Five Types of Altars
There is not right or wrong answer to this question. It is individual to each Wiccan or Pagan. What is right for you, might not work for someone else.
For some practitioners, a single permanent altar is fine and will work for whatever spell or ritual they choose to perform. It is like always cooking with the same set of pots and pans. They will do what you want, but they may not do it as well or as timely.
For some practitioners, they need more variety. They may change their altar by the seasons, by the spell or ritual, or even just because they changed their mind on the color scheme. Sometimes, this fresh outlook works well and other times it is a disaster. Learning to use a new ritual set up can be time consuming, but it usually pays off in the long run.
Five types of altars
There are different ways to set up your altar depending on what your wants and needs. Here are five different ways to set up your altar:
By Tradition:
Each tradition from Alexandrian to Seax-Wica has their own way to set up their altar. If you are learning or following a particular tradition, then you should incorporate their ideals into your altar.
Scott Cunningham, in Wicca: A Guide to the Solitary Practitioner, says that your altar should be split into three areas. The left area is for the Goddess. The right one is for the God and the center is for both deities together.
By Deity
When setting up an altar based on the deity or deities that you believe in, you will want to make that deity or deities your focus. Find a representation of those deities and place it in the center of your altar. Surround it with other things that represent those deities.
Aphrodite is the Greek Goddess of Love, Beauty and Sexual Rapture. For an altar of Aphrodite, you might have a bust of Aphrodite in the center and surround it will items that represent love, beauty and sex. You might have the bust sitting on a bed of roses with a brush and mirror on one side and a picture of you and your lover on the other side.
Ares is the Greek God of War. For an altar of Ares, you might have a dagger to represent the God with other weapons surrounding it. The name Ares means destroyer or avenger. If you are a geeky Wiccan or Pagan, you could have representation of Marvel’s Avengers on your altar.
By Spell
Each spell or ritual you perform requires different ingredients and supplies. This will mean changing your altar to accommodate those supplies. If you are writing your own rituals, then you can decide what goes on the altar. If you are using a ritual or spell from a book or website, then that ritual or spell will dictate what is needed on your altar.
For a love spell, you would have hearts and roses. For a money spell, you would have money and other financial representation. It all depends on what is the goal of your spell.
By Holiday
Each Sabbat or Esbat has its own associations that would change the way your altar is set up. A lot of the Sabbat supplies are based on the season it is in. This allows for fresh flowers, fruits and veggies to be added to your altar. For Samhain, you can use pumpkins. For Yule, you can use holly and mistletoe. It all depends on what holiday it is and what you like about that holiday.
Eclectic Mix
This is probably how most Wiccans and Pagans have their altar set up. The altar will usually start out in a traditional style and then change and grow as you change and grow in your spirituality. Everyone has different things that work well with them or different needs that they are focused on.
For someone who is looking for love they may have Aphrodite as their Goddess and use roses and candy kisses on their altar. For someone who is has health issues, they may have healing stones and gems placed on their altar in a healing rune configuration. For someone who is embracing astral projection, they may have their altar set up with spells and wards for psychic protection and have gems and stones that enhance their psyche.
It all depends on what you need or desire from your altar. It changes with you and with your beliefs. Each practitioner is different and when you add two or more practitioners using the same altar, which will change how it is set up as well.
What type of altar do you have? Answer below in the comments.
