Altars FAQ ‘s
Do you need an altar?
Easy answer, IDK do you?
An altar is personal as is the choice whether one is an asset to your craft.
I want one but I don’t have room for one.
An altar can be indoors, outdoors, singular, multiple, or in a shoe box, it can be in a jar, it can be set up and then taken down. Whatever is practical for you.
I don’t know where to start, do I really need to have everything that I saw online or that is listed on this handout.
Nope not necessarily ever, it is up to what feels right for you. My altar has an elemental focus with objects that are associated with deities I worship but an altar can be simple or intricate, but it will most certainly grow as time progresses. (They sometimes even multiply J )
Elemental Focus? What do you mean? Does this incorporate what we learned last week?
I mean that most items on my altar are intentionally associated with an element rather than say a deity or a sabbat.
Earth: Salt, twigs, crystals, freshly harvested items such as veggies, grains, fruits, herbs, bones of land life, pentacle, soil/sand/dirt, labyrinth, seeds, gnomes
Water: Natural water (rivers, stream, ocean, rain, etc.), Moon water, shells, fossils of sea life, bones of sea life, chalice/goblet, seaweed, driftwood, wine
Air: incense (burning or trapped incense smoke in a jar), feathers, bird bones, wand vs. athame (depending on personal association), bell, angels, fae, books, windblown seeds
Fire: Candles, wand vs. athame (depending on personal association), phallic symbols, dragons, lights
Also, of note, some people that primarily tie their craft to the elements may set up altars for just the elements or an altar for each, or an altar for each in their season.
I’m not sure what to do at an altar?
The gimme answer is pray but you can also just talk. You can converse with your spirit guides, deities, ancestors. You can have a request; you can just offer thanks. You can meditate or contemplate.
I do, however think that connecting with your altar every day even in an act as simple as lighting a teal light or an incense or just taking a moment to dust is important in your solitary practice.
I want to be authentic to a particular pantheon, are there differences?
Yes and No.
Wiccan information is some of the most prevalent.
There is no tried-and-true requisite that every element be present for every pantheon, but fire tends to be important. It is associated with hearth and home and the center of the home.
Also important across the board is keeping the altar tidy and clean. There is a difference between an abundance of meaningful items and clutter.
Norse:
Horgr = altar/sanctuary
Some homes had their own temple/shrine, a room where oaths were sworn, and a hlaut (blood bowl) filled with blood of sacrificed animals used in rituals.
Arm rings for oaths were also potential altar items.
Private rituals were led by the head of the household and his wife.
Would worship outdoors when away from home.
Very much part of everyday life
Roman:
Lararium (household shrine) for the household gods which the family shared. Often in a courtyard or Atrium (must be nice to have Mediterranean weather)
The Lares received offering, sacrifices, and prayers as the guardians of the household and its safety and prosperity but they do not have an associated mythos. Each household had its own Lar (the Lar familiars)
The Lararium could also honor other deities associated with the home such as Vesta, Janus, and/or Penates. One’s patron deity could also be honored here.
A Sacrarium (if inside) or a Sacellum (if outside) is a separate shrine for an individual deity.
Definitely tons of temples
Greek:
Often outside but people were flexible, they have even been found in literal holes in the wall.
Portable altars were common.
Similar to the Romans (no surprise since Rome adopted many of their religious practices directly from Greece) there were household patron deities that were worshiped by the members of the household together but led by the father.
Also, tons of temples
Incense, cakes, wine, figures, garland, are common.
Celtic:
Where do the Celtics start and for that matter where do they stop?
Many of our accounts of the Celts are tainted and there is a good chance they are fairly well biased.
We do think that while circumambulation (walking around in a circle) was a Celtic custom, they did adapt certain Roman practices such as incense, animal sacrifice, dedicatory inscriptions, and anthropomorphic statues.
Specific natural places that held significance
Hearth was the center of the home where prayers were likely said as the fire was tended.
Seasonal observances often involved the hearth.
Egyptian/Kemetic
Most ordinary ancient Egyptians worshipped ‘household' gods and goddesses - deities who protected against the dangers of daily life such as snake bites, pregnancy, and childbirth. Deities who were part of the ‘state' religion were much less approachable. The restrictive nature of the temple reinforced the mystery and secretive nature of the gods and goddesses.
Ex. Bes and Tawaret as household deities vs Amun, Horus, and Bast which were State deities that would be worshipped by the priest caste and Pharaohs in large temples.
These deities would be worshipped in household shrines.
An image or symbol may be accompanied by an oil lamp or candle or centered around a fireplace, incense and offerings.
Among the Celts and Germans there seem originally to have been few permanent and elaborate temples used as meeting places for worship and sacrifice. Despite the rigors of the climate, the place where men sought contact with the supernatural powers was for the most part in the open air. The resorting to holy places was something which could be witnessed by outside observers, often arousing interest and curiosity. This in the works of Greek and Latin writers we hear repeatedly of sacred woods and groves, sanctuaries in forest clearings and on hilltops, beside springs and lakes and on islands, and of places set apart for the burial of the noble dead (Ellis-Davidson. Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe, p. 13).
It is so easy to see where humanity is the common denominator many spiritual associations are similar.
What is the difference between personal altars and seasonal/Sabbat altars?
Some integrate the season into their current altar and others have an entirely separate altar just for the season.
Just for clarification these can mean seasons: Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring or Sabbat altars that are more closely associated with the specific holiday.
Summer: Yellows, greens, reds, roses, sunflowers, seashells, sand, lavender, oak, fire
Autumn: Reds, Oranges, Maroons, Pinecones, acorns, corn, apples, cedar, cinnamon, water
Winter: gold, silver, red, green, pine, rosemary, juniper, earth
Spring: pastels, basil, dandelion, crocus, lavender, green man, air
The difference is literally up to you and what you associate and celebrate with each sacred space. It is what resonates most with you that matters.
Do people keep ancestor photos on altars year-round or just for Samhain?
Yes, and yes, some just at Samhain, some have an ancestor altar just to honor those that came before them and some honor them by including them in their personal altar.
Do I have to have a deity on my altar?
Nope, and for that matter you do not have to have anything on your altar. There is no correct or incorrect way to set up an altar. If the only link to your preferred deity is a candle, sounds good. If you have a tapestry of them, sounds good. If you have an intricate statue, sounds good. If you made a statue our of clay, sounds good. If you have not a thing deity related, sounds good. If you have a vague representation of the god and the goddess, sounds good. I think you get the idea.
Do I need to have my altar in a certain place?
While you can see that historically, fireplaces and hearths in general were the altar location this is not set in stone like anything in this faith.
The hearth was the center gathering place for the family and their worship was an intricate part of their everyday life and society.
Times have changed, now some elementals may want their altars facing the corresponding direction, some may follow feng shui, some may simply be called to a certain orientation, some may have one available spot in their home where a cat will not Godzilla their sacred items or a child will not turn them into potentially hazardous toys.
