I have decided to start featuring a new topic every month so you can add this information to your Book of Shadows. Much of this information is culled from the web, but some will be straight from my BOS. I will not the source, where I can.  If you have any spells that you would like to see featured here please email me, or if you have any you would like to submit just email them to amita@magickrituals.com.  For links to resources and excellent Wiccan, Pagan & other belief system related information please click here.

Click here for the Fall/Winter selection of various spells. Click here for the Summer selection of "Protection Spells". Click here for May's "Glamour & Beauty Spells". Click here for April's "Money Spells".   Click here for March's Ostara Ritual and "Fertility Spells". Click here for February's "Love Spells".

A word about herbs - any herbs that are meant for teas, tinctures or love potions must be fit for human consumption. It's best to buy these herbs from an organic herb supplier (often they are available in grocery stores and health food stores.) You can find superb herbal mixes for all kinds of spell work right here at Vintage Luna's!

 

Creating a Solitary Altar Copyright 2005 Amita Dragonspell What is an Altar? You'll often hear of Witches speak of their altars. You may have wondered what an altar is and if you (being a beginning Witch) should have one or not.  There also may be space constraints or perhaps you are practicing your witchcraft in secret and would not be comfortable having an altar in the open. Nearly any surface can become a sacred space where you can practice witchcraft. I have heard of Hedge-witches who use their kitchen tables, witches who use the top drawer of a bureau and even some who prefer to make a portable altar which they can take outside and set up on a tree stump or flat rock for spellwork in the wild. You can use a night table or small table in your bedroom or a low table that you can kneel in front of, or even a window ledge. The altar you create must be right for you and must work so you can cast your spells and connect with the Divine. Where Should You Establish Your Altar It's best to pick your location where you will not be disturbed. A low traffic area of your home that is excellent for an altar (if you do not have a separate room that can be used as a Temple/ Meditation room) is the bedroom. You may want to reconfigure the room in order to put the altar facing North or East (the two traditional directions most altars are placed) but there is nothing wrong with using South or West if you have no other choice. My witches altar faces North-West as my Buddhist Altar is much larger and takes up my entire North facing wall. Direction is not as important as space - if you are to be conducting spells and rituals you will need room to spread out your materials and sit or stand comfortably. I sit in front of my altar - it is the perfect height for sitting cross-legged and conducting my spells and rituals. For a large gathering (coven-casting) I use a portable altar that goes in the middle of the circle or at the head (north) when we are outside. What Should You Place On Your Altar This is your altar so you will want to personalize it to mean something to you - it does not have to be stagnant however. I routinely re-decorate my altar at least 8 times per year (for all the Sabbats) or if I need a quick pick me up or want to work on something specific. Here are some ideas for your altar: Goddess & God Icons - you will probably want something to represent the Goddess & the God. These can be statutes, carvings, plaques, pictures or even a shell for the Goddess and horn for the God. You may also want to use religious symbols that have meaning to you - for instance I use Lord Buddha and my patron Goddess Green Tara, plus two other Goddess & God icon plaques from Dryad Designs. Crystals and Gems - I use many crystals on my altar - though this above depiction shows me running a little crystal - lite. The center rose quartz sphere is always there on the pentacle paten as well as the two crystal receiver points and the two smoky quartzes to absorb negative energy. I actually use many crystal points - I prefer that they have phantoms (ghost-like inclusions). At any given time I may have a variety of tumbled and raw crystals and stones on the altar. It is entirely up to you which ones you use - but make sure you clean them in salt water before putting them on your altar. Animals - you may want to keep a totem animal spirit icon or picture on your altar. Since my totem is the dragon I have a dragon chalice and dragon wand. My familiar is a cat however, so sometimes I put a small cat statue or icon of the Egyptian Goddess Bastet on the altar too.  If you use anything that comes from an animal (like feathers or horn) make sure it is obtained in the natural way and not through harm to the animal. I actual have a couple of feather smudge fans (Native American made by a Shaman) that are under the altar with my sage smudge stick and abalone shell. Incense - I always use incense whether I am casting or not and I go through it like crazy on my Buddhist altar for it is used every day with the morning puja (prayer). My incense burner is a stone bowl filled with black volcanic sand. You could use a metal censer (though these can get very hot) or a wooden or clay burner for stick incense. It is best that it do triple duty however - which is why a bowl with sand is great - it can burn sticks, cones and charcoal for use with resins, herbs and powders. Actually a small cast-iron or clay cauldron can also make an excellent incense burner. Candles - I usually only have three candles at all times on the altar - the center deity candle which is my universal candle - what I call The One. On each side there is a Goddess & God votive holder. I used to use larger tapers but they made a mess. For spells I use small 4 inch candles (chime candles) in a variety of small candle-holders. For 3 - 7 day workings I will often use candles in jars or large pillars which can be carved upon. Color choice is important, I usually match the deity candle to the sabbat so the pink candle in the photo is from Ostara. I generally choose white for the votives unless I working a specific magick that needs a boost. You cannot go wrong with white and also purple makes a great deity candle as purple is the color of spirit. Chalice & Athame - The chalice represents the Goddess & the Athame represents the God.  Almost every witch altar I have ever seen has both  but yours do not have to be ornate. You can use a wine-glass for a chalice and a dull knife for an Athame. The Chalice can be used for wine or ale (I use mine for water only and a wine glass for cakes & ale) and the Athame is not used for cutting, so it should be dull. It can be used in place of a wand to cast the circle or to inscribe candles. For me finding the right Athame took years, as did finding the right Chalice. You will know when you see the right one. It will not always be in some Metaphysical shop either. I got my Spiral Goddess Athame in a Women-centric New Age sop for instance. Look around and do not make the choice lightly. Your tools will be with you for the rest of your life. Place on your altar the photographs or images that represent those for whom you pray and have special intentions. Place your own photograph on your altar. An altar should be a very personal place representing you, your family and various aspects of your life. Make your altar as personal as you can for you and those who worship there with you. Wand - Once again, a wand is a personal life-long partner in magick that you really need to put some thought into. You may also have more than one. I have four that I use regularly - a Moon Goddess wand, a Sun God wand, a raw maple wand (no decoration at all but a leather wrapped handle) and Myridion my Dragon wand. Myridion is always on my altar but I rarely use him for casting as he is very fragile. You can either make your own wand (I will get into that at some point) or purchase one from a wand-maker. Steer clear of machine made wands - look more for natural wands that have been hand-crafted, so no Harry Potter knock-offs. Those are not wands - but movie memorabilia. Elements - your witches altar should have representations of the five elements - candles for fire, incense for air, salt for earth and water. The fifth element is SPIRIT which I use my pentacle paten to represent. What Works for You It takes time to create an altar, it took me years to get everything that I needed, exactly the way I wanted. Only recently did I have a small altar built for me (pictures are on the altar page), until then I just used a foot stool with some flat big books on it and an altar cloth. Your altar can be very small or large and extensive. One of my favorite altars is at my local metaphysical shop - t is on the top of a dresser and is enormous! It has many, many candles of every shape and size. different offering plates, incense burners, deities, pictures, flowers, chalices, wands - it is always different and I I love to see what is new. Please send in pictures of your altars if you get a chance. I would love to see what kind of magick you are making! Altar Photos to Inspire (These are taken from the web - if anyone is upset that I grabbed their pic from another source just email me and I will take it down.)