Before you can do any of the rituals posted on this site, you'll need a place to do them. I have decided to write this article to give some ideas of how one can set an altar to the Greek gods.
I found that the best surface to use was to buy a small pillar from a craft store and place a board on top to make the top surface a little larger (so as to fit everything on it comfortably). Although, any table of at least 2 1/2 to 3 feet high will work very well, as it is considered inappropriate to kneel before the Gods. As far as what to put on the top, it is safe to say that all of the materials you would need at the bare minimum, you could purchase at a local Wal-Mart, Target or other department store. You can of course add to the altar as often as you like, to make it personal.
First, it is good to have an altar cloth. White I found was the most appropriate, although any solid color will work. You can purchase a table cloth, or buy some fabric and make your own. You will be putting things on top of it, so it isn't necessary to buy something with prints on it.
If you will be burning your offerings, you shall need something to burn them in. I purchased a marble mortar and pestle set from a kitchen store. The pestle I placed next to my statue of Pan as a phallic symbol, and then placed the mortar in a tripod (just because I liked the idea, if one desires, they can place it directly on the altar). Any heat-resistant bowl will work just fine. A cast-iron cauldron works really well, if one is available. It is good to have some kind of tile under this to prevent scorching your altar. A great way of setting an altar fire, is epsom salts and isopropyl alcohol....it's smokeless and the odour is not overpowering.
Ok, the topic of incense. Something that most people don't know is that most incense sticks are made with cow dung, as it is combustable. Frankly, I would think that would be incredibly insulting to burn for a Deity. Therefore, be careful when you buy incense sticks. If you want, you can get charcoal from online or a new age store (not the stuff you use in grills, that's poisonous) and burn the actual herbs on top. This is a common incense and it is very affective. Something to know is that sage burns by itself like an incense. Use that knowledge to your advantage.
A good incense burner is a brazier, which is basically a tall pillar candle holder. You can place charcoal in a heat-proof dish on this surface, or if you decide to use stick or cone incense, you can put these directly onto the pillar holder.
Finally you will need three bowls. One for libations (liquid offerings) which always remains on the altar (unless being emptied outside or cleaned), one for the purification, and one for drinking from. (obviously this last one can be just a regular drinking glass because it will simply get washed after every ritual).
Well, there you have it. A basic altar. It is best not to put too much more on the altar otherwise you'll get clutter...which can be dangerous when you're dealing with fire. When you are working with a particular deity, set up a shrine to them directly behind the altar (this should be higher up than the altar itself). A shrine contains the icon of the Deity, and anything else that corresponds with that Deity. The brazier can also be put on the shrine if the offerings are going directly to that Deity.
After you've set up your altar, you may wish to dedicate it. I have included a dedication ritual in the rituals section of the site that may help you out here.
