r/RealLifeMinimalist • u/coral_bells • Apr 26 '26
OC Here’s a weird one: My closet altar.
This is where my minimalism journey began. I became interested in witchcraft and thought this shelf in my office closet would be a perfect altar. Before my purge it was packed with stuff - after I got rid of the majority of that I just kept going with the rest of my apartment.
When the altar is not in use, the closet also holds my rolled up floor mat, vacuum cleaner, and a small rolling cart (has things like my candles, tarot deck, small supply of the same herbs I have in the little jars, and some non-witchy stuff: important documents, “junk drawer” (scissors, tape measure, screwdriver, etc.) and some sentimental items.
The last photo is an embroidery I made in school. The guest critic said the piece was too “woo woo” so it seemed fitting for this space 😂.
If you have questions about witchcraft or anything you see, let me know! There are a lot of misconceptions out there. I don’t hex people or talk to Satan, lol. Mostly it’s a fun hobby that can sometimes feel spiritual, and can help me feel certain ways through magical thinking and the placebo effect.
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u/BentoOtaku Apr 26 '26
Love this! These days, I mostly use knots for mine, so string of different colors, an antler lacemaking shuttle instead of a wand, that sort of stuff.
One thing that really helped me with my altar was realizing most of the herbs, salt, etc was simply in my cupboard. I stopped storing it in my altar as it was more likely to be fresher in the regular pantry, or I'd forage it.
Your embroidery is beautiful, too, btw!
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u/coral_bells Apr 26 '26
Oooh, knots, I love that! Sounds like a very cool practice! Yeah, I was buying rosemary from the little witchy herb shop in town (which I do love to support!) and then I was like, I can just get this one from the grocery store and keep it in the pantry, lol. So psyched to already hear from two other minimalist witches! Open to chatting about it more anytime 🙂
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u/BentoOtaku Apr 26 '26
Definitely! Feel free to DM me anytime :)
My altar is crazy minimalist too, although it does have two drawers, so I keep my tarot deck, ogham sticks, and a few other small tools in there too.
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u/Dinner_Choice Apr 26 '26
Ahhhh that's so nice! What's in the jars? Tell me everything, I wanna gather some inspiration 🌙
(I have a moderate sized stone / crystal collection in a beautiful scandinavian style cabinet, I love them and on top I have some decor and plants one might consider an altar of some sorts)
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u/coral_bells Apr 26 '26
Yay, that’s awesome! Was hoping there might be some other minimalist witches out there! In the jars: cardamom, calendula, chamomile, cloves, comfrey, damiana, dandelion root, elderflower, feverfew, ginger, hibiscus, juniper berries, jasmine, lavender, lemon balm, lemongrass, marjoram, mugwort, peppermint, rose, rosemary, safflower, thyme, tulsi. I find a can do just about everything I need to do with those! I’m working on simplifying my practice too. I used to work on individual spells for weeks and it was this huge production. But now I’m working on my own personal database I can refer to quickly: so like anytime I want to do a grounding spell I use a black candle, cardamom & coriander, smoky quartz & obsidian. Then instead of spending forever writing a poetic incantation, I am focusing mainly on intention, and maybe like one phrase if it comes to me. What’s your practice like? Or are you mainly drawn to the stones and crystals (understandable, they’re so preeeeetty. I have been working hard to stick with the 15 I have)
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u/Electrical-Yam3831 Apr 26 '26
That’s cool! I’m not into witchy stuff but think it’s cool for others. I will say your altar reminds me of my stash of fountain pen ink/bottles
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u/coral_bells Apr 26 '26
Fountain pens are neat! I have a coworker who’s into them, and every time I see her in person I like to check out what pen she’s using that day.
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u/Connect_Rhubarb395 Apr 26 '26
The altoid tin makes me think if you could create an altar in a tin. Have you every considered that?
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u/coral_bells Apr 26 '26
You absolutely could do that! When I do I spell, that’s sort of what I do. I put the herbs in the tin so they surround the little candle holder. And then I just put the stones to the left and right of the tin. But one could keep the rest of the supplies hidden and have only have the tin as the altar. Could use even smaller stones and place them in the tin as well.
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Apr 27 '26
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u/coral_bells Apr 27 '26
These are great questions - not dumb or offensive at all! I think first it’s important to note that there are many types of witches so I can only speak for myself. I consider myself a “SASSWitch” which stands for Skeptical, Agnostic, Atheist, and Science-Seeking (see r/SASSWitches for more info.) So for me, it’s not really a belief system, but I do consider it the closest thing I have to spiritually. It makes me feel connected to something greater than myself - the earth, the moon, the universe. But it’s not all spiritual. I’m also drawn to it because it’s non-patriarchal, and has been practiced by women in some form or another throughout history. I absolutely love the ritual aspect - the stones, the herbs, the candles. And I do think it makes me more mindful. It pulls me away from screens and into the present moment. It allows me to focus my intentions. I can purposefully sway my feelings, thoughts, mood, and energy through witchcraft. It can really only affect me - I don’t believe it gives me power over what happens in my life, but it does give me power in how I approach and cope with what happens in my life. Lastly, I will say, it’s fun! 🙂 I hope that makes some sense, and wasn’t too long!
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Apr 27 '26
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u/coral_bells Apr 27 '26
Yay, this makes me so happy! I always turn to books as a beginner, and I can give you a few recommendations that helped me the most: The Door to Witchcraft by Tonya A. Brown was the first I read and it was a great primer. Rebel Witch by Kelly-Ann Maddox revealed how witchcraft, and your practice, can essentially be whatever you want it to be. Spellcrafting by Erin Murphy-Hitchcock is helpful for when you feel ready to start creating spells of your own. The Witch’s Path by Thorn Mooney is great for a deeper dive - good for beginners as well as folks who have been practicing for years. Witches, Sluts, Feminists by Kristin J Sollee is eye opening with the history of misogyny and female empowerment and how it relates to witchcraft. I actually read it years before I became a witch, when I was first learning about feminism! Any book you read will talk some about establishing a connection with nature, but books about green witchcraft will focus on it the most. I liked Green Witchcraft by Paige Vanderbeck.
Obviously I love talking about this stuff, so please feel free to DM me anytime as you begin your journey! 🙂
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u/Remarkable_Fly_7001 Apr 27 '26
Feliz por encontrar mais minimalistas com os mesmos interesses, amo tarô de withe e rituais de magia.
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u/coral_bells Apr 27 '26
Agreed - it’s been awesome to hear from other minimalists interested in magic and ritual!
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u/Interesting-Hawk-744 14d ago
this is like in the part of the movie where they search the killer's apartment
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u/IM_NOT_BALD_YET Apr 26 '26
I love this! The lifestyle gives us so much opportunity for really digging into our interests. This is such a neat little space!