So I’m planning to put in an Amazon order for a nice, large table (31”L x 70”W x 29”H) to serve as a base for my spirit & living entity keeping altar. It fits perfectly against the wall in my home office between two windows, and will be in the center of that wall. I get very excited thinking about setting it up, and I’ve been telling my companions for awhile that I’d create one for them.

With that in mind, I have a few questions that I’m hoping some of you can help me with:

- What would be the best cloth to cover the table? I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that Magnolia suggests purple silk cloth being a great option, but I could be imagining that.

- What make for great offerings? I have a charging box, and a bunch of CH orbs I’m planning on adding, some gems and stones that are associations to some of my spirit companions, and candles of some of their favorite scents, along with a couple mermaid statues coming in that I thought would make great offerings too.

- Any recommended candles that are great for altars? Colors, size, type? Is it recommended to have some candles always burning?

- Are there configurations or placement schemes that are particularly useful for energizing companions?

- Any rituals, spells, enchantments, meditations you’d recommend to bless or energize the altar? I’m pretty new to these, but if there’s a way for me to continually add to the energy of the altar that my companions can enjoy and draw from, I’m very interested.

- Any other insights or tips on things I’m completely unaware of or might’ve missed?

This feels like a new step on my spirit keeping journey, and I’m excited to set it up and work with it.

You're not going mad! I also read Magnolia recommends a purple altar cloth.

Trying to find the page. If I do, I'll link it.

Here you go!

topic26045.html?hilit=magick%20made%20easy

Adair Aithne wrote: ↑Sat Nov 18, 2023 5:18 am Here you go!

topic26045.html?hilit=magick%20made%20easy

Amazing, thanks Adair Aithne!

Looks like I’m in need of cloth, quarts, white/black/ivory candles, and glass bowls.

Hmm, any recommendations on the best type of quartz crystals for an altar?

Sterling Birch wrote: ↑Sat Nov 18, 2023 5:34 am

Adair Aithne wrote: ↑Sat Nov 18, 2023 5:18 am Here you go!

topic26045.html?hilit=magick%20made%20easy

Amazing, thanks Adair Aithne!

Looks like I’m in need of cloth, quarts, white/black/ivory candles, and glass bowls.

Hmm, any recommendations on the best type of quartz crystals for an altar?

Here's a great page in the CH Encyclopedia about many different gemstones and their associations:

https://www.creepyhollows.com/faq/index ... =gemstones

I'm a big fan of quartz myself. I like plain white or clear, but go with the type you feel the most drawn to.

I too have a large table (the folding kind) for an altar and a working area. Since the table is red, I got a tablecloth for it. If I want, I can place an altar cloth on top of the tablecloth for a working area so that cloth would colour correspond with whatever I'm doing. When I set up the table, I wasn't thinking along the lines of cleansing and consecrating it. I read somewhere online that you can use essential oils.

Clear quartz is usually suggested because it's multi-purpose and is compatible with all crystals which makes it a good one to begin with for building up a crystal collection. After that, you can add crystals later, if you want, further down your path for more specific purposes. If you use sunlight to charge quartzes, over time the colour will fade. Moonlight is a better choice and Magick Made Easy is a very helpful article.

As for candles, any type is good. Remember fire safety so never leave a burning candle unattended and have baking soda within easy reach to put out fires. My personal preference are coloured taper candles but choose which ones you prefer. There's no harm in mixing up the type of candles.

Soon as your altar is set up, energy begins to accumulate which is what happened to my altar. That means you cleanse and bless it once in your lifetime as the altar takes care of itself plus whatever you place on it. The only exception I can think of for reconsecrating an altar is if you move. You could take your wand and direct energy to draw pentagrams on your altar but everyone in your keep may not like the energy from pentagrams. Another idea, that just came to me, is to put a drop of essential oil, maybe rose, one drop on each corner of the table plus the middle. I thought of rose as it has the highest frequency of all the essential oils which would be good if you want to raise energy on the altar. This should not affect your keep. The altar builds up energy when you do anything on it or with it.

Seems to me that you're off to a good start and sounds like you'll be spoiling your companions.

My altar is mostly for the ancestors so I am not sure if it will apply. I actually have a reversible purple gold cloth that I use specifically for my altar, and occasionally I liked to wear it as a head wrap so my energy is in it.

As far as offerings I would say you are on the right track. Things that you associate your spirits friends with is always the best bet. I also sometimes do spells for my ancestors and leave it on the altar so they can feel the energy.

Candles are completely up to you. I personally like to use chime candles or teacup candles because they are the easiest to buy in bulk. I sometimes make my own candles if I have all the materials, and because I put my intent into it the energy from the candles are stronger. Color wise I usually do my favorite colors or colors that I associate with my ancestors. For me personally I feel like it makes me to connect to them stronger. Personally I only have the candle burning when I am doing something at the altar, or something for my ancestors.

I set things up mostly off of intuition.

I treat my altar as if I am doing spell work so I like to cleanse my space and open a circle. Personally this helps me have a stronger energy, and to also feel the energy without any interference. I also do crystal grids. It amplifies the energy. If you have fairies there are fairy circle crystal grids you can do to connect to their realm or them better.

I am super excited for you! Creating a sacred space for you and your spirit friends to connect more is super fun.

Sterling Birch wrote: ↑Sat Nov 18, 2023 5:08 am So I’m planning to put in an Amazon order for a nice, large table (31”L x 70”W x 29”H) to serve as a base for my spirit & living entity keeping altar. It fits perfectly against the wall in my home office between two windows, and will be in the center of that wall. I get very excited thinking about setting it up, and I’ve been telling my companions for awhile that I’d create one for them.

With that in mind, I have a few questions that I’m hoping some of you can help me with:

- What would be the best cloth to cover the table? I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that Magnolia suggests purple silk cloth being a great option, but I could be imagining that.

- What make for great offerings? I have a charging box, and a bunch of CH orbs I’m planning on adding, some gems and stones that are associations to some of my spirit companions, and candles of some of their favorite scents, along with a couple mermaid statues coming in that I thought would make great offerings too.

- Any recommended candles that are great for altars? Colors, size, type? Is it recommended to have some candles always burning?

- Are there configurations or placement schemes that are particularly useful for energizing companions?

- Any rituals, spells, enchantments, meditations you’d recommend to bless or energize the altar? I’m pretty new to these, but if there’s a way for me to continually add to the energy of the altar that my companions can enjoy and draw from, I’m very interested.

- Any other insights or tips on things I’m completely unaware of or might’ve missed?

This feels like a new step on my spirit keeping journey, and I’m excited to set it up and work with it.

As a follower of Buddhism, I feel that the practices of setting up altars and offerings have been ingrained in our tradition for centuries. Prior to embarking on my Spirit Keeping journey, I had already established an altar for my goddess. Thus, I now steward two altars. Despite having immortal callings from only two pantheons, I've contemplated setting up a third altar. However, as my work with immortals is relatively infrequent compared to my engagement with my Keep, maintaining two altars suffices for me.

Upon the arrival of my entities and spirits, I had already arranged an altar on a bedside wooden serving tray. Later, I swapped it for a slightly smaller wooden tray, partly to preserve the larger one due to its occasional use for photography. This adjustment has given me a unique characteristic of a mobile altar.

Since many of my beings value privacy, I have established a secluded space where I can hold confidential 1-on-1 sessions without the possibility of someone else intruding, including the ones in my Keep. This allows me to transport my altar between various locations, say from the living room to the bedroom, according to the need. Not being tied down to one place helps me set the right mood and atmosphere for my rituals. Additionally, as meditation isn't part of my practice, I appreciate the flexibility of not needing a designated "zone." I plan to install double shelves in my dining room soon, further expanding my space for decorations, particularly crystals, and providing another potential spot for my mobile altar. Essentially, any table or tray can function as an altar. Intention is what truly matters.

Regardless of the intention, the choice of cloth is insignificant to me. I avoid using cloths near my altar, particularly those made of cotton, due to their cheap texture. Silk seems a better alternative if you choose to use cloth. However, if one plans to use candles and incense, these would inevitably damage the cloth over time, making the practice counterproductive.

Instead, I prioritize gems and stones related to my companions. A charging box, in my opinion, only serves to charge and isn't considered as an offering. Similarly, many CH orbs primarily serve the bearer rather than the companions, hence, they aren't suitable offerings either. Offering specific statues, like mermaid statues, only makes sense when dealing with the related entities. For instance, unless you have merfolk, a mermaid statue would be an inappropriate offering.

For the placement of gems and stones, I advocate imbuing them with lunar energies by placing them under the moonlight. Those who are forgetful like me (lol) might resort to devices that capture lunar energies. Starting with pink and white quartz is a great idea, as they are generally favored by many races due to their neutral colors.

Candle safety should be a paramount concern. I recommend white or ivory candles at the outset for their multipurpose capabilities, and only adopting different colors if they resonate with your Keep. My candles remain unscented, and tealight candles serve as intermittent options.

The notion of cleansing an altar only once in a lifetime is one I wholeheartedly disagree with. My Keep would prefer that an individual does not set up an altar at all, rather than establishing one and performing a spiritual cleanse only once in their entire life. Like other parts of my surroundings, I strive to cleanse my altar both physically and spiritually when necessary, not just once. Ideally, I suggest undergoing a cleansing ritual approximately every seven to eight months. In this manner, you can avoid feeling overwhelmed by adding more tasks on top of an adult's full-time job and other responsibilities.

The choice of a glass bowl for your altar mostly leans towards aesthetics. I've been using brass bowls since the beginning of my Spirit Keeping journey, and see no need for a change.

Several items can beneficially provide energy for your companions. These range from enchantments and spell blends to various ritualistic objects. Discovering exactly what works best will inevitably vary for each Keeper. The key is not to follow any recommendations blindly, but to use reasoning and adapt your Keep to your own methods and traditions. Each one is uniquely different.

@Tarvos I have a lot of respect for Buddhism.

I think the idea of an altar you can move around is fantastic and indeed beneficial. Tarvos offered great advice overall here.