Altar cloth

WITCH SCHOOL FIRST DEGREE ( Lesson 4 part 1) Notes for Lesson 4 - Altars

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Lesson 4 -- The Altar Notes The main purpose of an altar is to provide focus. It can be used to focus on the divine powers -- this is worship. It can be used to focus energy for making change in our lives- this is magic. It can be used to focus on communication with our Higher selves and spirit guides -- This is meditation. All of these -- worship, magic and meditation -- are ways of focusing our psychic energy to accomplish specific ends. The altar can aid in that focus and can be used to increase that energy and enhance the result. The first thing to think about is where to put your altar Once you have decided what room to put your altar in, you may want to think about Geomancy. Geomancy is the art of reading the earth's energies and aligning ourselves and our works to them. For example; The direction of East represents creativity and new beginnings, South is action and manifestation, West is emotion and the subconscious and North is wisdom. Your altar may be aligned to any direction whose qualities you desire to draw on but it is traditional to place the altar toward the North. Aside from all this, you should choose the place and direction which is convenient for you. The altar itself also has Geomancy to consider. The right side of the altar is associated with the God, the sun,day, physical energy and the elements of air and fire. The left side is associated with the Goddess, the moon and stars, spiritual energy and the elements of water and earth. The middle is associated with spirit, who is within both the Goddess and God. Once you have cleansed the energy, you may proceed to assemble your altar. The altar table is the surface upon which your altar is set up. Many people set up their altars on top of a bedroom dresser or nightstand. Some people use the top shelf of a bookcase. Use what ever you have available. You may want to use an altar cloth as the first thing you put on your altar. This protects the table, and is decorative. You can use different colour altar cloths for different sabbats or spell work. Candles Candles represent fire. They have always been used on altars -- either actual candles or torches or oil lamps. Fire represents the God, and when you light a flame you are repeating the Goddess's first act of creation. Flame also generates energy. Each candle that you light has an energy of its own, which will add to your working. Some people 'dress' their candles, which means to anoint them with certain oils. The main reason people do this is to do candle magic. The oils represent certain magical properties you are covering the candle with, so they assist with certain spells. Colour meanings for candles Black -- Wisdom, guidance, protection Purple -- Spirituality and phsycism Blue -- Communication Green -- Healing, prosperity and fertility Yellow -- happiness, success Orange -- Creativity, employment Red -- strong emotion, passion Pink -- romantic, love, compassion, friendship White -- innocence, manifestation, general purpose. On your altar, you normally have illumination or working candles. These are usually plain, and are just their to provide light, or symbolise the beginning of a working. Then you have a candle for the God, and one for the Goddess. These can be one black and one white, gold and silver, two white, two black, its personal choice. The most popular is one black and one white. You might also want candles to represent the four elements in elemental colours; Green, blue,red,yellow. You could even include a special candle to honour ancestors or spirit guides. Candles help to raise energy to the more the merrier -- just be careful. Incense Incense represents the element of air. It may be of any sort: Stick, cone, oil or powder. If you are going to use cone or powdered, you will want to use either a standing incense burner or a hanging thurible on a chain. Water and salt The elements of water and earth are represented on the altar by water and salt. The mixed salt water can be sprinkled to create a circle, or purify an object, or anoint yourself. Libation dish -- Use to make liquid offerings to the goddess and god. To make this offering, or libation, a portion of wine or juice is placed in the libation dish and dedicated to the deities or spirits. When the ritual is done, the libation is normally disposed of by being returned to the elements, emptied outside. Offering dish -- In the same vein, a dish for food offerings may be used. Burning dish -- You may wish to have a burning dish on your altar in which to burn paper in rituals that require this. Obviously, a burning dish must be fire resistant. Images -- Frequently, the altar includes images of the Goddess and God or tokens representing them. Stones -- You may want to keep crystals or gems on your altar to amplify the energy, Later you will learn the meanings and uses of different stones. Seasonal decorations -- Decorations representing the sabbat or season.