Essential Tools for Your Altar: A Comprehensive Guide

We’ve covered what an altar is, but what goes on an altar? There are lots of tools and decorations that can be used.  

Wand 

A wand is just that. Wands are most commonly used for spell castings and are made of wood or metals. They represent the element air usually though they can represents fire. Wands are viewed as a gentler tool for inviting and encouraging. Your wand can be anything from a fancy made one or a Harry Potter wand. You might choose copper wands with crystals. Alternatively, you could simply use a stick you found in your yard or on a walk.  

Athame 

An athame is a ceremonial knife. It is used for cutting and directing energy. It is never to be used to physically cut anything. Most common athames aren’t sharp to avoid physical use. However, some are sharp. You could use any kind of blade as long as it’s never been used to cut something. We used to use an old fancy letter opener. The athame represents fire. It can be placed on your altar around the fire candle. In some pagan practices, it represents air. The athame is an important tool in Wicca and is usually cleansed and concentrated to your god(s) before being used. I have never really used an athame. They are more commanding and powerful. We have several types and styles for altar decorations. There is also another blade called a Boline. It can be used in place of an athame. It can cut herbs. However, it’s more useful for gathering your herbs because it’s a crescent shaped sickle. 

Cauldron 

A cauldron is a cast iron pot. It was originally used as a cooking pot in the 13th century. It has since become associated with witchcraft due to stories like Macbeth. In these stories, witches were portrayed brewing potions and doing magic over them. In current practices, cauldrons are used for burning loose incense on a charcoal disk. We also use them for making black salt, which for some reason we have never done. They are used for mixing herbs and burning spells. They represent the element earth and more specifically the goddess and the womb.  

Crystals 

The origin of crystals dates back to 4500BC. The ancient Sumerians used crystals in their magical formulas. Plato’s account of Atlantis mentioned their use for healing and mind reading. Writings as far back as 400BC make observations of the different powers different crystals emit. And have since been used in amulets and jewelry across the nations. As pagans we use crystals because they hold properties from their own individual uses. We can use them on our altars. They can be placed in crystal grids. We heal with them. They can go in spell bottles. They can be our wands. We use crystal balls for divinations. Crystals are an extremely versatile tool.  

Incense 

There are a few types of incense, there are sticks, cones, and loose herbs. They represent the element air. Some say they represent all elements because you light them on fire. They are made of earth and with water. They have magical properties. You can use them to aid spells and cleanse your space. They also help raise energy and vibes for a magical atmosphere.  

Offering Bowls 

We use offering bowls or plates in rituals to present items to our deities. These items include things we feel they would like as well as cakes and ale. Offering bowls can be made from any material and could be anything honestly. We use several small offering bowls for other elemental decorations. Also, we usually have a small bowl of water near the water candle. We also keep a small bowl of salt near the earth candle. But offering can be anything, herbs, oils, stones, flowers, trinkets you find on nature walks. Our daughter enjoys going out in our yard. She picks dandelions and other flowers. She gives them to the goddess bowl.   

Bells 

Bells can be found several religions because they are believed to communicate massaged into the spirit world. The ringing of the bells causes vibrations. These vibrations affect all the energy around it. That’s why they are used for banishing negativity and inviting positive energy. They are also used for cleansing, healing, and charging crystals and other trinkets. The bell represents the element air usually but can also represent water because of how sound waves ripple. During rituals, you can use the bell to call the goddess or elements. You can ring it after your circle is called to seal it there with you. Use it to distinguish sections in longer rituals. 

What tools do you use on your altars? Do you have any suggestions for me to cover? Any questions or concerns about the ones I have covered? Let me know in the comments!