Altar Tips For Beginners

Altar Tips for Beginners

Okay, so you’re a baby witch and you come to Tumblr looking for references on setting up your altar. There tend to be two extremes: People telling you exactly what they think must be included in an altar and then people telling you that you can set it up however you want.

While I agree that you can and should set up your altar in a way you want (there’s no right or wrong way to do it), sometimes when you’re just starting out, it’s hard to figure out what the heck to actually put on there. I know from experience. Here are some ideas for things to include on a beginner altar, utilizing items you might already have around the house!

A tablecloth, place mat, old t-shirt, etc. all work well for an altar cloth.

If you have a tarot deck, you can place it somewhere on the altar. You can also pick specific cards to feature around your altar, like The Empress to represent fertility, etc.

Rocks look great on altars! Even random rocks you dug out of your backyard! (Although you may want to clean them off first.)

While they might not look very fancy, you can put storebought containers of dried spices on your altar for easy-access. You could always switch them to nice jars or something if you want the aesthetic.

I like to put flowers and leaves on my altar because they help me feel more connected to nature. Fake flowers from a craft store are great too because they don’t wilt and they don’t trigger allergies!

Any magical item that you own and work with can go on your altar! This includes pendulums, spirit boards, scrying mirrors, etc. Remember that these don’t have to be fancy one-of-a-kind tools. You could even use that one dollar-store necklace you’ve been inexplicably holding onto since your third-grade birthday party as a pendulum.

Shiny things. Beads, gems, tinsel, metal cans, idk. I like to put shiny things on my altar. I swear I’m not several birds in a trenchcoat.

Have you ever found something random on the side of the street and kept it? Like a broken keychain or a shiny penny? I like putting those on my altar. They feel special, like I found them for a reason. One time I found a tiny broken ceramic bear head half-buried in my front yard. Obviously that’s gotta be magical, right?

Candles!!! You can never have too many candles. Especially fake candles. No fire hazards! Yay!

Feel free to add more! Remember the choice of what you put on your altar ultimately goes to you, but if you’re at a loss, I thought I’d offer some suggestions!

Hot take: skepticism makes you a better witch, not a worse one.

Wheel of The Year ✧ Yule (December 20th-23rd) ✧ General meanings: winter solstice, new beginnings, rebirth Crystals - Bloodstone, Clear Quartz, Emerald, Ruby, Garnet, Diamond Animals - Bear, Boar, Deer, Eagle, Owl, Tiger, Wren Herbs - Chamomile, Ivy, Mistletoe, Peppermint, Rosemary, Sage, Cedar, Cinnamon, Cloves, Frankincense, Juniper, Myrrh, Orange Deities - Odin, Ra, Isis, Brighid, Demeter, Gaea, Diana, Mithra, Lugh ✧Imbolc (February 2nd✧ General meanings: candlemas, hearth, and home Crystals - Amethyst, Bloodstone, Garnet, Onyx, Ruby, Turquoise Animals - Burrowing Animals, Bear, Deer, Groundhog, Lamb, Sheep Herbs - Acorns, Angelica, Basil, Bay, Blackberry, Chamomile, Crocus, Jasmine, Lavender, Rosemary Colors - Green, Brown, Red, White, Pink, Yellow Deities - Brigid, Triple Goddess, Eros, Osiris, Pan, Herne, Aradia, Athena ✧Ostara (March 20th-23rd)✧ General meanings: spring equinox, renewal and duality Crystals - Amethyst, Aquamarine, Clear Quartz, Agate, Jasper, Moonstone, Rose Quartz Animals - Butterfly, Chick, Rabbit, Lamb, Robin, Worm Herbs - Clover, Daffodil, Honeysuckle, Iris, Jasmine, Lemon Balm, Lilac, Lilies, Mint, Peonies, Tulips, Sandalwood, Tangerine, Ylang-Ylang, Geranium Colors - Pastels, Gold, Light Green, Blue, Pink, Yellow Deities - Eostre, Astarte, Aurora, Kore, Osiris, Dionysus, Ares, Adonis, Venus, Aphrodite, and Narcissus ✧Beltane (May 1st)✧ General meanings: may day, love, and fertility Crystals - Emerald, Garnet, Malachite, Rose Quartz, Tourmaline Animals - Bee, Cat, Cattle, Dove, Frog, Goat, Leopard, Rabbit, Swallow, Swan Herbs - Coriander, Crocus, Curry, Daffodil, Dandelion, Dragon’s Blood, Fern, Flaxseed, Hawthorn, Nettle, Paprika, Primrose, Snapdragon, Peach, Rose, Vanilla Colors - Bright Greens and Blues, Purples, Yellow and Red Deities - Bel, Pan, Maeve, Tanit, Flora, Gaia, Danu, Herne, Aphrodite, Artemis, Brigid, and Diana ✧Litha (20th-23rd)✧ General meanings: summer solstice, warmth, and the sun Crystals - Amber, Carnelian, Citrine, Diamond, Jade, Lapis Lazuli, Tiger’s Eye Animals - Bee, Butterfly, Cattle, Horse, Robin, Sea Creatures, Snake, Bird Herbs - Basil, Calendula, Chamomile, Heather, Heather, Mugwort, Wild Thyme, Peony, Roses, Daisy, Sunflower, St. John’s Wort, Cedar, Clove, Lavender, Mint, Pine, Sage Colors - Blue, Gold, Red, White, Yellow, and Green Deities - Aphrodite, Astarte, Freya, Hathor, Ishtar, Venus, Athena, Artemis, Dana Kali, Isis, Juno, Apollo, Helios, Ra, Sol, Zeus, Prometheus, and Ares ✧Lammas (August 1st)✧ General meanings: first harvest, abundance, and gratefulness Crystals - Citrine, Golden Topaz, Lodestone, Moss Agate, Obsidian, Peridot, Aventurine Animals - Calf, Pig, Rooster, Salmon, Crow Herbs - Apple Leaf, Basil, Clover, Goldenrod, Heather, Ivy, Marigold, Peony, Poppy, Rose, Rosemary, Vervain, Sunflower, Sandalwood, Frankincense Colors - Bronze, Green, Gold, Light Brown, Orange, and Yellow Deities - Lugh, Demeter, Ceres, Corn Mother, and John Barleycorn ✧Mabon (September 20th-23rd)✧ General meanings: autumn equinox, feast, and bounty Crystals - Amber, Citrine, Cat’s Eye, Lapis Lazuli, Sapphire, Yellow Agate Animals - Eagle, Blackbird, Owl, Salmon, Stag, Wild Goose, Wolf Herbs - Bittersweet, Chamomile, Marigold, Rue, Sage, Yarrow, Cinnamon, Myrrh, Frankincense Colors - Brown, Gold, Orange, Red, Yellow, and Green Deities - Mabon, Inanna, Demeter, Persephone, and The Horned God ✧Samhain (October 31st)✧ General meanings: new year, spirit, and potential Crystals - Aquamarine, Bloodstone, Carnelian, Jet, Obsidian, Onyx, Smokey Quartz Animals - Bat, Black Cat, Cat, Owl, Raven, Crow Herbs - Allspice, Calendula, Chrysanthemum, Deadly Nightshade, Mandrake, Mint, Nutmeg, Rosemary, Sage, Thistle, Wormwood, Hazel, Benzoin, Sweetgrass Colors - Black, Gold, Orange, Purple, White, and Silver Deities - Crone Goddesses, Hekate, Hel, Lilith, Kali, Ishtar, Arianrhod, Rhiannon, Persephone, Baba Yaga, and Isis

Runes

Greetings and Salutations!

Here is a post on the Elder Runes, and a quick break down of them. Please be warned that runes are very tricky as they will rarely give  you a set answer on what you’re looking for. There is a lot of reading between the lines when it comes to runes and what they mean. 

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Dagaz: ᛞ

Rep: The Dawn

Meaning: Awakenig, Completion, Hope

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Othala: ᛟ

Rep: Inheritance

Meaning: Ancestry, Value, Possessions

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Inguz: ᛜ

Rep: The Seed

Meaning: Goals, Change, Common Sense

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Laguz: ᛚ

Rep: Water

Meaning: Flow, Intuition, Dreams, Change

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Mannaz: ᛗ

Rep: Humanity

Meaning: Help, Society, Frienship

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Ehwaz: ᛖ

Rep: The Horse

Meaning: Trasportation, trust, progress, travel

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Berkana: ᛒ

Birch Tree

Femininity, Birth, Healing

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Tiwaz: ᛏ

the god, Tyr, rune

Masculinity, Battle, Logic

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Sowilo: ᛊ

The Sun: 

Health, honor, victory, cleansing

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Algiz: ᛉ

The Elk

Protection, defense, effort

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Perthro: ᛈ

Dice Cup

Chance, fate, destiney

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Eihwaz: ᛇ

Yew Tree

Balance, Enlightenment, Death, Coming to terms

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Jera: ᛃ

The Year

Harvest, Changes, Cycles

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Isa: ᛁ

Ice

Clarity, Challenges, Waiting

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Nauthiz: ᚾ

Need

Conflict, Restriction, Endurance

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Hagalaz: ᚺ

Hail

Nature, wrath, hardships to overcome

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Wunjo: ᚹ

Joy

Comfort, rewards, winning

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Gebo: ᚷ

Gift

Balance, Partnerships, Generosity

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Kennaz: ᚲ

Torch

Vision, clarity, improving yourself

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Raidho: ᚱ

Wagon

Travel, decisions

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Ansuz: ᚨ

Estuary

Communication, Understanding

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Thurisaz: ᚦ

The Thorn

Reaction, conflict

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Uruz: ᚢ

The Bull

Strength, Courage, Freedom

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

Fehu: ᚠ

Livestock

Wealth, abundance

’*•.¸♡ ♡¸.•*’

In the future, I may make a post about the newer runes, however, since runes are so hard, it’s very hard to find information on them that is accurate. I made this post by cross referensing blogs and scholar papers, so not everything here may be correct, but i’m pretty sure most of it is accurate as possible. I also know it’s hard to read the runes, so if anyone needs to see them clearly, just inbox me and I’ll make flashcards and post them for you guys. 

As always, ily (/p) and i hope you are having a good day. dont forget to drink water and eat a snack if you can!