How to Keep an Altar
You’re in the right place if you want to…
learn what an altar is and how to use it
understand the different types of altars
look for ways to use the tarot in your daily life
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To start off the show, we look at our Tarot Card for the week and we look for moments that relate to this card in our daily lives.
For this week, we chose the Two of Swords. The theme of this card is a crossroads of thought.
The two of swords features a blindfolded and alone person who is sitting on a hard stone bench at the edge of a lake or body of water, and holding two heavy swords. It’s very uncomfortable looking.
They deliberately came out to this bench near the water, blindfolded themself and picked up two swords. And all of this was done with the intention of balancing their thoughts, experiencing that coming together of wisdom and clarity and understanding.
In a way, the two swords could represent two options and you’re sort of weighing these options through sorting out your thoughts. And not weighing between two options where one is clearly the right choice. There is nothing comfortable about being blindfolded, sitting on a hard bench while holding two heavy swords crossed in front of you. But, when faced with these choices, ultimately we have to make a choice. So, it’s really about figuring out what’s right for you, freeing yourself from distractions because no one else can tell you what’s right for you.
You can hear Erica’s and Maggie’s stories related to the Two of Swords by listening to the episode.
What is an altar?
An altar is simply your magical workspace. Generally, it is a solace in your home that you keep set up, cleansed and prepared for working spells, honoring deities or spirits, storing your tools and materials, leaving offerings and engaging in any other magical practice you want.
Many of our ancestors kept an altar in their home. They would dedicate it to certain gods and goddesses. They would burn candles or incense and leave offerings to their deity in exchange for guidance, or prosperity, or protection.
Altars can serve an important purpose for the modern witch as well.
Do you HAVE to keep one? No, of course not. But it can be really helpful if you do. It is a space dedicated to magical and spiritual work. It can help get you into the proper mindset for whatever magic you would like to perform. It also serves as a visual reminder of your practice. I know my ADHD brain is very “Out of sight, out of mind,” so having an altar is a reminder for me.
So HAVING an altar is a personal choice, how you set it up is also personal. An altar could look like a table, a bookcase, a shelf on the wall. It could be out in the open or hidden away.
The most important thing to remember is that it should serve your practice and how you will use it. Do you like to use candles or incense? You will need holders and matches or a lighter. If you like to leave offerings for a spirit or deity, you will need a dish of some kind. You might want a representation of your ancestors, spirit guide, god or goddess, etc. Consider the tools you use most often, the season and moon phase if that's part of your practice.
And remember that it’s not permanent. In fact, things will shift and change constantly as you change and your practice changes, and the energies ebb and flow around you. Remember, it’s not about being perfect, it’s about being practical.
Ideas to Think About
Adjust altar colors seasonally at each sabbat.
Create a ritual around the changing moon
Bring in elements of nature
Include representations of your beliefs
Make sure it’s practical and helpful
Types of Alters
Spiritual Altars
A spiritual altar may be considered the most traditional of the types of altras we’ll discuss. It can be a structure where you leave offerings for religious or spiritual purposes, acknowledge and celebrate life, honor your ancestors, astral project, welcome visitors to your home, invite spirits to commune with you, pray, meditate, prepare for a magical working, seek guidance for navigating your struggles and worries, and more.
This may be an external place of worship, but it can be a beautiful addition to your home as well.
When creating a spiritual altar, it helps to reflect on what your spiritual practice looks like and what the intended use for the altar would be. Then you can add symbols, tools, color, art and other features to represent that intention.
Secret Altars
Some of us are not free to have an out-in-the-open altar, for various reasons. Try these less obvious replacements:
Use non-identifiable representation of your higher power of choice, such as a cool looking stick or an interesting rock.
Use a feather to represent air, a rock for earth, a shell for water and a candle for fire. You could even just use color to represent each element (yellow or purple for air, blue or white for water, green or brown for earth, and red or orange for fire)
Place a vase of seasonal flowers or twigs as symbols of the current Sabbat.
Practical Altar
A practical altar is what keeps your day to day life running smoothly. They may not be extraordinarily mystical but they are extraordinarily important to the necessary upkeep of your home and life demands. Make sure you recognize and honor their sacredness. Think about this: routine and ritual are prayers for order.
Another great thing about practical altars is that they double as secret altars.
Examples of Practical Altars:
The kitchen where you store all the food you need to nourish your body. With an organized pantry and refrigerator, preparing meals is simple and magical.
The garage or workshop where you store the tools and supplies you need to mend things when they are broken and build or create new things when you need them. Keeping it well-lit and orderly is essential to successfully completing these projects.
The dressing area that is a shrine to the passive energy. It is where you prepare yourself with clothing and jewelry and makeup that gives the impression you desire.
The living area or game room is a shrine to active energy. This is where you host parties and connect with friends and family and express yourself externally.
Think about your daily rituals. Where do you read, get dressed, fold your laundry, exercise, practice hygiene, prepare meals, journal or write, work, etc.? Are these areas set up for their intended use? How can you be more intentional about these practical altars to daily activities?
Outdoor Altars
Altars don’t have to be inside. In fact, an outside altar can be very beneficial to a spiritual or witchy practice that is heavily influenced by the natural world. When you are outside you can connect with nature in a powerful way.
A vegetable, herb or flower garden can make a wonderful outdoor altar. Especially for green witches. An old stump in a secluded area of your yard or even a public area could be used for leaving offerings. Forming a relationship with a living tree can help you feel grounded and connected to nature.
Decorate your outdoor altar with natural items that can decompose over time.
This post is brought to you by DAndelion
MEDICINAL - Mild liver stimulant, promotes bile production; Great for stimulation of digestive tract, gets the ‘juices’ flowing; Gastrointestinal tonic; Prevents gallstone formation and may help to dissolve certain types of gallstones; Root is very detoxifying, helps stimulate the liver and gallbladder to remove toxins; Beneficial for constipation; Helps with acne, eczema, psoriasis; Good for people who have issues with fluid retention; Helpful for hepatitis; Helpful for arthritis, osteoarthritis, and gout; Leaf has more of an effect on the kidneys while the root has more effect on the liver and gallbladder; Due to it’s cooling properties and action on the liver, it can be helpful in treating hot flashes; Makes a great salad green; Flowers are also tasty in salads or delicious to dip in dressings
MAGICAL - Active, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Air, Fire, Libra
Leaf: Summoning spirits, healing, purification and defeating negativity. Bury in northwest corner of yard to bring favorable winds. Use in sachets and charms to make wishes come true.
Root: Magical uses include divination, wishes and calling spirits. Use in dream pillows & sachets for sleep protection. Bury on northwest side of house to draw good luck.
Flower/Seeds: Wishes, Bee Magic and Aphrodite, Strength/Resilience, Overcoming adversity
Libra is all about equality and equity and by extension social justice. For the Libra season each week Maggie and Erica will recommend a cause that you can help to support. You can support the charity we’ve selected, choose your own, or find something else to do in support if you cannot support financially (or nothing at all if you don’t feel called at this time, that’s okay too).
This week we hope you will join us in advocating with indigenous people to respect treaties and water.
The construction of a pipeline in Minnesota has already negatively impacted many communities along the Mississippi river and there is potential to poison the water if construction continues.
Source: Indigenous Environmental Network
"This poisoned water isn’t just going to harm communities in Minnesota. St. Louis sits directly downstream on the Mississippi River with some of our most vulnerable neighbors, mostly communities of color, living right on the banks of that water” Cori Bush
Write or Call President Biden, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. If you write, draw a sigil or a symbol that represents clean water to you on the paper with water or blue ink. If you call, light a blue candle before you do. Tell them that the line 3 pipeline is environmentally damaging and conflicts with treaties. You’ll find an example script as well as addresses and phone numbers in the show notes.
Write or call: President Biden at whitehouse.gov/contact or via the White House comment line: (202) 456-1111.
Write or call: MN Governor Tim Walz at https://mn.gov/governor/contact/ or 651-201-3400.
Script: Hello, I’m contacting you from [STATE] to oppose the harmful Line 3 pipeline that is both environmentally damaging and in direct conflict with existing treaties. I’m asking you to prioritize environmental justice by stopping construction on this dangerous fossil fuel-based project.
If you wish to support financially, send donations to the red lake treaty camp legal fund. The Venmo and Paypal links are below:
Donate: To the Red Lake Treaty Camp Legal Fund via Venmo or PayPal to support those advocating for environmental justice. [Source: IEN]
Action Source: Americans of Conscious. Sign up for updates here: https://americansofconscience.com/subscribe/
Send us a voicemail
We play one listener voicemail on each episode of Talk Witchcraft, with a few exceptions. To send us a voicemail, record a voice memo on your phone and email it to welisten [at] talkwitchcraft [dot] com. Please keep in mind that we only choose voicemails that are two minutes in length or shorter (even if they’re great!).
What we’re looking for in a voicemail
Share from your personal experiences (especially experiences that we could never have) and use that to illuminate the zodiac season or theme in new ways.
Ask questions of Erica and Maggie, so we have an opportunity to respond meaningfully to your voicemail during the podcast.
Use one of these prompts: Is there something happening with you and your life that aligns with the current zodiac season or a Tarot card? How do your experiences show us something new about the magic, something that we haven’t talked about so far?
Send a voicemail even if you’re behind on the podcast. If your voicemail is about a previous episode, zodiac season, or tarot card; that doesn’t mean we won’t choose it!
Tips for recording a great voicemail
Make sure you’re somewhere quiet.
Plan what you’re going to say ahead of time, because two minutes goes quickly.
Opt for talking freely based on a bullet pointed list rather than reading word-for word from a script.
Let us know if you’d prefer to remain anonymous.
Wait, don’t go yet!
Thanks for hanging out with me today. If you’ve enjoyed this post of Talk Witchcraft, I invite you to check out mumblesacademy.com.
Mumbles Academy is the place to be for intuitive souls at any stage on their WitchPath. Whether you are a Wildling at the very beginning of witchcraft journey and looking for a safe learning environment, a Creator who is already committed to their practice and wants to develop their witchcraft skills even more, or a Sage who full of wisdom already and is ready to share that with others, Mumbles Academy was designed for you.
With monthly masterclasses and live Q&As, an extensive archive of courses and training, and a supportive community to help you along the way with encouragement and advice, Mumbles Academy is the perfect place for you to be as you as you continue on your WitchPath.
Now it’s your turn!
Share how you came out of the brook closet. Or if you’re not out yet, tell us why.
