The Placement Of Altars In Wicca
by Blayze
In Wicca, the altar is used as a focus, as a sacred place. Physically it holds the tools that the witch will be using during the ritual and can be decorated as a symbol of why the ritual is being performed. Its presentation can also enhance the atmosphere within the circle itself. In essence, the altar can be viewed as both a physical and a spiritual offering to the Gods.    
As such, the altar is treated with reverence. It not only holds symbols that  represent and honour the Gods, it also holds symbols and essences of the  five elements that surround us and are within us. The symbols of the Gods are there as a sign of respect and to remind us that all actions performed within our sacred space are in honour of Them.  Wiccans believe that the divine is within everything, including themselves. An altar dedicated to the Gods is then part of the Divine, but the Gods themselves do not reside only within the altar.   There are many traditions and forms of Wicca, practiced both by groups and by solitaries. The placement of the altar can depend on the teachings of the particular tradition or it can be just what feels right to those who are setting up their sacred space. Generally an altar will be placed either in the centre of the Circle or in one of the Quarters or Cardinal Points of the Circle.   
There is no one correct place for the altar within a circle. It is the intent and understanding of that placement, by all involved, those matters.  Mostly the altar is positioned according to esoteric concepts but sometimes it is for a purely physical reason. There may be uneven ground or large piece of furniture in the spot usually reserved for an altar. There may be a fire-pit in the centre of a circular area that is perfect for the ritual, but would, of course, make a central altar unfeasible.    
Let us examine some of the more popular altar placements.    
The East.   
In the tradition in which I am trained, the altar is placed in the East (at least for Esbats). The reasons for this are that the East is a place of new beginnings, the place of sunrise. It is also the quarter that is associated with the element of Air and thus knowledge and wisdom and traditionally the direction that the messengers of knowledge would come from. Even if the altar were placed in a different quarter or in the centre, the circle cast would always begin from the East.   
The South (Southern Hemisphere workings)   
In the Southern Hemisphere, the Southern quarter takes on the attributes of the place of greatest darkness and midnight. This is then associated with the Earth as the place of dark and cold and mystery. As the Earth quarter it also functions as the gateway between the Worlds. It is also the gateway of the Gods that is opened during the circle as a sign of respect in inviting the Gods to be present. (This gateway can also be located in the centre and roof of the sphere and is created during the Central Invocation). The altar can be placed at the gateway of the South as a sign of respect to the Gods.    
The North (Northern Hemisphere workings)   
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Northern quarter takes on the attributes of the place of greatest darkness and midnight. The placement of the altar in the North is for the same reasons that it can be placed in the South when working in the Southern Hemisphere.   
Central   
Many groups and individuals prefer a centrally placed altar. There are many reasons for this. Firstly it places the altar in a position equidistant from the Quarter point and the circumference of the Circle. This means that everyone has access to the altar and no place or person is placed higher than another. It also gives the altar a central focus point. When raising a cone of power, the altar can be placed directly underneath the cone and the covenors can dance around it, free of hindrance.  
The Sabbats.    
The altar can also be repositioned around the circumference of the circle to align with the Sabbats as they occur on the Wheel of the Year. If you do choose to move the altar around the wheel then it is a good idea to be consistent and move it for each Sabbat. It is also important to stick to one direction of movement, such as anti-clockwise for the Southern Hemisphere or clockwise for the Northern Hemisphere.  In the Southern Hemisphere we would have the altar for Litha in the North, as this is the Sabbat of greatest light, being the Midsummer Solstice, the longest day. North represents Midday and the Place of greatest light.   
Moving deosil (anti-clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere) we would see Lughnasadh in the cross-quarter of the North-West. This is the first harvest and a time when the light has only just begun to wane. It is the period between Midday and Sunset. Moving to the West we come to Mabon, the Autumn  Equinox. The time of Sunset and the second harvest. The time when the God  descends to the Otherworld. Samhain would then be placed in the South-West. The time between Sunset and  Midnight, the time between the Worlds. The nights are growing longer as we  approach winter. Yule is the Midwinter Solstice, the longest night. It is  appropriate then that this festival would fall in the place of greatest  darkness, the South. The time of midnight. Note how the Solstices fall  opposite each other on the wheel.   
Continuing  in our anti-clockwise movement around the wheel we come to the  South-East and Imbolc. A cross-quarter again. A time of emerging light. The  false dawn between Midnight and Sunrise. A festival celebrating the first  light after the long dark of Winter. This brings us to Ostara, where day and  night are equal once more. The East, Sunrise and the place of new  beginnings. Dawning of a new season of light and birth.   Beltane is then placed in the North-East. The time between Sunrise and  Midday. The celebration of Spring moving into Summer and the fertility of  the Land. The time when passions are at their height, moving to the heady  Summer of the North once again.   
The same applies for altar placement in the Northern Hemisphere when you  plot it on an eight spoked wheel.. The alignment, moving clockwise around the wheel is as follows: North - Yule, North East -  Imbolc, East - Ostara, South East - Beltane, South - Litha, South West - Lughnasadh, West - Mabon,  North West - Samhain,  and back to Yule in the North.  It is interesting to  note that the positions of Mabon and Ostara do not change for either  Hemisphere. Yet even though they stay at West and East they still fit in the cycle as in the Southern Hemisphere we move around the wheel in an  anti-clockwise direction and in the Northern Hemisphere in a clockwise  direction. This quirk of plotting occurs because Mabon and Ostara are the Equinoxes, both Day and Night are equal.   
Placing the altar around the Circle at different points on the Wheel can be  a useful tool in helping us to understand the relationships of the Sabbats  and how the journey of the Wheel of Life impacts on our lives and the world  around us. Decorating the altar for each Sabbat is a wonderful experience  and serves to keep us in touch with each celebration. 
Bibliography
Phillips, Julia & Matthew. The Witches of Oz , CapallBann Publishing
Meyers, Stuart. Between the Worlds. Llewellyn Publications
Cunningham, Scott. Wicca, A guide for the solitary practioner. Llewellyn Publications
K, Amber. True Magick, Llewellyn Publications.