What is the Purpose of An Alter?

Alters.

Are they necessary? Do you need them? Are you less of a witch if you don't have one?

Let me tell you...personally I don't have an alter. 1. I don't really have a space that I would like to dedicate to something like that and 2. I have dogs and 3. I don't personally find it necessary as I have set up my entire home and office space as an alter to the land, spirit, nature and more.

But if you are interested in perhaps having or creating an alter here are some things you should know.

First, what is the purpose of an alter?

Typically in a witches practice an alter is a place of meditation, reflection and creating a space to honour the gods and goddesses of your craft as you see fit as well as anything else of relevence that you deem important enough to garner it a place on your alter to take up energetic space.

This could mean you having a space for the elements, elemental statutes, power animal trinkets and statues to honour them, god and goddess symbols to honour their work in your life, important tools of your craft such as a pendulum, wand, or athame, your book of shadows, grimoire or journal, any crystals you are currently researching or working with or anything that correlates with the Sabbats and Esbats that you may be celebrating or that are coming up.

Ultimately the alter is a place for YOUR craft and for YOUR observance and can be an important part of YOUR sacred space so there is really no right or wrong way of going about creating one.

Just do what resonates with you.

You will find many pagan shops all over the world have tools and trinkets and clothes for helping to set up your alter space that you can collect over time.

Most importantly you can go and respectfully collect things from nature such as pinecones, feathers, leaves, soil from a sacred location you enjoy, natural water from rivers and streams, rocks and whatever else that you feel drawn to on your path.

Many witches also create travelling alters for when they travel for work or pleasure for an extended period that they can quickly pack away in a small box.

And some witches (such as myself) don't use alters at all because our alter is within nature, surrounding us at all times.

It all depends on your personal preference and path.

See what resonates with you and go from there.

What's most important is that is fits your spiritual needs...not your social media needs so make sure not to get caught up in the "decor" of it all. Instead sit with it in meditation or journal about reasons why having an alter would aid--or hinder--your spiritual practice.

I personally have gone through phases in my practice through the years where I have used an alter and even more phases where I have not. Maybe you too will just reach a phase where you feel it helpful to have one, but eventually will fall back to not resonating with it later.

That's the beauty of this type of practice. It waxes and wanes with your spiritual growth.