write down and as you do research, you'll find other things. Moon phases, rituals, the Sabbats, herbs, crystals, your deity, chakras, spells, divination, maybe a place to write your dreams or practice drawing sigils, etc.

I jumped headfirst into this life, completely submerged myself in information that hardly made sense at the time and its been a long, hard journey to discover who I am in my Craft and why it called to me in the first place. Making my first book was a riot and I will never forget it, but if you're a beginner and you're lost on how to do this, I need you to take a step back and breathe. Visualize where you stand in this, why are you here? What does this path lead you to and what does this practice mean to you? What do you hope to gain from this? Where does your intention lie? Take a moment to think about it, reach down deep inside yourself and put forth all your fears and desires, become vulnerable and honest with yourself for just a moment. When you have the answers to these questions, write them down. Make it the first page of your book so you know where to start your research. Your answers may change over time as you discover yourself and that's perfectly alright. For now, you have a least some idea of where you are and where you want to go. Hold onto that and be confident in yourself. Learn from the experiences you have and grow from them.