BOOK OF SHADOWS

Welcome to the Tragic Book of Shadows. We will be regularly updating this blog with spells to aid you with living your best life, that our witches have hand-curated for you with love and positive intention.

Lunar Eclipse Spells Reading What is an altar, and what should I have on it? 8 minutes Next Moon Phases & Astrological Transits

November 6, 2022

What is an altar, and what should I have on it?

Getting started in your magickal journey can often feel overwhelming, and sometimes you aren't sure where to start or what to do. The wonderful thing about witchcraft & magick is that there is no right and wrong, it all comes down to personal preference; but us at Tragic Beautiful know it is sometimes great to have a rough outline of what to do.

Read along to have your questions about altars answered, and to discover the essentials you should have on your altar.

What is an altar?

An altar is a personalised, sacred space that practitioners use for rituals, spells and other magickal workings. It serves as a focal point to connect with spiritual energies, divine forces, or personal intentions.

A witch's altar typically includes symbolic tools such as candles, crystals, herbs, and ritual tools that align with the practitioner's magickal goals and beliefs. The arrangement and items on the altar can vary widely among individual witches and different traditions within witchcraft and Paganism.

While it is not necessary to have a specific altar to conduct your spellwork, having a dedicated space is incredibly helpful for focusing on your craft and allows you to be further immersed in your rituals. The way you set up and decorate your wiccan altar is a reflection of your powerful, magickal self. It can be as minimalist or as maximalist as you’d like.

Keep in mind that the way you set up your altar does not need to be static; it is likely to change as your practice develops overtime.

Where should I set up my altar?

Deciding where to set up your altar is entirely up to you, however, we recommend setting this up in an area where you are least likely to be interrupted, experience distractions and where no one else will mess with it. Your altar's location and purpose will determine the kind of equipment you need. For a portable altar in nature, envision a kit tailored to spontaneous inspiration, while a home altar may involve a more permanent, organised arrangement. Whether this be in a separate room, your bedroom or living room, choose a space that feels right for you and gives you privacy. You can use a table, a desk, a dresser, shelf or a windowsill, depending on how much space you require.

What should I have on my altar?

As mentioned earlier, a witches altar is a reflection of who they are, so get creative with yours! We have collated some essential tools to help you get started with creating your very own powerful area for performing your rituals. We have compiled the most important altar essentials below!

    Start with an altar cloth

    It's a great idea to start at the foundation and place an altar cloth on your altar. Altar cloths are a representation of your magickal approach and serve to protect your altar from burning incense, candles & hot cauldrons. It is a good idea to choose an altar cloth that represents you and your approach to magick, whether that is a tapestry, rug, or even a towel if you're a sea witch. It does not matter the fabric, as long as you feel a connection to it.

    Choose whichever design you connect with, whether that be Celtic prints, witchcraft symbols, pentagrams, herbs or bones.

    Ensure you have various spell candles

    Candles are an essential part of your ritual toolkit. A lit candle represents the fire element, and the colours of candles take on different meanings for different rituals. A basic black and white spell candle are a good place to start, as these candles represent the goddess and god or masculine and feminine in nature, and are useful in most rituals, but these candles can also help provide protection, or cleansing and purification. Because colours have different meanings and what matters is your intent behind choosing, a set of chime or spell candles are an easy way to draw elements of focus into your ritual so are a must-have for your altar setup.

    Our top pick for a starter candle kit is this 20 pack of Chime Spell Candles - they are an affordable and easy way to ensure you have all different candle colours for your rituals and spellwork.

    For more information about candle colours and their meanings, read our guide on simple candle magick and the meaning of candle colours here.

    What would a witch be without her cauldron?

    Cauldrons are arguably the most well-known symbol of witches, and they are indeed an altar essential. Cauldrons hold many uses including mixing ingredients such as your herbs, burning loose incense on a charcoal disc, making black salt or to burn petitions. They are not only a useful tool, but they are a symbolic symbol for witches - you can keep one or multiple cauldrons on your altar!

    Multiple cauldrons are handy for rituals where you need to keep ingredients separate. For example, you might be burning incense in one cauldron, burning resin in another and need another cauldron for mixing herbs together with your hands. The amount of cauldrons you keep on your altar is dependent on how extensive your rituals become.

    For those starting out, we recommend something like our best selling metal cauldron with brass sieve.

    To learn more about cauldrons, head to our cauldron blog here.

    Show gratitude with an offering bowl

    The use of an offering bowl, sometimes called a libation dish, is dependent on your form of magick, but are essential to most rituals. Offering bowls hold a pivotal role on a witch's altar, serving as a symbolic conduit between the practitioner and the spiritual forces they engage with. This sacred vessel is a representation of gratitude, respect, and intention, allowing witches to express their devotion through physical offerings such as herbs, crystals, or liquids.

    The act of placing offerings into the bowl becomes a focused and intentional practice, channeling the practitioner's energy and enhancing the efficacy of their rituals. Beyond symbolism, the offering bowl signifies reciprocity, establishing a give-and-take relationship with the spiritual realm.

    Check out our range of offering bowls here.

    Crystals are a multi-use altar essential

    Crystals can be powerful ingredients within your spellwork have a broad range of uses on altars. A generator crystal is a great crystal to have on your altar; these crystals have six or more faces that come to a point on one end, and are designed to generate and protect energy during spells and rituals. Clear quartz helps to amplify the effects of your spell and hold onto energy you put into it.

    Get ready for rituals by cleansing

    Cleansing your altar is an essential if you want to conduct your spellwork from a fresh, clean slate. There a variety of ways you can cleanse your altar, but the most popular way to do so is with smoke. Smoke cleansing involves using the smoke from herbs like cedar, juniper, rosemary and eucalyptus to cleanse a space; cleansing sticks are a great way to efficiently cleanse your altar before each ritual. Other cleansing methods involve incense or resin blends, and even sound can be utilised to cleanse a space, with the use of a witches bell, pots, or even yelling.

    For easy ways to cleanse your space, head to our simple cleansing spell blog here.

    RECOMMENDED WITCHCRAFT BOOKS

    Beyond the Book of Shadows

    Iconic Tarot Decks

    Becoming the Witch: The Art of Magick

    Tragic Beautiful has curated a collection of witchcraft supplies, tools, and books available here. Join our coven and learn more about magick! We'd love to see you on Facebook, in our VIP group, on insta and our TikTok!

    Written by Melissa Belle, Tragic’s Witchy Consultant.

    Altar Setup

    Setting Up Your Mabon Altar Decorating Your Lammas Altar Setting Up Your Beltane Altar Setting up your Ostara Altar Setting up your Yule Altar

    Astrology

    Banishing Spells

    Beginner Guides

    Divination: What is scrying, and how do I scry? What is a Hedge Witch? What is a Sea Witch? What is a Kitchen Witch? What is a Green Witch?

    Beltane

    Rituals for Beltane Setting Up Your Beltane Altar Celebrating Beltane in 2024

    Cleansing Spells

    Divination

    Divination: What is scrying, and how do I scry?

    Dream Magic

    Herb Guides

    Mallow: Magickal Properties & Uses Mandrake: Magickal Properties & Uses Masterwort: Magickal Properties & Uses Meadowsweet: Magickal Properties & Uses Mistletoe: Magickal Properties & Uses Mugwort: Magickal Properties & Uses Mullein: Magickal Properties & Uses Nettle: Magickal Properties & Uses Patchouli Leaf: Magickal Properties & Uses Peony Root: Magickal Properties & Uses Peppermint: Magickal Properties & Uses Raspberry Leaf: Magickal Properties & Uses Rose: Magickal Properties & Uses Rose of Jericho: Magickal Properties & Uses Rosemary: Magickal Properties & Uses Sacred Lotus: Magickal Properties & Uses Safflower: Magickal Properties & Uses Scullcap: Magickal Properties & Uses St John's Wort: Magickal Properties & Uses Thyme: Magickal Properties & Uses Valerian Root: Magickal Properties & Uses Vervain: Magickal Properties & Uses White Sage: Magickal Properties & Uses Willow Bark: Magickal Properties & Uses Witch Hazel: Magickal Properties & Uses Wormwood: Magickal Properties & Uses Yarrow: Magickal Properties & Uses

    Imbolc

    Celebrating Imbolc in 2024

    Kitchen Witchcraft

    Lammas

    Decorating Your Lammas Altar Rituals for Lammas

    Luck Spells

    Mabon

    Celebrating Mabon in 2024 Rituals for Mabon Setting Up Your Mabon Altar

    Moon Spells

    Ostara

    Setting up your Ostara Altar Rituals for Ostara Celebrating Ostara in 2024

    Sabbat Rituals

    Rituals for Lammas Rituals for Beltane Rituals for Ostara Yule Candle Spell

    Sabbats

    Celebrating Mabon in 2024 Rituals for Mabon Setting Up Your Mabon Altar Decorating Your Lammas Altar Rituals for Lammas Rituals for Beltane Setting Up Your Beltane Altar Celebrating Beltane in 2024 Rituals for Ostara Celebrating Ostara in 2024 Celebrating Imbolc in 2024 Setting up your Yule Altar Celebrating Yule in 2024 Yule Candle Spell

    Samhain

    Self Care Spells

    Yule Candle Spell

    Self Improvement Spells

    Yule Candle Spell

    Simple Spells

    Tools for Witchcraft

    What is an Athame?

    Wheel of the Year

    Setting Up Your Mabon Altar Setting Up Your Beltane Altar Celebrating Beltane in 2024 Setting up your Ostara Altar Celebrating Ostara in 2024 Celebrating Imbolc in 2024 Setting up your Yule Altar Celebrating Yule in 2024 Yule Candle Spell

    Yule

    Setting up your Yule Altar Celebrating Yule in 2024 Yule Candle Spell

    related Spells

    Mallow: Magickal Properties & Uses

    March 25, 2024

    Mallow: Magickal Properties & Uses

    Mallow flowers (Malva sylvestris), commonly known as wild mallow, are revered in herbalism for their various medicinal properties, including soothing effects on the respiratory system and gastroint...
    View Spell
    Mandrake: Magickal Properties & Uses

    March 25, 2024

    Mandrake: Magickal Properties & Uses

    Mandrake (Atropa mandragora formerly Mandragora officinalis), also known as European Mandrake, Mandrake Apple, Pome Di Tchin, Satan’s Apple, herb of Circe, witches mannikin, sorcerer’s root, main-d...
    View Spell
    Masterwort: Magickal Properties & Uses

    March 25, 2024

    Masterwort: Magickal Properties & Uses

    Masterwort (Imperatoria Ostruthium), also known as "master root" (also what they call me ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)) or simply "master of the woods," is a perennial herb with a long history of use in various folk...
    View Spell