Creating Circles and Ceremonies: Rituals for All ... - reading...
Creating Circles and Ceremonies: Rituals for All ... - reading...
Creating Circles and Ceremonies: Rituals for All ... - reading...
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30 <strong>Creating</strong> <strong>Circles</strong> & <strong>Ceremonies</strong><br />
My personal altar (Oberon) has a 6-inch flat Dearinth, whereupon sits my favorite<br />
crystal. My God & Goddess figurines are the Millennial Gaia, Aphrodite, Kwan Yin, <strong>and</strong> the<br />
Green Man (represented by a little action figure of the “swamp thing”!). I have a few art cards<br />
of Wizards, <strong>and</strong> a little pewter wizard model of myself , made back when I was touring<br />
Renaissance Faires with my unicorns. I have several w<strong>and</strong>s, a lovely “Flying Dragon” athame<br />
I bought at Starwood festival, a nice chalice, <strong>and</strong> a couple of tea c<strong>and</strong>les in fancy holders.<br />
Finally, there is my most truly magickal object—a tektite shaped like a little kayak (a yoni<br />
from the stars) which I found on a riverbank in Mississippi over 40 years ago, <strong>and</strong> which is<br />
a remnant of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.<br />
Personal altars are as varied <strong>and</strong> as individual as the people who have them. There is no<br />
really “wrong” way to make one. Any flat horizontal surface can be made into an altar. Many<br />
magickal folk use a small table (square, round, or rectangular), a bureau, a dresser or cabinet,<br />
the top of a TV, or even one shelf of a bookcase (mine is like that—though our large<br />
Ravenheart family altar has been on the mantle over our fireplace). If you have very little<br />
space, a particularly convenient way to make a personal altar is a triangular shelf attached to<br />
the walls in a corner of your room. An altar can be any size you find convenient, but I<br />
recommend one at least two feet wide <strong>and</strong> a foot deep. And you can always cover a table or<br />
shelf with a large bolt of fabric <strong>for</strong> an instant altar.<br />
Once you have a suitable altar space, you will need an altar cloth. A batik-decorated silk<br />
scarf or large h<strong>and</strong>kerchief is ideal, but any piece of pretty material you like will do. If you check<br />
your local metaphysical store, you will probably find some lovely altar cloths with magickal<br />
designs printed on them. If you buy something ready-made, make sure the symbols are ones you<br />
can work with. For color-coded magick, you will want to have appropriately-colored altar cloths.<br />
Arrange the cloth on the altar, <strong>and</strong> let the edges hang over.<br />
There are a few things that go on almost every altar. As I indicated earlier, you should have<br />
something to represent each of the Elements (Earth, Air, Fire <strong>and</strong> Water). Earth may be represented<br />
by a crystal, a geode, a little cup of salt, a pentacle, bread, fruit, or even a small potted<br />
plant. Air might be represented by a feather, a thurible (incense burner), a bell, a flute, or a dried<br />
butterfly. Water is usually contained in a cup or chalice—but a seashell, starfish, or piece of coral<br />
also makes a lovely representation of this Element. Water in your chalice should never be allowed<br />
to get stale, but should be refreshed regularly—especially be<strong>for</strong>e any working. Fire is<br />
universally represented by a red votive c<strong>and</strong>le in a red jar, but a piece of red lava, coal, charred<br />
wood, or a polished red stone or gem will also serve. Even a little figurine of a red dragon can be<br />
used to symbolize Fire.<br />
NOTE: NEVER leave a c<strong>and</strong>le burning on your altar when you are not in the room! I’ve<br />
known of several magickal folks whose homes burned down from untended altar c<strong>and</strong>les!<br />
Also make sure that there is nothing above your c<strong>and</strong>le that could possibly catch fire—<br />
including another shelf, curtains etc. And make sure your cat or weasel cannot climb the<br />
fabric or leap onto the Altar if you leave the room!<br />
Your magickal tools—such as your w<strong>and</strong>, athamé (ritual knife), jewelry, medicine<br />
pouches, amulets, talismans, etc. should also be kept on or around your altar. If you have a<br />
lot of such stuff, you might want to fasten a branch or deer antler above your Altar from<br />
which you can hang things on chains <strong>and</strong> cords. Make sure you use good size molly bolts on<br />
dry walls to hang anything heavy!<br />
Next, your altar should have some representation of Spirit. This may be in the <strong>for</strong>m of a<br />
crystal ball, or statues or pictures of gods <strong>and</strong> goddesses, which you can make yourself or<br />
buy at a metaphysical store. Don’t try <strong>and</strong> crowd your altar with such images—one or a<br />
matched set of two will do nicely. Another way to represent Spirit is to have a mirror at the<br />
back of your altar, which will reflect your own face when you do your workings. After all,
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