8/20/2006 - Altars

I know I have a couple of times at least made mention of the use of an altar in some of the spells I have posted here thus far. So for those that may not be familler with altars or are not sure how to construct thier own, I will give this discription about them.

Altars can be very simple or very elborate and have many different useses in magick. They can either by tempory used for a specific ritual or spell, or you can choose to make a permienet altar which you use for all your workings. An altar can be any choosen space, a place on a shelf, a table, a stool, or just a space upon the floor, or you can create a structure, or by one to be used for your altar. It dosen't have to be large. I usually just fine somewhere in my room where there is space avialiable to put up an altar for use as I need it then take it down when I am complete. Some people have very intercate and detatiled altars that are permieant.

The first thing you should get for your altar is what is known as an altar cloth, there are some places that sell speically desigened cloths just for altars or for card reading which you can use, but you can also just use a choosen scarft, or shall, or blanket, etc.. or you can always handmake something if you have such talant and prefer to do so. Lay the cloth out over the space desinated for your alter, and then it is a good idea to have at least a couple of candels upon the altar and maybe some inscense as well.

On your altar you should also add a few things that are personal to you, you might wish to place a small photo of you, or perhaps a clip of your hair or something of that nature, maybe a favored childhood toy, whatever you feel has your "signiture" on it and best represents you. You may also wish to place an idol of a deity or a representation of a deity which is close to you and that you are most drawn to, and use colors in the form of ribbons perhaps or yarn, something like that to decorate your altar that are most pleasing to you. A collection of things that both have your energy fingerprint and inspire you.

In addition when you are preparing to use your altar for a particular spell or ritual then you should add to the altar things which are needed for the preformace of whatever you happen to be working upon. If it is a perminant altar then the things which are personal to you that have been added to the altar in addition to the candles and insecense should remain upon the alater and only remove those items which were spifcialy needed for a spell or ritual being preformed.

If you do have a perminant altar then it is a good idea to clense it after every usage, if you have a temporary altar then I would clense the space in which the altar was placed after you deconstrcut it.