The Altar, What do you use as altar Options

I was wondering what you guys use as an altar.

Currently i don't have a good altar and am looking in constructing one.
For the moment i use a big granite stone that is elevated a bit above the ground, but its to low and it doesn't work comfortable.

Also, do you place your ritual tools on the altar? I place mine at the margin of the circle at their corresponding direction. It helps me see where the border of the circle is.
If you place the tools on the altar, then how do you see where the circle is?
(Astral vision perhaps?)

These are just questions i want to hear another opinion about, so i can keep them in mind when constructing my altar... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/search.gif) just searching for new ways to view stuff, keeping an open mind (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wandwizard.gif)

My "altar" is a real tiny one. 11" x 11" It's a wooden "pillar" about my waist high used to put plants/statue on the corner of a room (IMG:style_emoticons/default/13.gif) I just ducktape thick black paper on it as a cover. I place my tools there with a candle and a few other small things depending on my needs, ie. sigils. But I only got a dagger so far so having a tiny altar like mine works perfectly.

I can't see my circle yet, but I am not worried about that as I am the circle and my circle follows me - at least as I thought so (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Fox,
Your alter sounds awesome! I use a small ceder chest that also serves as storage for tools, candles, and incense. I just cover the top with an alter cloth. You can buy cheap bits of fabric in any color.

As for your tools you should look into getting side alters. Smaller alters along the walls with correct colors of candles, tools, stones, pictures, etc make excellent temple space. Check the grocery store and see if you can snag some milk crates, then just cover them with colored cloth. When I am working with a small space I will just lay out the tools and candles in a circle around me and count that as my space.

As for the tools on top of my alter I usually don't do that. I reserve that space for the Repast of the Elements such as the picture. Or wand or banishing dagger or tarot card if I am pathworking etc.

I hope this helps.

Frater NERO

One question on altar direction. I use a compass to determine east and face my altar accordingly. However, in a room which served as my ritual room are not actually "in line" with the quarters, so the direction is a bit odd. Not a very good English I know (IMG:style_emoticons/default/13.gif) but I think you got my point.

My question is, how importan is to have the altar face the correct quarters and what is actually "involved" here?

I have a traditional Double-alter....I just bought sheets of plywood, air nailed them and wood glued it and then sanded it down so you can barely see the line where the pieces come together. Then I just primed, painted, and finished! I love my double cube lol.

-VVL (IMG:style_emoticons/default/egypt1.gif)

I have a tiny table which I cover and I don't worry too much about it being exactly facing the compass point since my room is pretty much aligned with the points anyway.

My temporary tools are wine glass, pentacle, wooden chop stick and kitchen knife since my place is not very private, basically nothing that looks like it could be anything other than ordinary household stuff apart from the pentacle, but that has been used by many over thousands of years for all sorts of meanings so I am not too bothered.

My cloth is an old black Muslim scarf I used to wear, it has a nice white embroidered trim on one side if I want to jazz the look up a bit (IMG:style_emoticons/default/13.gif)

thanks for the replies.

to nero:
my altar is heavy, and the 2 pieces it stands on are heavy to. It's heavy work putting it on the right place in my room each day and then placing it back.
By the time i am ready to do my ritual i am out of breath.
I like the idea of smaller altars along the circle, then i can place my elemental tools on it. I like the way your altar looks, especially the bread and drink are a nice touch, I don't often take food within my circle, perhaps i should do that more.

to kinjo:
I use a compass to, and the quarters are not aligned to my room, its a bit strange, when building my house later i am planning on a circular room for my ritual space (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
I don't have many tools either, a dagger and a pentacle. I would like an altar that is about waist high too.

to Frater V.V.L :
I'm thinking of building a double cube also, do you have wheels under it?
I would like to be able to shuffle my tarot cards when standing up.
Do you have doors in it to place ritual tools in?


I'm still a bit confused (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) ...

• A lower altar is handy when i am doing long meditation, my current altar is ideal when doing that. I can place some tea on it etc... I even have a small warmer with a candle where i can place my tea pot on, so it stays warm during those long sessions, i often read books that way inside my circle, and i stay in it for about 2 hours then, its nice to have hot tea even at the end of those 2 hours.
  
  
• It would be strange to meditate with a huge altar towering above me when sitting down. But then i can shuffle my tarot cards more easily at the end of my daily rituals.

I have some thinking to do, before i construct anything.

First of all, why in the world are you aligning your temple with magnetic lines? You should be facing the direction the Sun is rising. I know east is east but they are slightly different. Next, forget the compass. Go outside and see which direction the sun rises. Go into your temple and pick the wall that most closely aligns with that direction. That is now the wall you face. That way you are not facing a corner. It is not all that important if you are a few degree's off and I would find it very distracting to stare at a corner during rituals.

Fox,
How about a seperate meditation area? If you have the space a seperate meditation room would be awesome, if not a small corner of a unused room would be nice. Turn your stone into a meditation alter with pic's, statues, your tarot cards, maybe a little incense. Sounds nice!

Another option is build a double cube alter but don't nail the two cubes together. That way you could leave them stacked for ritual work and then take the top one off for meditation work. Just an idea.

P.S. I am not bringing food into my temple, I am having communion. In the picture shown I have set up what is called the Repast of the Elements. You smell the rose for air, you hold your hand over the fire, drink the wine, and then eat the bread and salt. Just wanted to make that small point.

Frater NERO

ok, sorry, i was not sure what Repast of the Elements was, I'm not familiar with that ritual.

Anyway, i have only one room I can use, and its my bedroom.
I still live with my parent and two brothers.

The meditation corner sounds nice, but i like to meditate inside my circle after doing the LBRP the BRH, the middle pillar, the invoking ritual of the element i am working on and the tarot contemplation.
Then i meditate inside the circle, it feels better that way, i don't meditate often, but when i meditate i meditate that way.

Stackable cubes is a good idea, i think I'll make my alter that way.

So you would just face the wall in your room that is closest to the east? I think I'll try that, i always felt a little strange doing my rituals misaligned to the room, it doesn't visualize easy.

I like that double atlar idea, not nailing it down, maybe you could fit it with clasps on the side so you don't accidentally knock it over during ritual. You could always keep the double altar and meditate in a chair, ol' God-form Posture. Anyways, this thread has helped me a lot for plans for my own permenant altar (I use a large cardboard box on top of an empty computer tower (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush2.gif) with a cloth over it, not the best thing in the world )

My altar is a piece of granite tombstone that was given to me by the carvers to get it out of thier way,it's rather small,but fairly portable. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/egypt1.gif)

unused tombstone, straight from the carver? i have lots of that in my backyard.

i went to take a piece.
Now my altar is made up of to chinese rough grey granite blocks, on wich a smal black polished piece of granite lays.

I think i'll stick to that, it looks nice.
I'll try to put up a picture of it later on.

My altar is a piece of granite tombstone

Sounds great Genocyde (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Looking forward to seeing pics A-Smoking-Fox

I have several alters, my indoors one is a lowish Italian made coffe table,
very ornate long with a marble top on an intrically carved gilt frame,
[picked it up for a song some where years ago, too ugly for most peoples
tastes, but suits my gothic nature], I keep some tools and statues on it but
not the important ones, which I only bring out for rituals.

Also have my kitchen window ledge which is a nice white and green
tile decorated with favorite crystals, I can communicate with them while
washing up and watch them grow. [you can make and use sacred spaces
any where y see] (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wizard.gif)

My primary alter is outside where I prefer to be for my rituals weather
permitting which it does most of the time in Oz. It comprises of 2 heavy
Pedestals thrown out in the bargin box of the local hardwear store.
and a large piece of chip board painted with stone texture paint so it
looks like granite. it stands between two huge old redgum trees
which drape themselves around and throw honkey nuts at me in season.
I have a huge dam along side, and of course a fire in winter.

Statues designate the quarters and the elements, and the settings can
be as simple as a couple of candles, a statue, and a wand or as complicated
as the event requires. Living on 60 acres has its advantages.

I am setting up for the Samhein festival on Sat, [Beltaine in the Northern Hemisphere,
bl---y daft if you ask me halloween on May 1st, but that is a story for another
time (IMG:style_emoticons/default/5.gif) ]

I will take pics of the whole kit and caboodle to post later.

This post has been edited by Saintgeorge: Apr 27 2005, 08:19 AM

It sounds beautiful. Any pics to share?

Hi

I'm new to the forum so i thought I would add a reply to this topic. Right now I have no physical altar, except my physical body. In a very real sense, to me my body is the only real altar.
I will soon have the space to create a place for working that will be semi private. Then I will construct the traditional Golden Dawn double cube altar because that is the system I am working with and I feel I understand the symbolism used. Personally my tastes tend to be minimalistic so I tend to create simple symbols that embody the specific idea I intend them too without much fanfare. Perhaps I lack creativity! Oh well we make due with what we have. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Anyways it's nice to be a part of this forum.

In L.V.X.

Alton M

I tend to be minimalistic too. But i need something to shuffle my tarot cards on, or to lay a book on. I don't like to put things on the ground, its not tidy.

The pic is coming soon, i have not forgotten, just busy

Better late than never, I finally found the time to take pics and edit them.

(IMG:http://users.skynet.be/yoyodim/sigils/altarpics/altar-1.jpg)

(IMG:http://users.skynet.be/yoyodim/sigils/altarpics/altar-2.jpg)

(IMG:http://users.skynet.be/yoyodim/sigils/altarpics/altar-3.jpg)

The big stone laying behind the altar is something i sit upon, i find it easier to meditate and such that way.

Thats so cute and suprisingly smart! they don't come much smaller.

get a stone and fiel that nasty edge and it's nice.

It's like you where meant to be a mage, that being in your garden!

well, its large enough, the top is actually bigger than the classical double cube.

I actually like the rough edge, it show the natural grain of the stone and seems more natural. And since it is black granite the edge is hard to file away, it takes a diamond edged circular saw to saw these stones. I do have these tools, but i don't like using them, to loud and heavy. And i might make scratches on the polished top, and i don't have tools to repolish it.

The piece of white cloth contains the crowley toth tarot and the thing laying on top of it is my dagger wich i use for the lbrp and such.
In the back you kan see a small sword wich i use as an element for air.

Ahhh very nice. I just noticed your earth disk in the back ground of the picture. You must like to keep things minimal like I do. Still consider adding a small colored candle to each corner next to your tools. It adds a nice touch and has that extra mental kick when you light each one when you begin to set up and blow each out when you shut down. Something to think about.

Frater NERO

Good idea, in the apropriate colors should each candle be then?

Yes I would and do use that. But of course you could always use all white if that is what you got. Or even go non traditional GD and use a central white candle for spirit upon the alter if you'd like.

Nuffin elaborate like stone for me

I use the floor with incense burner with me sitting crosslegged

My room is dusty sometimes, my tarot cards could get filty if i place them on the floor. Also, the altar provides a nice space to put thee on.
I have one of these thee-light plate warmers. I uses one candle and lets you put a pot on top of it, thus keeping it warm for those extra long sessions.

Alters, oh boy I have had quite a few different ones over the years. This is quite humerous but when I first started out practicing magick I wasn't all that handy with tools and was on a bit of a budget, also I wanted to put up an alter right away. So... I borrowed a couple of dairyland crates from the local store and made myself a double cube alter <g>, and threw a black table cloth on it LOL.
Well since then I have had some pretty awesome alters. I of course made a double cube alter (those are very handy for storing tools in if you make little doors). At my last house there was a fairly sizeable backyard where we had semi public rituals (like 10-20 people), so I had a large stone slab on top of a tree stump as my alter, and a stone circle around it. (fortunatly for me there was this druid guy that liked to show off his strenght a lot, and he was present when I found the perfect stone by a river!). I also at one point used a curved granite slab standing up for the base, with a glass top as the actual alter. I have also used rose granite for alters. I made the Enochian great table and used that as an alter for quite some time (that is the one pictured below).
My all time faveorite alter however is the one that I am currently using as my main alter. It is a round brass Moroccan table that I aquired in Morocca about 20 years ago. It is pretty cool, it is about 3 feet accross and is hand hammered with a huge hexagram in the middle of it. There is plenty of room for all of my tools, my current project as well as my Diety statues.
I always have one main alter, then oftentimes have other side alters or alters in other rooms. If there is a lot of counter space in my temple (as in my last house) then I will set some of that aside for alter space as well. There is nothing like counters in all 4 quarters (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I have also never had a problem with using floor space as alter space, but I have always had carpet, so easy to keep clean and relatively dust free. I use a compass for my alter direction (remember magnetic north and true north vary, esp if you live in some parts of Canada etc.). If a wall is close enough to east, it is good enough for me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) The sun does actually rise about East here.
Btw, that stone alter in the photo is awesome, it would be sad to see it replaced with a non-creative double cube one!
Anyway, here is my Enochian alter that I used to use (I'm currently making a new one, this one is only 2x2, and I am working on a 3x3)

(IMG:http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y59/nightshademagic/alter1a.jpg)

Gasp, lovely Athena (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Look at the colour of that cloth, wow (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wizard.gif)

nice, i like the chalise like thing in the center. What is it for?
It seems to be ashes inside of it, but that could be my imagination also.

Oh boy , when i first started out i lived with my parents so my altar was sort of an "altar to go" it was this hope chest that i layed a cloth on and my materiels on the cloth. But since they didnt approve i had to hide it as well as my books and materiels. But now i have a large granite slab on a 3 foot high (estimate) pillar, with a special place for my daggers and what not, it also has a pentagram engraved on it and the pentagram is painted white.