My altar has to be my favorite 'tool' in Wicca. You can decorate it for the Sabbats and the changing seasons, as well as personalize it with objects and symbols from whatever Wiccan tradition you practice. An altar is where you do magic, rituals and celebrate the sabbats. You can meditate or pray at your altar too. Generally everything you do, magical and religious, goes on at the altar.
There are a few general objects that are placed on the altar in Wicca. One tradition will vary from another. For example, the Gardnerians use a scorge, cord, and a sword, but these objects usually are not used by the solitary. Other traditions may place tools at different places, or not use tools that other traditions use. Use your intuition here. If you like the idea of having an athame, then use it, if not, then dont, you could always just use a wand, or even your finger.
Its nice to have these tools, but you must remember that the tool isn't what makes the magic, you are. Tools are just a focal point, objects that get you in the "magical mood." Yes, they are also vessels for energy to travel through and be directed from, but you are what makes the magick. As long as your raising energy and visualizing your magick, then tools really arent necessary.
To start off, you need a surface to put your altar. A dresser top is ideal. Anything that has a flat surface and is big enough to hold all your objects is good. It could be round too, it doesnt matter. You could use a shelf, or table or dresser top, stump, stone, or a board properd up on 2 stones....be creative! Some people place it facing North, others East, where the sun rises, but you can place it wherever you want. Mine is on a huge wooden dresser top so I dont have room to move it, I think its actually facing west, so just place it where its convenient.Some also place it in the center of your magick circle, but I find that to be impractical, as you have to maneuver around it and have less room. You can dress up you altar with different cloths, or decorations too. In the summer I put a fake ivy vine around it, in the fall, a fake vine of fall leaves, and in winter, real (you could use fake) pine boughs. Here is a list of objects that you could place on the altar.
Athame - The Athame is typically a black-handled, double-edged, dull knife. Its used to cast the circle, as well as call the quarters and direct energy from. Its never used to physically cut anything. This is one of the typical tools used in Wicca, some say that Gerald Gardner was an avid knife and sword collector, so thats why he incorporated a knife in his religion. At first, I didnt like the Athame, prefering to use a wand, because of the negative symbolism with knives. But now I just see it as another traditional object, that I hope will not leave the "Wiccan scene" as other traditional objects and practices (the Scouge for example).
Bolline - The Bolline is typically a white-handled knife and sometimes the blade is curved. This knife is used to cut things, like herbs, and to carve symbols or words into candles. This is the "cutting knife" so this is what you would use for cutting or carving, not the Athame. I've heard some people say that its too hard to cut herbs and wands with a Bolline, so they use scissors. This is ok, I've done this a few times myself. Just make sure you cleanse them and bless then like you would your other tools.
Broom or Besom - The broom is used to cleanse an area before casting a circle and doing rituals. However, you can also do this with holy water, or a smudge stick, whichever you like. There is a lot of symbolism connected to the broom, an obvious one being a fertility symbol. Its also said that the ancient Pagans would perform sympathetic magick and jump up and down with a broom, encouragaing their crops to grow. I dont use a broom, I like using a sage smudge stick, but I do have one that I've blessed for luck.
Cauldron - The cauldron is a very ancient symbol. In myth, its the womb of the Goddess and the restorer of life. In Wicca, its used for many purposes. You can hold blessed water in it, or mix a brew of some sort, if you have a large on to go over a fire pit. You can burn incense in one, or make offerings to the Goddess in it. It could also just be a symbol for the Goddess.
Incense Burner - The incense burner is, of course, used to burn incense! If you are using stick incense, then its could be place on one of those long, wooden holders, or in a cup of sand or dirt. When you are using loose insence, just plain grinded up herbs, you would place it in a heat proof container. Incense is used for a couple things. It could be the symbol for the element of air, as well as just placed on the altar while burning incense for a specific purpose, like banishing negativity, or promoting happiness.
Chalice - The chalice is typically used in the cakes and ale ceremony when you have completed a ritual. This is when you give thanks to the god and goddess. Its also done to ground and center yourself when you have finished raising energy. This act isnt done on every ritual, but on ones where magick is done, and energy is raised, it should be done. Its also a symbol of the goddess, like the cauldron. It hold wine, juice, water--whatever beverage you happen to use. Its also used in the symbolic Great Marriage thats perforrmed on some Sabbats. This is typically done in Gardnerian Wicca, so you dont usually see solitaries doing it, seeing that traditionally you need a male and female to do this.
Wand - The wand is used for the same purposes as the Athame. Usually the wand is made from a fallen branch of a tree--different trees have different properties. Mine is of rose and apple wood, that I placed a quarts crystal at the top. You can find branches that have fallen, or cut one, althought some people would say never to cut one. Just thank the trees spirit for its offering if you do so. You can also carve runes, words or symbols into the wand too.
Candles - Candles are a basic item for the altar. You should have at least one on there for an illuminator candle (so you can see what your doing). You can also use one for a symbol for the element of fire, or if your doing magic, one could be burned when doing candle magic. You can also place them on there for decoration, like green and red ones for the Yule sabbat.
Element Representations - There should always be some sort of representation, or symbol for each of the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water) on your altar. A bowl of salt, a rock, a leaf, or plant could be used for Earth, incense, a feather, or a bird statue could be used for Air, a red candle or a rock from a volcano could be used for Fire, a seashell, bowl of water or sea animal picture or statue could be used for Water. Be creative. See what you can find in nature, as those are the best kinds of objects, seeing the elements are nature! In Green Wicca, usually the altar has a lot of natural objects on it. In the summer wild flowers could be placed on it, or a cup of melted snow in the winter.
Pentacle - The pentacle is placed in the middle of the altar as a place where you can charge objects, as well as be a symbol for the elements. Mine is a flat rock that I painted on, but you can buy them at a newage/pagan store if you want a silver or bronze one. The Pentacle can also be used as a representation of the north, the element of Earth.
Clothing and Jewelry - Some Wiccans work skyclad, ( in the nude) and some prefer not to. You can buy a robe - any color is fine, a white one is all purpose, and green would be nice if you practice a natural form of Wicca. You don’t need a robe, however. You can work in a dress or everyday clothes that are not worn for any other occasion except during ritual. You may have some special jewelry you wear during ritual as well. You can make or buy it. Take some string and put a few beads on it, or sculpt a small symbol out of clay or Fimo and string it onto a necklace. There are all kinds of pagan jewelry out there to choose from.
Libation bowl - You will want a special bowl to put your leftover cakes and ale in after rituals (to see more about cakes and ale, see the Circle Casting page). It can be made of anything, wood, clay or glass is preferable.
Others - Other objects that some Wiccans put on their altars are bells, cloths, seasonal decorations, their Book of Shadows, or papers to read off of, and any other onject they feel should be put on there. |
