Altar Pieces

You can't have an altar without at least a couple things on it can you? Well, here's some information on that.

ALTAR PIECES
Of your altar pieces the most important will be these: candles, incense, water, and salt. These represent the four Elements, which are considered the building blocks of creation. You will learn more about the four Elements in

Of course you will need matches or a lighter. Strictly speaking it is preferable to have matches or lighter that are used only for the altar, and for no other purpose -but this is not always practical, and a household lighter will do if necessary. You will also keep your MAGICAL TOOLS on the altar, but you will not learn about these until LESSON V, so we will leave off discussion of them until then.

CANDLES
Candles represent Fire, and are often the most visible element on an altar. Candles have always been used on altars; either actual candles, or torches, or oil lamps. In earlier times a bonfire might be built, which would serve as the candle and also as the actual altar itself. Sometimes this is still done in outdoor ritual.

Since the earliest times the presence of fire in Pagan ritual has been of extreme importance. Fire represents the God (as you should remember from LESSON II), and when you light a flame you are repeating the Goddesses act of First Creation. Each ritual then begins with the symbolic re-enactment of the First Creation when the candles are lit. the candle flame bursts forth from darkness, even as the God burst forth from the Goddess in an explosion of flame and light. Moreover, flame generates energy. Each candle that you light puts out energy of its own, which will add to your working; it acts as a kind of battery raising the available energy level, and increasing your ability. This is why you sometimes see so many candles burning at once on an altar.

You can add to this effect by imagining a ball of white light around the flame when you light your candle -this increases the energy the flame puts out. Imagine the ball of light expanding out from the flame for several inches. When you put out the candle, imagine the ball of light shrinking down and disappearing. You can use the ball of light without the flame too, but if you do make sure you remember to shrink it down when your done. You may also wish to dress your candles before you use them. This does not mean putting little clothes on them. You dress a candle with essential oil. The most common reason to dress a candle is to do CANDLE MAGIC, about which you will learn more later. But some people like to dress candles whenever they use them. Dressing a candle gives you a chance to focus on the candle and put energy into it, programming it for the purpose it will be used for. By doing this you imprint your INTENT upon it, and cause it to focus naturally upon what you are trying to do. Then when the candle burn, the energy it generates will already be programmed for your purpose.

To dress a candle you take an appropriate essential oil (say lavender for a purification, or sandalwood for general ritual) and put a little in the palm of your left hand. Now rub your two hands together so that they are coated with the oil. As you rub your hands together, visualize white light shining out from between them, and see this white light expand and grow into a ball of light around your hands. Now take up your candle, holding it by the middle. Slowly work the oil up toward the top of the candle, and down toward the bottom, a little bit at a time. As you do this, imagine the candle filling with white light, and concentrate upon what it is you wish to do with this candle. The harder you concentrate, the more you will impress your intent upon the candle. Coat the whole candle with oil, including the wick. As the candle burns it will release energy imprinted with your intent, as well as the scent of the oil it has been dressed with.

The number and color of candles you want on your altar is entirely up to you. A chart of colors and their meanings is included to help you choose. You will want to do this carefully as it adds a great deal to the atmosphere and energy of your altar.

Beeswax candles are considered preferable and some people go so far as to make their own -infusing the candles strongly with their personal energy by doing so. But in practice most people buy regular candles at the local store, and they work perfectly well.

Some people use only a single candle on their altar, to represent Spirit, or Primordial Deity. Or they might use a single candle to represent only that aspect of Deity which they are invoking at the moment.

Some people use a matched or contrasting pair to represent Goddess and God -Spirit and Matter, Death and Life: the great Duality Whose interaction forms the Universe as we know it. These candles might be in any of a number of color combinations used to represent Goddess and God, including Black and White, Silver (white or gray) and Gold (yellow), Green and Red, Indigo and Yellow, and so on. In such an arrangement the Goddess candle goes to the left, the God candle to the right, in keeping with the Geomancy of the altar as discussed above. Sometimes a Spirit candle is placed between them to symbolize Their inner Unity. You might want to use altar candles to symbolize the Four Elements in elemental colors, or the three phases o of the Goddess, or whatever conveys the idea o of holiness to you, and helps you to make the magical shift in consciousness.

You may want to include a special candle to honor your ANCESTORS (whether by blood or affinity) or your Spirit Guides. Also, many magical working require special candles that will only be used for that working. These candles will be on your altar for anywhere from a few minutes to few weeks, depending on the working. So you can see why candles are such an important part of the altar. When you finish a magical working, do not blow your candles out -use a candle snuffer, your fingers, or a magical blade. This is to make sure that the candle goes out the first time as it is a bad omen to do otherwise. In general you may use as many candles on your altar as you wish, in colors that have significance to you. Even the guidelines we have outlined here are just that -guidelines. If you feel strongly that you should arrange your candles in a way that is not consonant with the geomancy we have discussed, you should listen to your intuition and do as it tells you. Candles help to raise energy, so the more the merrier -just be careful not to set yourself on fire!

Candles can also be used to represent the Fifth Element -Spirit. In this aspect the wax represents Spirit, the flame represents the body/physical existence. Thus the Spirit (wax) feeds the body (flame ). And just as the candle can be re-lit any number of times, so too we see that the soul passes through any number of bodies.

INCENSE
Incense represents the element of Air. Incense may be of any sort -stick, cone, oil, or powder. But remember -in some rituals you may have to pick the incense up -so choose an incense or an incense burner which allows for this. I have vivid memories of impulsively picking up my grandmother's metal tripod burner by the bowl when it was hot, rather than by the legs as it was meant to be lifted -don't make the same mistake!

With stick incense lifting is no problem, and it is easy to light - hence its popularity. But it lacks the drama of powdered incense burned over charcoal. In recent years smudge sticks -loose bundles of dried aromatic plant material, usually sage, cedar, or lavender- have become popular as a kind of stick incense, but if you choose to use these, be aware that they tend to send off sparks, which can be dangerous.

If you are going to use cone or powdered incense you will want to use either a standing incense burner, or a hanging THURIBLE on a chain. If you're sensitive to smoke there are also non-combustible forms of incense, notably essential oil. Essential oil comes in all of the same fragrances as combustible incense, a and indeed is often used in their manufacture. To use essential oil in place of incense, a small quantity can be dropped into a candle flame, even as powdered incense might be dropped upon hot charcoal. If you are truly sensitive to scent, you can also use more symbolic forms of incense such as a cinnamon stick, or a sprig of some aromatic plant such as sage, which can be waved over the candle instead of added to the flame. Feathers fans are often used to fan the smoke of combustible incense, but can also be used in its place to simply fan the flame of a candle in a symbolic manner.

You will want to place the incense to the right of your altar. Later you will learn how to use it more specifically, but for now just enjoy its scent and let it help you to achieve the magical shift in consciousness.

WATER AND SALT
The elements of Water and Earth are represented on the altar by water and salt. these are often placed in matching bowls, as they are commonly mixed in ritual.

The salt is preferably sea salt -and it can be particularly nice to use a sea shell for a salt dish. Rock salt can also be used, but table salt -though acceptable- should be regarded as a last resort. Salt is always useful, as a little placed on the tongue after any magical or psychic work helps to ground the excess energy. Place your water to the left of your altar. Salt may also be placed to the left of the altar as representative of Earth, but is often placed to the right to facilitate the mixing of salt and water. This is because in certain connotations the water and salt also represent Goddess and God respectively.

OTHER ITEMS
In addition to these items, your Magical Tools will also have a place on your altar, there are also several other items that people usually keep on their altars.

LIBATION DISH -
a libation dish is used to make liquid offerings to Goddess, God, or Spirits. Often a cup of juice or wine is shared in ritual, and some will be offered to the Deities or Spirits either before or after the human participants have drank. To make this offering, or LIBATION, a portion is placed in the libation dish and dedicated to Deities or Spirits. This is a gesture of respect and sharing -a means of giving back a portion of what you receive to its source. When the ritual is done the libation is normally disposed of by being returned to the elements, that is to say it is either emptied outside onto soil or into running water, or perhaps into a special Earth Pot. In this way its physical essence is returned to Mother Earth to nourish Her and be re-used for the sustenance of new life. However, some people consume the libation themselves after the ritual has ended, feeling that Spirit has taken the part of the offering it desired and that the rest is left for them. Which of these alternatives is preferable is largely a matter of opinion. (Some people often use a CHALICE as their libation dish -- this is quite acceptable.)

OFFERING DISH -
in this same vein a dish for food offerings may be used. An OFFERING such as flour, corn or cornmeal, rice, a cookie or small piece of fruit, etc... is placed in the offering dish and dedicated to Deities or Spirits. As such offerings are symbolic in nature, only a small quantity need be used. This is a means of building a psychic bond and showing respect, not giving sustenance. Like the libation, a food offering is commonly released to the elements, though it may be eaten by the celebrants in the knowledge that Spirit has taken of its essential nature, leaving the physical behind.

BURNING DISH -
you may wish to have a burning dish on your altar, in which to burn paper in rituals that require this. Burning a paper on which we have written our desires is a common form of SYMPATHETIC MAGIC -
as the paper burns it is believed that the desires are released into manifestation. Obviously a burning dish must be fire resistant, and big enough to accommodate a sheet of paper that has been folded once or twice.

IMAGES -
Frequently the altar includes images of Goddess and God, or tokens representing them (for example an antler or acorns might betoken the God, a seashell or a Moon the Goddess). You might also want images of other spirits you call upon -photos of Ancestors or drawings of Spirit Guides. Perhaps a picture or a doll representing an aspect of yourself with which you commonly work, or which you wish to develop further -your Higher Self, for example, or YOUNGER SELF, or key past lives.

EARTH POT -
this a bowl filled with earth or rocks to honor Mother Earth and the element of Earth. The earth or rocks you keep in it might come from your back yard, or your birth place, or some favorite spot -or it might be gathered from various travels, the homes of friends, etc... this lends a very special stabilizing energy to an altar. A similar effect can be achieved by a number of rocks placed loosely on the altar, especially rocks you've found.

STONES -
You may want to keep crystals or gems on your altar to amplify and color the energy. You may select them, or let them select you -by finding them or selecting stones that call or resonate to you. A common way to tell if a stone (or any item) is for you, is to run your hand over a number of items (as a selection of stones) keeping it about an inch above the items, and see which one or ones feels different from the others. The one that is different from the others is calling you, and is the right one to take. Later you will learn the meanings and uses of different stones, and this will help you to select them. But for now just take ones you like, or that like you.

FOUND OBJECTS -
found objects are lucky in general and are always appropriate for your altar. They are symbolic messages from Spirit, and knowing their meanings is an ancient art. This can be an excellent way of receiving spirit messages, or OMENS, and you will learn more about it in LESSON XII. This doesn't mean just anything you find of course, but things you happen across in unusual ways or in unusual places, or that speak to you. Putting found items on the altar helps to strengthen your bond with the altar.

SEASONAL ELEMENTS -
lastly, remember that you can make use of seasonal elements on your altar -leaves, flowers, acorns, pinecones, etc... These can do a lot to help you make the Shift in Consciousness that is needed for magic. They also add tremendously to the atmosphere of your altar, provide variety, and commemorate the sacred Wheel of the Year.

Always remember that your altar is personal to you. It is the visible symbol of your personal connection to Spirit. There are traditions and guidelines as to how to set it up, but ultimately it must be right for YOU, and that alone determines its proper form.

COLOR CHART
Black -wisdom, guidance, protection.
Purple -spirituality and psychism.
Blue -communication.
Green -healing, prosperity, fertility.
Yellow -happiness, success.
Orange -creativity.
Red -strong emotion, passion. Red can be used to add extra energy to any working.
Pink -romantic love, compassion.
White -Innocence, manifestation, and general purpose.

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