Altar (Wicca)

Short description: Place of spiritual practice

An altar with candles, chalice, and athame

A Wiccan altar is a "raised structure or place used for worship or prayer",[1] upon which a Wicca practitioner places several symbolic and functional items for the purpose of worshiping the God and Goddess, casting spells, and/or saying chants and prayers.

## Contents

* 1 Types of altars
* 2 Altar items
* 3 Location of altar
* 4 Altar decor
* 5 See also
* 6 References
* 6.1 Citations
* 6.2 Works cited
* 7 External links

## Types of altars

There are many types of altars Wiccans may choose to use during ritual. Depending on which rite they are performing, the material used for their altars may vary. Some say wood from an oak tree is best while others argue maple or teak are the only ones should be used. This is because in many circles, different types of wood are believed to carry certain magical qualities. For example, in one Wiccan tradition, oak symbolizes great strength and may be used to strengthen the rite they are performing. In another tradition, maple may be seen as the strongest. Whether that be a coffee table or a tree stump, it is up to the Wicca.[2]

## Altar items

The altar is often considered a personal place where practitioners put their ritual items. Some practitioners may keep various religious items upon the altar, or they may use the altar and the items during their religious workings. According to Scott Cunningham, a popular Wiccan author, the left side of the altar should be considered the Goddess area; feminine or yonic symbols such as bowls and chalices, as well as Goddess representations and statues should be placed on the left.[3] The right side is designated for the God; phallic symbols such as the athame and the wand are placed to the right side, as well as God statuary and his candle.[3] The left and right associations vary according to personal preference, but the center area is almost always considered the "both" area, or the working area. In the center of the altar are kept the main symbols of the Wiccan faith, such as the pentacle.[4]

Some Wiccans arrange their altars to represent all four elements and directions.[5][4] In the North the earth element is represented; in the east is air, in the south is fire, and in the west water.

## Location of altar

Wiccan altars may be set up outside as well as indoors. Some Wiccans dedicate an entire room to their practice while others (especially those who share a living space) use a temporary altar. A temporary altar can be any flat surface that can be moved easily such as a coffee table. More permanent altars are left up for the Wiccan to return to for their rites and rituals.

## Altar decor

There are eight Wiccan holidays, known as Sabbats, that celebrate the cycles and seasons of nature. These include the four seasons (Winter, Spring, Autumn & Summer), the mating habits of animals and the reaping and sowing of crops. Based on the Sabbat, the altar is decorated accordingly. For example, the Summer Solstice altar cloth should be white and the altar decorated with Summer flowers, fruits and anything else that symbolizes Summer.[2] This goes for each Sabbat. Certain Wiccan traditions may have different colors but universally, the altar is usually decorated to represent the time of year.

## See also

* Broom - Type of broom
* Engineering:Cauldron - Large kettle

## References

### Citations

1. ↑ Altar. (n.d.). Retrieved October 14, 2013, from Merriam-Webster.com: Definition of ALTAR
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Buckland 2002, p. [page needed].
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cunningham 2002, pp. 108-109.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cunningham 2002, p. 109.
5. ↑ Crowley 2003, p. 45.

### Works cited

This article lacks ISBNs for the books listed in it. Please make it easier to conduct research by listing ISBNs. If the {{Cite book}} or {{citation}} templates are in use, you may add ISBNs automatically, or discuss this issue on the talk page. (March 2023)

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* Buckland, Raymond (2002). Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft. Llewellyn Publications. ISBN 978-0738717722. OCLC 698079111.
* Crowley, V. (2003). Wicca: A Comprehensive Guide to the Old Religion in the Modern World. Harrisonburg, PA: R.R. Donelley's.
* Cunningham, S. (2002). Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications.

## External links

* Book of Shadows - The Wiccan Altar

* v
* t
* e

Wicca

History|

* History of Wicca
* Etymology of Wicca
* Wicca and LGBT people
* Dettmer v. Landon

Traditions|

| Wicca|

| British Traditional|

* Alexandrian Wicca
* Algard Wicca
* Blue Star Wicca
* Central Valley Wicca
* Chthonioi Alexandrian Wicca
* Gardnerian Wicca

|

Other|

* 1734 Tradition
* Celtic Wicca
* Church and School of Wicca
* Cochrane's Craft
* Coven of Atho
* Dianic Wicca
* Faery Wicca
* Feri
* Georgian Wicca
* Odyssean Wicca
* Reclaiming
* Seax-Wica
* Stregheria
* Universal Eclectic Wicca

Notable figures|

* Gerald Gardner
* Doreen Valiente
* Alex Sanders
* Maxine Sanders
* Sybil Leek
* Dafo
* Margot Adler
* Victor Anderson
* Artemis
* Gavin Bone
* Lois Bourne
* Jack Bracelin
* Raymond Buckland
* Eddie Buczynski
* Zsuzsanna Budapest
* Charles Cardell
* Ipsita Roy Chakraverti
* Patricia Crowther
* Vivianne Crowley
* Robert Cochrane
* Scott Cunningham
* Phyllis Curott
* Cerridwen Fallingstar
* Janet Farrar
* Stewart Farrar
* Raven Grimassi
* Gavin Frost
* Yvonne Frost
* Philip Heselton
* Frederic Lamond
* Silver RavenWolf
* Starhawk
* Joseph Wilson

Deities|

* Triple Goddess
* Horned God
* Green Man
* Holly King / Oak King
* Mother goddess

Key concepts|

* Wiccan morality
* Wiccan Rede
* Rule of Three
* Wiccan views of divinity
* Coven
* Craft name
* Magic
* Witchcraft
* White magic
* Otherworld
* The Summerland
* Reincarnation
* Karma
* Skyclad
* Summoner
* Watchtower
* Familiar spirit
* Animism

Rites and ritual|

* Drawing down the Moon
* Great Rite
* Handfasting
* Wiccaning
* Fivefold kiss
* Magic circle
* Cone of power
* Herbalism
* Scrying
* Spellwork / Incantation
* Banishing
* Divination
* Invocation
* Initiation
* Rite of passage
* Eko Eko Azarak
* Solitary practitioner
* Smudging
* Spiral dance

Holidays|

* Wheel of the Year
* Solstice
* Equinox
* Imbolc
* Ostara
* Beltane
* Midsummer
* Lughnasadh
* Mabon
* Samhain
* Yule
* Esbat
* Wild Hunt

Paraphernalia|

* Magical tools in Wicca
* Altar
* Athame
* Besom
* Boline
* Book of Shadows
* Cauldron
* Censer
* Chalice/Goblet
* Horn
* Pentacle
* Runes
* Incense
* Tarot deck
* Wand
* Talisman
* Amulet
* Scourge
* Candles
* Bell
* Statue
* Parchment
* Witch's ladder

Literature|

* Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches
* The Meaning of Witchcraft
* The Spiral Dance
* What Witches Do
* Witchcraft Today
* Charge of the Goddess
* Enchanted Feminism

Related|

* List of Wiccan organisations
* Bricket Wood coven
* New Forest coven
* Traditional witchcraft
* Witch-cult hypothesis
* Left-hand path and right-hand path
* Cunning folk in Britain
* European witchcraft
* Malleus Maleficarum
* Granny woman
* Cunning folk
* Witching hour
* Witch-hunt
* Witches' Sabbath
* Flying ointment
* Museum of Witchcraft and Magic
* Witchcraft Research Association
* "Fluffy Bunny"

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