BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Wicca Altar Configurations

I'm curious. I've always set up my altar more or less to please myself, however, I've recently noticed that I've been putting my goddess and god figures on the opposite side from what is apparently the norm. While reading some Witchcraft 101 type material, I saw that the altar offered as an example in the "how to" layout showed the goddess on the left-hand side(when facing the altar). I've always just followed my intuition and placed mine on the right-hand side. Is there a particular reason/explanation for which side is most common? And ... which side do you all use for your goddess placement? Any specific reason you do it that way other than "that's how I was taught" [color:"brown"] [/color] ?

"... Love is the bond."

I think that different traditions have different ways of setting up their altars. I personally subcribe to the what feels right to you school of thought on this matter. If I use both god and goddess figures on my altar I THINK I put the goddess on the left but I can't say as I have ever thought about why. Just feels right I guess. More often than not, however, I use one candle to represent deity.

I'll second Fiona's comment that it would depend on the tradition as to what is "right" and even then, some eclectic traditions would say you were correct to go with what feels right for you.

Well I have a tattoo on each shoulder and the one on my right shoulder symbolizes Goddess while my left arm tat symbolizes God... it just seemed right to me to have the Goddess on the right side and the God on the left. *shrugs shoulders* With my altar, I have that set up more in line with the elements instead of God/dess.

I'm a believer in doing what feels right to you. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the feedback. I do feel most comfortable simply following what seems best and most right for me. Being a solitary makes that easily done. I do try to be educated on why I sometimes choose certain personally preferred practices over the suggested ones to feel more confident that I'm making the decision based on genuine personal discernment rather than just whim or habit <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I have never been able to "do what the books say" I do what is feels right. I do the same thing when reading tarot cards, I will use a book for reference, especially if I get out of practice or just confused, however the 7 of swords never changes for me, I cannot use the book definition.