Altar ~ Altar clothes ~ Incense ~ Censer ~ Chalice ~ Candle holders
Robes and Sandles ~ Athame ~ Wands ~ Staffs ~ Jewelry ~ Altar Pentacle

It's easy to get overexcited about starting the practices of this new path. You read about new things and your mind begins to open. One of the main problems for beginners comes from reading all the recommended books. The authors tell about all these tools and such that are needed. However, what they don't tell you is how not to spend exorbitant amounts of money when you first begin. Nor do they tell you that *all* the tools *are not* absolutely necessary. Here are some ideas to help you save money when you are first beginning to get yourself set up.

Altar:
No need to go out and buy something. Look around your home for something you can use...a coffee table, a trunk, an old toy chest, a large box. If you will be using an old chest, toy box, or cardboard box, take some time to cover it with contact paper or to paint it. Both will allow you to add decorations by painting on symbols or other things.
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Altar cloths:
Use old sheets cut to appropriate size. Or go to a fabric store and search through the remnants. These are often at least 1 yard in size, and cost 50% or less of their original price. Sheets and remnants can be embroidered, appliqued or painted (fabric paint) with symbols and other designs. Make sure the fabric is washable though.
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Incense:
Check the spice and herb shelf at your grocery store. There are many dried whole and powdered herbs and spices that can be used individually or in combination for incense. Save your money to buy those which are not available through the grocery store (ie frankincense, myrrh, copal). Same idea applies to herbs for magickal uses.
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Censer:
Shops charge a pretty penny for censors (I'm talking of normal censers, not the little cone ones), so don't buy them there. Check discount stores, flea markets and garage sales for suitable containers. I bought a heavy brass bowl which is on a pedestal and has handles for about $12. If money is tight, try using a deep natural seashell or even aluminum pie pans. Fill with sand and set on a hot pad (just to be safe). The charcoals used for burning incense get *very* hot, so be careful with choosing what you will use....some materials have very low heat tolerance/resistance.
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Chalice:
Have a nice goblet or wine glass at home? Use that. No need for anything fancy. If you keep your eyes open, you can find a nice crystal or glass goblet fairly inexpensively at stores such as Wal- Mart and Kmart, kitchen shops, flea markets, and garage sales.
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Candle holders:
Fill jars with sand and stick the candle into the sand. You can paint symbols on the jars if you like to represent the elements, etc. The small votive candles can be burned in small aluminum pans (pot pie size...I've even seen custard cup size for sale in grocery stores). Even some of the larger pillar candles can be burned in these pans. Candles can also be burned in seashells and cans of appropriate size.
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Robes and sandals:
Not essential. What you wear is a matter of choice, unless you belong to a coven that specifies what you wear. In solitary practice, it's just you and the dieties. I wear whatever I happen to be in at the time, and for certain occasions a long skirt & chemise.
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Athame:
It will take time to find the right one for you. It can be the traditional style, or it can be a dagger or knife that has special meaning to you. Go to pawn shops, flea markets, and garage sales to keep the cost down. Before buying, handle the knife. If it doesn't feel right, or if it doesn't call to you in some way, it's not the one for you. If you've handled a knife and still aren't sure about it, don't buy it right away...go back and handle it several times over a period of a week or two. Until such time as you find *your* athame, any dagger or long bladed knife will suffice.
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Wands:
It's best to make your own. Take walks in parks, along beaches or in the woods. Keep your eyes open for branches laying on the ground. Handle the branch and see what impressions come to you. If it's meant to be a wand for you, you'll feel it. Same method applies to finding other useful items such as seashells, stones, etc.
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Staffs:
See wands....just use a bigger branch.
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Jewelry:
Sometimes there is no helping the expense of this if you want quality. Jewelry is not essential, but if a piece is especially meaningful, it can be a useful tool (at least in the sense of your mindframe or mindset). Of course, you can find good jewelry at good prices at flea markets, pawn shops and garage/estate sales.
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Altar Pentacle:
You can make one out of flour "clay" and paint it. You can make one out of a square of wood, and either paint or burn the pentagram, or even carve it.. At many hardware and larger home repair supply stores, you can find a tile and paint it. The cost of any of these will be a fraction of a pentacle ordered through a catalog or bought in most stores.
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The main thing to remember is that you don't have to spend a lot of money. Take a good look around your home, and look at things with the idea of making it a useful tool. Use your imagination and creativity.

Even if you don't have the money, frequently visit your favorite shop and look through catalogs. This way, if something goes on sale, you'll have a good idea whether or not it's really a bargain price. And haunt the discount stores...there's no telling what useful items you will find at great prices.

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