So...Your Friend Is a Witch?

Thanks for sharing this SS. This answers a lot for me. From what you have said I think I would prefer my friend to tell me that they are a witch over being Baptist!

Which is truly the satanic religion when you look a the amount of people murdered over the years because they did not go along with the christian doctrine. I am sure that Jesus would not have agreed with the persucutions that have taken place over the last 2000 years.

So if my friend were to tell me that they were a witch, I would welcome them and have many questions.

Hi ss
great info and all

i have been ask many times if i was a witch and my answers is not this lifetime

i got to the womongathing with a reiki friend in '99 and wow..it was mindblowing
one of the very best 4 day retreats i have taken

if anyone is interested the next one is in june..link: www.womongathering.com

Nice introduction.

I for one would welcome a witch for a friend as open minded as we all are on this board.

i am so glad you are here, speaking...

as a matter of fact, a lot of what you explain
sounds similar to the indigenous peoples' beliefs,
i.e., respect and honor for mother earth, the seasons,
burning sage in ceremonies and rituals, personal paths,
cycles of life, etc

so thank you for turning on the light...

respectfully and open mindedly,
me

savannah, you had posted regarding setting up altar
with symbols for feminine/masculine etc

i cannot find

would it be too much of an imposition to ask you to post again?
perhaps you have it and could paste/copy?

if not, that's cool, i'll just make something up....

many thanks, in advance - me

The Alter

Altar's are a symbol of our worship. They hold
great value on all plains: physical, mental, and spiritual. An altar is
part of the space between the worlds that you create, and where you do
magickal works. It is apart from the mundane, every day life of your
household. An altar (at its most basic) is a flat surface for
performing ritual. It can be a table, a flat rock, a flat tree stump,
or an intricate carved marble altar.

You will probably collect a lot of "stuff" over the course of your
Magickal career, but not all of it will necessarily have a place on the
altar. Keep in mind that the altar is a working space and, as such,
should allow you enough room to work. If you put everything you've ever
purchased onto the altar, you won't have enough room to work your
magick! Magick is intent, and the Universe isn't concerned with how
much "stuff" you have, or how expensive it was. Anything you want to
add on top of the basics is perfectly fine, of course, as long as you
allow yourself enough room on the altar to work. The altar is your
space and you should personalize it. You want the things you use to be
items you feel comfortable with. I recently found out that it helps to
sometimes carry the item(s) around with you until you get used to its
energy (after cleansing, of course).

Altar Implements



Representation of Air on the Eastern side of the Altar. Some of
the most basic/traditional representations of Air include a bell, a
small drum (anything that makes sound), a wand, or feathers.

Representation of Fire on the Southern side of the Altar.
Representations of Fire can include a candle, a light, or blade. If
your altar is large enough, your ritual knife belongs here; if not, at
the nearest edge. If your altar is on a shelf or mantel, brackets can
be fixed to the wall above to hold your athame, which can be a
convenient alternative.

Representation of Water on the Western side of the Altar.
Anything glass or crystal can be used to represent Water. I've seen
Water represented as a Chalice or Cup filled with fresh spring or rain
water, mirrors, and shells. Some say if a candle is placed on this side
of the Altar it should be held by a glass or crystal candlestick.

Representation of Earth on the Northern side of the Altar.
Representation of earth can be a small bowl or cauldron filled with
earth or salt. Living plants to represent earth can also be used, and
add a nice touch of liveliness to your Altar.

Representation of the God, or Male aspect. A statue or something
representing the God should be placed at the top of your altar i.e. the
edge of the altar farthest from you. Most women feel comfortable
placing the God to the left of Centre, whereas men usually place the
God to the right of Centre. Suitable statues might include a stag or an
image of the Green Man.

Representation of the Goddess, or Female aspect. A statue or
something representing the Goddess should be placed at the top of your
altar next to the God. If you have placed your God to the left, your
Goddess belongs to the right, and vice versa. Suitable
representations of the Goddess include a female statue of any sort, or
an animal identified with a Goddess or femininity.

There are certain considerations that you must take into account when
deciding where to place your altar. If possible it should be in a space
where it can remain undisturbed. If you leave your altar set up all the
time, and you do not live alone, you must let your house mates know
that the items on your altar are not objects of curiosity or stage
props, and should not be handled. Ideally, no one should touch your
ritual tools except you. Are you 'out of the broom closet' as a witch
to your friends and family? If so, it's presence won't bring about
difficult questions when your parents, who "never come over", decide to
stop by.

Some altars remain set up at all times, reminding the witch of the
place that magick has in his or her life all the time. However, setting
up and taking down the altar with each working can be very useful.
Setting up the altar prepares you for the magick you're about to work,
and focuses your mind and energy on the task at hand. When taking down
the altar, you are returning to ordinary life, and it can ground you in
the present (and prevent your "stuff" from getting dusty).

A smaller version of an altar can be made for travelling. One
consideration to take into account when having a travelling Altar is
that blades cannot be carried in many public places in most Western
countries, and most airlines forbid sharp objects to be carried on
board. In instances such as these, a wand is a much more practical
alternative.

BEAUTIFUL STUFF!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING IT SAVANNAHSKY!!

LOVE IT!!

savannah skye *~*

i'm getting goosebumpy reading this again...

thank you so much for posting and THIS time i will
save offline, as reminder and reference

if anyone else is amenable to the idea, and creates
their own altar, what would you think of posting
a picture of it here ?

i know i would like to share mine as well as see others'......