11 Common Things for Your Altar

For beginners to Paganism it's common to be unsure about want you'll need on your Altar, we've compiled a short list of some of the most common things you'll find.

1. Altar cloth
The Altar cloth protects the table surface from candle spills and is often decorated with symbols to give the right energy perform your rituals.

2. Wand
The wand represents the element Air (Wicca), it is used for directing and storing energy.

3. Athame
The Athame represents the element Fire (Wicca), it is used for directing energy.

4. Chalice
The Chalice represents the element Water (Wicca), it is often used with wine, juice or water, which is used after a ritual to replenish energy.

5. Pentacle
The Pentacle represents the element Earth (Wicca); it is spiritually symbolic and used to empower components, such as a crystal or herbs during spell crafting.

6. Candles
Two deity candles to represent the Male and Female energies, often placed on the North side of the Altar.  They would typically be black and white, or silver and gold.  You'll often also find an illumination candle to provide the light for reading rituals and spells.  During a spell, there is often a focus candle to represent the object of the spell, the colour is usually coordinated the reflect the outcome of spell (e.g, Love-Pink, Purity-White, Green-financial, Blue-Healing, etc).

7. Offering bowl
Often used to hold any flowers, herbs or crystals relevant to the Sabbat or ritual.

8. Statuary
Used to re-enforce the deities you are calling upon during the ritual, e.g., Isis if you're working with the Egyptian discipline, Goddess if you're working with Wiccan, Moon Gazing Hare if fertility, etc.

9. Book of Shadows
Book of Shadows may be on the Alter for following any pre-written rituals or spells or recording any notable events during your ritual.

10.  Anointing Oil
Anointing Oil is often found on the Altar for anointing candles or object to further empower them.

11.  Incense
Often used for purification and create an ambient atmosphere.