Welcome to Gaia! ::

mainly to set up an alter u want to represent all of the elements, the god &/or goddess u follow, the symbol u use, & any other personal touches u like.

a basic alter will include on it: some sort of insence, 2 white pillar candles to represent the god & goddess, a pentacle, a dish w/ water, some smaller candles, & a statue or something like that.

other than that u can add anything u want to make it ur own.

but also remember that an alter can be any size & shape. it doesn't even have to be perminent

for an example, here's a picture of mine.

Mine is relatively small. It's a hand-me-down wooden stool, about 2' by 2' surface. It is covered in white cloth with a purple goddess candle and a mini air votive candle. I hang my pentacle necklace from a nail protruding from the windowsill that my alter is below. Beside the goddess candle are two tea animals, on the left a wolf and on the right a bunny because those are my mom and dad's totem animals and the god and goddess are the great mother and father, right? Underneath is a white rabbit skin that is under a tiny bowl of sea salt that hold my quartz crystal. I have no athame and I do not represent the elements upon my slter because it is tiny. I have my windowsill lined with bottles of different colors. Some have herbs in them. I am a dedicant witch since May 2006, Beltane. I am not sure I am ready for the duty and ritual of initiation. Does it have to be so extravegant? I am ready to be wiccan but I do not wish to be a high priestess.