🛐 Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - All About Altars!

[BryWisteria]

A very warm welcome to all!

Thank you once again to the warm-hearted healers who joined in for last week’s Weekly Witchy Challenge - Holistic Magick: A Witch’s Apothecary

After honing our healing skills and working on our apothecaries, it is time to turn to another sacred part of a witch’s practice.

The theme for this week’s challenge is…

Altars - A Witch’s Sacred Abode

Just like apothecaries, altars come in as many shapes, sizes, and styles as there are individual witches- an altar space is a reflection of your own personal craft!

From altars that have their own room to altars that change with the season, altars that appear on the holidays to travel altars for witches on the go- each altar is unique and special in its own way.

This week’s challenge is all about creating/working in your sacred altar space.

Are you ready? It’s… CHALLENGE TIME!

STEP 1 : Your Own Personal Altar

What is an altar?

To put it simply, an altar is your personal space where you practice magick. This space can be used for casting, rituals, meditations, and anything related to you craft.

When casting spells, we use the word “ altar “ (not alter ) to talk about our work table. Actually, it could be any flat surface and even just a mat on the floor. Your altar will be the focal point of your spells or rituals and it is where most ritual actions and Magical works will be performed.

[From Spells8 Your First Pagan Altar]

If you don’t already have an altar… make one!

This is the perfect chance to make (or begin planning) your very own altar!

To learn about the core elements of this sacred casting space, check out the full guide on Spells:

Your First Pagan Altar: Basic Layout

You might also get started giving altar work a try by exploring a Virutal Altar .

Virtual Altar for Witch Training

If you’re ready to begin making your physical altar but are short on space, here are a few places to get some advice:

• Altars in Apartments
• Building an Altar in College
• Making a Travel Altar
• Travel Altar and Travel Tips

An abundance of altar ideas:

Whether you are hoping to start your first altar or want to build up the one you already have, here are some great discussions with tips, tricks, and gorgeous altar pics to help inspire you!

Altar Cloth Suggestions

Coven Altar Tours

Put your altar to work

When you have an altar ready to go, put it to work by casting some magick or making an offering!

Here are some ideas on how you can use can altar this week:

Easy Altar Blessing Ritual

Prosperity Altar Arrangement

You might also consider designing your altar for the upcoming seasonal Sabbats:

• Beltane in the Northern Hemisphere
• Samhain in the Southern Hemipshere.

Altars aren’t for you? No worries! Find your sacred space

It is important to keep in mind that altars are not required for witches to have.

Moving Past an Altar

Some witches chose to do their spell and ritual work in other sacred spaces- such as outdoors in nature or in the privacy of their Inner Temple .

The Inner Temple for Casting Spells Without Tools

For this challenge, if making an altar isn’t right for you- considering examining where you consider your sacred space to be!

…And more!

Just as your sacred space is special to you, feel free to take on this challenge in a way that best expresses and explores your unique practice.

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STEP 2 : Share Your Experience

No matter how you choose to tackle this challenge, you must share your experience!

Please share:

• Your experience learning about/working with your altar or sacred space

For your entry to be counted, please write about your experience in the comments below and/or create a new post in the forums.

If you create a new post, please tag the challenge by adding a hyperlink back to this post - thank you!

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This challenge will close in 6 DAYS

To join in, please share your experience by:

Tuesday, April 27th at 7:00 AM CET (Central European Time Zone)
( 2021-04-27T05:00:00Z )

For their efforts, all participants will receive a special shout-out and the a small prize!

Acknowledgments will be given in a Props and Presents Post that will appear in the forums on Tuesday.

After the challenge closes, you are still very welcome to post but please be aware that no additional prizes will be given.

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A warm reminder that all challenges are designed to be very open- everyone is encouraged to participate in a way that reflects their unique practice

If you have any doubts about if something is acceptable to post or say, please double-check with the Forum FAQ and/or reach out to a moderator.

For those new to challenges, know that the goal of these activities is to help you further diversify and strengthen your abilities and to bring together the Spells8 forum family to inspire and support one another in creative ways

May the wonders of your magick continue to shine brightly in safety and serenity of your sacred space

Blessed be!

[IrisW]

Really looking forward to this challenge. I’ve finally got my altar pretty much as I want it but was planning on making some additions/changes for Beltane so I’ll work on that

[christina4]

Hmm I did have to clean up my altar anyway. 🤷

[Amethyst]

Whoot! I’ve got me some idears. LOL. I just got a couple of small miniature statues of the Goddess and God from Etsy to showcase and I was planning on sharing my Beltane Altar anyhoo! This will be great! Nice challenge!

[Susurrus]

Ooo… I was just thinking of what I wanted to do for Beltane. My altar is constantly changing & I should be getting a new altar cloth soon! So this will be good for me as well!

[Jewitch]

Another perfectly-timed challenge for me! I’ve been needing to create a more permanent dedicated altar space – I’ve been using my desk, but I’ve been thinking about re-arranging my room so I can use my nightstand as a dedicated altar

[Cellophaneflowr]

Hi again all!!! This challenge could not have come at a more perfect time for me. I just moved my altar into its permanent location and set it up and have been wanting to share with you all! I do also plan on dressing it up for Beltane and the Full Pink Moon Ritual.

This is my first weekly challenge- do we put everything in this thread? I also considered adding it to the Altar Tour thread.

Looking forward to hearing back, sharing my space with you and seeing yours too!

[Saulamay]

It looks like it is time for some spring cleaning and sprucing up. I actually have one altar finished and need to clean up my main altar. Assignment accepted.

[IrisW]

I’m getting crafty as part of this challenge.

I was Googling ideas for Beltane and came across some craft suggestions, on of which was making a mini maypole for your altar so I’m giving that a go. I’ve actually got most of what I need at home already, but I’ve ordered some paper flowers too from Amazon so hopefully I can store it and reuse next year. I’ll post some pics when it’s finished.

[Liisa]

Awesome challenge I think ill do a clean of my altar and a spruce up for Beltane Blessed Be

[Jeannie1]

It is my passion to bring alive the God and Goddess in my craft!
Simple prayer

Dear God and Goddess
From the depth of my souls being
Give me your hand
May the elements be presented
and the wheel turn
May I honor you
During this challenge!
I want to try not to spend money but want a good alter! Going on Pinterest inspires me! How do you decide what to do for your alter? For example, Beltane! I want mines to be earthy!

Jeannie

[Jeannie1]

Blockquote

@Cellophaneflowr

I just moved my altar into its permanent location and set it up and have been wanting to share with you all!

I am glad you found a permanent location for your alter! This has been tough, so I have all my alter things everywhere! I could dedicate a room to My alter lol!
I like my alter in the house so everyone can see it! But then I like sitting down to doing spell work. So I like to have my intimate time with the Lord and Lady!
Thanks for sharing!
blessed be✨

[Kasandra]

I’m working on a Draconic altar and preparing to decorate my main altar for Beltane. I’ll try to take some pictures and post them before the challenge ends, but I can’t make any promises. Work has been very stressful lately, and I’m getting this bad feeling that most of our staff is going to be gone before April is over. There’s no way I can run the store with one other person, so I’ve been sending in applications…just in case.
But I trying to remain optimistic because the Tarot readings I’ve been doing keep saying that relief is on the way (hopefully in the form of better job).

[NickWick]

This is a good challenge since what I was using as an altar was too small. Thinking of getting something more portable and spacous for the craft. I am on this train​:hugs:. Will be doing some brain storming

[BryWisteria]

Everyone has great ideas- I can’t wait to see your altars/altar updates!

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Hooray for your first challenge @Cellophaneflowr! Yes- to enter this week’s challenge and earn a badge, please share your altar pictures and any thoughts you’d like to share here in the challenge thread . The Altar Tour thread is always open- so in the future you are very welcome to share updates and new pics in that discussion!

I love the idea of a mini maypole, @IrisW! What a lovely addition to your Beltane altar- can’t wait to see the pictures!

A beautiful Beltane prayer, @Jeannie1! Thanks for sharing your lovely words. Blessed Beltane to you!

So sorry to hear that work has been stressful for you, @Kasandra. Fingers crossed the good news from your tarot cards is quickly on its way. Thanks for sharing your altar plans- how exciting to hear about your Draconic altar! Wishing you all the best with it and your Beltane altar

[Amethyst]

@Jeannie1

How do you decide what to do for your alter? For example, Beltane! I want mines to be earthy!

For myself, well I don’t have any witchy shops so I decorate with what I can find. For instance, I put Maypole decorations in the search bar at Amazon and found this neat little ornament that’s a basket with a maypole in the center. Then there are three little spring characters that go around it that are decorating the maypole.

It’s meant for Easter, but heck, it’s got a maypole, that’s Beltane! LOL. Then, since it’s hard for me to get fresh flowers, I got myself some flower picks to decorate my space and a flower wreath for my head that I have on the altar for now. It’s not together yet but it’s starting to come together.

[AliceInWonderdab]

Whoa either I’m just that powerful or I’m awfully good at bringing the challenges to fruition before announced

[Jewitch]

Keep up the good work!

[Jeannie1]

Amethyst,
I just hope everyone finds what they need! To me it’s my favorite pastime!! I can’t wait to see everyone’s alter! It’s very personal! So thanks to everyone in the challenge! Can’t wait to see!

Amethyst, I never heard of a maypole! I am sure what ever you do it going to turnout perfect!

@Amethyst

I got myself some flower picks to decorate my space and a flower wreath for my head that I have on the altar for now. It’s not together yet but it’s starting to come together.

Your so talented, I just need to get some flowers too! Look what I found I really like this because for some reason it screamed “make me”!

[steph]

This is a nice one ‘ I feel like I have an altar in every corner of my house, lol. And I really should get my stuff together and clean up a lil.