Altars «vs» Shrines

One of the first things you’re told to do when you venture into the brand new world of Paganism is to set up an Altar. The problem is that dialogue concerning Altars stops almost exactly there; once you’re told how to set one up, the subject changes and everything else falls to the wayside. No one thinks to ask questions, because no additional information is presented to you to let you know that you should be.

When one eventually meanders into the community, this eventually transforms into “creating altars for Gods” and calling them things like “[Name]’s Altar” as most practices naturally progress. But the lack of continued dialogue on Altars is one of the largest reasons why few people know one very tiny little thing: That what you’re doing now, years later, in dedicating a space to your Entities is not actually “setting up an Altar” in the vast majority of cases (with very limited exceptions) ... It’s actually creating a Shrine.

Beginners, unfortunately, are very rarely actually exposed to the word ‘Shrine’ outside of vague references to large structures in other cultural religions- most notably those of Shinto and Buddhism. The conversation in New Age and Pagan books revolves wholly around the Altar, and that conversation and the information offered is paltry and doesn’t do a very good job of explaining much at all. Especially not outside of the Wiccan and NeoWiccan contexts.

Altars and Shrines are both physical setups that act as methods of creating a dedicated spiritual space. But the functions of each, and the type of spaces they create, are entirely different from one another- even if they might share overlap in various ways; they serve different purposes, and they follow different formats for setup (and often ideas of permanence) ... But what are they, and what are those differences?

⤞ Altars

In its most simplistic form and definition, an Altar is an elevated place or a raised platform (usually a table that is low or hip height, and usually long in length) at which ritualistic sacrifices and offerings are made, and religious rites and magics are performed by the devout. Further, it holds the items necessary for the work that will be performed- such as your candles, spell book, spell ingredients, etc.

Few traditions now have specific measurements and material construction requirements as to how tall or wide they should be. But most have rules as to their use and how to act around them- as well as special stipulations concerning what items are put on them, and how they’re to be arranged around the table in the first place; what format people are most familiar with is the Altar set up for NeoWicca, specifically due to its prevalence in available texts. However, Altar setups can (and do) differ greatly from one tradition to the next. If you are training in one of these traditions, it’s important to respect their ways. If you’re not involved in a particular tradition, though, then there’s no reason to adhere to the rules of that tradition unless they resonate with you.

Unlike common treatment of them, however, as some Revivalist Elders would like to remind us: An Altar is not a catchall for anything and everything you want to have with you, but is a sacred piece of furniture; religiously and spiritually, all things revolve around the Altar and evolve from it. It is the center of all- and whether it is within a building, or erected outside of it, in either a constructed, or a natural place, the altar has the effect and purpose of signifying the 'focal point’ of the religious space and ritual and should be treated with the proper respect accordingly.

In other words, they’re not generally meant to be permanent fixtures that one puts all their conceivable knicknacks and doodads on, or swaps out the decorations for on each season or holiday change. They’re meant to be temporary- something set up for a working or ritual, and then taken down and stored away once it’s complete.

That doesn’t mean they can’t be permanent fixtures, however, if you have the space for them. They can be set up as permanent features, and some people may choose to keep their altars up at all times. Some may even choose to decorate them with other items while not in use for religious or spiritual work purposes- and then clear these decorations (save those which lend themselves properly to the aesthetic of the rite) away properly when it’s time to get down to business ... However, none of this changes the fact that they’re a sacred space meant for active work, and the performance of the various rites and workings of one’s religious or magical practices --- a fact that’s all too often left out of the conversation, or outright ignored, when discussing Altars in the modern age.

⤞ Shrines

A Shrine is any structure or place that’s been consecrated or devoted to some Saint, holy person, Deity, person, or other, and which acts as a receptacle for their sacred relics; a reliquary.

Most Shrines which people are familiar with are large structures not unlike a Temple or a Church. These are buildings designed and created to house items dedicated to the deities, and they may be dedicated to a collection of deities or spirits- or only to one or two. Within them is usually a statue or similar item at which you pray, meditate, and give offerings.

However, these are large scale examples. The most common and much more realistic examples of Shrines used by the average person, and especially by Pagans and laypeople of other faiths, are what could be considered ‘Personal’ or ‘Household’ shrines. These smaller Shrines act similarly to the larger ones, and serve the same functions, but are smaller and much more suitable to everyday household worship.

More formal Household Shrines are often kept in an ornate cupboard, or a box of some sort, and are either placed on a table or hung on a wall- and purchasing such a Shrine cupboard is indeed a great investment for protecting your items, keeping animals or children out of stuff, and so on. In many traditions, though, there’s few spatial requirements as to how and where they can be placed. And so less formal or ornate Shrines (or Shrines belonging to those who just don’t have any room) are often set up in nooks and crannies, on tabletops, in bookshelves, or wherever a person otherwise has the room to place them.

Regardless of the scale, levels of formality, or ornateness, Your Shrine is a little home for Spirits or the Divine to dwell within as an honored guest. For this reason, there’s generally some common things that they hold. Usually that is- like large Shrines- an Icon, image, or other representation of the concept or entity that the Shrine is for, a place to burn incense, a candle or two, and the appropriate receptacles into which to give offerings.

Shrines are not really meant to be a place to do magic or ritual workings, but instead act as an honorable symbol of our worship and reverence of the entity. They provide us with a place to connect to and commune with them through prayer and offering, and so on, in a more intimate setting- through prayer and similar things utilizing Shrines may be just as ritualized sometimes. They also sometimes act as somewhere safe to house objects we consider sacred to or which have been devoted to the concepts or beings we work with.

I personally recommend that you invest in creating Shrines above anything, and utilize ‘Tear Down’ or ‘Travel’ Altars for workings where altars would be necessary. To me, in my years of experience, it saves both space and energy, as well as decreasing the amount of things you ultimately need to clean. And we all know that cleaning Altars alone can be a pain- especially if you’re the kind of person who just has a single “Altar” with a mountain of stuff on it.

However, the requirement, or use, of both isn’t necessary. Despite the large differences between Altars and Shrines, you can do a large majority of the same things at either- and in some traditions the terminology and uses of each are actually flipped. Really it boils down to your available space, what your deity wants from you (or what you would prefer to have), and the tradition you’re a member of and its requirements and language.

That being said, you should still take into consideration the actual differences and learn what Shrines and Altars are intended for before deciding which to go with.