The Altar

strong can be built on weak foundations and this is certainly true when it comes to witchcraft.

For more experienced witches, re-examining the basics with a seasoned eye and deeper practical understanding can shed new light on old ideas, which can lead to a more meaningful craft.

The Altar

An altar is an important part of a practical witchcraft practice and as you work though this book, you will be asked to set up an altar or spend time at your altar frequently, whenever you do ritual and spell work. It acts as a focal point—somewhere you can go for focussed work, helping you to get into the right mindset for magic. An altar is also somewhere you can keep your ritual tools safe, and it may even be a permanent consecrated or sacred space.

Altars can be either a permanent feature, or something more temporary. If you have enough space in your home and want a permanent altar, then great! Choose somewhere that has enough space for you to work in and enough space for you to keep your altar items and tools—a clear shelf or dressing tabletop is perfect.

However, having a permanent altar is not always possible. Perhaps you live with others in a shared space, or maybe you are not in a position to be totally open with others about your witchcraft. Maybe you simply do not have the space for a permanent setup. Whatever your reasons for choosing a permanent or portable altar, each option is totally viable and doesn’t mean that one way is better than the other. Witchcraft is adaptable and witches are the queens of making things work for them!

You Will Need • A box or an empty tabletop (an empty shelf will work well too) • Representations of the elements (Earth can be a pot of soil;

Air is represented by incense—any kind you like the scent of is perfectly acceptable for altar incense; Water can be a bowl of water; Fire can be a candle) • An altar candle (this can be any type of candle to which you have access, though tapered or pillar candles will last longer than tealights) • An offering bowl • A chalice or glass for liquid offerings

These are really the basics of what you need for an altar, however, if you are interested in working with a particular deity, you might want to include a statue or picture of them. You may also wish to keep any items that hold a special or significant meaning to you on your altar, including stones, crystals, or seasonal decorations.

Method There is no wrong or right way of setting up your altar and much of it will depend on your own aesthetic tastes. A basic method though is to set the element representations up by placing Earth to the North, Fire to the South, Air in the East, and Water to the West with an altar candle in the centre along with any stones and statues.

Play around with the design until you are happy with it. Keep your altar clean.

For a portable altar, all you need is a box or container in which you can keep your altar items. There will be some differentiation

though, because the idea of having something more portable or temporary is that it can moved around as needed—so tealight candles are perfect for a portable altar, as is a shot glass instead of a chalice. When setting up your portable altar, simply unpack your items and set them up using the same directions given for a permanent altar.

It’s also worth mentioning that altars can be set up for working outside or when away from home. If you have a portable altar, then you may wish to take it with you and set it up in the area you are working in. If you have a garden or outdoor space, then you can set up an outdoor altar easily enough by choosing somewhere that is private. You can use natural items and decorations to represent the elements; for example, a suncatcher can represent Fire, a string of pinecones or nuts for Earth, a windchime for Air, and a birdbath for Water.

Crafting an Altar Box Not everyone has the space or inclination to have a permanent altar in their home. Perhaps you only have a small living space. Maybe you travel often and don’t have the time to maintain a permanent altar. Whatever the reason, crafting an altar box is a great way of keeping your ritual tools safe as well as providing a portable altar. Plain wooden boxes can be bought cheaply at craft shops, or you can scour secondhand shops and flea markets for old pre-loved ones. You can even use an old shoe box.

There is no right or wrong way to decorate your altar box, but it will add to your practice to use symbols, colours, and materials that mean something to your practice. In addition to my permanent altar, I have a couple of altar boxes at home. These were plain