Intro and some questions

Hi
I’m Gray. I live in the eastern US. I was a wiccan at 17 and fell out of the loop. I’m considering doing this again. I’m 31 now and living in a small studio apartment. I’m worried because I can’t afford an altar setup and I don’t have the space. Can’t get on the floor. I’m considering practicing as an atheist. Any suggestions? I’m chair bound so any disability friendly options would be great. I’m glad I found this as I’m slowly developing agoraphobia and it’s gotten worse. I’m considering adopting a cat, which can serve as my familiar. Russian blues are my spirit animal. I signed up for a year just to try this out.

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Hi @gray Welcome. I’m Tracy from England. Glad you found your way here. We have a virtual altar on the Spells8 app, just key in virtual altar in the search top of main page and it’s there. Nothing wrong with secular witchcraft. :grin: There’s a section on that too in the app, search secular witchcraft. I’m sorry you’re going through it, here you’ll find a loving and supportive coven. Blessed be :sparkling_heart:

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Hello @gray,

Welcome to the forum! I’m Bry, one of the moderators here and an Eclectic Witch- it’s a pleasure to meet you :blush:

From one space-limited practitioner to another, I just want to say that this is perfectly fine- it’s not required to have an altar to practice magick!

You can cast spells, pray, honor the seasons, give offerings, or do rituals without a permanent altar. If you really feel called to have an altar, temporary ones work just as well and can be removed or pack up post-spellwork. I also love Tracy’s suggestion of using the virtual altar- it’s a great resource! There’s also the Inner Temple you could utilize, if that’s something that interests you.

Honestly, the most important part of spellwork is your intention- being comfortable so you can get into the right mindset and focus on your spellwork is much more important than following a set of rules or using a particular space or setup. This is your practice- make it your own, and make it work for you! :handshake:

We just adopted a Russian blue kitty from a shelter- or, well, we think he’s a Russian blue, someone found him in an attic and brought him to the shelter, so we’re going by looks haha.

(He’s too speedy for pictures right now- way too much energy :laughing:)

I hope you can find a lovely kitty to give a forever home too- good luck with the adoption process if you decide it’s the right time for you! :heart:

Wishing you all the best- blessed be :sparkles:

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Welcome! I’m Chelsie from North Dakota. I am currently living with a friend so I have my altar setup on my dresser. Before that I had a small altar set up on the dining room table as a centerpiece. I don’t have the funds for an elaborate altar setup either. I have consecrated several kitchen items for use in my craft. Before I was able to buy chime candles, I used birthday candles (which have actually become my preference anyway…lol). I wish I had access to a dollar store, I would totally shop there!

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Hi @gray! I’m Amethyst from Southern West Virginia. Welcome to the forum! :infinite_roots:

There really needs to be a book on magic and disabilities. I have my altar in front of my computer on my desk, it’s just a little thing. I sit in front of my computer most of the day because I’m not able to get around either. You can do a whole bunch of magic with a cup of tea and some meditation. YouTube can be your friend. The virtual altar is great too.

You are only as limited as your imagination.

As for agoraphobia, have you talked to a mental health provider about it? Mine got me down so I can go to the doctor easily but I don’t leave my apartment hardly at all.

I have a worker who comes in four days a week to cook for me do light housework and keep me entertained. Maybe that’s something you can look into through your local DHHR.

Anyhow, enough of me being a busybody. We’re glad you’re here! I’ve made good friends here and that has saved my bacon, let me tell you. There’s nothing like having a good community at your back. I look forward to chatting with you more!

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@gray welcome home!!! So happy u found us. U will find many like minded brothers and sisters here who will understand exactly what u are going thru. And wont judge u. I to am also disabled, u just find ways to make it work for u. Thats the joy about the craft, u make if meet your needs.

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Thanks for the kind words everybody. Sorry I’ve been busy. I just found out I can’t have candles in my apartment. I’m setting up some LED candles on Thursday but I hope that works. I don’t know if I have four but how many do you need? Could somebody give me an advice on setting up a small altar in a crowded space? DIY tips welcome. I’m looking forward to using this website’s resources. Somebody just gave me a book that I can use as my book of shadows so that’s good. I should send you guys pictures of my altar space that I have put aside when it’s all cleaned up just to give you guys an idea of what’s going on

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Never any need to apologize for being busy, Gray- I think it’s something everyone can relate to! Always feel free to take your time with responses. There’s no rush around here :blush:

They’ll absolutely work! I love my switch on candles- I have some that flicker and give a really nice atmosphere, and most importantly they are kitten safe. I don’t have to worry about singed fur when curious cats come poking around my spellwork space :smiley_cat:

I’d say just one candle is enough for many spells, but four is even better- with four you can put one in each of the four directions :compass:

Do you have a drawer or shelf you could use? Storage boxes are also an option for some folks :+1: For inspiration, you might want to browse through some travel altars- they are often made in very creative ways, can be portable, and store well in small spaces.

Here are a few discussions where you might get some ideas!

You are very welcome to share pics if you feel called to do so- I know I would love to see what you are working on! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

There’s actually a great place to share altar pics (and get inspiration from seeing others’ altars) here: All Altars! Feel Free to Share Yours with the Coven :infinite_roots:


Wishing you all the best as you bring your altar space to life- blessed be, Gray! :sparkles:

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Thanks! I’ll take a look when I’m not swamped with busywork!

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Hello and welcome to the forum @gray :wave:

My name is Megan and I’m one of the moderators here at Spells8 :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: It’s nice to meet you!

I know we’ve spoken a bit on a previous post, but I wanted to take a minute to formally welcome you to the forum. I hope that, if you do get a kitty, that you find a kitty that matches exactly what you need! :revolving_hearts:

I look forward to seeing you around!

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Thank you so much! I did one of the devotionals on the website today. It felt pretty good. I did the Minerva devotional and put some rosemary out in my offering bowl. My apartment smells like sage and rosemary. It smells amazing

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Sorry to double post but I’m hoping everyone does well. I wanted to send my well wishes to the rest of the coven and thank you guys for finding and founding this space. The website has been very helpful so far and then finding a lot of good resources has been a blessing, so I wanted to state my appreciation for your work

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It’s my pleasure! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

This is really kind of you, Gray- thank you so much for taking the time to share this message! :heart: It is a real honor and makes me so happy that you are finding the resources here useful :blush:

Thanks again and I hope you continue to enjoy your time here- blessed be! :star2:

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Welcome! :snowflake:

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Aww, that’s so sweet! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: What’s a coven for if not loving support, ya know? I’m glad you like it here!

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Merry meet :hugs: and welcome home :infinite_roots: @gray

I’m Marsha, an Eclectic Solitary Witch, from Colorado! I’m so glad you found us! I’m so glad you found the courses, that’s a great place to start. If you have any questions, let us know. We are here for you, Gray, welcome to the family :people_hugging:

With love :heart: and magick :dizzy: always

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