How to Make a Wiccan Altar

Create a Personal Sacred Space

Mar 31, 2009 Joanne E. Brannan

A Wiccan Altar may feature the Magickal Tools Athame, Chalice, Pentacle and Wand. It is used to perform rituals and Magick, and for quiet spiritual reflection.

A Wiccan altar is a very personal place, and should be created to reflect the magickal practitioner.

Although Wiccan symbolism may be used to guide the choice of items to place on the altar, personal instinct and creativity should always be paramount.

What to Place on a Wiccan Altar

Traditional Magickal Tools that may be used include an athame (a ritual blade), a chalice, a wand and a statue of the Goddess.

Other items on a Wiccan altar may include fresh flowers or herbs, natural sea salt, crystals or carved symbols, but the choice is truly only limited by the imagination!

Use an altar cloth of a natural fabric such as silk, cotton or linen, perhaps choosing the color to reflect the season and its Wiccan festivals.

Wiccan Athame

It is important to note that the Wiccan athame is not used for physical cutting! The athame is a masculine symbol, used to harness and direct power in spells and rituals.

As with all Magickal tools it is important to select an Athame with feeling and intuition. It is perfectly acceptable to order Magickal tools by mail, but do reflect and meditate well on the choice before buying.

Wiccan Chalice

A Wiccan chalice may be simple, or elaborate, to suit the Magickal Practitioner.

Fill your Wiccan chalice with a natural beverage to symbolize fertility and the feminine. Suitable choices, dependent upon the season, include apple juice or fresh milk.

Wiccan Pentacle

A Wiccan pentacle is a disk bearing a symbols, generally a pentagram.

Wiccan Wand

A Wiccan wand is a key Magickal Tool. A wand may be purchased or handmade by the Magickal practitioner him or herself.

Statue of the Goddess

An expression of the sacred feminine, a statue of the goddess may be a focus for meditation and reflection on the enormity of the spiritual world, as well as being reminder of the simple everyday generosity of nature.

Where to place a Wiccan Home Altar

A Wiccan altar may be a permanent or temporary structure, according to the space available. Possibilities include a shelf, a table or simply a cloth to be laid out on a bed.

It is also important to consider the level of support offered by those who share the home of the Wiccan practitioner as it is essential to feel safe, and not to be disturbed, while carrying out spells and rituals.

Size and permanence do not affect the power of the Wiccan altar; rather it is the intention and will of the Magickal worker while carrying out spells and rituals that manifest the power and sanctuary of this sacred space.

The copyright of the article How to Make a Wiccan Altar in Paganism/Wicca is owned by Joanne E. Brannan. Permission to republish How to Make a Wiccan Altar in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.