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 Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 9:06 pm
I know there are a lot of new witchlings around this guild. I would assume that some of you still don't have needed tools, or know how to get them. One thing I always say, Witchcraft is all about improviding. Coven Witches usually don't have to worry about this, since their coven will tell them what to choose. Solitaries don't have such luxury.
As most of you will know I am a solitary (for the most part) so I have collected my tools based on what i'd like. I will be sharing with everyone my altar and my personal tools.
Ask questions you may have or even share your own tools and altar.
Here is what my altar looked like when I first put it together:
This is a more established altar decorated for Mabon:
Heres a good look at my Mabon set up (it's changed since, I redo my altar around every Sabbat to refresh it)
Most altars have their deity statues. I made my own of the Lady and the Lord out of clay:
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 10:36 pm
i change mine for the sabbats as well. regretfully, i can't post a picture, otherwise i would.
when i'm not using it, i have a statue of an angel (a birthstone-commemorating angel, so she's dressed for november) to represent the goddess, and a set of clay horns grouped together on a disk to represent the god. i've added a horse as well, since i'm pretty sure they're my patron animal. there's a clay owl i made to represent air (i can't use incense in my house), a cactus-shaped shotglass full of salt for earth, and a dish each for water and fire. it's set up on top of a small apothecary chest that has a bunch of drawers, which is incredibly convenient. i have a drawer for each color, as well as a drawer each for stones, seashells, supplies (like scissors and pens), altar cloths, herbs and spices, and candles.
i also keep the spells i've used in a drawer in the center, and people think i'm weird when i say my book of shadows is a drawer full of paper. mrgreen
right now, i'm using a white t-shirt as an altar cloth for imbolc, and have a few figurines of baby animals that i'm going to put on on tuesday.
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 11:42 pm
To you, what is the purpose of an altar? Why do you need one?
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 11:50 pm
kage no neko To you, what is the purpose of an altar? Why do you need one?
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 11:50 pm
My altar varies when I use it. I only put on it what I'm going to use, and when I'm not using it I store everything inside as it's a cute little box. I have plans to hem an altar cloth for it (made two for my bf already, but have to get to mine hehe) and eventually knit an altar cloth to use. Aside from that, I have candles for the goddess and the god, a candle for my ancestors, and then everything else depends on what I need/feel I need and why. Myself I prefer to use as few tools as possible, but that's just me. smile When I get around to it I'll post pics of my altar in it's various stages. It's just too cold right now, and that room gets freaking cold at night. eek
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 11:54 pm
Rizu-Sensei i change mine for the sabbats as well. regretfully, i can't post a picture, otherwise i would. when i'm not using it, i have a statue of an angel (a birthstone-commemorating angel, so she's dressed for november) to represent the goddess, and a set of clay horns grouped together on a disk to represent the god. i've added a horse as well, since i'm pretty sure they're my patron animal. there's a clay owl i made to represent air (i can't use incense in my house), a cactus-shaped shotglass full of salt for earth, and a dish each for water and fire. it's set up on top of a small apothecary chest that has a bunch of drawers, which is incredibly convenient. i have a drawer for each color, as well as a drawer each for stones, seashells, supplies (like scissors and pens), altar cloths, herbs and spices, and candles. i also keep the spells i've used in a drawer in the center, and people think i'm weird when i say my book of shadows is a drawer full of paper. mrgreen right now, i'm using a white t-shirt as an altar cloth for imbolc, and have a few figurines of baby animals that i'm going to put on on tuesday. that sounds beautiful. I can really see that you added a lot of yourself to your altar. Your tools could be just empty items if they don't have a piece of you in it. Like for me, my current wand is a drift wood stick. It has all of the elements in it. People are so picky about wood, I wouldn't snap a branch off a tree like a lot of people suggest. I use my wand a lot. It is powerful, because I am in it.
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 11:56 pm
entervixen My altar varies when I use it. I only put on it what I'm going to use, and when I'm not using it I store everything inside as it's a cute little box. I have plans to hem an altar cloth for it (made two for my bf already, but have to get to mine hehe) and eventually knit an altar cloth to use. Aside from that, I have candles for the goddess and the god, a candle for my ancestors, and then everything else depends on what I need/feel I need and why. Myself I prefer to use as few tools as possible, but that's just me. smile When I get around to it I'll post pics of my altar in it's various stages. It's just too cold right now, and that room gets freaking cold at night. eek my altar cloths are placemats lol.
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 11:59 pm
KasaChan Rizu-Sensei i change mine for the sabbats as well. regretfully, i can't post a picture, otherwise i would. when i'm not using it, i have a statue of an angel (a birthstone-commemorating angel, so she's dressed for november) to represent the goddess, and a set of clay horns grouped together on a disk to represent the god. i've added a horse as well, since i'm pretty sure they're my patron animal. there's a clay owl i made to represent air (i can't use incense in my house), a cactus-shaped shotglass full of salt for earth, and a dish each for water and fire. it's set up on top of a small apothecary chest that has a bunch of drawers, which is incredibly convenient. i have a drawer for each color, as well as a drawer each for stones, seashells, supplies (like scissors and pens), altar cloths, herbs and spices, and candles. i also keep the spells i've used in a drawer in the center, and people think i'm weird when i say my book of shadows is a drawer full of paper. mrgreen right now, i'm using a white t-shirt as an altar cloth for imbolc, and have a few figurines of baby animals that i'm going to put on on tuesday. that sounds beautiful. I can really see that you added a lot of yourself to your altar. Your tools could be just empty items if they don't have a piece of you in it. Like for me, my current wand is a drift wood stick. It has all of the elements in it. People are so picky about wood, I wouldn't snap a branch off a tree like a lot of people suggest. I use my wand a lot. It is powerful, because I am in it. i try to make it symbolic, i love the idea of representation through items. <3 i know what you mean about the wand, though. i don't see why you'd just break off a random branch that you can't feel a connection to.
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 12:00 am
KasaChan entervixen My altar varies when I use it. I only put on it what I'm going to use, and when I'm not using it I store everything inside as it's a cute little box. I have plans to hem an altar cloth for it (made two for my bf already, but have to get to mine hehe) and eventually knit an altar cloth to use. Aside from that, I have candles for the goddess and the god, a candle for my ancestors, and then everything else depends on what I need/feel I need and why. Myself I prefer to use as few tools as possible, but that's just me. smile When I get around to it I'll post pics of my altar in it's various stages. It's just too cold right now, and that room gets freaking cold at night. eek my altar cloths are placemats lol. Hey, if it works and you like it there is nothing wrong with it. smile I personally want to make my own simply because I can.
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 12:09 am
entervixen KasaChan entervixen My altar varies when I use it. I only put on it what I'm going to use, and when I'm not using it I store everything inside as it's a cute little box. I have plans to hem an altar cloth for it (made two for my bf already, but have to get to mine hehe) and eventually knit an altar cloth to use. Aside from that, I have candles for the goddess and the god, a candle for my ancestors, and then everything else depends on what I need/feel I need and why. Myself I prefer to use as few tools as possible, but that's just me. smile When I get around to it I'll post pics of my altar in it's various stages. It's just too cold right now, and that room gets freaking cold at night. eek my altar cloths are placemats lol. Hey, if it works and you like it there is nothing wrong with it. smile I personally want to make my own simply because I can. that's my deal with clay and wands. if I can make em I will. They mean more that way.
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 12:13 am
btw on my altar you may have noticed a couple of photos. I actually add things that mean something to me to my altar, like cards and stuff. But the photos....the cat is my siamese that died a few years ago. I miss her all the time. I had never had a closer bond with an animal than with her. The other photo is of my dad when he was about 15, and healthy. My dad had always been sick the whole time I was alive, so I chose a young picture of him. He passed away the same year as my cat. She passed in June 2008 and my dad passed November 2008. I miss them both so much, so I keep their memory alive in my most treasured space, my altar (which is right next to my head when I sleep)
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 12:20 am
OK, my altar pics are ready (I braved the cold and survived, hurray!): At any given point it looks something like this:  For basic ritual use, it looks something like this:  or like this (depending on what I am doing):  And then a basic spell set-up is like this (this is my "hey I want to sleep" set-up): 
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 12:29 am
that's a cauldron right? does it have a design? the one I am sending Dsay has a pentagram (when is she coming home anyways?) mine that's bigger and not rusted has a pentagram too. that reminds me. I should make a point to say never NEVER put a cast iron cauldron in the dish washer, especially on high heat.
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 12:31 am
and vixen, soon you will have a cute little kali (in a pink dress for some reason) to put on your altar.
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 12:34 am
Hurray! Yup, it's a teeny tiny cauldron. I have a smaller one too, I filled it with sand and use it to burn incense. And no, it has no design on it, it's plain. I have no clue when Dsay gets back, but I miss her lots. sad And yeah, lol, you're supposed to handwash cast iron. I don't know if it's another "supposed" to thing, but my mom used to put her cast iron stuff on the stove and turn it on low to dry it so it wouldn't rust.
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