Altar Set-up

Please note, this is the most common way to set up an altar, but not the only way.

First off, most altars are set up facing east. The altar can be round, rectangular, square...it truly does not matter. Some Wiccans choose to drape altar cloths on top, with the color of the cloth corresponding to whatever ritual or spell will be performed; others simply have their tools on their altar. As we have said, there are many ways to set up your altar, and you must find the one that works for you. Some do not have altars at all, for example, and simply set up their tools upon the ground. An altar is a "grounding" for indoor work to Mother Earth, so most outdoor work does not require the use of an altar - again, it is up to you. However, for simplicity's sake, we will speak of the most common tools and set-up for an altar.

The following are tools that are needed for basic spellwork or rituals: candles (usually two), a pentacle, cauldron, incense, censer (also called an incense burner), a bell, sword, athames (or daggers, usually one with a black hilt and the other a white one), a bowl of salt, an image of the God and Goddess, a chalice, water, altar cloth, a wand, a broom, a staff, herbs, stones, the Book of Shadows, and any ritual talismans or jewelry/clothing. It is highly recommended to cleanse each object, then charge it with your own energy before using it - you do not want someone else's energy to get mixed up in your spells.

Basic set-up usually requires the image of the Goddess on the left and all tools associated with Her placed on the left-hand side as well. These tools include the bell, chalice, cauldron, and broom. The image of the God is then placed to the right, along with the tools associted with Him: the sword, bowl of salt, censer, the white-hilted and black-hilted daggers, and wand. The pentacle is usually placed in the center. Many people try to "balance" their altar, with one candle on each side, for example (one for the God, one for the Goddess). Again, it all depends on how you feel it should be set up. If you choose Dianic Wicca, for example, then you would not include any image of the God. The best thing to do is buy (or better yet - find and make!) your altar tools, and let them "discover" where they belong on your altar.