Many of us who walk the path of Craft at one point or another will encounter a time when they feel less than safe expressing and exploring their craft.

Some of us are still living at home with parents, some have just moved back...some have moved their parents into their own homes.

Some of us have moved to college, some are sharing an apt with friends.

The youngest generations are solidly living at home and required to follow the rules that their parentals set forth.

For all of us, It’s a time of exploration, and we all should absolutely be loved and supported and given encouragement….

But that’s not often what happens, is it?

Some of us live with the Christian, Some of us live with the Superstitious, and some of us live with the Scientist.

Try to Remember That Haters Are Just Like Children… See them As Such and Respond Accordingly!

All of whom have a penchant for not only being unsupportive of Spiritual Practices, but also who are often notably loud about their disapproval.

No matter your reason for wanting privacy, you deserve privacy.

I see a lot of people who wonder what and how… some even wonder if they’re still a witch if they can’t practice with an altar…

And the answer is resoundingly “YES”.

Magick begins in your mind. You are a witch for as long as you say you are a witch… and when or how you practice does not matter. Being a witch doesn’t mean you have to do long rituals every night and only think of nothing…

It’s what’s In Your Heart That Really, Truly Matters. NOT what Tools You Have or Lack!

It means that you have a BELIEF… and the home of belief is in the heart and the mind.

So, ideology aside, that leaves a large group of us wondering… “OK, but can I have an altar? I REALLY want one.. I NEED one… how can I keep this a secret?”

Let’s talk about just that.

I’m going to Teach You how You can Set up an Altar with All of the Elements that I Guarantee doesn’t look the least bit suspicious.

Ready?

Take Time to Decide Where Your Altar Should Go, Spend Time In Making It Right The First Time!

1: Decide What You Want to Do There.

Are you going to be trying to cast spells at this place? Or are you considering trying to set up an altar for worship/meditation? It’s important, because placement will really matter depending on what you’re trying to do. For example, if you see yourself lighting candles or working a fire petition, it might not be a good idea to put your space in a closet, as they’re quite prone to catching fire… ya dig?

Choose the placement of your Altar carefully, and Be Sure it’s as Safe of a Space as you can!

2: Take a look around, Where will it go?

There are a number of places and ways to go about this… so here are a few considerations.

If you are going to have a fire, you need a space that is away from curtains and clothing, and a hard surface that is hopefully heatproof. (I have burned altars with hot cauldrons before, so be mindful that they can get exceedingly hot).

If you are planning on only lighting a candle, any table will often do.

Consider using your nightstand, as it is a table in a room that is about as private to you as you’ll be able to get.

If you are in a shared space and know you’ll be unable to find any real privacy, consider a portable altar. Some people actually have altars in their cars, if you’re lucky enough to have a car. If not, I’ve seen them in backpacks, purses, shoeboxes… a very popular way is to put your items into an Altoids tin. Designs for these can be found online. For the purpose of this article, I’ll just be talking about how to hide an altar in plain sight, presumably in a home environment.

Any Small Tin can Become Home to A Wonderful Working Altar!!

.3: Design it in your mind BEFORE you start moving things…

Consider drawing a basic plan of the space if you’d really like to prepare… just be sure to get rid of the plans!

People, parents especially, tend to notice changes in their own home. It’s important for those trying to practice in a shared and unsafe space, that we don’t ‘raise any red flags’ about our intentions or behavior for this to go as smoothly as possible.

These people don’t have a right or a need to know what your practice is, so let’s try to keep it that way. The less questions, the better.

4: Decide What You Can “Get Away With”

So what will go on it?

That depends very much on what you think you can safely have without raising suspicion.

A basic altar will typically include a few things, but how do we know what to put on it?

It might be easier if you Think of it this way…

You are trying to include all of the elements in your space.

You want to represent Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water on your table along with something personal of yours (Spirit).

Let’s discuss these by Element to get some Ideas...

FIRE REPRESENTATIONS

I think of all the items the candle is the most ubiquitous of these, and it represents Fire. Consider using prayer candles, they can be purchased with Mary and Jesus on them which can help ward off any prying eyes. “Oh, that’s Jesus, that can’t be witchcraft.”

Any candle will do, scented, unscented… the standard is to use a white candle, but I often use colors that synergize with the purpose of my work. Green for prosperity, blue for healing etc.

So any candle will do, but what if you can’t light a candle? Consider a lamp.

The idea here is that you are trying to bring the element of fire to your altar, so if you can’t use a candle, find yourself a nice lamp. Perhaps you already have one… but if you don’t also consider buying a Salt lamp. They can be found for ~$5 at stores in my area, and they work wonderfully to help purify your air. They are ‘non religious’ and also will serve to represent the element of Earth on your table, as Salt is from the Earth… It's like a two for one.

Win Win.

Fire element out of the way, let’s continue exploring Earth.

Many houseplants help to cleanse our air… and that’s a great excuse to put one on your altar!

EARTH REPRESENTATIONS

Salt is from the earth, but.. Like… so is Earth. :P

Jokes aside, Literally, Soil is a great way to bring Earth to your altar space… but a big bowl of dirt is very likely to raise eyebrows. Instead of having to explain your sudden fascination for potting soil, consider placing a potted plant in your space.

My favorite for this work is to use a Pothos, as they have long trailing vines and can get quite large very quickly. They love low light and are very tolerant to most neglect. They are not safe for cats though, so if you do choose to try a plant, do your research first to make sure your choice will be safe for any of your familiars! And YES, Absolutely, Cacti, and Succulents Count!

Tillandsia (aka Air Plants), in my opinion, are representative of both Earth AND Air. Another two for One, and they can be suspended with thin twine to hang in the air above or near your altar!

AIR REPRESENTATIONS

On the topic of Air, this is really dependent on what you can get away with. The most obvious of air representations might be Incense and the Feather. If you can put a feather on/in your space, that’s easy peasy.

Some people don’t like incense however, and it’s not an option. Some people don’t like birds and that also might prove a problem…so let’s move to the less obvious.

There are a great many crystals that represent the air element, like Topaz and Jasper and the Agate slices you find in some shops… You can place one or more of these in the area that you will be working/setting up. For many this is a great cover, but even to some… this might look suspicious.

“The Pen is Mightier Than The Sword”~ Edward Bulwer-Lytton 1839

So what do you do when you can’t have a crystal, incense or bird feathers?

For these situations, I humbly offer you, The Writing Pen.

Yes, I mean a ball point pen.

Why would this work? How does it work?

The answer goes back to our knowledge of the element of Air. Air represents our Minds, our Mental Abilities, Logic, our Thoughts and our Manifestations. The Pen is a tool that is used to directly translate our thoughts and ideas into reality, by placing them firmly onto a piece of paper! Intentionally place a pen on your table, and know the power and the representation of the element of Air is there with it. Even the most scrutinizing of overlords won’t see a pen as an instrument of magick. (If you want to get real brazen about it, get yourself a quill pen!)

Water is perhaps the easiest thing to ‘hide’ on an Altar because We All Need It!!!

WATER REPRESENTATIONS

That leads us finally to the Element of Water, and this is in my mind the easiest item to pass off as ‘normal’.

To represent this element, I humbly suggest placing a glass of water on the table. This is most easily achieved by getting a nightly glass of water and placing it on your night stand before bed! You can bless it in the sink as you pour it and set it up. This can become a ritual in and of itself, and nobody has to know! If for some reason a glass of water is not available, seashells are a visual representation of water as well as the color blue.

So... where does this leave us?

Well… If you Want to Hide an Altar in Plain Sight, Put a Lamp on Your Nightstand, Place a Potted Plant, Set a Pen on the Table, and Get a Glass of Water before Bed!

Finally, How do we incorporate that 5th element, Spirit?

With YOUR PRESENCE!

Just by being there, YOU represent the spirit, the divine manifestor, the magick.

The altar is not magick until you are there with it… YOU ARE THE MAGICK!

That’s it, yes, it’s really just as simple as that!

So long as you understand the meanings of the items you place on your altar, and you work with intention, it can become a truly magickal space, and right out in the open.

In Front of “God” and Everybody”

Blessings!

Sywyrd Moon

Hidden Altars: How to Hide an Altar in Plain Sight