Hidden Altar Tips and Tricks #2

So adding from the other day I figured i would give you some more examples of what I have already shown you before i get on to new ideals. Numbers 1 and 2 are examples of the bowl ideal, number 2 being a floating bowl made to use as a offering dish to the god/goddess. Number 3 is a simple dish that you can do many things with to make an elemental altar in this case its candle colored water and dirt. I suggest actually getting crystal shards and filling them. And of course 4 and 5 are center pieces. 

This is a center peice that I have actually seen my grama do a couple of times when i was younger so I know for a fact it dose not raise eyebrows.

I love this one.

This one was so simple i decided to elaborate on how you could do this to without having statues that your worried someone will say something about. First off you could always get a faery if your a fairy wiccan, a dragon if you work with dragons, a animal you connect with or represents your god and goddess, heck you can just have a necklace and forgo the statue. Maybe even have a necklace with say a wolf on it or dragon and have that be a personal designated necklace to represent your path, just make sure that you purify it at least once a week to get rid of negativity.

This is a bathroom display that serves as a sea witches altar. the balls can be used for divination, the "pearl" i think is a moon stone I am not to sure *humm*.

Another way to amp up and designate a place as your altar or sacred work area is to get tables that have a meaning such as this one thats a tree. Or say a wolf end table or A driftwood coffee table, anything really works again as long as it has meaning to you. Besides they are a nice way to add character to a room without anyone knowing it also adds meaning.

Now this one is what I cal an altar in a vase. Simple take a crystal wand place 5 roses or any flower real or fake with the wand resting in the middle of all 5 right under the flower where the stem starts. Next take and wrap the garland around the stems so they secure the crystal into place and then place into your vase. You can use that vase as a altar and when you wish to work just take it out and set it up with some tea lights if you have them. *If you use real flowers and are keeping them into water make sure to see if your crystal can be wet* 

This is what i call the grab altar. Simple go on a nature walk and what you feel like your connected to grab as you walk. When you get to the end of your trail before you walk back place them on the ground or a stump and do your work leaving them when your done.

This one is kinda like the flower vase one only feathers and a piece of leather and fur to lay them out on.

This is a bird bath that you place flowers that you associate with your god and goddess in then add tea lights. Belive it or not this is also a great ideal as a way to light your bird bath or pond or fountain at night.

This is a crystal and stone concept, In this one you leave your stones and crystals outside in the bird bath and they get charged with sun and moonlight and you can just use the bird bath as a altar or take out the stones and crystals and set up a crystal altar. There are many designs for crystal altar or crystal grids and again this is a very simple way to hide your altar. If you dont have a birdbath you could just use a jar on a window seal and get the same effect.

Now on to wall altars done artiste. A fellow artiest on here said something that has stuck with me cus i feel the same way. Art is magic. The artiest spends time and pours there energy and intent into making the art perfect and show what they feel or mean. I have taken this into mind when I came up with this ideal. Simple you make a piece or art or find art that means something to you. For example: I plan on making a dragon/fairy wall altar, I plan on making a set of heavy metal fairy wings that i can wear on occasion but keep them apart so that i can also hang them on the wall in the center of the two wings im going to make one of these crayon arts by getting a dragon silhouette and placing it over a canvas and then proceed to melt red and black crayons around the dragon onto the canvas when im done ill remove the dragon and have a dragon outline with red and black for the background. There are several possibilities when it comes to DIY art ideals for a wall altar and im sure you can find one that fits for you. Some ideals are: making four small ones to represent each of the elements, making one with a quote that you are drawn to, finding a pic online that you like print it off onto iron on transfer sheets then ironing them onto a canvass or pice of fabric that you then stretch using embroidery hoops and hang onto the wall. The possibilities are endless.

I saw this and irremediably thought you could turn this into a wheel of the year and elements clock that has pictures like like a pumpkin for Samhain, Wheat for Lammas, Easter eggs for Ostara, A lake for water, a forest or mountain for earth, again the possibilities are endless. 

Hidden Pagan Altar Tips and Tricks #1

When making a altar you must first think of a few things before hand and keep a couple of thoughts in mind. 

• Its important to remember that no tools or symbols belong to any single faith or tradition; what they represent to you is what will be important. For example, if your parents are Catholic and you are not yet ready to tell them you have begun practicing Paganism, get a statue or picture of the Blessed Mother or St. Brigit (who, in pre-Christian times, was a Goddess rather than a Saint) and put it on your dresser. Surround it with your candles. Hang a Celtic cross above it– that is, an equal-arm cross (sometimes surrounded by a circle). The Celtic cross was originally a Pagan symbol but adapted for Christian use. Keep a set of rosary beads made of a crystal, stone or wood charged with magic. Instead of using them for Christian prayers, use them for meditation, chanting, or empowering objects by surrounding them with the beads.
• You must keep in mind that a altar can be sitting in the middle of your living room and, as long as you don’t have a giant pentacle hanging over a statue of the Horned God, most people would be none the wiser. Set up your altar on a shelf, mantle or table by using decorative candle holders, small potted plants, and artistic expressions and no one will guess that your 18th century floral porcelain plate is a pentacle or your elaborately carved medieval dagger hanging on the wall is more then just a part of your sword collection ;).
• What is important to you about your path? Do you follow multiple paths and if so what about your path are 100% got to have? I practice wicca but also practice aspects of Buddhism and Native American practices. This let me know that I want something that was simplistic but also incorporated my divination and aspects of my god and goddess but with a tie to my Native American and Buddhist aspects as well. 
• Who is your Goddess / God / Spirit Animal? What are some of the aspects or symbols that correspond to them be them known or what you feel represents them for you but also that you know wouldn't raise alarm? For example I follow Artemis and Poseidon and my Spirit animal is a Wolf, I also deal with Dragons. For me Blue and Purple are the colors I correspond with my God and Goddess. Other things would be sand dollars, sea shells, water, sand, antlers, nature, stars/crescent moon, deer, wolfs, fur.
•  What are some other things that you feel connected to or are prominent in your practices? For me salt, cinnamon and clovers are something I tend to use a lot. I also feel connected to fluorite.

• Another thing you might wont to consider is where your planing to place your altar. Do you need it to be facing a certain direction? Are you worshiping a Sun god or Moon goddess? if so it might be a good ideal to keep it within a area that gets sun or moonlight. Are you working with a small space like a small end table or bathroom sink or are you using a big space like a book shelf or dresser. 

Now that you have considered these aspects its time to think outside the box a little and see what works for you and to get you started here are some suggestions and thoughts. 

Minus the stone with the goddess if your worried about someone picking up the stone and seeing it this is a very cost effective simple altar ideal that can be placed anywhere and never raise a eyebrow. In a little bowl you place some sand/salt, place a tea light then add some stones/ crystals/ sea glass around the candle. Finally sprinkle some dried flowers or potpourri that matches with your god or goddess be it color smell or a flower/herb connected to them and your done. Make sure to dedicate your candle to your god and goddess and your done. 

This is a twist on the standard bookshelf. With it being a a circle shelf and the way its sectioned off  I love the many possibilities symbolism wise. Firstly the circle can represent the moon, the goddess, life, the wheel of the year and much much more. The sections can be dedicated to the four elements and the middle to spirit/god and goddess/yourself. Some other ideals besides the set up this person did is putting candle(s) in the middle instead  or a pic of yourself there instead of the bottom (I'm assuming that was her element and thats why the pic was there).

This is a simple autumn center piece but i love the concept and could see this a a alter in so many ways so I thought I would include it. Take a plate that you think fits your theme (sea, woods, Mabon, Ostara) you could also use a bowl. Then take and add three candles; the wood candles are a great way to add a nature element especially if your god or goddess are connected to nature like mine, you could also change the candles to fit your god and goddess better such as blue  candles if your say a sea witch or water is connected to your God or goddess or any candle really. Next you add a animal element such as an animal you are connected to like wolves or say if your theme is sea dolphins or horses or turtles or feathers for a Native American feel and to incorporate birds. Follow this with adding a wax/fake/real food that fits your god or goddess such as apples, grapes, a grain such as rice or corn. I know this doesn't seem like a altar but trust me thats the point after all. What you have just done is created a center piece for your table that has several symbols that are connected to your god /goddess and that is conveniently place on a table you can use to do your practices later.

This is kinda along the same lines as the center piece.

This is a really simple way to make a elemental based altar that can be made in just one glass or  5 it really does not matter. Taking various sized glasses (high wise) you add crystals or stones to the bottom or tied to the branches/twigs wit h wire. next add the twigs and arrange them so that they wont catch fire and allow the tea light to float. Next fill with water will about an inch below the rim, add the tea light and wahla you have a altar that you can place on a table, bookshelf, shelve, mantel the list is endless. If you do 5 you can arrange them in a line and when your ready to use them move them to the floor or on the table to form the points of a pentagram, If you use two you can dedicate one to the god and one to the goddess if so it might help to use crystals that are connected to your god in one and goddess in the other or just use different candle scents for each or color. If that is not an option keep in mind to dedicate each candle to its designated god or goddess and keep track of which is which.

This is another simple ideal that can go anywhere and is just small dishes that hold one of each  the elements and a single candle for the god and goddess.

This is a VERY SIMPLE and CHEAP altar ideal. Using a playing card deck pull out all the aces and the king and queen of hearts. Next your going to place the Queen of hearts in the center of the area your working, to the top of her sideways your to place the King (they will make a T) This is your god and goddess representation. Next you are going to place the aces in their corresponding elemental place around the god and goddess. Spade go to the right.and represent Air. Hearts go to the left because they represent Water. Diamonds go on Top because they rep Earth. And lastly, Clubs go to the bottom and represent Fire. When your done just simple place them back into your deck and your done.

Alright thats all I'm suggesting tonight guys belive it or not this had taken me about 6 hrs to plan out and write and I still think I dont make much since or messed up somewhere along the way. Anyway hope this helps someone.
Blessed Be from Baby Bear

4th of July

Hey guys so its been a little over a week since I was in the hospital and im doing good, had to take a week to finish meds, gain strength and get back to some what normal.

Anyways, now that I am back and everything I figured it was time to post a little something for the 4th.
As everyone knows this is the perfect time to get sparklers and since I never miss an opportunity to make a spell out of something odd I thought I would share something that I recently planed for tomorrow.

I like sparklers because they are a combination of fire but also night for me. What i mean by that is that the sparks to me are like fire stars that you can see up close and personal, almost as if im holding a star in my hand because im holding this wand of fire and light.

Going on this concept I made a spell/prayer to correspond with the moon phase atm. For me that is waxing so im doing a prayer for growth and health but if it was waning i would ask for banishing of my fears and obstacle in my way.

And what i will be doing is lighting the sparkler and say as i draw a pentagram in the air:
With this sparkler that I light
I hope you hear my spirits plight
For better health and spiritual growth
With fire light upon the air 
a pentagram for hope and care
I thank the for my answered prayer

Its simple to change the "For better health and spiritual growth" to fit yourself wish to gain/banish, and you can do this whenever.

I also find that this actually would make for a good coven prayer, kinda like when your coven leader lights their candle and then everyone lights their own, only its sparklers and as each person passes on the light they state what they are hoping to gain. I don't think it would be hard at all to make this into a simple little beginner coven ritual for say someone new to the craft and covens to get their feet wet.