Pagan Altar

The altar is often the focus of religious ceremony, and is usually found at the center of a Wiccan rite. It’s essentially a table used for holding all of the ritual tools, and can also be used as a workspace in spell casting.

An altar is easy to make. If you have a small table that’s not being used for other things, great! Will you be doing a lot of rituals outdoors? Use an old stump or a flat stone. If you’re short on space, such as cramped apartment or dormitory quarters, consider an altar space that can be used for other purposes as well – the top of a dresser, a cedar chest, even a footlocker.

Do you live in an environment in which you’d like to keep your altar private? You may wish to just create a “portable altar” that can be put away when not in use. Find a nice box or bag to keep your tools in, and then get them out when you need them. If you have an altar cloth, it can double as a storage bag – just put all your tools in the middle, bundle them up, and tie it shut like a pouch.

You can have permanent altars that stay up year round, or seasonal ones that you change as the Wheel of the Year turns. It’s not uncommon to meet someone who has more than one altar in their home. A popular theme is the ancestor altar, which includes photos, ashes or heirlooms from deceased family members. Some people enjoy having a nature altar, on which they place interesting items they find while out and about – a rock, a pretty seashell, a chunk of wood that looks appealing. If you have children, it’s not a bad idea to let them have their own altars in their rooms, which they can decorate and re-arrange to suit their own needs. Your altar is as personal as your spiritual path, so use it to hold the things you value.

Tools of the Craft

When people first discover Paganism or Wicca, they often rush to go buy every single magical tool they can find. After all, the books tell us to buy this, that, and the kitchen sink, so you better hustle on over to Ye Local Wytchy Shoppe and get stuff!

But once you get it, what do you DO with it?

It is important to understand that magical tools have an actual purpose, before you go out and grab one. Tools are often representative of one of the four classical elements, which may help you select the tool you need for your purpose.

Most Wiccan and Pagan traditions use the following tools in some capacity.

The wand

Clichéd as it may sound, the wand is one of the most popular magical tools in Wicca, as well as in some ceremonial magic traditions. It has a number of magical purposes. A wand is used for the directing of energy during a ritual. Because it's a phallic symbol it is used to represent male energy, power, and virility. Representative of the element of Air(although in a few traditions it symbolizes Fire), the wand can be used to consecrate a sacred space, or invoke deity. 

The cauldron

The cauldron is a symbol of the Goddess, and it's all about femininity. The cauldron is the womb in which life begins. Although it usually represents the element Water, the cauldron is an interesting tool because it can tie in to all four elements. You place it upon the Earth, heat it with Fire, fill it with Water, and send the steam up into the Air. In Celtic legend, the goddess Cerridwen possessed a cauldron of immortality and inspiration.

In some traditions, a cup or chalice is used in place of a cauldron, and in others the cauldron and cup are used together. A cup is just a small cauldron, and can be made of any material. 

Knife

Often referred to as the athame (pronounced a-tha-may) in Wiccan traditions, the magic knife is not used for cutting but for the directing of energy and manipulation of power. In some branches of Paganism, a sword is used in place of the athame. The traditional athame is double-edged and although the tip is usually pointed, the edges of the blade are often dull. After all, it's a ceremonial knife rather than a practical one. Commonly linked with the element Fire, the athame is a phallic symbol and is often used to represent the God. The athame is used forcasting a circle or for the direction of energy.














Pentacle

Nearly every tradition of Wicca (and many Pagan paths) uses thepentacle as a symbol. Not to be confused with the pentagram (a five-pointed star), the pentacle is a flat piece of wood, metal, clay, or wax inscribed with magical symbols. The most commonly seen symbol, however, is the pentagram itself, which is why the two terms are often confused.

In ceremonial magic, the pentacle is used as a protective talisman. However, in most Wiccan traditions it is seen as representative of the element of Earth, and can be used on the altar as a place to hold items that are going to be ritually consecrated. You can make your own, or buy one commercially.

Broom / Besom

While it comes in handy during a good game of Quidditch, the broom - or besom - is also useful for sweeping a ceremonial area out before ritual. A light sweeping not only cleans the physical space, it also clears out negative energies that may have accumulated in the area since the last cleaning. The broom is a purifier, so it is connected to the element of Water. It is not uncommon to meet witches who have broom collections, and it is fairly easy to make your own besom if you dont wish to buy one. The traditional magical formula includes a bundle ofbirch twigs, a staff of ash or oak, and a binding made from willow wands. 















Censer

The censer is a container used for burning resins and incense on hot charcoal to release the natural energies of the plants, woods and flora and resins.  It can be elaborate, crafted from brass and fitted with  a chain handle allowing the censer to be swung and the incense smoke spread, or it can be something as simple as a ceramic dish.  If ceramics, or natural wood vessels are used as censers, then it's a good idea to line the base with a good layer of sand which will absorb the heat from the burning charcoal, and preventing cracking and breaking.  The sand also gives a good flat surface to support small incense cones or sticks.