Ever watch those shows on the house and garden channels where a realtor takes a couple around to look at different houses until they find the one they like? They go into the homes and talk about how much they like or dislike the “space,” not the rooms. In fact, the word “room” rarely is spoken anymore. It’s now a “space.” The kitchen is a “space.” The master bedroom is a “space.” Even the tiny bathroom off the entrance is a “space.”
What does this have to do with witchcraft? Even witches need to find a nice “space” to set up their altar and do their spellcasting and rituals. Not every witch is lucky enough to have a whole room, but perhaps a closet can be hijacked and turned into a lavish altar. Maybe a cubby space—oh, it’s that word again—off a main room can be used or an attic or basement. Some witches like to work outdoors if the weather permits or in a closed-off patio with a view of nature. City witches might set up their sacred space on a balcony or empty out a coat closet.
In smaller homes or apartments, the altar might just be a corner of an existing bedroom, a closet in a guest room that is not in use, or a small table in the back of the office or den. No matter where you set up your altar, make sure it feels right and offers you some privacy and a sense of being a sacred spot all your own. Any space with a door is ideal, especially if you have kids and a spouse and want a little “me-witch time,” or invite them to participate and make it a family thing.
Some creative and resourceful places for an altar include using a rolltop desk and rolling down the cover when the altar is not in use; clearing a shelf in a laundry room or pantry; using a TV tray that can be put away when done; or keeping a bookcase or built-in shelf as an altar. You can always find some small space in the home that can be used, even if it’s temporarily.
You will want a table or dresser top to set up your altar objects on. You can use decorative doilies or cloths if you don’t want to set your objects directly on wood. Find a space big enough for items such as candles, crystals, gemstones, a chalice or cup, a blade or athame, an incense burner, and trinkets that are symbolic and powerful to you. You can also spread fresh flowers around the altar or place herbs and essential oils in small bowls that you might be using for your spells. You may have a favorite statue or picture of the god or goddess or your animal spirit guide. Rocks you found on a hike or seashells gathered on a beach can make nice altar pieces if you have room.
Altars can be large or small, depending on the space available to you. Some people set them up on a desk or small garden table or whatever comes to hand.
Remember to honor the elements with something representing earth, water, air, and fire. Some soil from outside or rocks can represent earth. A bowl or jar of Moon water is a favorite for many witch’s altars for water. For air, how about a feather? Fire can be burning incense or a lit candle.
Depending on your style and preference, you may want to fill your altar with all kinds of visuals and tools, or you may choose to go sparse with just a few important items that mean the most to you. Keep your Book of Shadows on your altar or close by, too, so you can take notes as you go along. If you have a sigil, you can make a nice image of it to hang on the wall above the altar or use a pentacle if you don’t have your own symbol yet.
Everything that goes on your altar should be cleansed, purified, and consecrated before you do anything with it. You can burn some sage and smoke the altar, saying a spell for protection and good results. You can hold crystals in the palms of your hands and move them over the altar, repeating a chant of “out with the negative, in with the positive.” You can cleanse each item individually if you choose, either with Moon water (be careful not to clean crystals and tools that might rust) or with essential oil. Cleansing and purifying your altar and tools can be done in many ways, so get creative and write your own ritual in your Book of Shadows. You will want to perform a cleansing each time you come to your altar to spellcast or perform a ritual so that the energies are always new, fresh, and positive.
Keep your altar clean, especially if you use food offerings or sweet oils that might attract bugs. It also helps to clean your items and purify them when you are done working with them, too, so that they don’t get imbued with used-up, stale energies. Find a nice soft cloth for wiping down candles and your chalice and blade. Take all used Moon water and pour it into your plants indoors or out. Used foodstuffs can be put into the compost pile, if you have one, or tossed outdoors for the critters to feast on.
The new witch of today knows that money is time and time is money and that it’s unnecessary to spend lavish amounts of either on expensive altar tools and items, candles, and other witchy things. Witchcraft on a budget is about being creative and looking for great bargains in places you might not have thought of before, like dollar stores, thrift stores, and your local crafts store.
Dollar stores are a dime a dozen, pun intended, and filled with great deals on candles, candleholders, incense sticks and cones, bowls, glasses, cups, and interesting knickknacks that might be fun for your altar. They have journals for turning into spellbooks and seasonal decorative items for the sabbat celebrations around Halloween and the Yule holiday period. Look for jars of every size for pocket spell jars, mixing herbs, infusion jars, and holding bath potions.
Many items needed for altars or rituals can be purchased cheaply at dollar or other discount or bulk stores.
Thrift stores are also filled with slightly used items, including clothing. Need a black ceremonial gown? You might get lucky and find a used graduation gown at a thrift shop or a used broom you can make into your sacred besom. By the way, a besom is a magical ritual broom used to sweep an area clean before or after spellcasting or a ritual to banish negative energies. If you hang a broom on the back of your front door, it will sweep away obstacles and prevent negative energies from entering your home. It also invites in good fortune and prosperity. A broom doesn’t have to be big; in fact, you can make your own out of a short handle of wood and some of your favorite branches. Talk about affordable witchcraft!
Thrift stores also have books and are sure to have a few on herbs and gardening. Need an altar table? Thrift stores are filled with cool furniture, often antiques, not to mention that they are fun to browse on a lazy day.
If you have a bit more to spend, find the local antique store or stores and look for one-of-a-kind altar tables or small dressers, ornate glasses and chalices, and mirrors. You might even find a crystal ball or old incense holder or candelabra. It might cost a bit more than the thrift shop, but knowing its age and history will be worth it. Never buy any antique that gives you an off feeling or bad vibes. It may be crawling with powerful attached negative energy that you might have a problem clearing later.
Costume shops and party stores may have interesting wineglasses, cups, and bowls that you can use on your altar for holding Moon water and herbal mixtures. You might get lucky and find a silver chalice made of plastic you can use on your altar or a big wineglass you can paint with your sigil. No doubt, at Halloween time, you can even find a cauldron, although avoid using plastic.
Craft stores have herbal sachets, charm bags, candles, incense and holders, essential oils and bottles, jars, cups, bowls, and glasses you can paint to your needs. Look for wreaths and boughs for Yule decorations and pumpkin and cornucopia decorations for harvest time. The great thing about craft stores is that you can buy things in template form to decorate yourself and make them your own. They have wonderful selections of journals, photo albums, and scrapbooks of every size that can be used for a Book of Shadows or spellbook.
Large bags of potpourri can serve in the place of dried flowers and herbs for adding scent to a spell or ritual bath. They’re cheap at craft and dollar stores and come in a variety of color blends. Also, look for silk and sheer sachet bags for carrying crystals and gemstones. They are found with the gift bags and boxes and can be purchased in bulk in any color or holiday pattern.
Even the local grocery store is filled with inexpensive ideas. Buy some basil and herbs in small pots, cloves and cinnamon sticks, and oranges and olive oil to make your own candles. Yes, you can do that. Here’s how: Cut an orange in half. Remove the fruit from each half but leave the white stem intact. Fill the emptied orange peel with olive oil up to just below the top of the stem. Light the stem. The candle will burn for hours and make the whole room smell like citrusy delight. One of the best things about having Internet access is that a witch can find all kinds of great hacks and tips online and share his/her own with others.
Speaking of fruits, you can save on creating your sacred outdoor garden or plant boxes by buying seeds and cultivating them over time instead of buying full-grown plants. It does take more time, but you get the pleasure of watching your herbs and plants burst through the soil and grow, which is more engaging and personal. The only thing you don’t want to scrimp on is a good, nutrient-rich soil. You can even get planting boxes and containers at thrift stores, craft stores, or your local big-box store.
If you wish to hang witches’ bells on your front door to protect your home from unwanted spirits, cantankerous elves, and unannounced visits from the fairy folk, look for small jingle bells at a craft store and put them on a string or ribbon to tie around the doorknob.
By saving money on some items, you can then spend a little more on gemstones, crystals, and more lavish candles when you want to kick things up a notch, but being a witch shouldn’t be about breaking the bank. No doubt, you can already find things around your own home you can put to work in your next round of spellcasting or rituals. It’s not about being cheap but being smart and thrifty and making use of alternative sources that can save you money and time and even allow you to personalize your items.
One word of caution when buying anything from a store for your craft, whether you get it from a local brick-and-mortar or online shop: You must clear the energy before you use it. Whether it’s a new candle, an altar table, a selection of quartz crystals, or a charm bag, do a blessing and clearing of each object so that you are not dealing with attached energies from past owners, people in the shipping department who send it out to you from an online shop, the postal carriers, etc. This is especially critical with antiques that may have gone through numerous owners before they reach you. You can smudge or sage each item or do them as a group and say a spell of purification and blessing over them, banishing any attachments and dissolving any bad vibes.
If you have lost a loved one, human or animal, you can put up a special altar in their honor. It doesn’t have to be big or elaborate, just a small space that you can create to keep memories and remembrances.
Losing a pet can be just as emotionally devastating as losing a human relative. Find a small, sacred space and keep some pet photos and mementos such as a beloved toy, a food bowl, the pet’s collar and tag, the pet’s ashes if you had a cremation, a poem or blessing you wrote about the pet, the pet’s favorite blanket, and anything else that appeals to you and reminds you of your lost loved critter.
Every now and then, you can do a blessing to ask the goddess to continue to protect the pet on the other side of this world or to pass on your love and thoughts.
For a departed human loved one, you can create a more elaborate altar if you have the space. You will want to include photos and mementos that person held dear, such as jewelry, a favorite piece of clothing, a small jar with their ashes if cremated, perfume or cologne they loved, a watch or timepiece, their favorite candy (wrapped) or favorite flowers, their birthstone, crystals, and any candles or incense that remind you of them.
The deeply personal memorial altar to a lost loved one is, of course, unique in dimensions, contents, and construction for each person.
This can be a place for performing a blessing for their continued happiness with the goddess on their birthday or an important anniversary. You don’t need to keep the altar up all year long unless space allows. You can do a special celebration honoring the person with flowers, cakes, and ale; play their favorite music; and burn some candles, especially during Samhain, when the veil between the living and the dead is thin and communication with the other side is amplified.
Altars to loved ones are a wonderful way to keep them alive in your heart and mind and to offer an occasional “shoutout” of love to let them know you are thinking of them. Putting up an altar for another can itself be a spiritual experience as you put your heart and thought into it and feel a strong sense of reconnection holding and looking at the objects they loved so dearly.