"We often fall under the delusion that just making the effort to change is the hardest step. What we forget is that the decision to change is the hardest first step of all."
atropo
Creating Your Altar
In the Witch's Household, somewhere, there is an altar. It can be as small and unobtrusive as a vase of lilies on an end-table or a grand production involving candles and incense. The altar is the area a Witch uses for prayer, meditation and spell working. Some have only one and some have multiple places serving multiple purposes. All are correct and all are sacred. Some people feel only the Witch should touch the altar whereas others don't really mind. Remember to always ASK FIRST! before rummaging. The first step to creating your own is finding the space for it.
Look around your living areas. Do you "feel" or "see" the perfect spot for your altar? This could be your dining room table or by the bedroom window. Can you see yourself reaching Divinity and performing Magick? Keep in mind, your altar can change locations. You may start using your dining room table and move on to a permanant shelf on your bedroom wall. Magick tends to move around, so you have to learn to be flexable when dealing with it.
Now that we have found our perfect space, it is time to purify it. This is creating your "Sacred Space" which is separate from your altar space yet part of it at the same time. Some people smudge the air using sage and rosemary and some sprinkle holy water and salt. Go with what feels best for you, and experiment as you go along. You may find that different moods require different cleansing.
Okay, we have our space and have cleansed it. What do we use for the altar? The nice answer is...Anything! Items are only transitory. It is what is in the heart and what you do that matters. Your altar can be a flat stump in your backyard or an old TV tray. Both work just fine. This is just the surface for holding items.
Now it is time to become creative. Once we have the altar top, it is time to dress it. Most choose some sort of altar cloth with the color corresponding to the time of year or what magick is to be performed. I highly recommend using a "machine washable" fabric, since cleanliness is next to godliness and stains are really tacky! You can use silk, cotton, suede whatever! Or, if you think the top of the alter is fine as it is, forgo the cloth.
Time to decorate. Many people place representations of the four elements on their altar. You can use a compass to align them to the four corners or just arrange them however you want. Use what you want for the four elements, such as: salt/gems for earth, incense/bells for air, candles/red items for fire, ice/bowl of spring water for water, and yourself for spirit (if using it). Along with the elements, place your representations of the Goddess and God. These can be statues or pictures, or you may use common items associated with the Dieties. (I use a partially woven blanket for Fate and glittery golden items for Apollo...as an example). I find that using what feels good for you works best. Other items included on your altar: Athame, Bolline, Cauldron (I use a little potpouri two piece set with a tea candle), Chalice, Herbs, Tarot Cards, Extra Candles for Light (don't forget the matches or lighter!), BOS, and Bells. Add what you want, and take away what you want.
The above is a perfectly servicable altar. If you want a family altar, just place it in an area that everybody can reach. Don't be surprised if the altar grows as your family grows. Also, if your family is mixed faith there is no reason why their faith cannot be placed here. After all, it is all about acceptance. Some people place an altar for their ancestors. This is a nice touch for the family, and lets the ancestors stay close by. Place photos or mementos on the family altar, and bowls of water or milk and honey. Dress the alters according to the season, and remember to place a dinner plate for them at Samhain.
We now know how to create your own personal altar. Let your altar express yourself and rejoice in it. After all, it is your link to the Gods. As a handy little tip...some people have serious space restraints or want to keep prying eyes to a minimum. Try using a foot locker. It has a flat surface, excellent storage, fits under your bed and can lock! Like I said before...be creative! Blessed Be!!
To flip through the pages of my BOS faster...
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Brightest of Blessings