Wicca Altar and Tools: A Beginner’s Guide to Wiccan Altars, Tools for Spellwork, and Casting the Circle: Volume 2 (Wicca for Beginners Series)

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Put tools like an athame, wand, and chalice towards the middle. A basic altar typically includes items that help you cast spells or complete rituals. These are usually placed towards the middle of the altar and on the masculine or feminine side of your altar. Some tools you might include are: [11] X Research source Wiccans who have the space sometimes choose to dedicate an entire room of their home to their craft, with the altar being the central focus of the space. Lustral Waters and ritual sprays are a great smoke-free alternative for those that cannot burn things at home. They can be easily sprayed around your altar, your home/room, or even on yourself when you're the one that needs some cleansing. I often include battery LED candles or fairylights on my altars to give them a magical feel without being too overtly ‘witchy’ for shared spaces. Personal Items + Offerings: Using your altar space to hold artwork, pictures, old photos, really anything that is especially significant and personal to you is a great way to keep memories, pets, or people close to us. Other personal items like bones, shed skin, feathers, antlers, and more can be added to altars for various reasons; as element representations (ex: feathers are Air, antlers are Earth), to invoke that particular creatures energy or spirit in your ritual work, or even as offerings to deities. Please note that we do not in any way encourage folks to seek out animal or human remains through harmful and unethical means, as these living beings are meant to be treated with respect and kindness, always.

Candle Holders + Snuffers: Of course, with candles come candle holders. You will want something that can catch the wax if you prefer to keep your altar free from dripping pools. Personally, I use brass candle holders that then sit on various metal trays so the wax has something safe to drip on. And when I'm ready to do a wax cleanup after I've burned down all of my candles, it almost always just pops off of the metal surface for easy cleaning. For smaller spell candles you can use chime candle holders. However, when doing larger spells that require many spell candles having several candle holders may not be the most cost effective. In these situations you can use a plate, or a tray, then heat the bottom of your candle safely until the wax starts to melt, place the bottom of the candle down onto the dish, holding it until the wax cools, then it should be safely secured. If not, try again. In a bowl you can use sand or salt as a base to hold your candles as well. You'll likely need enough to cover the first centimetre or two of your candle and that should be stable enough to keep them from falling over. The 4 directions on a compass have a corresponding natural element that they represent. Elements and their corresponding directions North If you are new to the world of Wicca but are interested in creating your own Wiccan altar, you’ve come to the right place!

Now that your altar is set up, try to spend some time there as often as possible. You can sit and journal or meditate there or just spend a few moments taking some deep breaths. You can also practice divination, perform spells or connect with spirits deities or ancestors at your later.

But if you decide having an altar will help you follow your witchcraft path to its fullest potential, here are some things to consider. Most witchcraft altars are made on a short table that you are able to work on while sitting on the ground. If you don’t have a table you can certainly spread an altar cloth on the floor and set it up as an altar! Are you a broom closeted witch? Consider setting up your altar away from prying eyes and literally turn a closet into your own altar, having your tools in the corner of a shelf behind some clothes. Blue: Heal and connect with yourself emotionally or spiritually (your higher self), boost communication, focus, or memory. Gain inspiration and channel your inner Creatrix. Many witches have an altar or altars as a focus for their practice Altars can be a place to journal or meditate and/or to do spellwork and divination. A witch’s altar doesn’t need to be complicated – a simple shelf or windowsill with a few items that are sacred to you is all you need to create one. But this is also an area where you can let your witchy creativity go a little mad!For those of us who don’t have much room to spare, it’s important to take some practical concerns into consideration when finding a place for your altar. Is it a challenge to complete a spell or ritual because you feel like there are just too many individual parts to stay focused on? A witch’s altar can be whatever you want it to be and there are no rules you have to follow to create an altar the ‘right’ way. Following your instincts and intuition can be the perfect way to start creating an altar and you can always adjust it as your needs and practice grow and change. Create as many altars as you please and let them be decorated in any way you choose and for whatever purpose suits your needs and practice. What will you use your witch’s altar for

You can design your own altar blessing that’s as involved or simple as you would prefer, but below, I’ve included a short blessing of my own that you can use or incorporate into your own ritual. A portable altar also might be a good idea for a Wiccan who prefers to or is forced to live “incognito.” You won’t get as many prying questions about your religious beliefs from parents, roommates, guests, etc. if your altar can be put away and hidden from sight. Indoors or Outdoors? A Wiccan altar is just one aspect of this religion–there’s plenty more to be learned! If you’d like to know more about Wicca, I’ve got some suggestions for further reading. The Wiccan Bible for the Solitary WitchWhen thinking about the location of your altar, it’s also nice to consider how good the energy feels in that space. I tend to get morning sun in my apartment and I’ve positioned my altar to make the most of that. I love that it gets bathed in natural light every morning and I feel like this brings a really special energy to my altar. Maybe you have a favourite plant you’d like to incorporate? Or a favourite window? A favourite room? Your altar is meant to be a space that feels special to you, so choose your location accordingly. Witchy Altar Tip #3 Direction of your Altar Energy Clearing Tools: Having something ready at your altar whenever you need to clear away some energy, negative, or stagnant is kind of a must. Though there are tons of options available for everyone that are both respectful and affordable. You can use incense woods such as Cedar, Pine, and Spruce. There are tons of herbal and plant friends that can be used for clearing as well as many other properties, like Mugwort for dreams, Rosemary for protection, Lavender for calm, Sages (yes, there are way more sages out there beyond just white sage) for purifying, Mints for healing, Roses for love, and many more. Place your candle on the Southern edge of your altar, light it, and welcome in the spirits of the South: fire, passion, transformation, inspiration. Your candle represents the element fire. That being said, as we’ll see in a little bit, an altar doesn’t always have to be as permanent and long-lasting as I’ve made it seem so far. I lovingly refer to this as a “kitchen sink” altar–as in, it contains everything but the kitchen sink.