The
Altar and The Tools
Your altar can be made of almost anything, notice I said almost, it should not contain any metal, such as aluminum, steel,or tin, if there must be metal, brass is acceptable, the reason there should be no metal has to do with conductivity, There are certain tools that are made of steel or metals that are used to hold and direct energy ( we will go over the tools) I have seen altars made of two cinder blocks and a piece of plywood, a cardboard box filled with books and a piece of glass. one witch friend found an antique table that had the legs pegged on with glue and so on. I have read and heard that the altar most be round, that is not the case... if you are a solitary, then frankly what ever is going to to fit in your room or even a corner of a room, however, coven's work differently and may use a round one...my coven uses a large rectangular table made for us and is large enough to hold 15 goblets and 15 athames along with all the other altar furniture that is associated to our tradition, I took a smaller version of the rectangle for my home altar, which my husband made of birch and liquid nails.
Your altar should be set up facing North, however, if the North happens to be in front of a closet and you need to place it along a wall, then face it East. I myself have to place my altar against a wall and move it to the center of the room for ritual since the room is also a home office. Also, make sure your altar is wide enough for working rituals that call for more material then just altar furniture, or you may find yourself squashing everything in a small space. and distracting yourself away from your work to catch a tumbling candle.I also suggest an altar cloth for two reasons, ( 1.) to protect the actual surface from candle wax or scratches, I have original art work painted on my surface and don't want it mess up.( 2.) Your altar is sacred and should not be neglected. adorning the altar of your faith should be a joyful and reflective time as well as a preparation of the work you are about to conduct. A particular Witch couple I know has a glass topped altar and instead of an altar cloth they have a small length of fabric of scottish weaving that reflects their kinship and their name hood's coat of arms colors. As for my coven, the altar clothes were changed for each Sabbat and special rituals and each one had our coven seal embroidered in the center.
A simple altar set up should consist of a Goddess candle ( silver) a God candle ( Gold), a altar candle ( I use white most of the time but change them for Sabbats and special rituals ), a Goddess symbol or figure, a God figure or symbol, an incense burner, your chalice or goblet, an offering dish, and two bowls for salt and water.
Certain covens and traditions require certain items. My coven is an Alexandrian tradition and requires a altar pentacle, a scourge, a wand, a sword, a small cauldron and our working cords. There is no hard set rule unless your traditional training requires it, My personal altar at home has a small statue of Bast in cat form as well as a small rock with a groove in it for Goddess symbols, and my God figure is a phallic shaped crystal and rock, however I do use the traditional Alexandrian alter furniture. But in the end whatever feels right for your path is fine.
The
Traditional Witches tools are as follows, I have included the Alexandrian
associations of each element:
The
Athame: The witches black handled knife.
It is purely ritual and never used for actual cutting. It is a personal
tool = Masucline/Fire other trads use it an air element
The
Sword: Usually a coven tool, interchangeable
with the athame again, purely ritual and should never be used to cut unless
for the cutting of a hand fasting cake and is usually used by the High
Priestess. = Masculine/ Fire, other trads use it as an air element.
The
Wand: A quieter tool then the athame or
sword, it is said to be used to control certain entities that meeting with
a sword would no be wise. It communicates by request not by demand. = Masculine/
Air to other trads it is of the fire element
The
Chalice: To be used to hold or drink
within the circle in which wine is to be consecrated. = Feminine / Water
The
Pentacle: A center piece of some altars
according to tradition on which objects are consecrated on. = Feminine/
Earth
The
Censer: A vessel to burn incense in to
help create an atmosphere suited to the particular work at hand. = Unspecified
gender but may be Feminine/ Air
The
White handled Knife: Used for cutting
within the circle or for inscribing candles.= Masucline/Fire
The
Cords: Again, personal tools and a witch
has their own set. Each cord must be 9 feet in length in the colors
of either there degree or as coven dictates, usual colors seem to be red,
blue, and white and are used for magick work.
The
Scourge: A symbolic tool with eight tails
and 5 knots in each tail, used as a symbol of power and of purification, some
traditions use a scourge at initiation. ( I have a beautiful original design
by a witchy friend with embossed metal roses and intertwining leather work
on the handle.)
The
Broom: Used to symbolically "sweep" the
circle and for jumping over for newly hand fasted couples for fertility,
it is the symbol of a witch still today. Hanging one over the door to keep
negative nastiness out or by the hearth or fireplace as a symbol of the
heart of the Home. = Masculine
The
Cauldron: Again a typical symbol of witchcraft
and of renewal and rebirth and jumping over the cauldron during a fertility
rite is not uncommon, Can be used to hold water, flowers, fire, or incenses
as well as being used for magick.= Feminine/Water
The
Necklace: Represents the circle
of rebirth, according to Alexandrian Tradition it should be of amber and
jet and a gift from the female witches working partner.( I have a long
chain with an amber sided talisman and a dark moon stone on the other)
The
Garter: A magickal object and a badge
of Rank, in some covens all women may have a garter, in my own only a 2nd
degree or 3rd degree High Priestess/Witch may wear one, but a second buckle
may only be added after a coven has successfully hived off of the High
Priestess' original coven , after three buckles she is a
Witch
Queen.