Post 6 - Making an Altar

Last week’s attempt at summoning a deity went really well, or at least I think so. I would like to think that I got through to Aphrodite, as the advice was really helpful and probably saved me some money and grief in the long run.

With that in mind, this week I want to try dabbling with wicca related tarot again, this time constructing a temporary altar and performing the reading on that, to see if it enhanced the spiritual experience or in any way changed the reading to channel it through a different facet of spirituality.

Altars are spaces, usually raised surfaces but not always, where a witch will perform their rituals. They are, at their core, a workbench. “Wiccan or pagan altars are raised surfaces (tables, shelves, desks, stumps, etc.) that serve as loci of ceremony, invocation, spell-casting, worship, chanting, prayer, and other practices. “ (Phidipus 2021). What they contain can vary depending on what you’re doing, or it might stay erected in your home. It depends on your personal circumstances. The contents and specifics of an altar are very personalized. “Altars should hold what we value. They often contain energies we want to invoke, ideals we want to strive to, the divine we want to channel, and statements of our beliefs.” (Clarke 2020)

Most of my research advises that “Anything goes!” and that first and foremost “[t]he most important thing is that you feel free to decorate, explore, re-arrange, and above all, have fun when creating your altar, which is a never-ending process. Your altar is unique to you and nobody else should be telling you what is right or wrong about it.” (Spells 8 2019). That said, there does seem to be a structure to altar construction, so I will do my best to assemble what is needed. Another thing that much of my research confirms is that it’s advised to work with what you have, and assembling your altar should not be an expensive or extravagant process unless you want it to be. “Altars are not just decorative pieces. They represent your living workspace. There is no need for elaborate ornamentation or excessive solemnity, unless you desire that of course. “ (Clarke 2020).

There seems to be very few things that are actively required but I am going to try and fon common things that are recommended and depending on availability and expense, compile an alter from that.

Elements of Life Reading:

I decided to use the Elements of Life reading as detailed by Sarah Wilder. This is a general (so it doesn’t require an issue necessarily) five card reading that incorporates the four elements in relation to the spirit. I thought this would be an interesting thing to try, because I could align the elemental cards with their respective elements. I didn’t initially plan on this, but it felt right doing so.

Card 1: The spirit and the self. Truths and beliefs you might have, or something the universe is trying to tell you about yourself.

Three of Pentacles: This card is a growth in your material and career life, but it also warns to be open to working with others. “The stonemason couldn’t build the cathedral without the help of the architects, and they couldn’t build it without him. Each person has an important role to play, and when they come together as a team, they can create something much more significant than if they were to undertake the project on their own.” (Biddy Tarot 2020).

Card 2: The element of air and what it encompasses. The logical mind, clarity, and what you need to know.

King of Swords: The King of Swords is the Pinnacle of air cards. No, I’m not joking, and I did not rig this. “The king of swords represents a commitment to clarity of thought and honesty” (Fenton-Smith 2008). It shows that good ideas are being implemented with sound management skills , or that you’re being given solid advice.

Card 3: The element of earth, which relates to the physical. Your health, possessions, finances, and environment.

King of Pentacles (Inverted)

Card 4: The element of water, which represents creativity, emotions, and interpersonality.

The Emperor: This is a pretty masculine card, with connotations to a very specific kind of man who is practical and protective but not good at emotion. Outside of that context this card can mean “success through self-discipline and practical efforts [...] It can represent a time of great stability and order in your life.” (Fenton-Smith 2008).

Card 5: The element of fire. Passion and movements. Things you can do and physical actions.

Knight of Cups: This is a card that represents following your heart. The knight is seen as charming, charismatic, and likable to all. You work with calmness, grace, and tact, making meaningful relationships along the way. “He is instead moving slowly forward which provides the entire setting an overall impression of peace and calmness. The horse is known to represent one's drive, energy, and power. The horse's color is white, which is a well-known symbol of spirituality, light, and purity.” (Labyrinthos Academy, 2020). It can also mean that it’s time to make a decision and if so to follow your heart.

Things needed:

A raised surface or mat - in a place you’re unlikely to be interrupted
Altar covering - A piece of fabric to prevent mess. “Some Witches like to change their altar cloth according to the type of ritual they are doing, or following the Wheel of the Year, having a different one for each season and each Pagan holiday” (Spells 8 2019) but any will do if you can’t afford that much fabric.
Traditional Elements as Cardinal Direction Indicators - Both tarot and wicca are informed by the four traditional elements. I used a bowl of water, a pile of salt, a candle, and an empty cup for air. Some sites recommended using incense for this but I have issues with scented smoke so I had to make do.

Things suggested:

Candles - Mostly used for candle spells but can also be used to light the altar.
Incense - I will not be using this due to a sensitivity to smoke
Crystals - Hold energies that you can channel in your spellcasting.
Religious symbols - For any god you’re involving and/or the God and Goddess
Cauldren
Broom
Wand
Driftwood or leaves

Other Notes:

There doesn’t seem to be a problem mixing pantheons or even religions
Don’t clutter your workspace

My Altar

I just used some spare fabric I had lying around as an alter cover. It's in my favorite colour too, so I thought it was a good start. I alligned the four elements with the cardinal directions using a compass and I used rainwater in my Water Element bowl because we'd been getting a lot of rain recently and I know that rainwater plays a part in many spells.

I had some crystals around, so I used some. I had amathyst which "symboliz[es] our spiritual nature and higher self", snow quartz which is "used for fact-finding, education, and deplomacy", some blue quartz which evokes "tranquility, clarity, and deters fear", and clear quartz which is a "universal magical stone" (Telesco, 2020). I scattered these to make a circle boundary around my workspace.

Reflections

Interpretation:

This ended up a career reading. I didn’t start with anything in mind, letting my intuition work and feeling I would come to a conclusion later, which I did. I interpreted the Three of Pentacles in first position to mean that I’m in a good place to move forwards from, with a little help from others. My studies are progressing nicely, and skills that relate to careers are starting to blossom. Three of Pentacles broadly means that plans are ready to be enacted, “-you’ve laid out the plans, gathered your resources (money, people and time), and set to work [...] As you implement your plans, you will realize that you have the skills, capabilities and resources you need to accomplish your objectives. See the Three of Pentacles as an encouragement that you are on the right track.” (Biddy Tarot 2020). So that’s where my spirit is at this moment. My air element is apparently in total alignment because of where the king of swords popped up, so I have good ideas and are going about them in a logical and clear way, which I think relates back to the spirit card. My plans are made and being put into motion, and my method is logical and practical. So far things are aligned for success in my career.

The Earth element is not ideal, my environment right now isn’t great. Particularly the work environment I’m in right now, detailed in other posts. The Inverted King of Pentacles represents the poor management and workplace. Even so, I’m in a place of stable creative and emotional success, as evidenced by The Emperor in water alignment. And I am! I've been off work for almost a month now and I feel really good about it. I’ve been creating a lot and am proud of it. My schoolwork has also seen improvement since taking the time off (validating the Page of Cups in post 3). The Knight of Cups I struggled with until I figured out that it was likely referring to my mixed feelings on whether or not to start seeking career relevant jobs as I start the phases of exiting my old job.

Technical

These are more about the cards themselves, the meanings that they have, and my skill in memorizing and associating them.

I was really proud of how much I knew without looking at materials, I’ve become far more familiar with the cards since I first started using them. Between readings on and off of this assignment, I knew what most of these cards meant off the top of my head and I’m really proud of that. I only needed to look up the knight of cups because I couldn’t find a meaning for it that made sense. I still think that the conclusion I reached was a bit of a stretch. Maybe it will make more sense in hindsight? I can, however, see how the Three of Pentacles and the King of Swords support each other strongly in this reading. One says that plans are being set into motion while the other says that the methodology of those plans are solid foundations and being spearheaded clearly.

Reflection through Reading

This is more about my performance, and how I interpreted the cards and linked them to my personal circumstances to find meaning and advice for self-reflection

I didn’t mean for this to be a career reading, it just sort of ended up like that. Which isn’t a bad thing because sometimes when you turn to your cards, you don’t know what you’re asking. You just have a general sense that you need to introspect.

Not only did I find a meaning for each card (with one exception) fairly easily, I also felt like the advice it was giving was (if not helpful) then uplifting. Which I suspect is what I needed in a time that’s pretty uncertain when it comes to the ‘big stuff’ like work and school. If felt helpful, and looking back in it, really improved my mood for the rest of that day. I have really positive memories of that reading.

Variable

Consider how the variable may have impacted my method and results.

Not much was different on a technical level, I went in without a question and let my intuition guide me, which may have something to do with being in the mindset of working with intuition and the heart. On an emotional level it was a very rich experience. Like when I spoke with Aphrodite, this reading felt more emotionally involved than just any old reading. The ritual of setting up the altar was very soothing and I suspect got me in a clearer frame of mind. In hindsight, that was the calmest I’d been all week, and whatever the reason, it was really nice. Drawing the king of swords on my air alignment blew my mind.

References:

Clarke, L. (2020, August 17). Basic Altar Setup: How To Set Up Your First Witch Altar. Wiccan Gathering. https://www.wiccangathering.com/basic-altar-setup-how-to-set-up-your-first-witch-altar/

Wiccanplace. (n.d.). Amethyst Meanings and Uses: Retrieved June 4, 2021, from https://wiccanplace.com/pages/amethyst-meanings-and-uses

Biddy Tarot. (2020, April 24). Three of Pentacles Tarot Card Meanings. https://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/minor-arcana/suit-of-pentacles/three-of-pentacles/

Labyrinthos Academy. (2020, March 30). Knight of Cups Meaning - Tarot Card Meanings. Labyrinthos. https://labyrinthos.co/blogs/tarot-card-meanings-list/knight-of-cups-meaning-tarot-card-meanings

Fenton-Smith, P. (2008). Tarot revealed. General Books.

Telesco, P. (2020, July 30). Quartz Meaning with Healing, Metaphysical, & Magical Properties. Wise Witches and Witchcraft. https://witchcraftandwitches.com/magic-healing-crystals-metals-gemstones/quartz-meaning-with-healing-metaphysical-magical-properties/

Spells 8. (2019, March 12). Your First Pagan Altar: Basic Layout and Ideas – Spells8. https://spells8.com/lessons/wiccan-pagan-altar/

Spells 8. (2019a, March 12). The Elemental Wiccan Altar Setup [Illustration]. Spells 8. https://spells8.com/lessons/wiccan-pagan-altar/

Biddy Tarot. (2021, January 6). 4 Magical Tarot Spreads to Help You Rock 2018. https://www.biddytarot.com/magical-tarot-spreads-rock-2018/

The Emperor Tarot Card Meaning. (n.d.). Thetarotguide. Retrieved June 4, 2021, from https://www.thetarotguide.com/the-emperor
Phidipus, T. (2021, March 18). How to Set up a Wiccan or Pagan Altar for Beginners on a Budget. Exemplore. https://exemplore.com/wicca-witchcraft/Wiccan-Altar-Set-Up-For-Beginner-Wiccans-or-Wiccans-on-a-Budget