Witch 101: Altars
Photo by Jules Kranin
Whether you’ve been practicing Magick and spellwork for years, you’ve been curious about it for a while, or you’ve been following along in Crystal Crush’s Witch 101 series and this is your first foray into the topic, fear not: for I am here to break some stuff down for you. Already in this series you’ve learned about some tarot spreads and decks to start with, graveyard etiquette, and now we’re diving into altars.
As far as what an altar actually IS, an altar is essentially a point of focus. It’s typically in the center of the circles you cast, a workspace for your spellwork, and a place to put all of your ritual tools. It should not only contain symbols and objects that will aid you in the spellwork you are doing, but that elevate your intentions and energy as a Magick worker overall.
You can have a single altar that you keep up all year round and continuously redecorate and work with as a symbol of your own practice and Magick, you can have different altars in different parts of your home to move the energy throughout the space and set up a specific intention for each room, or you can have a whole altar dedicated to a single deity or ancestor, if deity and spirit work is your thing.
Your altar may be as traditional or as creative as you want. As the base, you can use a small table, stool, desk, chest, or any other flat surface. If you prefer to practice outdoors, you can use anything from a tree stump to a small earth formation covered in an altar cloth to a big, flat rock that’ll suit your needs. If you’re tight on space, resources, or are living in a dorm or communal space, you can use the top of a dresser, a nightstand, or even an overturned moving box!! Spirit won’t judge, I promise. Finally, if you live in a place where you’re either not free to practice and keep your tools out in the open, or simply don’t want to, you can use a “portable altar” option. Find a nice box or bag that can hold all of your tools, and when you’re ready to do some spellwork you can simply take them out and set up, maybe even using the surface of the box as an altar space itself.
In traditional Wiccan spellwork and rites, an altar typically contains specific tools: an athame (or dagger), a bell, a besom, a chalice, a wand, a dish of salt, a bowl of water, and one or more candles. However, you can use absolutely whatever you want to decorate your altar, and you can employ whatever tools feel right in your craft. Some of my personal favorite things to have on my own altar are crystals, sea shells and sea glass I’ve collected, soil from places that are important to me (yes, I’m that witch that will literally take dirt from my favorite places on earth), my favorite spiritual books, incense, and various herbs and oils I’ll be using in my spellwork regularly, as well as anything I’ll need for the specific spell I’m performing, obviously.
Overall, it’s important to stay true to yourself and your intentions, Magick or otherwise, when setting up your altar. Don’t feel pressured to make it aesthetically perfect or symmetrical like any altars you may have seen on Pinterest or social media. You can, of course, if that’s important to you, but most important of all is making sure your altar is functional and comfortable for YOU. It should be a place of peace, happiness, and ideally somewhere quiet so you can really focus on yourself, your Magick, and your spiritual growth.
