A Wiccan altar, just like the others, refers to a structure, natural or built by man, used in different liturgical rites to present offerings and sacrifices, to the Divinity chosen by the officiant.
The figure of the altar has been used in all the religions of the world, monotheistic and polytheistic, since ancient times. Although every coven has its own primary belief system, the primary rule remains that you can do whatever you want, as long as it does not involve harming someone else.
An altar serves three specific purposes:
1. It helps you to centralize your personal power. Therefore, each element placed in it should have a specific purpose. Do not put anything that is not necessary. When the altar is inactive, you can place decorative items as an act of respect to it.
2. It can also be used as a work table, just like a master craftsman. As such, it should be large enough to enable you to create your tools and talismans, while in a comfortable position.
3. It allows you to honor the universe and its beliefs, even when you are not physically present.
We would like to look at a simple way to prepare your Wiccan Altar as a beginner.
Tools of a Wiccan Altar
We have some primary tools that are necessary for every altar while other tools are dependent on the worship ceremony being carried out. Generally, the altar is placed on the East cardinal point since that is where the sun rises from but other times, it could be placed on North cardinal point so this variety is dependent on the spell that is being performed.
For example, for some persons, while performing a money spell, the altar is placed at the cardinal point corresponding to the earth element but when performing rituals on promotions, the altar is placed atthe cardinal point that corresponds to the fire element.
Below are some common tools found on a Wiccan altar:
- A piece of cloth
- incense
- bowl with sea salt
- cup with water
- candles
- athame
- extinguisher
- representations of the gods
- natural objects
- crystal ball (optional)
How to Set Up a Basic Altar:
Setting up a basic altar is actually quite simple. Probably later you might want to include some more things to decorate it, but the most important thing is that it is a functional altar created with the aim of helping you achieve your goals.
Think of your altar as a special place, within your “sacred space” where you concentrate, meditate and generate energy for your spells. This sacred space protects you from negative energies and helps you to attract positive energy.
Where to Set Up the Wiccan Altar
You can build your altar indoors or outdoors, depending on your preferences, the weather and the type of spells you are going to perform. It is advisable to have a space inside the home dedicated solely to your rituals and ceremonies, but if you do not have much space you can prepare it in a corner of your room, or keep it in a closet where you can take it out on any occasion.
Some spells require that the altar is set next to a window in the full moon, so it is a good idea to have a temporary altar that you can mount and dismount. Make sure the area is free of clutter and dirt. Having a clean space will help you focus on your spell.
Customize your Wiccan Altar
Above all, your altar must represent who you are and what your beliefs are. This will depend on whether you follow Wicca or other pagan religions. Decorate your altar because it will be a representation of what you are inside. Put things that evoke positive emotions within you as well.
I recommend you follow these steps:
- Clean the entire room where your altar will be. You can use a house cleaning ritual or simply dissolve sea salt in water and wipe the walls, ceiling, and floor with a clean cloth.
- Draw your protection circle and it should be at least one and a half meters in diameter around your altar.
- Before each ritual, you can decorate the altar’s space with tablecloth, candles, images, soft music, etc.
The next step is to cleanse your sacred space, inside the circle. First, consecrate your tools with positive and pure energy of your heart. Or load some water with your energy and then use that water to clean your altar.
Design your altar.
You can use whatever you want for decoration but avoid using excessive synthetic materials. For the altar itself, you can use a small wooden table then place the images of the gods and goddess. You should place the Goddess on the left and God on the right.
Depending on the spells you wish to make, you can customize your wiccan altar with various objects and tools. Choose the colors of candles, statuettes, amulets, incense, stones, herbs and jewelry to align with the energy you are trying to project. After you have set up the altar to be a representation of what you want and what you are trying to achieve, then you can begin to use it.
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