How to Design a Sabbat Altar

Pagan traditions vary by practitioner, but they usually include at least some of the 8 Sabbats or holidays. These holidays are tied into the cycle of the earth's rotation around the sun as well as the agricultural seasons. Designing an altar for each Sabbat is ideal for anyone hoping to bring focus into their life for the coming season.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Altar surface
• Items gathered in section 1

Choose Your Focus

1. Research the upcoming Sabbat at the resources suggested after this article to develop your personal understanding of its purpose and meaning. Many pagan books can also offer excellent information.

2. Discover your personal relationship with the season by meditating on the information and how it relates to your life specifically. Consider the details you want or need to focus on for the coming season and use your resources to determine the best altar items to meet that need.

3. Gather your items. Many people, especially those who have been practicing any form of paganism for a while, will have at least some of the necessary altar decor for Sabbats. Anything you feel the altar needs that you don't already have, pick it up at your local New Age or Esoteric shop.

Put the Altar Together

4. Prepare your altar surface. Altars should always been cleaned and dusted before adding items to them, and the location should be considered if there are small children or nosy animals around to play with your sacred objects.

5. Lay the background. Many altars include a cloth or mat of some sort, designed to bring the focus together and protect the surface below from ashes or wax. Any placemat or piece of fabric that matches your focus will work just fine.

6. Arrange your sacred objects as you feel they fit best. There is no right or wrong way to arrange altar items; as long as it seems good to you, it probably is.

Tips & Warnings

• If you do need to keep your altar away from little fingers or paws, consider a shelf on a bookcase or a free hanging shelf mounted on the wall.
• Paying attention to your altar throughout the season will aid its focus in your life. Light a candle on it daily, or burn a stick of incense once a week. Keep it dusted and neat; basically, show it the respect any sacred place deserves.

Resources

• Learn more about the Wheel of the Year.
• WitchVox is an excellent resource for all pagan information.
• BeliefNet offers details on all the Sabbats.