Altar Questions

[WiccanFae]

Merry Meet!

quick note:*I'm not a newbie persay, but I felt like this is the best forum for asking questions, feel free to move this as needed*

Okay now for my questions:

1. Does an altar have to be permanent? As in once I set it up should it never be taken down? or can it be "put away" i.e the cloth removed and other items stored away until needed?

2. If someone else touches the altar either on accident or with purpose other then to assist me, then do I have to rebless it?

I ask these questions because I have very limited space, and having a permanet altar on the small table I have chosen gives me less space to work with on a daily life basis. Also, I have a toddler who loves to make messes and is constantly "rearranging" rooms and spaces in our home. If it is okay for me to setup the altar as needed rather then have it permanently out then she can't get to it as easily.

Any suggestions/responses are greatly appreciated!

BB

[Sylvan]

1. No. Many people don't have space to have an altar set up at all times.

2. It depends on how you look at it. Some people feel that their tools must never be touched by anyone else. Some feel like it doesn't matter so much. Some feel that it's ok for kids and pets to touch and/or rearrange because they are "pure"...

It's all up to you....

[Jenett]

No, you don't need to have an altar up all the time - and definitely not if you're low on space, or if there are safety issues (like having a toddler in the house).

One thing you might think about, though, is doing a very small one somewhere (bookshelf, corner of a dresser, etc.) as a daily focus, and then setting up a larger one when you're actually doing ritual. That way, you can have something to acknowledge/remind you/do small acts at, without it taking up a lot of space.

I've done a number of different shrines/altars in this vein (though I also do have a permanent altar set up) for different deities or concepts I'm working with - often they're a few objects that wouldn't be obvious to someone who didn't know what they were, rather than specific altar tools. They might be a candle and candle holder, a postcard with a relevant image, other small symbolic tokens, things like that.

[Faeawyn]

Merry Meet!

quick note:*I'm not a newbie persay, but I felt like this is the best forum for asking questions, feel free to move this as needed*

Okay now for my questions:

1. Does an altar have to be permanent? As in once I set it up should it never be taken down? or can it be "put away" i.e the cloth removed and other items stored away until needed?
No. My stuff is in a trunk. When I want to do a spell, I pull out what I need, set up my altar on the trunk, and put it away when I'm done.


2. If someone else touches the altar either on accident or with purpose other then to assist me, then do I have to rebless it?
I guess that would depend on the intent of the person doing the touching. Smudging should be fine. It will wipe away any negative energy left behind by the person who touched your stuff :)

[CaitrionaMorgaine]

I am fortunate enough to have a few altars set up in my home. However, there were many years when my tools were stored in a box and only taken out for ritual. I find that it is often easier for me to get into ritual mindset when I have to set up my altar.

As for reblessing one's altar...I smudge my room each time, but generally most people are respectful enough not to touch my altar without asking.

Blessings, ~Rhiannon

[Lady Andais]

No an Alter does not have to be permanent. Many of us with space will keep an area for it but even at that we do change things around from time to time.

Now as far as if another touches it...if you feel that they have some how disturbed the energies that are tied to this then by all means re-bless it. If it doesn't seem to have affected the alter than i would say you don't need to but you can always do so if you wish to.

Now as for the toddler i would seriously suggest either find a location where the little one isn't allowed or only set it up when you plan to use it. My alter is partially honor of the goddess i follow and partially practical so that is why mine is up all the time. Also mine is in a location where not many will mess with it. My kitty does love to walk on it though to look at my birds and if they fly towards her she does jump and run which will mess things up alittle and i just straighten it back out. It doesn't seem to harm my alter so i don't worry about it much.

Hope this helps

[WiccanFae]

Just wanted to say thanks to those that replied. You all made me feel a lot better about putting my things away and using them as needed. :huddle: