Whats on your altar..

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[FunkyDemon]

Ive just started putting together things for my first altar, and it got me wondering what everyone else has on theirs...

What about everyone else? (feel free to show off a little bit )

My altar is very simple.  It has a hammer, a fire pot (mostly for Yule), and a blot bowl.  I'm looking for something to use as an oath ring, but haven't found anything yet.

[ILuvEire]

I have both an altar, and a shrine, and to me they are two totally different things.

My altar has few things that always stay on it, namely my knife, my offering bowl, and my bonsai tree.

The offering bowl is a very important part of my altar. In it I burn offerings, for my gods. Almost every ritual I do, or meditation, or prayer session or anything begins with an offering to the gods before I do anything. I burn a bit of incense, and an offering for the particular god/desses that I am requesting in my ritual space. I also do not burn the incense in my offering bowl, I have a particular censer for that hanging over the whole thing.

My bonsai tree is something very sacred and special, and has a place of honour on a little raised platform at the head of my altar. Trees represent the connection with the physical, and the divine. So this makes perfect sense why I have one one my altar, which is a space on the physical that connects to the divine.

A knife was a very important commodity to the ancient people. It could be used in so many ways, to help gathering food, hunting, and preparing the food. Honestly I don't really use it for the magical and ceremonial reasons but just to cut things, and use it just in a general way during ritual.

I also have what I would call "seasonal" things on my altar.

Spring:

I have generally a pot of potting soil (for the obvious reasons), and an egg (a symbol of fertility). I also keep one seed from the other ones I planted to show a portion of my planting is being sacrificed for the well-being and blessings of the gods. As time goes on I may pick a sprig off of a green healthy looking plant (after asking permission of course) and put it on my altar for spring. Green, yellow, and red candles adorn it.

Summer:

The plants begin to blossom, and that is what adorns my altar during this time. Sometimes I may put a little vanity mirror on it to reflect the sunlight, because this is a time of sunlight to me. I usually have my statues of Bile, and Lugh moved from my shrine (scroll down for more info about my shrine), to my altar, because they are gods of sun and light, and they are having their time at this part of the year.

Autumn

This part of they year is one of my favourites! I have autumn leaves fallen off their trees. Golden, red, and brown candles adorn my altar as those are the colours of the leaves. Any acorns, or other such offerings from the trees I take and but in a special place on my altar.

Winter:

This is one of the most boring times of the year for my altar. Everything lies dormant outside, and so I have black candles burning a constant vigil through the darkness. If possible I try to keep the sprigs of plant from spring on my altar, kind of like the light at the end of the tunnel. I also see this as the season for the moon, so I may have a few silver candles burning for her.

My shrine is a 8 foot tall oak "book shelf" with Celtic knots running up and down the side of it. On top I have Dagda, and Morrigan, with an incense censer hanging between them. Then on each shelf beneath them (they sit on top of the whole thing and the censer hangs from the ceiling) there are Brigit, Lugh, and Nuada, all with their respective incense holder. I am still trying to add to my collection, and actively seeking an image of Dian Cecht. I would like to fill the whole bookshelf up (except for the bottom one which holds all the extra incense) but that doesn't look like it is going to happen any time soon.

[Ravendas]

Ive just started putting together things for my first altar, and it got me wondering what everyone else has on theirs...

Right now, mine is setup as a prosperity altar to help aid in our financial situation...

• Two gold statues of Isis...one kneeling, wings outspread, the other standing
• A pewter oil warmer w/ winged Isis, rose petals in the dish as an offering
• Two crystal candle holders w/ green evergreen-scented candles
• Gold-wrapped dark chocolate (as an offering)
• Two mini soapstone jars w/ a few coins in each
• A gold Egyptian dagger
• Silk green foliage in a glass vase (I don't do real plants, I have a black thumb)

[Allstar]

I guess i actually have three.

One is in my bedroom and is a permanent altar. It's on top of my dresser, with two candles - one for the Goddess and one for the God. The south corner has my athame, the west corner has my chalice, the north corner has a an engraved wood box that holds my runes, and a gemstone tree I got as a Yule gift, and east corner has a large feather and sometimes an incense holder. The center of the altar has a soapstone pentacle. All on a black altar cloth.

The second altar is a sort of mini altar in the kitchen window above the sink. There are plants, wind chimes, crystals, my cauldron, a candle, incense, and water. I wanted something of each element, so when I'm doing something mindless like washing dishes, I would have something to look at and think about.

And the third altar is at my friend's house where our coven typically meets. We use the ledge in front of their fireplace to each keep things set up. My area has two altar candles, an incense holder, and a chalic. I am also getting a triple moon altar tile soon, and that will be added to it as well.

[Lorrie Indigo]

Ive just started putting together things for my first altar, and it got me wondering what everyone else has on theirs...

My altar is pretty much complete now...

My altar is on top of two bookshelves, so it's rectangle in shape. One side is colored white and silver: silver candle holders, silver tray, silver bell, silver candle snuffer, silver offering tray, silver goblet, silver pentacle/cross (when I'm not wearing it), white rosary, silver ring of fish Christian sign, silver wand with two clear crystals on it at each end, and a silver incense holder.

The other side has a water fountain, an essential oil diffuser, pictures of Jesus and my favorite saints: St. Francis of Assisi and St. Nicholas of Myra, angel tarot card deck, salt, The Gospel of Nazirenes book, Christian Wicca book, and Angel Numbers book, a container of tree seeds (I always want to keep some kind of real nature on my altar like that or stones or dried flowers), a gold unisex statue holding up a star currently facing north because it's currently winter, representing the current direction of my altar. Good luck charms from various countries. One of my altar cloths.

I plan on having more candle holders on my altar, using white and silver candles on one side, and other colored candles on the other side. 

And of course my Book of Light, and my Book of Light Companion--a folder of important things related to Christian Wicca I printed out from the Internet. I only put things I create in my Book of Light.

It may sound cluttered, but actually it's not, having most objects small helps a lot. 

The only objects that I want constantly staying in one place are the ones representing the four corners, like: Salt: Earth (north). Incense: Air (east). Candles: Fire (south). Water fountain: Water (west).

Other important spiritual books I have are directly under my altar on the bookshelf.

[RedWolf]

Ive just started putting together things for my first altar, and it got me wondering what everyone else has on theirs...

Well, I have recently moved into this place, but what I had on my previous one was.

A rack of deer antlers above all.

A small platform with a purple velvet cloth, and on that:

A little silver bowl for water.
A small hand-blown glass vase filled with sea-salt
A porcelain incense burner made by me.
A small brass bowl for burnings.
A handful of special rocks and stones.
Wand, dagger, and ceremonial jewelery.

A sheepskin pelt in front.

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