Importance of Altars::

Whether you have a indoor, outdoor, temporary, or permanent altar, this post will help you.

Altars can be dedicated to a deity, be focused on a specific culture, or generally for magickal work.Whateter altar you chose, you should care and cleanse it frequently. The difference between a permanet and tempoary altar is a temporary altar can be set up wherever you need to do a spell. A permanent altar needs to be cleansed more, than a temp. altar, also perm, altars are usually tucked into an area of the house that isn't bothered.

Altars can be A wooden stool or table, a stone bench,top of a dresser, a shelf, or any surface at all, wide enough to hold symbolic objects and implements.

Outdoor altars are the easiest to keep clean, due to the moon and sun's rays shining on it and keep ing it cleansed. But you have to be careful about what you have on your outdoor altar. Weathering can happen to wooden or metal tools, so you best keep them inside where nothing can happen to them.Also evokin gthe elements are extremely easy, dirt for earth, windchimes for air, candle or torch for fire, and a birdbath, or shells for water.

A traditional altar faces north, but they can actually face any direction, as long as you know what direction it is facing.
Permanent altars are usually against the wall, as temp. altars you can walk all the way around. Rituals can work safely either way.
On a typical altar you should have something to represnt each element. A chalice for water,and athame for fire, a wand for air. and a stone for earth. Typically there is a candle for a god and a goddess, and the spell candle. A pentacle, spell ingredients, and Book of shadows are usually in the middle or the altar. Not all altars are set up like this. MAny contain statuary, or symbols.
My altar is against the wall and facing north. I have a scrying mirror, hanging above my altar, and along the wall I have a orange candle for fire, a chalice of water, for water, incense for air, and a cup of cemetary dirt for earth. I have a statue of hecate, in the right corner, and a torch-lit lamp in the other. I set up my altar according to the spell, or work i will be doing. Also known as dressing your altar.

Altar cloths are a big or small part of your work depending on your beliefs. Chromo therapy come in handy here, believe it or not. You may have a new color every season, changing on sabbats as well. You also may match up a color to how you are feeling. If you want peacce and tranquility, for meditation or such, blue would be a good color. Focusing on herbal magicks,dark grren would be the best. You can match the colors of your altar cloth how ever you want, it doesn't negatively affect your rituals.

Altar Blessing Spell:

I use this when i get ready for a ritual. It cleanses all impurities from the surface, and gives you a fresh and clean slate of energy to work with. Again if you have a outdoor altars this may not be of help to you.

Step one: Once your altar is erect in the artes you wish it to be, you light a sage wand and waft it through the room, to remove any negative energy. I also sweep you room with a broom, to erase unclean energy.

Step two: Cast a circle around the altar or infront of it, and evoke the elements. Evoke the deities saying **"LAdy of light, lady of the moon, lady of intellect. Lord of Earth, lord of sun, Lord of knowledge. Please join me in blessing my altar."

Step Three: Dress your altar, setting up the altar cloth, and tools. Arranging it how you like.

Step Four: Light a white candle, and place it at the center of the altar and visualize a white sphere forming arond the altar. Say **" I cleanse and consecratethis altar for magickal purposes. MAy it provide grounding and correct energy." When you feel the sphere's energy is at its strongest, say **" This altar is blessed, may it strengthen my magick always."

Step Five: Thank and release the deities, release the elements as well, and open the circle.

Where i put the **, that means you can change what i said, and replace it with your own words.

Great post willow, Really enjoyed this :)

good stuff my friend:)

as you said an altar is a very personal thing so i wanted to just add how mine is situated;

it is in the middle of the room because of the nature of ceremonial magic one needs to circumnavigate the temple.
it faces the east for the rising sun.
the elemental implements are dagger-fire wand-air chalice-water pantacle-earth;
also a censer for incense burning.

It is a great post.

I actually have three. That might sound like over kill, but when I grew close to my Patron, that altar just grew into a place, specifically for dealing with him.
The second works much the same for another.
The third, is where I ended up doing my actual crafting. lol


Vayden

Wonderful post hun.
I love using a black mirror on mine along with the other stuff and elemental representational stuff- i,e chalice, athame, incense, pentacle, etc.
I got that idea of a black mirror from Konstantinos, I love his nocturnal witchcraft books.
I recently bought a new baphomet statue, its beautiful, so thats another feature.
But I have to put up and put away a make shift altar each time as my kids would mash up everything on it.

I love this post willow hun ..my altar is north facing up against the wall...i use a large shelf.. I have a white candle ..black candle ..athame.. challice..incense burner..scrying ball..crystals...sea salt ...bell..Isis statue..spell book..cauldron..runes ..tarrot cards..candle snuffer..lighter etc on mine.

i realy loved this post so interesting to see indavidual ideas,mines slightly different but all for the same purpose im spending the day in calmness ready for tonight,my family are very understanding and are going to keep qiet until im done,i love and respect them for this dearly,

I keep all of my magickal supplies, on the three shelves above my altar.
And Vay,I don't think it is an overkill. Having an altar dedicated to a specific patron is a sign of devotion, and is to be admired.

:) Thanks Willow