Touching my stuff ...

[RubyRose]

I just had my mother, desecrate (spelling?) my altar, because she learnt I was depressed and in her words "I thought you might do something" [with my athame, which is actually an excalibur letter opener, and not sharp enough to draw blood]

So, what'd she do, she took it off my altar (which means she's probably touched other things, so I'm going to have to perform another consecration for the articles on my altar)

So, really, I'm just wondering if anybody else has ever had this or similar problems with their parents, I thought my altar was safe, I actually thought I designed it, so that it really didn't look like an altar, and it wouldn't be touched, but I think she actually missed the point, of it being an altar and of it being sacred.

It's just frustrating. I don't want to have to hide my altar, so that it doesn't get touched by wandering hands but I get the feeling, I might have to ...

[Aidron]

I've had quite a few experiences with people touching my items, though never anything such as a ritual tool, my altar, etc. since I do not allow most people into my room. Many of the things in there are either breakable or should not be touched by others.

People do have a nasty habit of touching my jewelry. Just walking up, grabbing a pendant I am wearing, then proclaiming how beautiful it is. I refuse to wear my jewelry on the inside (my moonstone pendant is far too huge to do that unless I want a gigantic bulge to appear) so I simply learned to grab any wandering hands before they got too close. I will even inflict a bit of pain on someone, should they not heed my warning as I do not appreciate this sort of thing.

My advice is to seperate things. Keep things such as ritual tools out of sight or locked up, leaving only candles, an incense holder perhaps, or other things out. Many people consider this a lot of work, but not when you compare it to having to ritually cleanse your items time and again.

[RubyRose]

My advice is to seperate things. Keep things such as ritual tools out of sight or locked up, leaving only candles, an incense holder perhaps, or other things out. Many people consider this a lot of work, but not when you compare it to having to ritually cleanse your items time and again.

Thanks, that's what I was thinking, putting some away and leaving the rest out, I didn't really want it to come to that, but it looks like it will have to.

[Aidron]

Thanks, that's what I was thinking, putting some away and leaving the rest out, I didn't really want it to come to that, but it looks like it will have to.


Look on the bright side, your tools aren't out getting all dusty and gross.

[RubyRose]

Look on the bright side, your tools aren't out getting all dusty and gross.

Yes, I suppose that's one way of looking at it.

[MystickalShadowCat]

My alter is in my closet, and I usually cover it with a blanket so it just looks like a pile of junk in my closet. If my parents saw it, they would probably question it, but it just has normal things on it like candles, flowers and incense.

[mato]

Ya, it's a pritty common practice for ppl to play with strange things... I had the same thing happen to me when I was living with my mom... She went through my room looking for stuff to get me in trouble with. She threw out my bundle and really messed up everything else. I used to have it set up so it looked like a nice neat thing no one would suspect of being and altar books underneath hidden from site, it looked like a nightstand with very little crap on it. I kept my room a freaken mess after that, ensuring that she would never again enter my room without my express permision, because if she did she was likely to step on some rather sharp objects stratigiaclly placed... I was a brat! I learned my lesson from that, and now whenever I have ppl over they cant really tell were my altar is... cause it's the whole house! and all the stuff ppl shouldnt touch I keep up and out of the way with the added protection of a 'cloaking' spell.
I also use a mini altar for 'away' time. Nothing big and gaudy just a minirature bundle.

[veinglory]

Look at it from your mother's perspective -- she is doing the best she can to care for and protect you. The best compromise between your respective beliefs probably does not involve leaving anything even symbolic of a knife out in the open where the sight of it will worry her...

[lightfairy]

some are gonna think im evil for doing this but i dont care. my sis messed with my alter once, i stress once, cos after she had touched my stuff i went into her room and took all her collectors barbies out of their boxes. she went mad of course but then i explained to her that the same amount of effort was involved for her to sort out her dolls as it was to sort out my altar. we came to a good agreement that day, i would fix all her dolls and replace any i couldnt and she wouldnt touch my stuff again :)

[Pan]

Fortunately, I've never had a problem with people touching my stuff. My mother never did since she knew what it was. Same with the rest of my family. Well, the cats didn't have the same respect, but that's just them. :T

I would agree to say that your mom was just trying to protect you. You might not necessarily have to move your altar into hiding, but maybe find a sheath for your letter opener? If nothing else, just wrap some felt or something around it?

Maybe that will ease her mind. I'm not sure.

[Laurelei]

So, really, I'm just wondering if anybody else has ever had this or similar problems with their parents
I've never had problems with my parents about anything remotely to do with Witchcraft, luckily. Unfortunately, I do have a dabbler friend who can't get it into that thick skull of hers that MY altar is not to be messed with. Then again, she can't even be bothered to do one herself. I remember once I took a pendulum to school to practice charging it during P.C.S.E. However, I made the mistake of leaving it out on the desk just as I had got it really charged, and I turned round to see two of my classmates fiddling about with it, and the charge completely went. They weren't to know (they're muslim, and not part of the circle of friends the dabblers are in) but heck, it annoyed me all the same.

The one time that got me REALLY riled was about a year ago, when myself and the same dabbler friend I mentioned earlier decided to practice by doing a love spell. Sadly for me, she was the only one with a rose and no maturity. So there was she, practically desecrating my altar, honey all over the place, oats all over the floor, and me so shocked by her behaviour I just stood there. That hurt. She didn't even bother to help tidy up.

Just needed to vent that... but now I've got annoyed again. Having a supposedly magickal person who should know that my altar is SACRED practically desecrating it creates a lot of resentment.

[RubyRose]

Look at it from your mother's perspective -- she is doing the best she can to care for and protect you. The best compromise between your respective beliefs probably does not involve leaving anything even symbolic of a knife out in the open where the sight of it will worry her...


Yeah I know, part of me still can't get over the fact that she actually took it ... I mean I wasn't even home when she did ... but anyway

Guess I'll have to create a little pouch or something ...

[Kaylara]

I really don't see a problem with people whom you know, and are comfortable with touching your stuff. I mean, I don't think that it's magickally detrimental for someone whom you are related with, or who you are close friends with to touch your magickal tools or altar. People you don't know, different story.

[RubyRose]

Thanks, that's an interesting way of looking at it, one I really didn't know existed.

[MoonDust]

Yup. Been through it once already. I have a small altar set up near my desk at home. Nothing really big. This one is only used for my Full Moon rituals. Well on it is this beautiful light green candle.
Well I also have everyday candles that I use when I take showers and stuff. My sister thought it would be easier to just pick up the candle that was sitting there next to my desk and use that one for her shower.
I got home from work to find my green candle sitting next to the tub, soaking wet. :bastard:
Yeah. I was not happy.
I also made it very clear that any candles sitting on my desk or near my desk were off limits.

[siamesegoth2]

hehe , i have my alter in my office space, its not much right now but its pretty, thing is, my 2 and a half year old thinks its pretty too LMAO.

my athame(sp ) is actually a very pretty switch blade that my son cannot open, so thas safe, and the only burning candle i have is a tiny tea light in honour of brighid, and its set farther back on the alter so he cant get it, but the way i se it it, kids are FULL of energy he may even be doing my things a bit of good by touching them , who knows.

apart from him , my hubby never touches the stuff on there, but then he thinks it will taint his sould or something lol, so it suits us both down to the ground.

as for cat* meeehh* they do what they want when they want and bugger the fact that you spent ages cleaning and setting things up.

but i do like the idea of a pouch .

anyway, if they people touching you alter are in your family then to be honnest what harm can oit do, they love you you love them , its all good heheh, as for your dabbler friend , ask her gently to leave it alone , or your going to tidy the darn hing away before she comes over.

leona

[RubyRose]

Thanks for the input guys.