The Book of Altars and Sacred Spaces

May 11, 2020
Instagram witch Kiernan (The Ultimate Guide to Witchcraft) lays out in this enchanting guide ways to create spaces in and around the home for spiritual mindfulness and magic. Her approach frames projects around the neopagan Wheel of the Year, with each section exploring a holiday within one of the wheel’s eight seasons—including magical correspondences for colors, crystals, foods, symbols, and general themes—and suggesting a handful of altar ideas for the themes of the season, such as a ritual bath altar tray for Imbolc or a solar charging altar for Midsummer. Thoughtful, full-color botanical line art makes the DIY projects fun to flip through, and Kiernan’s tightly focused photographs of her own carefully composed altars bring each concept to life. Entries include a mix of altars that function throughout a particular season, such as the Pollinator Garden, as well as those that serve a specific purpose, like the Spring Equinox Balance Circle. Though some altars are designed for outdoor spaces, Kiernan provides creative ideas for bringing them indoors, including a bel fire in a jar and a tabletop maypole. Wiccan readers searching for easily implemented ritual ideas should take a look at Kiernan’s sensual suggestions.