OP: Great question

If you are concerned about what your family will think, then try and make the altar look more like a collection of interesting items That's how I've always tried to make my altar look. (I'm Pagan. Mom's cool with my religion and so are my friends and bf, but I prefer to remain in the Broom Closet.)
As for how to decorate it, maybe find some dragon related items, and include a black altar cloth. Research dragons and the mythology surrounding dragons. Is there anything you can find in your research that would look good on an altar? Spirits and other deities will have certain foods, drinks, incense, flowers, crystals, metals, oils, etc that they like. They will also like a certain color and be closely tied with a certain element. Black itself is a color of banishing, binding, and new beginnings. Think creation coming from destruction. Since your dragon spirit is black, this is probably what it will be associated with. And as far as elements, I mean the alchemical elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. Dragons can represent wisdom so I'm guessing it will prefer Air (logic, East) or Earth (tangible things, finances, a solid foundation, business ventures, etc; North). Fire is associated with passion, vitality, creativity and the South. Water is associated with emotions, love, the Moon, intuition and the West.

Take note of what it says when it tells you its favorite foods, drinks, etc. These are things you can leave on your dragon's altar as offerings and gifts of thanks. I'd say leave it overnight, then pour the drink on the ground (not concrete, but on the earth where it can be soaked up) and bury the food.

For incense, you can find an incense burner (I had a really cool one that was a dragon!) or you can find/make a bowl. Fill the bowl with sand, dirt, or cat litter. This will absorb the heat and will allow you to place stick incense in it without worrying about it tipping to the side. If you have a cat though don't let the cat litter spill! I've learned the hard way what will happen. :facepalm::

I don't have a familiar, although I suspect a spirit might be in my home. My prayer altar was the top of my dresser (back when I still had a dresser, lol) and it had a plate at the center for offerings. A white tealight candle was on the plate with a crystal quarts and an amythest crystal on it. I had two Moki Stones--a male and a female--to represent the God and Goddess. At the back was my incense burner. To the left I had my cauldron. In front of the plate was my athame, which was just a letter opener shaped like a sword. To the right were my two tarot decks and my crystal ball. My Book of Shadows, a black three-ring binder with notebook paper that had spells written on it, was kept in a drawer under some clothes.
I would sometimes place plants and herbs on my altar. This altar was placed on the north side of my room since that is where Wiccan altars are normally put. (Altars to honor the dead are put in the south, if I remember correctly.)

I had a second altar to my matron Goddess, Hecate. It had two gargoyles on it and a small marble dish where I'd burn lavendar (an herb sacred to Her). I also included amethyst (a crystal sacred to Her) and a headstone since she's associated with the Underworld. The altar also had some dog tags on it since dogs, horses, and bats are sacred to Her. (I placed a rubber bat figurine on the altar as well.) The altar was placed next to my door since she is associated with passageways and crossroads.

ZephyrStryx wrote:Take note of what it says when it tells you its favorite foods, drinks, etc. These are things you can leave on your dragon's altar as offerings and gifts of thanks. I'd say leave it overnight, then pour the drink on the ground (not concrete, but on the earth where it can be soaked up) and bury the food.

Oh yes, I would definitely take notes once I can hear them. For now I can only go by the encyclopedia CH has offered. I don't trust using pendulum because it always gives me random answers that makes no sense.

ZephyrStryx wrote:For incense, you can find an incense burner (I had a really cool one that was a dragon!) or you can find/make a bowl. Fill the bowl with sand, dirt, or cat litter. This will absorb the heat and will allow you to place stick incense in it without worrying about it tipping to the side. If you have a cat though don't let the cat litter spill! I've learned the hard way what will happen. :facepalm::

Funny story. I tried using incense last week. I bought one called Dragon Blood, i think. It smelled real good. I have never used the triangle incense so I read the direction on the box and lit the tip, then blew out the fire after few second. The problem is that I can only smell smoke and it did not smell like the incense at all. My room was starting to smell like there was a fire so I had to turn it off. I am not sure if it was a bad incense or I did something wrong but I think I should stick with candles for now lol :candlep:

ZephyrStryx wrote:I don't have a familiar, although I suspect a spirit might be in my home. My prayer altar was the top of my dresser (back when I still had a dresser, lol) and it had a plate at the center for offerings. A white tealight candle was on the plate with a crystal quarts and an amythest crystal on it. I had two Moki Stones--a male and a female--to represent the God and Goddess. At the back was my incense burner. To the left I had my cauldron. In front of the plate was my athame, which was just a letter opener shaped like a sword. To the right were my two tarot decks and my crystal ball. My Book of Shadows, a black three-ring binder with notebook paper that had spells written on it, was kept in a drawer under some clothes.
I would sometimes place plants and herbs on my altar. This altar was placed on the north side of my room since that is where Wiccan altars are normally put. (Altars to honor the dead are put in the south, if I remember correctly.)

I had a second altar to my matron Goddess, Hecate. It had two gargoyles on it and a small marble dish where I'd burn lavendar (an herb sacred to Her). I also included amethyst (a crystal sacred to Her) and a headstone since she's associated with the Underworld. The altar also had some dog tags on it since dogs, horses, and bats are sacred to Her. (I placed a rubber bat figurine on the altar as well.) The altar was placed next to my door since she is associated with passageways and crossroads.

Sounds really nice! Must be nice to be able to express yourself and be creative with your altar without worrying about others

I know I haven't posted in this thread in awhile, lol. I've since moved and I no longer practice Wicca but Buddhism (though I still read Tarot and via spirit keeping I'm getting back into spellcraft--long story). I set up a nightstand with several tiers to use as a Buddhist altar, as those typically have multiple tiers. The top surface has a photo of my grandpa and my first dog, both of whom are deceased, so as to honor them. To the right of them I've got some Malas (Buddhist prayer beads). Three bracelets and a necklace. I'm wearing the fourth. In front of them is my larger censor set on a cork plate, and in front of that are two Tibetan Quartz stones--one black, one smokey. At the center is a statue of Buddha with three beads from one of my first Malas in front of him. I thought the beads would be a good representation of impermanence, and that wisdom and your dedication to the path lies in you, not material items. To the left of Buddha is a rock with Ohm painted on it, a piece of tumbled rose quartz (which is also associated with love in Eastern belief systems and is associated with Kuan Yin, the Boddhisatva of Compassion). Behind them is a charm with Buddha on it and a Buddha Face pendant. All this is sitting on a blue altar cloth that covers the second and third tiers.

Second tier has a statue of Hotei (fat laughing Buddha), Kwan Yin, my two Maneki Nekos, and a horse figurine. Basically, Bodhisattvas, a symbol of my Chinese Zodiac (year of the Horse), and other items to bring luck.

Third tier is where I keep my vessels/will keep my vessels. Since my spirits are new additions to my home, I'm carrying them and their charging bag with me. When not in use I put them on this tier. Also on this tier are various crystals, offerings, etc. I have a Holey Stone, which I found at the coast and is associated with Faeries. It's said that if you look through the hole--which is naturally formed--then you can see them. (Remember the book, Coraline? Yep! The Other Mother was a faerie, the other flat was in the land of faerie, the children were spirited away by the Other Mother and Coraline was using her Holey Stone to see through the faery's glamour!) I also have Herkimer Diamond Quartz, also associated with faeries, and a blue calcite and sodalite for my faeries. I have green goldstone (which I mistakenly purchased thinking it was Tektite, for some reason lol) for my incoming green dragon and a piece of Dragon's Blood Jasper for both incoming dragons. I have a piece of Tiger Eye for my Gargoyle, and picked that specific piece because its shape reminded me of a claw.

The tier under that is just where I keep my lighter (my Nirvana lighter, specifically, cuz I'm a Nirvana fan who likes a good pun), a candle, some prayer flags that I'm going to mount sooner or later, and some incense. Bottom tier is where I keep my Taoist and Buddhist texts.

When my room isn't as messy I'll see about posting some pics.