The Ten-Dollar Altar Project

Let's get this out of the way: tools aren't necessary to the practice of Wicca. You can do a ritual with nothing but your voice, your gestures, and your imagination.

However, most Wiccans have ritual tools. Why is this? A variety of reasons. Tools serve as a good focus. I can cast a circle with my hands, but using a knife or wand for the casting helps me to visualize where the energy I'm using is going. Using tools also helps me to get into a ritual mood. I may not need my ritual robes or my pentacle, but something about dressing up and placing tools on my altar puts me into ritual consciousness. They're signs of a different mindset. They're not strictly necessary, but that doesn't make them unimportant or useless.

As one Pagan put it, "You don't need a $200 Athame to cast a circle, but something about having it makes you want to cast it more."

Of course, when you're just starting out, and not sure that this is the path you want (or even after you're sure) assembling a whole kit of ritual tools can be an expensive proposition. Wand, Pentacle, cup, knife, cords, robes, candles, incense -- even if you don't pay much for them, it all adds up.

I'm firmly of the opinion that a reasonably complete altar kit can be assembled for the low, low price of $10, taxes included (yes, that's Canadian dollars!). To prove this point, I issued a challenge to all of my Pagan friends: Make yourself a $10 altar. You can use objects that are easily found in nature as "free" items, but nothing that's too difficult to get. Also, nothing you just "had around the house", unless it's something cheap and easily available (a pair of chopsticks, a small amount of salt). If you want to make a pentacle from a plate, fine, but you had to buy that plate at some point. Factor it in.

And then I made a travel altar for myself.

Ceri's Ten-Dollar Travel Altar

If you'd like to assemble a $10 altar, please e-mail me and we'll discuss details.

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