So you’re doing the witch thing and you have a small collection of items but nowhere to put them. It’s time to make your first altar. An altar doesn’t even have to be filled with things as tools are not required to be a witch but most of us have cards and crystals and what not. An altar is really just a designated sacred space where you can do your witch things like meditating, spell casting, tarot etc.
For me, I actually didn’t even intend to create an altar or go full witch until all of a sudden I had an altar. I started off with a box that I kept on my dresser that had my crystals and tarot cards. Then after that I kept getting more crystals until they could no longer fit in the box. So then my things were on display. Then one weekend I got bored and redecorated my dresser with all my witch stuff and boom! Altar. About a month after that is when I had my awakening and started taking witchcraft seriously.
My altar is just a bunch of stuff that I have accumulated but there are many different types of altars and sacred spaces.
- Shrine: A shrine is typically honoring one entity that guides you. To make a shrine, think about what your particular guide likes and get more of that. You can also leave out offerings to them. My first guide was Venus and she loved pink, gold, and roses. Although my altar isn’t a shrine I will honor my guides when I feel called so for her I burned a pink candle, collected dried rose petals, and kept some gold ribbons out. She also loved rose quartz so I kept my rose quartz on display. Because an altar is typically a very personal space, you can make your shrine as elaborate as you want.
- Ritual Altar: This altar is based around the rituals you do. This is the type of altar that I personally like because I only have one altar for everything. Some witches will have multiple altars for rituals, shrines, spells, etc. I only have one because I live in a small apartment but mine usually becomes more like a ritual altar because I like to leave my ritual tools out. So on a ritual altar, you typically keep everything you use for periodic rituals here. For me, I do a lot of moon magick so I usually have my moon water, selenite, grimoire, and whatever else I’m feeling for the vibe of the ritual.
- Temporary Altar: This one is for my traveling witches or my babies still in the broom closet. If you don’t have the luxury of leaving your stuff out all the time, you can set it up temporarily and package it when you’re done. For these I suggest having mini items that can be put away and easily transported. For example, you could get small tumbled crystals, package them in tiny bags, and then put the tiny bags in a tiny cauldron. Whenever you want to do magick all you have to do it take out your stuff and it packs up easily. I used to do this when I had to go between two houses (divorced parent things). I had a small cosmetic bag, a small box, and one book which all fit in another small bag. In the cosmetic bag, I could fit both of my tarot decks. Then in the box, I would package my crystals in tiny bags and put them in there. Lastly, the book was just my tarot cheat sheet that I made in a little notebook. It was the perfect kit for an on the go psychic.
- Sacred Space: Maybe you are not into collecting a bunch of objects but you still want a space designated for your craft/spirituality. Why not create a space that matches the vibes you want. Most places like this I see have their own little room. Many people do meditation rooms, seance rooms, a place to pray, home yoga studio, reading nook etc. Just a place where you can enjoy spirituality and listen to your soul. Some things that I typically see in these types of rooms are: yoga mats, floor cushions, calming colored paint on the walls, windows, mood lighting, candles, books etc. The sky is the limit because it is your space.
Altars are one of the most fun and personal aspects of witchcraft. This post is just a few ideas
Venusian VVitches 