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Finding
Altar Space |
So where should a person set up their altar? What should a person use for the altar? Where can an altar be stored?
First of all, when you are planning your sacred space, wear comfortable clothes! While ceremonial robes may feel better to the ritual, a t-shirt and flannel boxers are quite all right. I say this because you never know when you'll have to dash out of the dorm due to a fire drill. Dorms are cramped enough; you might as well be as comfortable as you possibly can be when you are working around your altar.
Now I think people place too much of an emphasis on items in a circle. An actual table for an altar isn't necessary, believe it or not! What is more sacred than the ground? Okay, so if you're living in a high rise dormitory the "ground" is a little high up, but the point is that perhaps the best thing for people on a small budget is to invest money in a small, cheap rug. Something small enough to fit in your room, but large enough that you can place your tools on it as well as sit when you wish to meditate. The purpose of a rug is not to mark where you can and cannot walk, but mostly, it protects your floor from wax spills from burning candles!
If you feel you MUST have some kind of table to work on, you might as well use something that is already present in your room. One thing that can work is a footlocker or trunk. A lot of people bring clothes in these with them to school and then empty them out when they sort their clothes into their closet. So put it to good use! You can store your tools in it when you're not using them and you can use the trunk as a tabletop. I still suggest getting a rug or something to cover and protect it (Hot wax plus plastic can lead to bad things!) and to "transform" it from a trunk to a sacred altar.
Still no luck with a trunk? I have a 2'x2'x4' cardboard box that I have used when I've moved from dorm room to dorm room. Generally I use it as a space to place my coffee machine, but if I feel I need it, I'll use it. It was cheap (I found it at the mall...ask around for boxes like that), I can use it for packing things, and it's destructible. At this point, buying a nice table to use as an altar should be out of the question because you can never guarantee what kind of shape it'll be in once you're out of college.
Now that you have an "altar," you are probably looking for a place to use it. As I said before, the rooms are small and you probably won't have much floor space to work. Personally, I don't think it's too necessary to move around that much. As long as you can visualize what you want, you should be able to cast your circle where you want. If you have the ability to move around your furniture, I highly suggest you set your room up so you can utilize every inch possible. Get a loft or put your bed up as high as it can go so you can use the space underneath for storage. Keep things nice and neat so when you do feel compelled to bring out your altar you don't have to move everything to make a working space. You should be devoting your energy to your rite, not to setting it up and breaking it down!
If you live in a good climate and have no fear with going outside, it's a nice thing to do some work out on a quad area. This isn't always possible, but you don't need to bring out every tool you own! If all you bring with you is your sacred rug, a few packets of salt, a bottle of water, a lighter and a stick of incense, and you sat and meditated (who says you have to say everything out loud?) who can complain?
Now, I like to have a LOT of candles. If you are the same way, make sure your candles are in votive holders or have a secure base and keep note of them throughout your ritual. The last thing you want to do is "call up the yellow-coated salamander spirits from the Fire Department!"
If you have to deal with roommates, then setting up an altar may be more challenging. It doesn't have to be elaborate at all. That's why my first suggestion is a rug. You can wrap most of your tools up in the rug and put it away for easy storage. While you may have more space in your room, make sure it's okay with your roommate before you take up all that extra space with your ritual items.
The final important part about having sacred space is that your circle doesn't necessarily have to be a circle. Bless your entire room when you set up your circle. That way you can answer the phone or the door if you absolutely need to. Otherwise, take the phone off the hook, lock the door, and enjoy your sacred space while you can!
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WICCA INFORMATION
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Your altar can be as simple or as complex as you can imagine. Here are some books with further tips:
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