how do you make a asatru altar?

and how do you use it
Also what should i do to celebrate Halloween or do you not class it as a holiday

You hunt Woads?

One sec I will get you some handy links about Asatru off one of my starred questions.

Here is some basic info.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/asatru.htm

The Room
1) Use any place which is large enough to fit everyone into.
2) Try to mask the normal use of the room such as covering the television set with a cloth and moving some of the more obtrusive furniture out of the room
3) Line the room with candles and get rid of any artificial lights

The Altar
1) Use a small table for this purpose
Note: There's no specific setup for an altar in Asatru, other than it should look pleasant and hold all the implements you will need during the ritual. If you want to get fancy, you can symbols of the Gods, seasonally appropriate decorations, etc. Other than whatever sanctification rite (hammer rite) you wish to do in order to consecrate your space, there's nothing else to be done: no squiggly Hebrew letters inscribed on the edges of a 9' circle, no alchemical elements or "quarter castings."

Traditionally (and I mean between the 8Th and 11Th century) the Norse did their sacrificing outside, leaving the bodies of the sacrificial animals on platforms -- often above the doorways of the houses. (I am not kidding) There was also the slaughter of the Christian priests and the ubiquitous Blood Eagle on the bows of the new ships, none of which I would recommend in any fashion. Of course I *do NOT* recommend the sacrifice of ANY animal or thing. We Ladies sacrifice enough blood every moon to make up for it.

Get yourself a good book on the subject and then go with what feels right to you. I personally don't choose to have an alter in my home. Mine is outside under the stars and right now Thor and I are not speaking as we have had a difference of opinion over the last storm I was involved in.

The Asatru Altar is called a hog (pronounced hag). It is almost always out of doors, usually near a tree or trees. If you don't have that, a place on an apartment deck is fine. It can be a small pile of stones or a small wooden table. The type of offering depends on the season or the deity for which you are doing the sacrifice, called a blot (pronounced bloat).

If you have a fireplace or wood stove, it is a default hog for the home for fire sacrifices.

I do not recommend any animal sacrifices if you are not familiar with the humane slaughter of animals. Typically the animals for feasts were slaughtered at the hog, and their blood poured over the hog.

Greetings!



"The Anglo-Saxon "W?ofod" was one term used for the altar in a general sense, along with the term "Hearg", which was the Altar used in a grove. Modern practice tends to use Hearg for outdoor altars, Old Norse "Stalli" for indoor altars, and W?ofod for both.

Altars outdoors were almost always of stone, and while we have little idea what those used indoors were like, wood was the most common material used by far for everything.

The W?ofod can be engraved with Holy Signs, Runes, or left plain. It should be in an enclosed area, or at least covered when not in use. On the W?ofod should set the "Bl?torc", the term used for the bowl that holds the Mead for the Blessing. It is also called the Blessing Bowl. It generally sat on the W?ofod, and should be made of copper or wood, the "Symbelhorn", A drinking horn, an "Oath Ring" of Silver,the "R?celsf?t" An incense burner in which one can burn dried herbs or incense.

Outdoors, W?ofods can be constructed by piling up stones, an area needs to be marked off around it, if possible with rope."

They did use inside alters- Stalli- inside the Hofs(temples).
Animal sacrifices- did occur and still do- the animal is eaten after wards in a feast- (NEVER LEFT ON THE HORG or STALLI )- shared with the Folk as well as the Gods.

The Alter can be made of stone or wood- stone if outside and not sheltered- wood or stone for a Hof.