The Altars

In each religion, they have an altar that they pray to or give thanks. What is the meaning of an altar? It is quite simple really; according to an online dictionary by Oxford Dictionaries Language Matters on Google, the meaning of an altar is, “A table or flat-topped block used as the focus for a religious ritual, especially for making sacrifices or offerings to a deity, like bread and wine”.

When it comes to an altar, depending on your religion could depend on what is on it. On most altars, they have: Statues, candles, incense, wine, bread and a book. In other religions, they could have a lot more, like Wicca. A Wiccan altar can vary depending on the person. Other people who do not understand the Wiccan faith may even confuse this faith with Satanic. Wicca is a nature-based religion and Satanic is devil worshiping.

A Wiccan altar has a variety of stuff laid out on it, much more than a Satanic altar. But let’s break it down, shall we? Each person has different materials laid out on their altars, it depends on what they want on it and what they want it to resemble. Each material has a different meaning and symbol. Depending on the person on what deity they worship can depend on the material that will be placed on the altar.

Currently, I can only tell you what I know and what I've practiced. Now that you got done reading the previous article before this one, you have a better understanding of what I practice in my craft. Everybody will say something different on how they view their craft, depending on who you are and how you see your craft. Not everybody will say the same thing.

The Photo you see on the left is my altar. It is divided up between two parts. The left side is for the Goddess Aphrodite and Athena. The right side is for the God Apollo.

How I have my Wiccan altar set up, some people would say I have it wrong because the God side should be on the left and the Goddess should be on the right. Honestly, it depends on the individual and how they would want it placed. The candles in the center; represent the five elements: Earth (Green), Air (Purple), Fire (Red), Water (Blue), Spirit (White).

Some would say that there are only four elements and not five. The element of Spirit actually grounds the other four elements and without Spirit, havoc and chaos would be a disaster. Having Spirit is really important to the other four. You could think of it as four children and without that parent to guide them and protect them, they can get into a lot of trouble.

The photo you see on the right is how I would interpret what a Satanic altar would look like. Now, this might not be accurate but I don’t know too much about this religion. Like I said, this is just my interpretation on this kind of altar. Some may agree to disagree but everybody is entitled to their own opinions.

                                                                                             

pentacle |ˈpentəkəl| noun:
a talisman or magical object, typically disk-shaped and inscribed with a pentagram or other figure, and used as a symbol of the element of earth

pentagram |ˈpentəˌgram| noun:
a five-pointed star that is formed by drawing a continuous line in five straight segments, often used as a mystic and magical symbol.