Setting up your own Altar can be a fun and interesting process. Many traditions out there will tell you that a Altar needs to be set up in a specific way with specific items placed in specific directions. Usually in accordance with their particular brand of Witchcraft.  I think that an Altar is a much more personal and needs to be more practical than what any a tradition dictates.

If you currently have your own Altar and have practiced some magic most likely you have found that burning  incense, candles, spilling water and other items can make the Altar a very messy place.  This is where I believe practicality comes into place. 

Items usually found on a Witches Altar.

Incense burner: As described on the Tools of Magic Page

Pentacle: As above

Athame: As above

Wand: As above

Cup: As above

Candles: With regard to the Altar candles they are usually white and are used for illumination purposes only.

Statues: If you have a favourite deity or deities you may place a statue of them on your altar. Or if you are invoking a particular deity for a working you would place it on the altar at the time of your spell.

Altar Cloth: The altar cloth can be of any colour some Witches like to have several different colours for different kinds of spells i.e. Gold or Green for prosperity. I simply use a black altar cloth all the time and make sure that your cloths are hard wearing and washable. Lots of ash and candle wax will invariably land on your cloth.

Tarot Cards: Lots of Witches keep their Tarot Cards on their altar when not in use.

Cauldron: Used for lots of spell applications.

Bell: An Invocation tool.

Flowers/Plants: Magicians and Witches feel close to nature and place plants on their altar a good idea to keep you in a natural and magical state of mind.

Broom: Used to ritually cleanse the area.

Sword: Used in a similar way to the Athame.

Your items essentially need to be placed on a flat surface of some kind a small wooden table is ideal for this indoors. If you are lucky enough that you can have an Altar outside anything natural is fantastic i.e. a tree stump cut flat or a flat rock will work fine. If you are setting up your permanent altar indoors try to use a naturally occurring material. A wooden box, the top of a short bookshelf, an old coffee table. But if these items are hard to come by any flat surface that will hold your items will do fine. After all everything comes from the earth originally.

At any given time it is good to have all four elements present on your altar. Air, which is represented by burning incense. Water, kept in your Cup. Fire, a burning candle. And a small container of earth (my earth is the sand kept in my incense burner). If you like you can place these in the directions which are applicable in your area (see Magic Circle).

Below is an example of a Altar setup.

In my opinion the set up of your Altar is a personal thing there is no right way just what is right for you. Use your intuition where to place items and this will ensure the best results for you and your magic. 

Most Witches face their Altar to the North and place the tools and items in respect to that direction. Here in the Southern Hemisphere some Witches face their Altar to the South. Traditionally the North has been considered the place of power and many feel that since we are down under and the poles are reversed we should flip our Altar and place it in the south. I actually prefer to face my Altar to the East  I don't know the reason why I do this, it just feels right to me. Just use your intuition to find the best direction to face your Altar. It will be the right direction for you.

Good luck with your magic!

NB: This is a discussion of the Permanent Altar which differs from the Altar used in he magic circle. Usually only the items needed for the ritual are present within the magic circle. You can use your permanent Altar if you wish or simply use the floor or a smaller more practical table.

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Murray Byfield © 2000-2001