Dedicating an Altar to The Morrigan

If you are working with a specific deity for a long period of time it's best to set up an altar that is specifically dedicated to them. It's a space that is only theirs that they don't share with any other deities. For me, I have my working altar that can fluctuate depending on what I am doing; this means that sometimes this altar good have several different deities on it because some deities are better with certain spells and work than others. Then I have my dedicated altars. These are altars that are set up in a permanent space and are dedicated to only one purpose. I have an ancestral altar for working with my ancestors, an altar dedicated to Hecate, an altar permanently set up in my kitchen for kitchen witchery, and this year an altar set up for The Morrighan. You can obviously practice your craft however you like, but I personally like having a separate altar for deities that I work closely with. I feel it keeps things less chaotic. Though chaos isn't always a bad thing ;).

Personally I like creating my altars through channeling and just feeling for what works best in each situation. I find the things that the deity is associated with and go from there. The Morrighan works with red and black, those are her main colors, as well as silver. Finding altar cloths, candles, and even chrystals with these colors will help the altar to become a sacred space fo her to reside. She also likes river stones, as she is also connected to the river. Don't forget your offering bowls and incense burners as well. The Morrighan is also associated with crows, so a black feather is a great addition, especially if you know it came from a crow. Other animals she associates with are the cow and the wolf. As a war goddess she appreciates signs of the battlefield: spears, knives, swords, shileds, armor, etc. These are some of your basics for creating an altar for her, if you have a statue, figure, or pictures make sure to place that in there as well. 

On to offerings. The Morrighan is more of an in depth goddess to work with and I don't recommend working with her if you are new to all this. She can be very demanding in her offerings. Some of her most prominent offerings are blood and sweat. She wants you to prove your dedication and she wants you to work hard. When I was setting up my offer I literally said "I think I'll be fine without the blood for now" and that night I sliced my finger open while making a pie that I make all the time, so I'm not saying that it's required but the respect definitely is. Don't mock what she asks for. If you are going to use blood use your own!!! Also, please do this safely, preferably a pin prick or something similar, do not slice your arteries. If you are not comfortable using blood then you can use your own sweat after you dedicate a run to her, a lock of hair, or I've found she's quite fond of Irish tobacco. If you have the opportunity to leave your offerings outside in nature then do so, otherwise an offering bowl that you can dispose of later is just fine. There are also generic offerings that you can leave for her that tend to make most deities happy: wine, whiskey, mead, apples, berries, dragon's blood, nuts, mugwort, and really anything else that you feel she may enjoy. 

Finally, here is a recipe from Christopher Penczak for an essential oil mixture that is an all-purpose blend that can be used for just about any working or offering for the Morrighan in any of her aspects.

1 oz crushed Dragon’s Blood in Almond oil

7 drops Ambrette Seed essential oil

3 drops Patchouli essential oil

3 drops Rosewood essential oil

2 drops Myrrh essential oil

1 drop Cinnamon Bark essential oil

I hope this helps you. Feel free to leave questions or comments on what you have found works for your relationship with her. Nothing is off limits here.

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