An altar doesn’t need to be an ornate piece with expensive materials that were hand crafted and specially made by some guy in Brazil. Your altar can be as fantastic or ordinary as you want though it will depend on your finances, living situation and what attunes to you. It’s always good to have an altar because you have a focal point for your spiritual and religious practices. Different from using your imagination in religious workings, being able to sit in a dedicated area to converse with the Gods is powerful because you have a physical reminder of their presence. When you’re sad, depressed, crying, happy or feeling thankful you can at any time take few minutes of your day to relieve whatever stress or positive energy may be building inside you. Making a habit of doing this at specific times or on certain days will put you in the mindset of looking forward to those times to speak with the Gods, making it a daily ritual which will benefit you. So what are the different types of altars and what are some ways they can be used?
There are three types of altars that will be discussed today, they are permanent, temporary, and mobile altars. Permanent altars are those which are made to sit in one place for an extended period of time, be it a few months or as long as you own your home. These types of altars tend to be placed in a public area, as in the case of a family or private altar if you live alone or are the only practitioner in your family. Being that they are generally kept in a specific place for a long period of time, it creates the perfect opportunity to set up a prayer schedule so you may speak to the Gods on a daily basis. Doing this is beneficial as it always grants you the chance to let out whatever frustrations or joys occurred throughout the day. By reviewing your day to day activities you will soon be more grateful for whatever you’ve experienced and handle situations as you constantly reflect upon them.
Even if there isn’t a need to do daily reflections, the focus is to always go to the Gods and experience them however you choose. Be it a simple prayer, reflection, meditation, ritual, reading or doing some divination, do your best by the Gods ad give a good and honest attempt to connect with them. We have busy lives and will not always have the time nor desire to go to our altar. There is no reason to fret as like any relationship sometimes you have to adapt and deal with evolving situations. Such things will certainly not affect the Gods as they understand the things we go through in our short lifespan of ours, children, school, families, stress, work and the like. Missing one or several prayers because you were exhausted and needed some rest isn’t going to send them into a tirade. If nothing else, do a makeup prayer and there will be little to worry about on your part. A permanent altar need not be public nor be in your home to begin with. Before I had my indoor altar I had one outside in a private area away from prying eyes. There I would conduct rituals, meditations, spoke to the Gods, relaxed, and just enjoyed being in my own space.
Be it in or outside, if you’re comfortable having a permanent altar, the first thing you need to think about is how much space you have to work with. It doesn’t matter how many items you want if it’s all just going to be I storage, so plan accordingly. Next are the items you will use. Will you need a table that stands up high to contain everything you will be using for a ritual such as offerings, candles, your BOS, and statuettes? Or perhaps all you require is enough space for observances and a few items to make your space home, needing only enough space to fit a nightstand? Shopping around online will probably be your best bet since you can get items your local store may not carry let alone at an affordable price. If you’re lucky you may be able to find a company or local store owner who can custom build an altar piece, storage units and all. The price will increase as a result, but if you can spare the cash and have a thought out design plan then by all means go for it.
But what if you don’t know what items you should and shouldn’t put on your altar? There is no set list of what should or should not go on an altar since it solely depends on the person, though I can say you shouldn’t engage in filling it to the brink of cluttering since that would just hurt you in the end. What I have are a list of suggestions that you can follow if you choose; too many sites tell you what to do and say you must have something for one reason or another, which interferes with new believers since they think that they have to do something rather than having a choice in the manner. When looking at any site or list of suggestions its vital that you understand that the views are that of the author, and are not an end all be all listing of what you must have in order to keep a shrine, altar, or ritual space aligned with the will of the Gods. You can see my view is that of there being Gods and not the Goddess or the Lord and Lady, because I see the Gods as existing and not there just being one set of God/dess, but a multitude. Picking up on key things like this will play an important role when filtering out a blogger’s views from the raw information they provide.
Candles
Candles are a mainstay of many Neopagan traditions, and who doesn’t like the smell of oil scented candles during prayers? Normally these are lit when doing any practice to invoke whatever energy you are trying to manifest at the time, I personally use it to help focus my thoughts and mind when doing any practice be it praying or talking with the Gods. Back when I had my altar in the woods, I would wait until nightfall before I would go there and speak to them, letting them know what happened throughout the day by having a Goddess statuette behind a candle that was either white or black. Upon setting fire to the candle in the ink black darkness I’d watch in awe as it lit up the surrounding area in a swath of light, presenting the Goddess statue in all of its glory. It can also be used as elemental candles, with the normal correspondence being fire= red/orange, earth= brown/green, water=blue, air= yellow, and spirit= purple/black. The problem I have with this is that that’s what nearly EVERYONE does for their altar, and eventually gets a bit boring so mix and match your color correspondences as you see fit. You definitely don’t have to include the elements in your workings, and can easily have all of the colors be representatives of something else. They can represent anything from trees, stars, zodiacal symbols, to Gods, states of being, animals and aspects of the self. Don’t be afraid to be creative, and do your research when trying to apply these correspondences to your altar, if you’re going to have something represented then you may as well grab some knowledge on it as well.
Offering Bowl
An offering bowl is used as it’s name implies, to give offerings to the Gods when doing religious activities. There is no limit to what can be placed inside of it, but you want to make sure that whatever you put in the bowl is taken out and cleaned thoroughly to prevent the growth of mold attraction of insects. Its preferable that natural materials such as milk, bread, alcohol and the like be given as opposed to something removed from nature such as candy or juices with a lot of artificial coloring and additives. Though you could do it anyway if you so chose, being that you are likely a follower of nature in some respect it only makes sense to stay away from the artificial and stick with more natural, less industrial products. I would suggest buying a bowl made out of wood so you won’t have to worry about it breaking or crushing your foot if you were to drop it. Nothing special is needed so long as you remember the point of it all is to assist you, not to impress yourself or the Gods by getting something ridiculously expensive. Stay within your means and choose something that you feel good putting on your altar.
Incense/Oil Warmer
To create a good atmosphere and bring inspiration to the ritual it is always advised that you have either incense or an oil warmer. I prefer an oil warmer because the oil lasts a lot longer and won’t need as much attention as incense sticks with ashes creating a mess as they fall or the ember dying out if there is too much wind. However, incense is cheaper and comes in greater supply, meaning that in the end you will have to look at the qualities of both items and figure out which one suits you best. If you have rituals that normally last over thirty minutes then it’s best to buy oils, incense will do well in rituals lasting less than thirty minutes I have found. When igniting the incense stick I usually let the flame burn the tip and travel down until it gets about an inch down so that I know there will be a strong ember burning, then I blow it out and let the embers take care of themselves. For oils I light the tealight candle and place it under the oil receptacle, then drip the oil in it’s container so that I don’t have to worry much about fumbling around and making a mess with melted wax getting all over my materials. Be cautious as about ten minutes will be needed to get everything hot and when it does it can burn you easily, so don’t try holding the warmer without giving it time to cool itself off. You can do a quick test by hovering your hand next to the surface of the warmer , ensuring that you don’t touch it. You want to have it close enough to sense the ambient heat but not close enough to fry your skin. It’s not that dangerous, just don’t touch it or the oil until it’s nice and cool to the touch and you’ll be fine in all accounts.
Statues
Statues are another great addition on any altar as it creates greater kinship with who/what you worship. If you are attracted to the Greek pantheon for example, you feel closer to the Gods if you can see them in their physical likeness by having Zeus, Dionysus, and Apollo statues as opposed to having no statues or stones that represent them. You can actually see and touch their likeness, which intensifies worship. No matter your tradition, if you can afford it- since some statues can cost anywhere from $35-$100+- then its advisable you do it. Just shop around online or in your local store and find something that really attracts you, inspect it, buy it, cleanse it, and you’re well on your way.
BOS
A Book of Shadows is a journal/binder that contains all of the information used by a practitioner in religious workings, be it rituals, spells, prayers and the like. Some practitioners separate their books so that one is filled with correspondences and journal entries (BOS) and a specialized book filled with spells, rituals, and magical acts (grimoire). The determination of how to separate or if you should separate your books at all rests solely upon you, some do it and some don’t based upon what they are looking for and how much information they plan to store in their binders. If you plan on doing well thought out essays, research, charts and graphs, making everything very detailed then its best to separate your binders since you’ll certainly have to buy an extra binder anyway. The extra binder need not have just spells and the like there, but will need to be organized one way or another.
Smudging stick
Smudging sticks are small bushels of herbs such as sage, sweet grass, myrrh, etc. bundled together by a thin length of string or yarn to cleanse a space. The type of herb matters to an extent as each type represents an element, God/dess, animal, season, and the like, but it’s not a law that you have to abide by or necessarily look into, though knowledge is good to have no matter the reason. There are many ways to cleanse an area besides using smoke such as by sound, salt, mind, and smell, but using smoke is the most popular way to cleanse.
Necklace
A necklace by no means is a necessary item to have during any type of religious work, but I decided to include it for the sake of comfort it gives practitioners. Many of us growing up have to to endure living with parents who did not agree with our lifestyle and as such sought to demean our faith and micromanage us until we gave in to their desires. Having a necklace to wear be it hidden or not can be a source of strength to hold you when situations get really heated between you and family. If you have clothes that would make it obvious something is underneath then put it in your wallet or something you will have on you throughout the day so you may always have something connecting you to Deity.
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This is a good example of a permanent altar set in the woods, as you can see, not every altar needs to be in a home. This is actually one of my old ritual spaces when I had just converted a few years ago, the logs that you see were found in a large pile after a tree had to be cut down and the mess was left to rot over a period of years. Once I got to the point of wanting a ritual space I went ahead and used them to make the center pieces of my altar as well as the elemental pillars that hold each candle. The section of woods I kept this was very private and had next to no people coming through, with it being next to my house I could easily watch over it to ensure there weren’t any trespassers.
The board that makes the actual altar I found near the woods in the aftermath of a construction project and decided that it would fit the perfect role. After that I kept it for a while until I decided to move to another area due to constant flooding after it rained, requiring a larger board. Eventually I found even larger logs to use and spent a entire day hauling 100+ pound logs through the woods, it was fun..
In conclusion, you need to be very observant when it comes to religion as inspiration can come at a moments notice when you least expect it. It’s good to always research and discuss matters with other believers as they could have that one phrase or observation that could start you off on a journey you weren’t even thinking about.
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A temporary altar is mainly for situations where you don’t have the leisure to keep a dedicated area. This could be due to having roommates, living with family, or being in a situation where the consequences of being found out outweigh the reward of having a permanent area. For this you would do well not buying furniture for religious purposes, though your own judgement will dictate since you know your situation better than I ever will. In these cases it may be better to select a table or desk as a temporary altar so when able you can quickly put up and take down your materials. Saddening to see so many new comers enter the faith under these circumstances. The most important quality when dealing with these circumstances is to be adaptable and to not give up celebrating who you are. Giving in to others’ desires will only hurt you as they dictate your life and religious standing. Its best to keep whatever items you have indistinct from commonly used items, that or ensure that they aren’t identifiable as Pagan. Some suggestions would be to have different colored rocks to represent God/dess and/or elements instead of having statues and other figurines. Having candles should be fine depending on your situation but try to keep everything secure and hidden away.
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A temporary altar may not be able to hold as many items as a permanent altar in many cases, but just because you may have less there doesn’t devalue it by any means. I’m very glad of the experiences I’ve had when there was little money and I had to struggle to even buy a $20 book because it taught me to value every item that I had and appreciate the struggles I had to go through in order to get it. Though finding money may not be as hard for you as it was for me, the fact that you are under pressure from family members to give up your spirituality allows you to appreciate every moment you’re able to spend praying and being at peace in the light of the Gods.
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Mobile altars are for those who may be traveling and will not have access to a standing altar. In such cases I find that having a briefcase is best to have for security reasons since one can be purchased with a lock or dial code that only you know. Depending on its carrying capacity you could fit everything that you need inside it. Buying small pillar candles and an altar cloth, your BOS or equivalent in a small folder inside plastic sheaths and other items you use for religious observances could fit. Remember to keep it small and take what you need, don’t try and fit everything as if it were a permanent altar. Prioritize you items so as you go on the road you won’t have to a heavy item and may worship the Gods at your leisure.
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As you can see, buying a briefcase that has a coded lock would be a great addition if you were traveling or if you were in a situation where having a public altar would be risky. Ensure that you measure the length, width, height and depth of the briefcase as well as your items to ensure everything will fit. On it’s lid are pockets where you can place a BOS folder as well as any oil vials and smaller items that deepen your experiences. A BOS folder is a Book of Shadows, a book used by many Pagans to hold and document their religious beliefs, correspondences, charts, rituals, spells, songs, basically everything that the practitioners needs to live a Pagan life. While not mandatory, it is something that proves to be a useful item whenever you forget something or need to recite anything that is long and hard to remember such as a song, prayer or meditation exercise. Having a BOS folder is similar to a full sized BOS, the only difference being that you are only including information that you use on a daily basis instead of having a repository of knowledge that includes everything you’ve ever written.
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Once you have everything set up its a good idea to bless and devote it to the Gods. By having a ritual acknowledging its purpose you set it apart from everyday items and mark it as special in your heart and mind. You may do the ritual however you please since it’s your altar and must be done in a way that vibes with you. No ritual, items, words, or actions developed by another person can have any power with you unless you believe it will. A ritual layout that works for me may be a terrible setup for someone else, so there’s nothing wrong with getting your inspiration from others’ work but have the confidence to know you don’t have to follow what they say to the tee. You may add, delete or completely redo whatever you want during your altar dedication ritual since no matter what happens the spirit of the ritual is the same, doing what vibes with you.
Another thing to keep in mind is the maintenance of the altar, which can become dirty as oils, ashes and wax build up on the surface. It doesn’t do much good if you have a spiritually clean altar, yet it’s filthy on the physical side, so make sure you at least take a warm cloth and wipe away whatever buildup might be present before spiritually cleansing the area. Make sure that if you’re precise about where you place your items that you remember to put them in the correct place and bless them accordingly. This is also a perfect time to change the design scheme, since it will be going through a new phase, may as well clean it and replace it with something new while you’re at it. Here is when you decide if you want a dynamic or static altar, which is a subcategory of permanent, temporary, and mobile altars since it describes how often your altar will change its design. Dynamic altars can change at any time the practitioner decides, and can change based on holidays, astrological occurrences, a tree calendar, the life cycle of a particular animal, rise/descent of a God/dess, etcetera. The times that you change the layout relies chiefly on your tradition and how it dictates your path, but if you don’t have a particular religious ruling then simply do what attracts you, be it natural, physical, occult, spiritual, or anything else.
