How to Build a Deity Altar with Candles

Honoring a deity is a common practice in the witchcraft practice. This roots from many ancient beliefs which includes the appearance of gods and goddesses during a ritual or spell work.

Building a deity altar is progressive over the times and can also be an option for you to change it depending on the occasion based on the wheel of the year. However, it is not a requirement to start with a lot of items, in fact, you can start building it with candles.

Choosing the Candle for Your Deity

Each deity has their own belief system and overpowering energy. With that being said, they also have their own aura or the type of energy they attract in your life as a witch. Choosing the right candle for your deity compliments the energy their remembrance radiates. 

The first option for choosing the candle for your deity is by acquiring a pre-carved candle from your local mystic shops. But, if you do not have the budget for a carved candle, you can never go wrong with making your own personalized deity candle. 

For one, a personalized deity candle can also help you connect even closer to the god or goddess you look up to and include in your rituals.

Let’s take for example, Athena. Athena is the goddess of wisdom and some of the symbols associated with her includes owls, olive trees, and snakes. If you’re crafting an altar for the goddess Athena, perhaps you might want to carve an owl on a white or purple candle. 

Another good example is a candle altar for the goddess Isis, the mother of the gods and the most powerful deity in egyptian history. Isis is a well known deity in the witchcraft community because of her strong association to magic —making her remembrance a good source of energy during divination and spell work.

Symbols for Isis include the moon disk, cow horns, wings, kite hawk and sycamore trees. The ideal colored candle to carve these on is yellow gold, the color which is believed to be Isis’ skin complexion.

Adding a Few More Touches

Adding a few more touches to your deity candle altar can’t hurt! Some of the few things you might want to add are items from nature like driftwood sticks that represent your deity, dried leaves and some herbs. You may even make your own spell jar if you feel like it! 

For magic, some of the deities you can tap on is Isis and Hecate. To attract masculine energy, you might want to include Odin and Thor to your altar as well. For wisdom and clarity of the mind, you may call upon Athena or Odin. 

Working with gods and goddesses is the witch’s choice. It doesn’t have to be extravagant as long as it is crafted with intention. Your altar may also look different, depending on how you use their remembrance in your practice. Some witches may as well honor 2 to 3 deities that represent common and complimenting energy.