ALTARED STATES: THE USE OF ALTARS IN WITCHCRAFT

Welcome to The Divination Nation blog!

We are Pleasant Gehman and Crystal Ravenwolf, a duo of divination divas, “spiritual sisters from another mister”. We’re life-long Tarotistas, obsessed with all things esoteric and paranormal. Look for our forthcoming book, “Walking The Tarot Path” coming soon!
We’ve created this blog to share our knowledge and to connect with the vibrant worldwide metaphysical and paranormal community. We hope it’s as fun for you to read as it is for us to write…Enjoy!

Altars are the crossroads between the spirit realm and physical world, and have been usedfor centuries in nearly every faith, from Catholicism to Paganism. Their use in witchcraft is no different  witches  use  altars  for prayer, performing rituals and  as a focal point for practicing  the craft.

 There is  no specific way altars are used by witches; it all depends on the  family traditions or the   training and beliefs of the practitioner. Some place statuary on a large altar and make  offereings  to a group of spiritual beings  who share the space, while others incorporate  many small altars in their working area.  Mulitiple smaller altars each can have a unique designation:  to honor the living and the dead,  or to  invite ancestors, spirit guides, the fae or other entities to assist in the work the witch is doing, for herself or for clients.That being said, it is not necessary to have a different altar for everything you do. An altar  (no matter  what its function) is a sacred space and very personal to every practitioner.

 Here  are some different types of altars and how they can be used to enhance your practice:

Personal Altar

 A place for talismans, mojo bags, spirit babies, crystals or any other items a witch may wish to place there. There are no rules for a personal altar- have fun with it!  Many witches like to change my personal altar with the seasons and  for  certain holidays.

Candle Altar

This  is self-explanatory: it’s an altar used when performing candle magick for yourself or clients.

Ancestry Altar

This altar is specifically used for honoring deceased family members and fur-babies. Photos, personal items and cremation ashes are placed here, where you can burn candles or give offerings. Usually the cloth and candles are white but some witches like to use the mantle of their fire place, as the hearth is the heart of the home.

Working Altar  This is where a witch does the majority of work for clients. It can be a spot in a room used only for spell-crafting… or even  the kitchen table! It should be large  enough for witch craft – as in making mojo bags,  filling spell bottles and jars, creating  poppets or  spirit babies- any object  that a witch needs to construct.

Money Altar

This altar  is used specifically for prosperity and money drawing. Coins, money frogs, crystals, lodestones and any other objects corresponding to attracting cash are used here. This altar is  always hungry and must be fed often-much like a mojo bag- in order to keep working. Burning a green seven-day candle is one way to do this, but once again it is the witch’s traditions and training that will dictate how to maintain a working money altar.

Boveda (Spiritual or Religious Altar)

 An altar used by witches who petition spirits of the dead, saints, the Fae or any other entities in their spell-casting. Statues, skulls, candles or animal bones are placed on this altar and it is used to give offerings and prayers to these spirits.

Use your imagination and  intuition  to design an altar that reflects your individuality and beliefs; be creative and have fun with it. Your intimate connection to  creating your altar(s) will personalize  it, enhancing your magical practice.

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Crystal Ravenwolf & Pleasant Gehman  photo: Maharet Hughes

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To find out more about Pleasant or request a reading or healing session, click here: http://pleasantgehman.com/tarot.html
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