Introduction: A Wiccan Pocket Altar

By
About: I was a rather haphazard knitter, something I enjoyed, but had difficulty fitting into a very hectic schedule raising 5 kids. 9 years ago I had a massive stroke, and lost a lot of memory, knowledge, and skills…

I assembled this altar to take with me when I am traveling or making a home visit to an ill member of our ritual group who has requested healing. It is contained in a case for eyeglasses.
I believe a small, highly portable altar would be useful to readers of many faiths.

This is the case packed and closed. It is 6 !/2" long, 2 3/4" wide, and 1" deep. It fits nicely into a shirt or jacket pocket.

Step 1:

This picture shows the case open and displays some of the the contents. . The small Bic lighter is for lighting a candle or cone of incense.

Step 2:

The altar cloth is an antique lace doily that belonged to my grandmother. A nice handkerchief would work, too. The altar cloth protects the ritual tools from possible dirt on the surface where the altar is set up. It also serves to delineate the working space.

Step 3:

This miniature cauldron can hold either a beeswax candle or a cone of incense. It came with a set of beeswax candles in a museum gift store. The cauldron represents spirit and regeneration.

Step 4:

Here are all the tools laid out on the altar cloth. The wand is made of holly. It is just slightly under 5" long and is the tool of fire and will. The athame is a small black handled pocket knife 2" long when closed. It is used to cast the circle and direct spiritual energy. It is the tool of air and represents thought and communication. Some Wiccans, swap the use and associations of these tools, using the wand for air and the athame for fire.

Step 5:

The cauldron is holding a candle. It can also hold cone style incense, or even a bit of essential oil. Sometimes it is left empty as a place to manifast new energy.

Step 6:

This thimble serves as a chalice. It holds a small amount of water. I use the small aventurine stone as my Goddess symbol. A fashion doll chalice might be used instead, but it wouldn't hold as much. The chalice represents the element of water and female energy.

Step 7:

This Moroccan coin is the pentacle. A star cut out of paper and glued to a poker chip would work, too. The pentacle represents the earth and the human being on it.

Step 8:

I also carry small packets of salt from fast food places for purification of the ritual space, and a couple of incense cones which are not pictured. Since these pictures were taken, I have added a small red jasper stone as a God symbol.