Altars

Altars

My main altar has a mirror

with runes around its oval edge,

drawers full of witchy supplies –

incense, candles, a herb-cutting knife 

etcetera. All the four elements 

are represented and displayed

on its surface, as on all my altars,

even the tiny one in my bedroom;

even the writer’s altar above my desk

with its pictures of wide-eyed Brigid

wearing blue like Mary, and graceful Pan

alive in black ink, fiercely intent.

On the desk itself Minerva stands

with her owl. Close by are both

Sekhmet and Thoth, he of course

holding a tablet and stylus: inscribing.

The bedroom altar is more for healing.

There’s a picture of the Blue Madonna

with names on the back, in pencil 

to change for the now well, or new ill.

My working altar, my casting altar,

has dragon statues; the oracle 

I channelled and made; several wands

and my athame (a crystal laser).

Sometimes I think I want to spell it ‘alter’, 
for the work of change. Oops,

that’s the other kind of ‘spell’. Or is it?

Even before altars, we had Word.

Note for non-witches: 'Athame' (a witch's dagger, for cutting energy) is pronounced either ATH-uh-may or ah-THAH-may. I say it the first way.

Note for witches: No, I have no trouble mixing pantheons!

Written in response to the #decemberwitch challenge on Instagram. Another option was to photograph my altars. That felt too personal. But then this poem wouldn't fit into the space of an Instagram post, so I used just this one photo.

Also linking to Pantry of Poetry and Prose #7 at Poets United.