Setting Up Your Altar- Is Placement Important??

Merry meet!

Welcome to The Resourceful Witch! It is a beautiful & sunny day, and it almost eight o'clock here in Texas! While sitting out on the patio today thinking about my alter, my mind began racing, thinking about how much my alter has changed during the time spent practicing. I also thought about all of the different ways witches set up our altars! I have created this post in hopes of giving beginners in the craft an idea of a simple altar setup and to talk about just how important the placement of an alter is! Or is it?

First, let's start off with the basics- what exactly is an alter? According to Merrriam Webster's Online Dictionary, an altar is "a table or place which serves as a center of worship or ritual". Basically, my alter is my safe zone. My own personal sanctuary, if you will.

I started off my path as a witch as a Wiccan, watching Youtube videos- my main focus being Harmony Nice. I also read the book "Wicca for everyday living" by Ann-Marie Gallagher. Because of this, my altar is similar to that of a Wiccan, however I do choose to identify as a Pagan or a green witch.

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Because I do keep my altar quite private, I have found a similar altar to give an idea of what a setup can look like. Generally, witches altars have a few tools- a wand, an athame, a cauldron, crystals, tarot cards, etc. can all be placed on the altar. Along with tools, comes candles to symbolize the dieties. On my altar, I place a red candle on the top left to symbolize the Gods & a white candle on the top right to symbolize the Goddesses. From research and talks with other witches in my area, I have come to realize that no one altar is the same- which is kind of the beauty of it.

Another item included on my altar that isn't shown in the image above is an offering bowl. An offering bowl is the bowl used to hold the items you are offering to your deities. Offerings can be items such as roses in love spells, pennies in money spells, or even flowers for certain goddesses you know love them. It is important to do research on the deities you choose to work with and get to know their likes if using an offering bowl, because it can make your bond and Magick that much stronger!

The last items used on my altar are simply a chalice and a cloth. A chalice is used to hold the liquid offered, whether wine, water, or juice to your deities. We all use chalices in different ways in different practices, but most altars do include one. The cloth is to separate your altar from the item it is resting on. To make a clear distinction of where your altar begins, and ends, and to simply protect and take care of the items on the altar.

The most amazing thing about altars is that no matter how different, they all serve the same purpose. Some altars can be as simple as a candle, and others, such as mine can be as in depth as having not only an altar, but using symbols to cast circles as well. No matter which way, every alter is personal and unique, and I can't wait to see you guys altars! Tag us @TheResourcefulWitch on Instagram with your new altar tools or cool altar setups!

XOXO, TheResourcefulWitch