What is an altar? An altar is a sacred space the practitioner uses for ritualistic purposes, whether it be meditation, gathering offerings, or even connecting with Deities. Altars can be as small as a match box or as large as a kitchen table (or even bigger).
But, to put it simply, you do not have to have an altar.
Altars can be deeply personal and some paths can require one or even multiple. Other paths may not be so stringent and won't feel the need to have one. Having more than one altar is common for those who work with multiple deities. With this type of altar, you would include your correspondences for that deity.
Tools popular with many practitioners for use on an altar are an athame, crystals, a wand, an incense burner, and a cauldron or a fireproof bowl. No altar is the same, nor should it be. Your altar should be unique to you and reflect your path of choice. If you place items for the elements, make sure they correspond with the cardinal directions:
- North is for Earth
- East is for Air
- South is for Fire
- West is for Water.
Cleansing your altar to remove any negative energies is an important beginning step and this can be done by burning herbs, incense, or employing sound, such as ringing a bell.
Additional items you can add are statues to represent your God(s) or Goddess(es), candles, stones, herbs, incense, an altar cloth, cauldron, pictures, and any other supplies for your craft.