ALTARS!!!!

I thought, with all the seriousness and rants I post here that sometimes we need some fun, and what's more fun than creating your own sacred space that allows for creativity, individuality and personalization.

I have many setups (because personally I am never satisfied with what I have and am always trying improve upon what I've done previously). I would LOVE an area that allows for quite the elaborate setup, unfortunatly I have VERY limited space in my home, what with my being a mother of 2 who are ALWAYS running around my home and playing with things that they shouldn't be (to put you all at ease, I always catch them before anything catches fire (wink wink, lol)).

Fairly simple setups require nothing more than a couple candles (which are ALWAYS optional) or simple statuary. You CAN add to it if you like, but it's not required. Remember that altars are unique areas that are set up according to personal tastes and personalities.

A touch more elaborate altars can include candles, athame/wand, and perhaps statuary dedicated to the deities of your choice.

More popular setups are dedicated to the elements (which we all recognize as Earth, Air, Fire and Water) and the directions (North, East, South and West).

-In the direction of North, items to place can include: a pentacle, a bowl of salt, some stones, plants/flowers, a green candle, cakes/cookies-In the East, you can include items such as: incense, feathers, a bell, a wand, a yellow candle
-In the South: a red candle, athame, boline, some anointing oil, a candle snuffer.
-In the West: A bowl of water, seashells, a chalice, a blue candle, cauldron
-In the center: imagery or candles representing the deities of your choice, your book of shadows/grimoire/workbook and ritual pen

Other setups can include ones relating to the dual deities (God and Goddess). On the side of the God, items include masculine items such as: a yellow or gold candle to represent the God, a masculine statue or other imagery, the wand, athame, censer, dish of salt, boline and lighting impliments.

For the Goddess side, items can include: silver or white representative candles for the Goddess, feminine statuary or images, chalice, dish of water, cauldron, pentacle, a bell, some crystals or stones, and a dish to place libations (or cakes and wine for offerings).

Anywhere else on the altar that you like or find convenient, you may place additional stones and candles, herbs, incense, your book of shadows and ritual pen.

With all these setups there are really no hard and fast ways that you MUST set up your altar and should most definetly allow your intuition to take hold when placing an item somewhere. If you don't want your dish of water in the west, put it where YOU feel it should go; don't like your incense on the side of the God, put it where YOU feel it should go. Again remember, it's YOUR altar and should be set up however YOU feel it should be set up. The suggestions above are just that...SUGGESTIONS. They are NOT the most mandatory ways you MUST set your altar up on.

IF you want to set up your altar in one of the above suggested ways, you don't have to place the items in the order that is listed above (primarly the suggestion relating to the deities). Put the chalice and dish of water together, boline and athame next to eachother, candles along the side or top of the altar. Allow for individuality, strategically place your items.