Necessary and unnecessary items on the altar

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

What are your personal guidelines, as to the altar(s) you keep, not to mention basic cleaning and maintenance, on items kept on the altar that are basic necessities?
What items do you consider to be unnecessary on the altar?

Post automatically merged: Mar 21, 2023

Example: My entire purpose of the magic I do at my altar is either GD work or Low Magick.
Therefore, I have a table and seal/sigil under a specific colored or uncolored candle.
Water cup and incense holder/incense. Wand. Feather. Plate of sea salt and candle snuffer resting on it.
Safety first then teamwork.

 

[VoxNoctifer]

I'll give some advice based on what has worked for me. One thing to consider - and if you're building your own altar this is even better - have at least one shelf beneath the top of your altar for storing items; I use this space to store incense and other items and ingredients. A wand and accoutrements for candles could go here too.

On the surface of my altar I have my altar cloth, two candles (one black, one red), two incense burners, a chalice, and an athame, but I might shift or change these items depending on the ritual I have in mind. Things that are necessary to leave on the altar are those that are intended to have a lingering energy/effect. For example, if you've drawn a sigil of protection, you'll want to leave that on your altar for the desired amount of time you want its effect to be achieved.

I think candles and whatever object you use to call the corners at the beginning of your spellwork, should always stay atop your altar for practical reasons. Anything else is up to the ritualist.

 

[Bandaboy]

I think before making an altar, one needs to know why or what purpose they are establishing an altar. Is it to contact a deity, to do a work on somebody or for someone... You've gotta know what your doing.

Secondly, how long will that altar be set up, maybe a lifelong cooperation with a spirit, or a temporal work. This has to be known.

Thirdly, an altar requires some form of agreement between physical and non-physical beings. You being the physical being, and the spirit on the deity you want to work with, or the person you want to have an effect on.

We must not assume what an altar needs, but need thorough data from the information we obtain from the purpose of the altar. Perhaps a deity wants a red cloth, a dry acacia stick and a white mug with Chinese designs... We've got to be SPECIFIC if we want specific results.

 

[Xingtian]

Well Thrice-Greatest Hermes (or one version of him) had this to say:

As they were just beginning to recite the prayer, Asclepius did whisper:

[Asc.] Let us suggest to father, Tat,—what he did bid us do, —that we should say our prayer to God with added incense and with unguents.

Whom when Thrice-greatest heard, he grew distressed and said:

[Tris.] Nay, nay, Asclepius; speak more propitious words! For this is like to profanation of [our] sacred rites,—when thou dost pray to God, to offer incense and the rest.

For naught is there of which He stands in need, in that He is all things, or all are in Him.

But let us worship, pouring forth our thanks. For this is the best incense in God’s sight,—when thanks are given to Him by men.

But really just do what seems cool.