Primarily a religion based on nature, Wicca was made popular by a retired British civil servant named Gerald Gardner in 1954. Early on, it was referred to as witchcraft and witch cult, the adherents of which were called the Wica. Today, it is symbolized by the pentagram and is known for the eight seasonally-based festivals, its basic code of morality and the use of magic as a ritual. For those who find this neo-pagan religion very interesting, it is good to know how to build a wiccan altar.
Materials Needed
As a religion, Wicca is very interesting because it makes use of many different natural materials. Before you can set up an altar, it is good to have a free surface to work on, preferably something quiet and peaceful. Aside from this, you also need to prepare tarot cards, a wand, feather and incense to represent air, which is one of the basic natural elements. To symbolize fire, you must have matches, a lighter, bolline, athame, red scarves as well as a red candle.
To represent water, some of the materials needed are seashell, cauldron and chalice. As representations for earth, you need to bring a pentacle, herbs, crystals, stones, earth and salt. In addition to these materials, you must not forget all the other essential elements necessary to complete a wiccan altar like a gold candle, a blue or silver candle and the Book of Shadows.
Steps
When choosing the right location for an altar, it is best to find one that has less traffic. It must have a sacred atmosphere where it is possible to conduct solemn praise and worship. It is always good to make an altar out of a flat surface or table. Among the possible options are trunks, coffee tables and nightstands. It is also possible to use cardboard boxes as long as they have a flat and even surface.
A wiccan altar must have a representation of the four basic elements, namely water, earth, fire and air. Position the symbols for fire at the southern part of the table. Here you can put the lighter and candle. Likewise, you can also put the athame, which is a special kind of knife with black handle used for directing energy. The symbols for water must be placed at the west such as the water bowl, cauldron or chalice. In case water is unavailable, it is good to use water-related gems like sapphire, turquoise and aquamarine.
For the symbols for earth, position them at the northern part of the table. Here, you can use a round dish called a pentacle and then fill it with crystals, stones, coins, salt or earth. Among these, the salt is one of the most important because it symbolizes cleansing and purification. The air is usually represented at the eastern part of the table. Here, it is good to place divination tools such as the wand, feather and incense.
