Our Wiccan Altar: The SwordInner Circle Sanctuary To practice your magical art, you need a magical space. Many Wiccans set up an altar for their craft working, and this can be anything from a small end table to a 9-foot marble behemoth. Inner Circle Sanctuary is somewhere in between. We enjoy our craft and all the tools associated with our religion; therefore, we have a nice 6-foot table we like to use to hold all of our ritual accoutrement. If you’ve ever been to our sabbats, you’ve no doubt noticed our big and beautifully decorated altar as the centerpiece to all of our rituals. It’s full of deity statues, seasonal decorations, and tools. Lots of magical tools.  The Sword The sword is a much larger version of the athame. In our tradition, they both symbolize the element of fire with all of its attributes like power, energy, will, etc. They are ritually interchangeable, and the only difference between them is scale. The athame is a witch’s most personal tool and is used for directing smaller amounts of energy. A sword usually belongs to the coven and is used to direct larger amounts of energy like when casting a magic ring. That’s not to say you can’t cast a ring with an athame; we all have. But, it’s a bit easier and more impressive with a sword. Listening to that steel cut through sand and rock is very evocative of protection and power. Inner Circle Sanctuary believes that everyone has Goddess and God energies within them. Because of this, wearing a sword helps to bring those God attributes to the forefront. The sword is more formally authoritative than the athame as well. The leader of the ring is the one who usually wields the sword. “With this in thy hand, thou art ruler of the ring.” In the pictures below, one priestess is standing guard at the doorway and proving she’s the one in charge. In the other photo, the priestess is using the sword to cast her magic circle and create the temple where we will celebrate our sabbat. by Lady Anwyn  Follow Inner Circle Sanctuary on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.
If you are interested in learning more about us, please don't hesitate to Contact Us. If you are interested in joining our classes, please start with our questionnaire here. Want to see how we do things? Try out a sample test: Follow this link to a Google Doc: https://forms.gle/7oaQ5GF3d8k4CsA37 Our Wiccan Altar: The CenserInner Circle Sanctuary To practice your magical art, you need a magical space. Many Wiccans set up an altar for their craft working, and this can be anything from a small end table to a 9-foot marble behemoth. Inner Circle Sanctuary is somewhere in between. We enjoy our craft and all the tools associated with our religion; therefore, we have a nice 6-foot table we like to use to hold all of our ritual accoutrement. If you’ve ever been to our sabbats, you’ve no doubt noticed our big and beautifully decorated altar as the centerpiece to all of our rituals. It’s full of deity statues, seasonal decorations, and tools. Lots of magical tools.  The Censer One of the best ways to create your magical space is to burn incense. Scent has a powerful influence on your emotions and state of mind. Using an incense with the right combination of scents to fit your purpose adds another layer of magic to your work. The smoke from burning incense is thought to carry our desires to the Gods. There’s also the mundane aspect of using smoke to cleanse and purify the air. The censer with its burning charcoal and smoke is a symbol for air and fire. When used in conjunction with the water and salt to consecrate a circle, all four elements are represented. Inner Circle Sanctuary loves to use incense during ritual for these reasons exactly: It sets the mood, it purifies our area, and it makes for a nice atmosphere when we invite the Gods to join us. by Lady Anwyn  Follow Inner Circle Sanctuary on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.
If you are interested in learning more about us, please don't hesitate to Contact Us. If you are interested in joining our classes, please start with our questionnaire here. Want to see how we do things? Try out a sample test: Follow this link to a Google Doc: https://forms.gle/7oaQ5GF3d8k4CsA37 Our Wiccan Altar: The AthameInner Circle Sanctuary To practice your magical art, you need a magical space. Many Wiccans set up an altar for their craft working, and this can be anything from a small end table to a 9-foot marble behemoth. Inner Circle Sanctuary is somewhere in between. We enjoy our craft and all the tools associated with our religion; therefore, we have a nice 6-foot table we like to use to hold all of our ritual accoutrement. If you’ve ever been to our sabbats, you’ve no doubt noticed our big and beautifully decorated altar as the centerpiece to all of our rituals. It’s full of deity statues, seasonal decorations, and tools. Lots of magical tools.  The Athame The athame is a witch’s most personal tool. It is an extension of yourself and your will, and once it has been consecrated, a magical bond will form. Through repeated ritual use, that bond only grows stronger. The black-handled knife is double-edged so its movement is more aerodynamic. It is strictly used for projecting energy and cutting sigils in the air. Using our blades, pentagrams are drawn during ritual to unlock the power of the elements. For the Great Rite, the athame is used to symbolize the fertilizing and active part of the polarity that creates life. We like our hilts to be black for two reasons. The first reason is magical: black absorbs. The energy we create is sent from our power hand, absorbed into the black hilt, and then directed down and out through point of the blade. The second reason is practical. We draw sigils of power onto the hilt and it’s easier to do that on a plain black background. ICS has a magical and practical reason for everything we do. In our tradition, we attribute the fire element to the athame, because we consider it a strong and powerful tool that is used for commanding energy. It is interchangeable with the sword. If you ever find yourself without your athame or sword, what could you use? Your Goddess given athame. Your pointer and middle finger together make the perfect athame. by Lady Anwyn  Follow Inner Circle Sanctuary on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.
If you are interested in learning more about us, please don't hesitate to Contact Us. If you are interested in joining our classes, please start with our questionnaire here. Want to see how we do things? Try out a sample test: Follow this link to a Google Doc: https://forms.gle/7oaQ5GF3d8k4CsA37 Our Wiccan Altar: The PentacleInner Circle Sanctuary To practice your magical art, you need a sacred space. Many Wiccans and witches set up an altar for their craft working, and this can be anything from a small end table, or a lap desk on your bed, to a 9-foot marble behemoth. Inner Circle Sanctuary is somewhere in between. We enjoy our craft and all the tools associated with our religion; therefore, we have a nice 6-foot table we like to use to hold all of our ritual accoutrement. If you’ve ever been to one of our sabbats or public esbats, you’ve no doubt noticed our big and beautifully decorated altar as the centerpiece to all of our rituals. It’s full of deity statues, seasonal decorations, and tools. Lots of magical tools.  The Altar Pentacle The pentacle is the first thing you’ll notice on our ritual altar. It might be made of wood with the pentagram burned into it…..along with some candle wax stains. Sometimes, you’ll see a hand-painted pentacle that was lovingly traced and painted…… with a few water spots. There’s even a huge and ornate, but scarred, altar pentacle that was designed and crafted by our founder, Lady Morgana. All were handmade and all are well-used. The scars they have only add to their beauty and power. The pentacle is the symbol for earth, so what better element to be the foundation of our altar? It is the focal point where all the magic happens. For many Wiccans, the pentagram is the symbol of our religion and our magic: the four elements in dynamic balance, ruled by spirit, and enclosed in a circle to contain and amplify the power. This is how magic is created, so the altar pentacle is where we perform our magic.
It is truly the focus of our altar and it brings everything together. Look at your altar pentacle. Is it scratched? Does it need a new paint job? Is it discolored? Good. Let it be imperfect. Let it be well-used and loved. Let it be the tool of your Craft. by Lady Anwyn  Follow Inner Circle Sanctuary on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.
If you are interested in learning more about us, please don't hesitate to Contact Us. If you are interested in joining our classes, please start with our questionnaire here. Want to see how we do things? Try out a sample test: Follow this link to a Google Doc: https://forms.gle/7oaQ5GF3d8k4CsA37 Our Wiccan Altar: The ChaliceInner Circle Sanctuary To practice your magical art, you need a magical space. Many Wiccans set up an altar for their craft working, and this can be anything from a small end table to a 9-foot marble behemoth. Inner Circle Sanctuary is somewhere in between. We enjoy our craft and all the tools associated with our religion; therefore, we have a nice 6-foot table we like to use to hold all of our ritual accoutrement. If you’ve ever been to our sabbats, you’ve no doubt noticed our big and beautifully decorated altar as the centerpiece to all of our rituals. It’s full of deity statues, seasonal decorations, and tools. Lots of magical tools.  The chalice is the premier symbol for the Goddess as the womb from which life and love flows. It symbolizes water and all of its attributes: love, emotion, understanding, etc. Where the athame is the activating power of the Great Rite, the chalice is the passive and receptive portion of that holy union. These two tools used together symbolize the polarity that activates and pervades the entire universe. As a vessel, it can also be used for more mundane purposes like holding water and salt for consecrations. Apart from symbolizing the great womb of Mother Earth, another purpose of the chalice is to share drink with your fellow witches during the ritual of wine and cakes, which is usually performed at the end of any magical working. “From this vessel, may we drink in comradeship and in honor of the Gods.” by Lady Anwyn  Follow Inner Circle Sanctuary on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.
If you are interested in learning more about us, please don't hesitate to Contact Us. If you are interested in joining our classes, please start with our questionnaire here. Want to see how we do things? Try out a sample test: Follow this link to a Google Doc: https://forms.gle/7oaQ5GF3d8k4CsA37 |
Inner Circle SanctuaryInner Circle Sanctuary is a school for traditional style Wicca and holds eight sabbat festivals every year. 
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Inner Circle Sanctuary
An Eclectic Traditionalist Oath-bound, Initiatory Wiccan Coven |
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