How to: Build Your Own Altar
An altar is more than just a table with a few objects on it - it is the heart of your pagan practice. In Norse and Germanic traditions, the altar becomes a sacred meeting place, a bridge between the seen and the unseen, the human and the divine. Here, you gather to honour the gods (Æsir, Vanir, and Ásynjur), remember your ancestors, and pay respect to the spirits of the land (landvættir) who share the world with you.
An altar doesn’t need to be elaborate or costly to carry power. In the sagas, offerings were often made at simple stones, groves, or hearth fires. What matters is not perfection or expense, but that the altar is meaningful, respectful, and practical for your rituals. A stone from your land, a wooden bowl passed down in your family, or even a candle on a shelf can carry as much sacred weight as a carved idol if used with intent and reverence.
The altar also grows with you. Over time, it becomes a place where memories, blessings, and offerings gather. Each ritual adds another layer of connection. Many Heathens find that their altar slowly turns into a kind of living story, reflecting their relationship with the gods, their family history, the changing seasons, and the landscape they live upon.
Building an altar is therefore both simple and deeply personal. You are shaping a sacred stead (a stead being an old word for “place”) that fits your life and practice. Some will prefer a small, quiet altar indoors; others will build larger stone altars outdoors where they can pour offerings into the soil. Both are equally valid.
This guide will walk you through the steps to creating your own altar, from choosing the place, gathering the materials, arranging the layout, consecrating it, and caring for it over time. Everything is explained in clear and simple words, so whether you are brand new to the path or a long-time practitioner looking to refresh your practice, you can use this guide to create a sacred space that feels truly your own.
1. Understand What an Altar Is
Before you start building, it helps to understand what an altar truly is. An altar isn’t just a decorative corner with pretty objects - it is a working space. Its purpose is not appearance, but function and focus. It is where the sacred and the everyday meet, where your intent becomes action, and where your gifts are exchanged with the unseen.
In the Norse and Germanic worldview, the altar is the place where:
You make your offerings (blót). This could be a cup of mead poured to Odin, bread given to the land-spirits, or a candle lit for your ancestors.
You speak your toasts (sumbel or minni). Words have power, and at the altar you raise your horn, give thanks, and remember gods, heroes, and kin.
You connect to the holy powers. This includes the Æsir (gods like Odin, Thor, Baldr), the Vanir (gods of fertility and prosperity like Freyja, Freyr, Njörðr), the Ásynjur (goddesses such as Frigg, Sif, and Skaði), your ancestors, and the landvættir (spirits of the land, trees, rivers, and stones).
The altar can be thought of as a bridge between worlds. On one side is your ordinary life - your home, your family, your daily concerns. On the other side is the realm of the divine and the spiritual. The altar stands at the meeting point, where you step forward with offerings, words, and reverence, and where the gods and spirits may in turn extend their blessings.
Historically, altars could take many forms. Some were great wooden or stone structures in sacred groves. Others were simple hearths or flat rocks where food and drink were poured out. The sagas tell us that blóts often happened in open air, where nature itself acted as a hall of the gods. Today, your altar may be a shelf in your bedroom, a table in your garden, or even a portable box you take with you. The form doesn’t matter as much as the purpose: creating a sacred stead where gifts are given and received.
When you approach your altar, do so with the mindset that it is not just furniture - it is a living point of contact with something far greater than yourself. Over time, it will gather the weight of your prayers, the memory of your offerings, and the presence of the powers you honour. It becomes, in a very real way, the spiritual heart of your practice.
2. Decide Where It Will Be
Once you understand what an altar is, the next step is to decide where your altar should live. This choice sets the tone for your practice, because the place itself becomes part of the ritual. The Norse and Germanic peoples often saw certain locations (groves, stones, rivers, and halls) as holy by nature. When you choose your altar’s home, you are continuing this tradition by creating your own vé (sacred space).
There are two main kinds of altars to consider:
Indoor Altars -
Indoor altars are perfect for those who live in towns, apartments, or places where outdoor space is limited. They allow you to practice in private, away from curious eyes or disruptive weather. An indoor altar can be as simple or as elaborate as you like:
It can be a shelf in a bookcase, a small table, the top of a chest, or even a windowsill where light and air reach your offerings.
It should be a place you can easily keep clean, ordered, and free of clutter. The gods and spirits deserve respect, and a dusty, crowded altar feels less inviting.
Privacy matters. In ancient times, blóts could be family centered or even secret (such as the Álfablót, which outsiders were forbidden to witness). Choosing a quiet spot helps you keep that sacred boundary.
Indoor altars are also easier to tend daily - lighting a candle in the morning, pouring a small drink, or leaving bread for your ancestors becomes a natural part of your routine.
Outdoor Altars -
Outdoor altars connect you directly to the natural world, which was central to old pagan practice. The sagas describe blóts held in groves (lundr), at sacred stones and in hof-halls built near fields or water. Setting your altar outdoors brings you closer to this tradition:
It can be a large stone in your garden, a tree stump, a wooden table, or simply a cleared patch of earth.
The living land itself becomes part of the altar: the soil, the wind, the changing sky, the nearby plants and animals.
Outdoor altars are especially good for honoring landvættir, the land spirits who guard and bless the places where we live. Leaving offerings directly on the earth invites their friendship and support.
Of course, outdoor altars require more upkeep - rain, snow, and animals may disturb them. Some Heathens keep both an indoor and an outdoor altar, using each for different purposes.
The most important thing is to choose a place that feels right and where you won’t be constantly disturbed. If you feel a natural pull toward a certain corner of your home or if a particular stone in your yard “calls” to you, trust that instinct. The altar should be a space where you feel safe, focused, and open to the gods and spirits - a stead that becomes sacred through your intent and care.
3. Gather the Materials
Now that you know where your altar will be, it’s time to gather the items that will bring it to life. Remember, an altar does not need to be extravagant or expensive. In fact, many historical altars were nothing more than a carved post, a sacred stone or a fire in the hearth. The strength of your altar lies in meaning and intention not in cost or decoration.
Here are the basics, along with their purpose and symbolism:
A Surface -
This can be a stone slab, a wooden table, a chest, or a sturdy shelf.
Outdoors, a natural boulder, tree stump, or flat rock works perfectly.
In the sagas, sacred stones (hörgr) were often used as altar spaces. By placing your offerings on stone or wood, you echo the old ways.
A Cloth (Optional) -
A simple linen or wool cloth can mark the altar as special.
It helps keep the surface clean and creates a defined ritual space.
Not required, but it can help you shift from “ordinary table” to “sacred altar.”
A Bowl or Horn -
Used for offerings of mead, ale, water, milk, or wine.
A horn is traditional for drinking toasts (sumbel, minni) and for pouring out libations.
A bowl can hold shared offerings or receive liquid before it is given to the earth.
Even a simple kitchen cup can work if set aside only for sacred use.
A Candle or Lamp -
Fire was central to ritual in old times - the hearth fire, the torches, and the sacrificial flames.
A candle or oil lamp represents sacred fire, divine presence, and transformation.
Light is also symbolic of truth, clarity, and blessing.
For outdoor altars, a small fire pit or lantern can serve the same purpose.
Symbols of the Gods and Spirits -
Each deity can be honoured with a symbol that represents them, for instance:
Thor – a hammer, oak leaves, stones.
Freyja – amber, cats, falcon feathers, jewelry.
Freyr – ears of grain, boar symbols, phallic carvings.
Odin – runes, a spear, raven feathers.
Njörðr – seashells, fish, coins.
Frigg – keys, spindle, white flowers.
Ancestors might be represented with photos, heirlooms, or candles.
Land-spirits can be honoured with stones, pinecones, or soil from your land.
Space for Offerings -
Leave a clear place on the altar where you can place bread, fruit, meat, or drink during ritual.
Crafted gifts like carvings, poetry written on paper, or handmade jewelry also work.
In modern Heathenry, offerings are often shared: some consumed by the people, the rest poured or left outside.
A Note on Cost and Simplicity -
You don’t need to spend large sums of money or buy imported statues to make your altar sacred. A stone picked up from your land, a homemade wooden Thor’s hammer or a secondhand bowl dedicated for ritual use all carry power when given meaning. In the old days, most families used what was available to them - wealthier chieftains might build great hof temples, but farmers honoured the gods with simple altars in their homes and fields.
What matters most is that the items you choose are set apart for sacred use. Once placed on your altar, they belong to the gods, the ancestors, and the spirits, and should be treated with respect.
4. Add Symbols of the Powers
An altar becomes truly powerful when it reflects your personal bond with the beings you honour. The gods, ancestors, and land-spirits each have their own qualities, and adding objects that symbolize those powers helps focus your mind and create a stronger connection during ritual. These symbols don’t have to be elaborate or expensive - what matters is that they feel right and meaningful to you.
Here are some examples of how you can represent different powers on your altar:
The Gods and Goddesses -
Odin – A spear (Gungnir), raven feathers for Huginn and Muninn, a carving of a single eye, or a rune stave. These remind you of his wisdom, sacrifice, and mastery of magic.
Thor – A hammer (Mjölnir), oak leaves, or a red candle. Thor protects the people and the harvest, so symbols of strength and thunder suit him well.
Freyja – Amber (called Freyja’s tears), cats (her chariot animals), flowers, perfume, or jewelry. She is both fierce and beautiful, embodying love, magic, and war.
Freyr – Wheat, grain, carved phallus symbols, or green stones. As a fertility god, anything tied to growth, harvest, and peace honours him.
Njörðr – Seashells, sand, fish, coins, or driftwood. As a god of the sea and wealth, he is best represented with gifts of water and trade.
Frigg – A spindle, keys, white cloth, or herbs. Frigg is a goddess of home, foresight, and family, so household and maternal symbols are fitting.
Skaði – Pinecones, skis, antlers, or ice-crystal patterns. She is the goddess of winter, mountains, and independence.
Týr – A sword, scales of justice, or a small binding symbol. Týr represents law, oaths, and courage.
The Land-Spirits (Landvættir) -
The landvættir are the hidden spirits of the earth, trees, rivers, and stones. They protect the land if treated with respect.
Stones gathered from your home soil.
Pinecones, acorns, or branches.
A jar of water from a local spring or river.
Soil from your garden or a sacred place.
These remind you that your worship is tied not only to the gods but to the spirit of the place where you live.
The Ancestors -
Your ancestors are those who came before you - family, cultural ancestors, and the mighty dead of your tradition.
Old family photos, letters, or heirlooms.
A simple candle lit in remembrance.
Small tokens from your heritage (cloth, jewellery, coins).
Food or drink that they would have enjoyed.
Honouring the ancestors makes the altar a family place as well as a spiritual one.
A Note on Balance -
Your altar doesn’t have to hold every god at once. The sagas tell us that different families and regions favoured different deities - some kept Thor at the centre, others honoured Freyr or Njörðr most strongly. You can set your altar up for the beings you feel closest to, and change it as your practice grows. Some Heathens even rotate their altars seasonally - Freyr and Nerthus in the spring, Thor at midsummer, Freyja at harvest, Odin at Yule.
Think of your altar as a living space. The objects you choose are not just decorations but symbols of living relationships - reminders that the gods, ancestors, and land spirits walk beside you.
5. Arrange the Layout
Once you’ve gathered your items, the next step is to decide how to place them on your altar. The layout helps guide your focus during ritual, turning the altar into a working space rather than just a display. While there is no single “correct” way to arrange an altar in Norse and Germanic practice, many Heathens use patterns that reflect balance, order, and the relationships between gods, ancestors, and spirits.
A Common Pattern -
Centre: Place a candle, lantern, or fire-bowl in the middle. Fire is the sacred flame that transforms offerings and carries your words to the unseen. It also represents the hearth fire of old, which was the heart of the home and the place where offerings were often made.
Front: This is where you keep the horn, bowl, or cup that will receive your offerings. Keeping it near the front makes it easy to lift, pour, and share during ritual.
Back: Place your statues, idols, carvings, or symbols of deities here. The gods stand at the back as the foundation and “watchers” of the altar, presiding over the ritual.
Left Side: Set aside space for your ancestors - candles, photos, heirlooms, or other tokens. In many traditions, the left hand represents the past and lineage.
Right Side: Set aside space for the land spirits (landvættir) - stones, pinecones, jars of soil or water. The right hand often represents what is present and ongoing, which fits the spirits of the land you live on.
This arrangement creates a balanced flow: gods above and behind, ancestors to the left, land spirits to the right, fire in the centre, and offerings in front where the exchange takes place.
Other Layout Options -
Circular Layout: Instead of rows, some Heathens arrange altars in circles, with the fire in the middle and all other items placed around it. This mirrors outdoor blóts where participants gathered around a central fire.
Seasonal Layout: Some practitioners shift the altar by season: fertility symbols and seeds at the front in spring, sun symbols in summer, grain and fruit in autumn, pine and candles in winter.
Personalized Layout: You might choose to place the deity you are closest to at the very centre, with others arranged around them. For example, if Thor is the heart of your practice Mjölnir could be placed in the altar’s centre with the candle beside or above it.
The Key Principle: Intention and Balance -
However you arrange your altar, the most important thing is that it feels balanced and intentional. The placement of each object should make sense to you and serve the flow of your rituals. If the altar feels cluttered, simplify it. If it feels empty, add symbols over time.
Think of the altar as a stage: when you step into ritual, the objects are not just items but actors in the sacred drama - fire carrying your prayers, horn receiving your offerings, symbols representing the divine powers. A well arranged altar makes it easy to focus, speak, and give without distraction.
6. Consecrate the Space
Once your altar is physically set up, the next step is to make it spiritually alive. Consecrating the altar is what turns it from “just a table with objects” into a holy stead - a sacred place where the gods, ancestors, and land-spirits can be honoured. In the old days, this process was called hlautvíg (sacrificial hallowing) and it was a normal part of blót and hof rites.
Here is a simple and meaningful way to consecrate your altar:
Light the candle or fire.
Fire was central to ancient worship, whether at the hearth, in a hall, or in an outdoor grove. Lighting a flame marks the beginning of sacred time and signals that you are now speaking not just to yourself, but to the unseen.
Sprinkle water, mead, or ale.
Use a branch, sprig, or your hand to sprinkle liquid around the altar. This echoes the old use of a hlaut-teinn (sacrificial twig) dipped in blood or drink to hallow people, spaces, and objects.
Water represents cleansing and life. Mead or ale represents offering and joy. Either choice shows reverence.
Speak words of dedication.
Words carry power in Norse and Germanic tradition - oaths, toasts, and blessings were believed to bind reality.
You don’t have to be a poet; what matters is sincerity. A simple form could be:
“I hallow this place in honour of the gods, the ancestors, and the spirits of this land. May it be a sacred stead between worlds, a place of peace and offering, a bridge of gift and blessing.”
You can also call specific beings if your altar is dedicated to one, for example:
“I set this altar to Freyja, Lady of Magic and Beauty. May she look kindly on the offerings made here.”
Variations and Additions -
Incense or Herbs: Burn juniper, mugwort, or frankincense to purify the space. Smoke was often used in later folk practices to “chase out” what did not belong.
Hammer Rite: Some Heathens invoke Thor’s hammer (Mjolnir) to bless the stead. For example:
“Hammer in the North, hallow and hold this stead. Hammer in the East, hallow and hold this stead…” (repeated for South and West).Personal Tokens: Place an heirloom, a stone, or a tool you’ve crafted on the altar during consecration, linking it to your own life and family.
Why Consecration Matters -
This act of hallowing is less about “banishing evil” and more about setting boundaries. It marks your altar as a place of order, gift giving, and mutual respect, separate from the noise of ordinary life. Each time you come to it, you’ll feel the shift: this is where you speak with the gods, remember your kin, and honour the land.
Over time, repeated use deepens the altar’s sacredness. What begins as a simple table or stone slowly becomes filled with presence and memory, carrying the weight and energy of every offering, toast, and prayer.
7. Use the Altar Regularly
An altar is not meant to sit quietly gathering dust. Like a hearth fire, it comes alive when it is tended, fed, and used often. Every act of offering, every word spoken, every candle lit leaves an imprint, weaving together bonds of frith (peace, harmony, right relationship) and hamingja (luck, personal and family fortune).
The more you use your altar, the stronger it becomes as a sacred center in your life. Over time, it shifts from being just a symbolic space to a living stead, filled with presence and memory.
Here are ways to make regular use of your altar:
1. Mark the Holy Tides -
The old Norse year was shaped by blóts and festivals tied to the cycles of the seasons. You can honour these times at your altar:
Yule (midwinter) – Offer candles, evergreen, and mead to the gods and ancestors for renewal and protection in the dark.
Dísablót (late winter/early spring) – Honour the dísir (female ancestors/spirits) for fertility, family, and survival.
Summer Blóts (Midsummer, Sigurblót, etc.) – Give thanks for strength, courage, and growth.
Harvest Blót (autumn) – Share the first fruits of the land with Freyr, the landvættir, and ancestors.
By tying your altar to the turning of the year, you weave your practice into the same rhythms that guided the lives of your forebears.
2. Give Thanks in Daily Life -
Not every use of the altar needs to be a formal ritual. Simple, heartfelt acts build strong bonds:
Light a candle when you’ve had good fortune.
Pour out a sip of your drink at the altar when celebrating a success.
Speak aloud your gratitude when something goes well.
These small offerings keep your relationships with the gods and spirits active and ongoing, rather than distant and occasional.
3. Offer Food and Drink -
The heart of the blót is the gift of nourishment. You can use your altar to share food and drink regularly:
A piece of bread, fruit, or meat placed on the altar.
A horn or cup of mead, ale, milk, or water poured out after being raised in thanks.
Cooked meals shared with ancestors at their space on the altar.
Remember: offerings don’t have to be large. A small but sincere gift is more meaningful than something extravagant done without thought.
4. Create Space for Quiet Connection -
Not all rituals are about giving. Some are about simply being present. Use your altar as a place to:
Sit quietly in meditation, letting the candle flame focus your mind.
Breathe deeply and listen for guidance from the gods or ancestors.
Speak your worries, joys, or prayers aloud, as if speaking across a bridge.
This helps your altar become a place of comfort and refuge, not only of ritual duty.
5. Build Power Through Repetition -
Each time you return to your altar, you are reinforcing its sacredness. The repeated cycle of offerings and thanks layers energy and meaning into the space, just as the hearth fire of a home grows richer the more it is used. Over time, many Heathens describe feeling a genuine presence around their altars - as if the gods, ancestors, and land spirits recognize and meet them there.
Why Regular Use Matters -
Using the altar regularly ensures it does not become a static display, but instead a living point of exchange. In Heathen worldview, relationships are maintained by gift giving. By giving regularly (in word, in drink, in small acts) you keep your side of the gift cycle alive. In return, blessings flow back as frith, hamingja, and a deepened sense of belonging in the web of wyrd.
8. Care for the Altar
An altar is not just an object - it is a living sacred space. Like a hearth, it must be tended if it is to stay warm, welcoming, and alive. Respect keeps the altar vibrant, and the care you show it reflects the care you offer to the gods, ancestors, and spirits. In Heathen thought, hospitality is one of the highest virtues. When you keep your altar well, you are keeping a guest room for the sacred powers, showing them honour in the same way you would treat an honoured visitor to your home.
Keeping It Clean and Tidy-
Clear away everyday clutter that might build up near the altar.
Handle sacred objects with care - do not toss or pile them casually.
Use a natural cloth, a soft brush, or even your bare hands to wipe dust away. The act of cleaning can itself be a ritual, done slowly and with intention.
Refreshing Offerings -
Food and drink: Always remove offerings before they spoil. In old tradition, food given to the gods or spirits was often later shared with people or given to the earth. You can bury, burn, or compost offerings after a ritual.
Water, milk, or mead: Refresh daily or as often as possible. Standing liquid quickly becomes stale. Pour the old water outside with thanks before refilling.
Flowers, herbs, greenery: Replace wilted plants with fresh ones. Seasonal greenery (oak, pine, grain, or fruit) helps keep the altar tied to the cycles of the year.
Maintaining Sacred Order -
Keep candles trimmed and safe to burn.
Repair or replace any damaged symbols, bowls, or cloths. A cracked cup or broken idol should either be mended with care or respectfully retired (buried, burned, or returned to nature).
Rotate seasonal items: grain in harvest, pine in winter, flowers in spring. This shows that the altar moves in rhythm with the natural world.
Making Care a Ritual Act -
Tending the altar does not need to be separated from ritual. Simple acts can be made sacred through intention:
While dusting, speak a blessing such as: “May this stead remain sacred, clean, and bright.”
When replacing offerings, pause to say: “I give and I refresh, that the bond between us stays strong.”
Lighting a candle during cleaning can transform an ordinary chore into a moment of reverence.
A well kept altar shows honour, order, and respect. Neglecting the altar can weaken your connection, much as ignoring a guest would. Caring for the altar keeps it a place of frith (peaceful order) and grið (sacred hospitality). Over time, this regular tending deepens the bond, making the altar feel like a true meeting place between your world and the unseen.
Think of altar care not as a burden but as an act of ongoing devotion. Each time you dust, refresh, or clean, you are saying:
“This space matters. You are welcome here.”
Building an altar for Norse and Germanic paganism is not about wealth or elaborate decoration - it is about meaning, intention, and relationship. A sacred stead can be raised with nothing more than a few stones gathered from your land, a candle lit, and an offering given with a sincere heart. The gods and spirits care less for gold and fine carvings than they do for the honour, respect, and truth of your gift.
The old traditions remind us that blóts and offerings were held in many forms. Some took place in great temples and halls, but many were done at simple hearths, in fields, or beneath the open sky. The power was not in the structure itself, but in the act of gift giving and the reciprocity between human and the sacred. You are continuing this ancient pattern each time you stand before your altar and give thanks.
Consistency matters. An altar used only once and then forgotten becomes silent, but one that is tended often grows in strength and presence. Each candle lit, each drink poured, each invocation spoken weaves another thread into the web of wyrd, connecting your life with the vast story of gods, ancestors, and land spirits. Over time, your altar will carry the weight of memory - not just your offerings, but your joys, your struggles, your victories, and your hopes.
In this way, your altar becomes the living heart of your practice. It is more than wood or stone; it is a bridge across time and worlds. At it, you honour Odin’s wisdom, Thor’s strength, Freyja’s love, Freyr’s bounty, the ancestors’ guidance, and the spirits of the land you walk upon. It is where you share, give, and receive - where bonds are made and renewed, and where your spiritual path finds its centre.
Treat your altar with care and respect, and it will in turn become a source of peace, grounding, and blessing. It is not just a place for ritual - it is a place of relationship, where the unseen walks beside you, reminding you that you are never alone in the turning cycles of life.