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The Altar is the name for the work space where we perform our rituals. It can be a special altar, made for that purpose, a kitchen table, Coffee table or even a large rock or tree stump. Some people like to kneel at the Altar, some prefer to stand, so whatever your preference is, find a surface that suits you. If you would like a place to store your ritual tools while they are not in use, an Altar that is a chest, box or drawers would be useful. Some people consecrate their Altar and treat it like a Ritual Tool, and some people treat the Altar as a place to put your tools and don't consecrate it or keep it apart from their everyday items. You can cover the Altar in an Altar Cloth for Ritual workings. You may like to have one cloth for every Ritual, or have several in different colours, to suit the Ritual you are doing. You can embroider symbols onto the cloth. If you do this, it might be a good idea to have a sheet of glass the same size as your Altar to go ontop of the cloth, so that if you spill anything, or the candles drip, it won't ruin the cloth. During Rituals, the Altar will typically hold the items you need for the Ritual, as well as a representation of the Elements and the Deity. The Right hand side of the Altar is the Masculine side, with representations of the God, Fire and Air. The Left hand side is the Feminine side, with representations of the Goddess, Earth and Water. The centre can be used for either. The Altar Candle is the first candle lit, and from it all other candles used in the Ritual are lit. 2 Chalices are not necessary, but I like to have 2 for symmetry. For safety and practicality, the candles and censer are best kept to the back of the Altar, where you do not have to reach over them. Also on the Altar may be the Book Of Shaddows, Incense, Bell and other items. My Altar is
usually laid out in this manner:
Instead of, or as well as, candles for the Deity you can have other representations. Goddess representations include a Crystal, necklace, Chalice, Cauldron, Shell, Pearl, Labrys, Corn dolly, Flowers, Stone with a hole in it. You could also use a statue or a picture of a Goddess. God representations include The Censer, Horn, Arrow, Sickle, Pointy shells, or a statue or picture of a God. You may also like to have an offering plate on the Altar. The Offering plate is where you place some small cakes or biscuits, which you will eat some of during the feast. Just like the Chalice holds the liquid consumed. You should always leave some for the Goddess and God and when you have finished the ritual, take it outside and bury /pour it in the ground. The Altar usually faces the north in a Northern Hemisphere, and South in the Southern Hemisphere. However you may also like to experiment with having it in the centre or between the Quarters. For Sabbat Rituals you might like to place the Altar in the position for the Sabbat based on the position on the Wheel of the year, so for example in the wheel below (Southern Hemisphere), for the Autumn Equinox Sabbat you could place the Altar in the Eastern Compass point of the Circle. Rather than having the Altar right at the edge of the Circle, I like to have it about 3 feet from the edge, so that I can walk right around the Circle and access the Quarter points behind the Altar.
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