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    How to I set up an altar?

    I don't know where else to put this, so if this is in the wrong section, I underdtand completely if a moderator moves it.
    I have read a little bit about making an altar, but I'm not too sure how to do it. I understand the elemental significance behind the pentacle, but is it even necessary? Can I have something in place of a pentacle?
    Also, I don't know where to set up my altar. I don't want to risk losing anything if I make it outside; the raccoons put their natural bandit masks to good use. There's nowhere in my house I could have it either, unless the empty space under my nightstand drawer counts as a valid option.
    Finally, I would really appreciate it if someone could tell me what I should use for my altar, or at least some suggestions. If the deities I honor should be incorporated into my altar's construction, how do I do that?

    ~~BerrySpice, the newbie

    #2
    Re: How to I set up an altar?

    Ther is a ton of variation when it comes to alters. Thalassa linked this elsewhere, pardon the language, and you might have it give you some good ideas: http://fuckyeahaltars.tumblr.com/ An alter can be as much or little as you chose to make of it, and there are lots of people who set something up in a drawer or similar for privacy's sake.

    The only pentacle I have is in an herb box that was sent to me as a gift. Other then that, I have none of the usual trappings but some candles to help me focus. As of right now, mine is indoors, and needs to be split into two, as I have two different concepts/sets of beings that are presently sharing space. I'll be moving soon, which means I'm going to specifically make space in the house for both post move. One alter has agricultural themes, the other has symbols tied to wolves and death, and will most likely become a place for ancestor pictures as well.. My spouse has a hiding-in-plain-sight spot for remembering the Aesir in our living room.
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      #3
      Re: How to I set up an altar?

      I agree with Dez - no set rules for an altar...unless you are following a path that has set rules! Most paths are pretty open about the different ways to worship though.

      I don't think there is a single pentacle in my house.

      My altar is a 'working altar' in the kitchen. It's basically just a wooden surface where I do all my "stuff". Above it is a windowsill that is more like a shrine, but you could connect it all together. I have things on the altar that I use in herb craft and that's about it. Put things on your altar that makes sense for you!



      Do you have figures of your deities or any physical representation? That is a good thing to add. Lots of people have a statue of a deity on the altar.
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        #4
        Re: How to I set up an altar?

        You can always make your own image, too...a lot of the statues out there, etc. are pretty expensive.
        Great Grandmother's Kitchen

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          #5
          Re: How to I set up an altar?

          When you get right down to it, the basic function of an altar is two-fold...its a place to put your stuff and a place to work. Depending on what sort of work you do, it might be a place for mashing herbs or it might be more like a shrine and a place for meditation or prayer. Often an altar is also a place to sort of "anchor" sacred space--when I say this, I'm not meaning to say that space can't be sacred without an altar or that the space around an altar is sacred, but rather that the altar often becomes the center of where one's sacred space begins by virtue of being the center of where they practice sacredness.

          As mentioned before, unless you belong to a particular path, you altar can contain whatever working tools, meditation aids, inspiration , etc that you want it to have. Often your altar will change. You might even have more than one altar. Your altar might be portable, or in a box or on a shelf, etc. We have a thread of member altars here, or you can check out the tumblr site Dez linked, they have lots of examples.
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            #6
            Re: How to I set up an altar?

            (Disclaimer: I am very eclectic) I don't have a pentacle on my altar; it's not part of my path. Since the one I have now is very small, it only has candles that I light while I pray, my prayer beads, a little trinket box, and my tarot cards. When I get more space, I will have some statuary on it and possibly some decorations. I'll use the one I have now, the smaller one, exclusively for candle magic. Put whatever is meaningful and useful to your and your path on it; there's no or wrong way. That'd be like me telling you that you're decorating your house wrong.
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              #7
              Re: How to I set up an altar?

              For some altar symbols I went to the local hobby shop and bought 3 of those wooden disks. 2 medium sized and one larger. I carved the goddess symbol in one, the god symbol in another and a pentacle in the larger third one. Inexpensive and effective.

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                #8
                Re: How to I set up an altar?

                I think that it's fine if it feels good. I converge others Im searching the place to my altar too. (So small appartment)

                ---------- Post added at 09:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:06 AM ----------

                Originally posted by optanotu View Post
                For some altar symbols I went to the local hobby shop and bought 3 of those wooden disks. 2 medium sized and one larger. I carved the goddess symbol in one, the god symbol in another and a pentacle in the larger third one. Inexpensive and effective.
                Always better to do by one's own than pay hundreds... If it's possible

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                  #9
                  Re: How to I set up an altar?

                  One thing you might consider,I had a friend that was Buddhist, he had this little cabinet that opened up into an alter. You could(if you are good with wood) design your own,or find a pre made Buddhist one and repurpose it.

                  Some examples here,with some pics.

                  Last edited by anunitu; 26 Feb 2012, 04:26.
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                    #10
                    Re: How to I set up an altar?

                    Since I'm a very private person I don't have very many things out in the open and so all my stuff is under my circle which is my bed
                    I don't have much and I really don't have a pentacle, but I do intend to get one.

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                      #11
                      Re: How to I set up an altar?

                      Originally posted by optanotu View Post
                      For some altar symbols I went to the local hobby shop and bought 3 of those wooden disks. 2 medium sized and one larger. I carved the goddess symbol in one, the god symbol in another and a pentacle in the larger third one. Inexpensive and effective.
                      I really like this idea. My pentacle is a wooden ashtray, so it's slightly curved at the sides. My carving skills leave much to be desired though, so I drew it on with a brown permanent marker pen. I got it when I was in a coven because I thought it would be better for passing around libations without them ending up on the floor. Incidentally, not drinking so much wine before the cakes/biscuits were passed around, had the same affect, but wasn't nearly so much fun!

                      ---------- Post added at 12:20 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:13 AM ----------

                      Originally posted by anunitu View Post
                      One thing you might consider,I had a friend that was Buddhist, he had this little cabinet that opened up into an alter. You could(if you are good with wood) design your own,or find a pre made Buddhist one and repurpose it.

                      Some examples here,with some pics.

                      http://www.boonmee.com/smbualcaset.html
                      When I lived at my mum's, my altar was a wardrobe. It was really nice to have it out of sight and not ruining the neat oriental style of the room, but then being able to open the doors and step into a magical space. The downside was that I couldn't leave candles burning or even leave the room while they were on, and I always had a bucket of water besides me, just in case. I actually never had a fire, but I was always very aware of the accident waiting to happen.

                      I love how these cabinets have a ledge you can put your candles on. That's got to be safer.
                      夕方に急なにわか雨は「夕立」と呼ばれるなら、なぜ朝ににわか雨は「朝立ち」と呼ばれないの? ^^If a sudden rain shower in the evening is referred to as an 'evening stand', then why isn't a shower in the morning called 'morning stand'?

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