What is the point of having an Altar?
For some, this maybe a rudimentary blog, or down right obvious. But stick with me...I wrote this for those who ask questions, and are just starting out!
The point of even bothering to set up an altar is to have a focal point to honor your deities with. All most all humans need something physical to focus their intentions and prayers, so that they can concentrate on whom they are sending said prayers to. The catholics have the cross, the pagans their statues, for some it's a scroll, a word, or an image on paper. Whatever path you are on, all most all religions have an altar of some sort, even the Catholics. Think about when you go (if you do go) to church, the priest stands behind an altar. They call it an altar, a spade is still a spade.
It is a meeting place for the Divine to descend to and speak with you freely. It is a private space set aside that sits between the worlds, dedicated to the God's and Spirits you honor. You could have a private room as your temple, a simple altar in your bedroom, a main altar in your living room, or a small building on your property as a temple to the God's or Spirits. Sacred Space, is sacred and should be looked at as a place between the worlds. It is not a common place table that makes up your altar, it is a holy space, for communication and reverence for the divine.
Altars vary from tradition to tradition. I can only comment on what traditions I follow. You must do your own research on your faiths traditions, or do what you are moved by spirit to do and follow. From a Hoodoo perspective, altars can be as elaborate, or simple as you want them to be. I love Hoodoo, it is very practical and simple! Hoodoo is predominantly Catholic based, and so am I, so deal with it.
A simple working altar with no predominant deity, image, Saint, or Angel associated with it would go like this:
1. You will need an altar cloth. White is the standard, but not a must.
2. An image of Jesus Christ. Preferably one of those stand up crosses with his image on it. But a simple printed out picture, inside of a nice picture frame will do.
3. A glass of water. Water on any Saint, deity, Angel or whomever's altar you are honoring, is a standard and a must. Spirits, especially the Spirits of the Dead, need cool, clean, glass of water on their altars at all times. There are certain signs in the water you can look for as well. If the water gets murky, pretty quickly, this is a sign that the Spirit is trapping negativity and cleansing your home. If you get bubbles in the offering cup, this is a sign that negativity in the home has been trapped in the water by the Spirit. It should be a clear glass of cool water that you give to the divine.
4. A offering candle. Now the color will depend on whom you are offering it to. If it's an altar to a particular Saint, Angel, or deity you would offer a candle to them in their color. Almost all Saints, Angels, and Deities have a color or two that are associated with them. For example: Archangel Michael's color is red. So you would offer him a red candle and so on.
5. An incense burner. Always light a stick of incense to your spirits. Some say it carries your prayers up to heaven. It is also a simple, humble yet effective offering as well.
6. Holy water is a must. If you practice Hoodoo, you will be blessing your statues, candles, works, well, just about everything is doused with Holy Water. Don't leave home with out it.
7. One might want a small pocket knife on the altar, to carve intentions into candles, and cut things and any other uses you might find for a knife. Inexplicably useful!
8. A pair of blessed by a Catholic priest, Rosary Beads, to pray with and use in works.
9. You might want a bell. To call the spirits to you, to banish negative spirits, to announce your presence...etc...
10. A Bible. In Hoodoo, the Bible is one of the most used tools. They say all of the Greatest Conjure knowledge is concealed with in it's pages, if you know how to read it properly. Think about it! In the Old Testament, there are loads of recipes for incenses, sacrifices, and magical oils. It's all been preserved in there, you just have to know how to look past the disguises it is hidden behind.
11. A candle snuffer is a must. One should NEVER blow out their candles because you blow out/end the spell. The same goes for the offering candle. Some people like to extinguish their candles with their fingers. This is fine, but there is some debate about it amongst others. I personally have no problem with snuffing out candles with my fingers but that is me.
12. I always put a cauldron, that I've cleansed and consecrated my self on the altar. As I have stated in other blogs, I work that tool for just about all of my magical needs. It is the one tool I can not live without!
13. Salt, preferably blessed by a Catholic priest, but just regular salt will do. Salt will do whatever you tell it to do. It is the spice of life.
14. Some kind of divination system should be on your altar as well. You will need some way to communicate with the Spirits. Be it a pack of playing cards, tarot, the pendulum, the bones, scrying crystals, a bowl of water, a magic mirror, runes...etc....Having a language and a method that both you and your Spirits can equally communicate through is essential. I would say one of the most important things on your altar.
15. Miscellaneous things you can also put on your altar are wands, crystals, a mirror, herbs, oils, feathers, animal curios, bones, and anything that would be pleasing to you and help you get into the mindset to communicate with the divine powers that be.
How you place these things on the altar is up to you. But I have given you the basics of what should go on a working Hoodoo altar. The very basics. It is up to you as to how elaborate or simple you wish to be. Remember, it is more about preparing your head to accept other world information than about pleasing someone else! When setting up altars to a particular Spirit, one should chose items that are sacred to them. For example, they say you should give Archangel Michael a sword to defend you with. Or offer the Spirit fresh flowers every once in a while, or when they preform a miracle or act for you. Candies are always a nice offering as well as the Spirits favorite foods.
Change the altar cloth once a week when you first start out. As well as changing the offering cup of cool water and washing it out as often as it gets dirty. One doesn't have to change the altar cloth as frequent once you and your Spirit has developed a close relationship. Just my suggestion. After a while, just change it when it is dirty. Because incense ash usually always gets on the cloth and makes it dirty. Throw away old altar cloths when they have holes in it, has stains, or has become too tatty.
Set aside time to attend your altars. Don't let your cups and altars become moldy and dirty. It's just disrespectful and doesn't make for a good relationship with them. You don't have to tend to them every day, although one can and is encouraged to do so. But set aside time at least twice a week to talk to your Spirits and offer them offerings. Think of them as your friends, and treat them with respect. You don't have to talk aloud to them, but it helps for concentration to do so. Tell them about your life, and your problems. Ask for their guidance, and help with your issues and offer them a gift in return for their help. Always pay your deities whenever they do you a favor or they might just take their gift back from you. A gift for a gift, that is the way of things!
The point of even bothering to set up an altar is to have a focal point to honor your deities with. All most all humans need something physical to focus their intentions and prayers, so that they can concentrate on whom they are sending said prayers to. The catholics have the cross, the pagans their statues, for some it's a scroll, a word, or an image on paper. Whatever path you are on, all most all religions have an altar of some sort, even the Catholics. Think about when you go (if you do go) to church, the priest stands behind an altar. They call it an altar, a spade is still a spade.
It is a meeting place for the Divine to descend to and speak with you freely. It is a private space set aside that sits between the worlds, dedicated to the God's and Spirits you honor. You could have a private room as your temple, a simple altar in your bedroom, a main altar in your living room, or a small building on your property as a temple to the God's or Spirits. Sacred Space, is sacred and should be looked at as a place between the worlds. It is not a common place table that makes up your altar, it is a holy space, for communication and reverence for the divine.
Altars vary from tradition to tradition. I can only comment on what traditions I follow. You must do your own research on your faiths traditions, or do what you are moved by spirit to do and follow. From a Hoodoo perspective, altars can be as elaborate, or simple as you want them to be. I love Hoodoo, it is very practical and simple! Hoodoo is predominantly Catholic based, and so am I, so deal with it.
A simple working altar with no predominant deity, image, Saint, or Angel associated with it would go like this:
1. You will need an altar cloth. White is the standard, but not a must.
2. An image of Jesus Christ. Preferably one of those stand up crosses with his image on it. But a simple printed out picture, inside of a nice picture frame will do.
3. A glass of water. Water on any Saint, deity, Angel or whomever's altar you are honoring, is a standard and a must. Spirits, especially the Spirits of the Dead, need cool, clean, glass of water on their altars at all times. There are certain signs in the water you can look for as well. If the water gets murky, pretty quickly, this is a sign that the Spirit is trapping negativity and cleansing your home. If you get bubbles in the offering cup, this is a sign that negativity in the home has been trapped in the water by the Spirit. It should be a clear glass of cool water that you give to the divine.
4. A offering candle. Now the color will depend on whom you are offering it to. If it's an altar to a particular Saint, Angel, or deity you would offer a candle to them in their color. Almost all Saints, Angels, and Deities have a color or two that are associated with them. For example: Archangel Michael's color is red. So you would offer him a red candle and so on.
5. An incense burner. Always light a stick of incense to your spirits. Some say it carries your prayers up to heaven. It is also a simple, humble yet effective offering as well.
6. Holy water is a must. If you practice Hoodoo, you will be blessing your statues, candles, works, well, just about everything is doused with Holy Water. Don't leave home with out it.
7. One might want a small pocket knife on the altar, to carve intentions into candles, and cut things and any other uses you might find for a knife. Inexplicably useful!
8. A pair of blessed by a Catholic priest, Rosary Beads, to pray with and use in works.
9. You might want a bell. To call the spirits to you, to banish negative spirits, to announce your presence...etc...
10. A Bible. In Hoodoo, the Bible is one of the most used tools. They say all of the Greatest Conjure knowledge is concealed with in it's pages, if you know how to read it properly. Think about it! In the Old Testament, there are loads of recipes for incenses, sacrifices, and magical oils. It's all been preserved in there, you just have to know how to look past the disguises it is hidden behind.
11. A candle snuffer is a must. One should NEVER blow out their candles because you blow out/end the spell. The same goes for the offering candle. Some people like to extinguish their candles with their fingers. This is fine, but there is some debate about it amongst others. I personally have no problem with snuffing out candles with my fingers but that is me.
12. I always put a cauldron, that I've cleansed and consecrated my self on the altar. As I have stated in other blogs, I work that tool for just about all of my magical needs. It is the one tool I can not live without!
13. Salt, preferably blessed by a Catholic priest, but just regular salt will do. Salt will do whatever you tell it to do. It is the spice of life.
14. Some kind of divination system should be on your altar as well. You will need some way to communicate with the Spirits. Be it a pack of playing cards, tarot, the pendulum, the bones, scrying crystals, a bowl of water, a magic mirror, runes...etc....Having a language and a method that both you and your Spirits can equally communicate through is essential. I would say one of the most important things on your altar.
15. Miscellaneous things you can also put on your altar are wands, crystals, a mirror, herbs, oils, feathers, animal curios, bones, and anything that would be pleasing to you and help you get into the mindset to communicate with the divine powers that be.
How you place these things on the altar is up to you. But I have given you the basics of what should go on a working Hoodoo altar. The very basics. It is up to you as to how elaborate or simple you wish to be. Remember, it is more about preparing your head to accept other world information than about pleasing someone else! When setting up altars to a particular Spirit, one should chose items that are sacred to them. For example, they say you should give Archangel Michael a sword to defend you with. Or offer the Spirit fresh flowers every once in a while, or when they preform a miracle or act for you. Candies are always a nice offering as well as the Spirits favorite foods.
Change the altar cloth once a week when you first start out. As well as changing the offering cup of cool water and washing it out as often as it gets dirty. One doesn't have to change the altar cloth as frequent once you and your Spirit has developed a close relationship. Just my suggestion. After a while, just change it when it is dirty. Because incense ash usually always gets on the cloth and makes it dirty. Throw away old altar cloths when they have holes in it, has stains, or has become too tatty.
Set aside time to attend your altars. Don't let your cups and altars become moldy and dirty. It's just disrespectful and doesn't make for a good relationship with them. You don't have to tend to them every day, although one can and is encouraged to do so. But set aside time at least twice a week to talk to your Spirits and offer them offerings. Think of them as your friends, and treat them with respect. You don't have to talk aloud to them, but it helps for concentration to do so. Tell them about your life, and your problems. Ask for their guidance, and help with your issues and offer them a gift in return for their help. Always pay your deities whenever they do you a favor or they might just take their gift back from you. A gift for a gift, that is the way of things!
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