Alter and Ritual Design

Alter Design

The Alter is the center piece for rituals and acts of magick. Many books describe how to organize one's alter and where tools should be set, but honestly, you can do whatever you like with your alter. It is yours to work with and personalize. For my alter, I have all the goddess tools on one side, and the god tools on the other. In the center I have my pentacle.

Goddess Tools Goddess Image or Candle Cauldron Chalice of Water Incense Burner Bell

God Tools God Image or Candle Salt Dagger Chalice of Wine Wand

There are many other tools one can have on their alter, but this is all you realy need. I typicaly but the taller items in the back, and the shorter items in the front. I personaly don't have a wand or a bell, but some rituals do call for them.

Other Things To Put On Your Alter

Stones Sea Shells Pitures Figures Feathers Holiday Decorations

Now once you decide that you need an Alter, don't run out and buy the most expensive cauldron or chalices you can find. Being Wiccan/Pagan is not about who has the most expensive alter. Many times you can find things for your alter at home. I have 2 small brass footed "cauldrons" that I got very cheap, one at a yard sale and the other at a "Goodwill" store. The only thing you should sink any money into would be the dagger. But hey, it's your alter, do what you want with it!

Ritual Design

Their are eight rituals in the Pagan/Wiccan tradition. Four are based on the soltices and equinoxes, and the others are in between. Without going into great detail about the individual holidays, I want to describe the basic outline for all the holidays, and for just about any ritual.

There are many ways to purify one's self. It usualy involves the one or all of he elements. Earth is reprsented by salt, and is the most widly used substance to purify. It can be sprinked on ones-self alone, or mixed with water. It can be added to bathwater also. The element of fire can be visualized to purify one's self also. Incense is often used, expecialy in Native American traditions, for purification by the element of Air. I enjoy a daily purification in the shower. It makes sence, you are geting phyicaly clean, why not emotional and spirtualy clean also?

Ember's Shower Purification

I normaly take my shower in the morining, so this is a great way to start the day! I get in the shower, naked of course, and visualize my self utterly covered in mud and scum, anything realy nasty. Then I visualize the water clensing all that mud away. I pray to the Goddess and God about what ever is troubling me and ask for their help. The mud represents emotional bagage and bad habits I need to "wash" from my life. If I need extra clensing I will visualize flames burning thoes negative characteristics away also. I always feel refreshed and optimistic after such a purification.

Purifying space can be done in similar ways to purifying one's self. Salt can be sprinked indoors in the area where the circle is to be cast, insence can be caried around the area, fire can be visualized, and charged water can be used as well. One traditional method is to use a magickal broom, charged with purifying energy just for this purpose.

The Athem, the ritual dager, is used by most to cast the circle, although I prefer to simply point with a finger. Either way, a flame or energy is visualized comeing out from the athem or hand as the caster walks or spins in a circle completing it. Actualy it makes a sphere, but where that sphere touches the ground it makes a circle, hense it's name. Many decide to outline the circle with stones, crystals,salt, string, or I even though of using bird seed, when out doors of course. When casting a sphere should be visualized. Some very nice casting poems have been writen for the other participants to chant while the casting is going on. Some traditions go desoil (clock wise) and others go widershins (counter clock wise). There is a big debate on it, I think one way is invoking and the other is releasing. The choice is up to you, for only you know what is right for yourself.

The Four Directions refer to the elements and their coresponding direction and color. At each point of the compas a candle is placed and lit inorder to invite the elemental spirits to one's ritual.
Here are the elements:

Direction	Element	Color
North	Earth	Green
East	Air	Yelow
South	Fire	Red
West	Water	Blue

The elements can be personified many different ways. Some see the elements as part of the God and Goddess, others see them as faries,dragons,or dwarves. As each candle is lit, an aproprate speach is given, inviting the spirits to the circle. The Directions are known also as the Four Corners or the Watch Towers.

An invocation is a poem or prayer to whatever Gods you blieve in, requesting them to "attend" your ritual, and to send their energy to you. Usualy there are two separate invocation, one for the Gods, and one for the Goddesses. At this point the God and Goddess candles are lit. There are some tradtional invocations, but you can always make up your own. The link below to Athos Pagan File collection: Rituals

The Charge of the Goddess

"Listen to the words of the Great Mother; she who of old was also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianrhod, Isis, Bride, and by many other names.

I who am the beauty of the green earth, and the White Moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man, call unto thy soul. Arise, and come unto me. For I am the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe, From me all things proceed, and unto me all things must return; and before my face, beloved of Gods and men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let my worship be within the heart that rejoices; for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And thou who thinkest to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless thou knowest the mystery; that if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee, thou wilt never find it without thee. For behold, I have bee with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire."

This is where the "sermon" goes, the main part of the ritual that pertains to the holiday being celebrated. Usualy the Priest and the Priestess have readings. They can be responsive, were the Priest(ess) read a line and the others repeat it, or have someother responce, like "Blessed Be!" or "So Mote it Be!" which means, "So it will be!" I like to have a place where all atending can share anything that comes to mind, or sugest somthing to spontaniously add to the ritual. This makes it more paticipatory, and less a lecture. Energy can be raised and/or a meditation. I like to pick out some pertinant Myths to read, according to the holiday. Acts of Magick can be performed with the help of all. This should be the longest part of the ritual.

This is the oposite of the invocation, where the God and Goddess are Thanked for attending the ritual. This is your typical prayer of thanks, and can be written before hand, or poeticaly improved. Each person at the ritual may want to add something to the prayer. The God and Goddess candles are put out.

This is a simple thanks to the 4 elements, before puting out the candle. Usualy it follows the same pattern at calling the 4 Directions.

This is a technique used to focus unused energy back into the earth. At this point in the ritual many people feel excited and jittery, because of this extra engergy. Grounding settles people, and starts to bring about a close to the ritual. It is acomplished by simply placing the palms of the hands on the ground, or floor, and pushing the extra engergy into the earth. This energy can be used to heal the earth by visualizing the engergy strengthening and healing the earth.