Setting up an altar for Samhain! I'm lucky enough to have a room in my house dedicated to my craft that I can go and just relax, meditate, and do spells/rituals in. I have a table dedicated to my altar that changes with the Sabbats. Right now, it's dedicated to the Goddess Morrigan because I wanted to have a chat with her but soon, I will revise it for the blessed Samhain. Bonus: Morrigan can stay right where she's at because she's one of the deities that can be honored during Samhain.
Because it's the time of honoring the dead, the death of the Harvest, and loooong nights (at least in my neck of the woods) it is fitting to use Autumn colors. Deep purples, burgundies, reds, oranges, and, of course, black. You can also add in a splash of white and/or silver. Use seasonal vegetables and fruit, acorns, nuts, mulled wine, and dark loaves of bread. Apples, apparently Snow White’s stepmom was onto something, is a popular offering. Please don’t poison them… although I think that goes without saying.
You can decorate with Grave rubbings (which I've always wanted to do since watching Stephen King's movie Sleepwalkers! Never seem to have paper and charcoal around when needed, whoops), skulls, a scythe… if you have one, I seriously want a picture and black candles.
Then we have our crystals and incense. Honestly, you’re going to find lots of different opinions and options when looking up what best represents Samhain. If whatever you choose jives with your intentions for your altar/ritual/honoring I, personally, don’t think it matters. So, I’ll go with some popular (and my favorite choices):
Crystals/Gemstones Obsidian, Black Tourmaline, Quartz, Labradorite and Hag Stones (or Witch Stones).
Hag Stones
Incense/Flowers/Herbs Sage, Rosemary, Cinnamon, Cloves (I’m just getting hungry now…)
All my altar set ups also have at least one deity represented. Our most popular Samhain deities are:
Egyptian – Anubis, Osiris Greek – Demeter, Hades, Hecate Norse – Freya, Hel
Celtic – Morrigan
And finally, divination tools. If your intent during this time is to get past that veil which separates the living from the dead, you may need some supplies to help bridge the gap. Scrying mirror, crystal ball, tarot, rune stones, there’s so many choices. But if you don’t have any of these, that’s fine too. Simple meditation without the use of tools can help you open your third eye and be more receptive to spiritual things around you.
Just a note to remember. Your altar can be as elaborate or simple as you want it. There is no definition of right or wrong and having more items does not make one person more Witchier or deserving of the attention of the spirits. As with everything, as long as your intention is pure and focused you are doing it right. I am a collector of everything Witch but, in all honesty, more than half goes unused and is just for decorative purposes. Don't define yourself by material possessions, ESPECIALLY as a Witch. It is our mantra to deal with the earth's energy and the unseen. Owning a black candle and a set of tarot cards just means... well, that you own a black candle and a set of tarot cards. By Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit you are a Witch, NOT a deck of cards.
Okay, in Part 2 I will break down the pieces in a little more detail regarding the purpose and meaning behind these crystals, herbs and deities so you can choose the right one for you.
Stay tuned, thanks for reading and, as always, Blessed Be ~The Wiccan Witch
Samhain Altar Example
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