Collection: Altar Cloths

What Is an Altar Cloth Used For?

An altar cloth is used to set a working surface apart as sacred space and to protect it during ritual. Laying the cloth is often the first step in setting up an altar: once it is down, a dresser top, a bookshelf, or a patch of floor becomes the place where your candles, tools, and offerings live. The cloth also takes the drips, scorch marks, and oil spots that would otherwise land on your furniture. Dressing an altar in cloth is an old custom across many religions, and in witchcraft and paganism the cloth's symbol and color become part of the working. Many practitioners also use an altar cloth as a reading cloth, laying tarot cards or casting runes on it so the reading has its own clean, defined space.

What You'll Find Here

Pentacle altar cloths. The pentacle is the most familiar symbol in modern witchcraft, and it sits at the center of our gold-bordered pentagram cloth, a 36-inch square, and our 18-inch pentagram goddess cloth in gold on black.

Moon and goddess altar cloths. The 18-inch triple moon cloth carries the waxing, full, and waning moon of the Triple Goddess inside a Celtic knotwork border. The 24-inch Earth Goddess cloth circles its goddess with the phases of the moon and the Wheel of the Year, so it suits every sabbat.

Nature altar cloths. The Green Man cloth brings the leaf-faced spirit of the wild wood to the altar, and the 18-inch Tree of Life cloth draws roots and branches together in one Celtic knot.

Rune cloths. The Rune Mother and Rune Awakening cloths are printed with the Elder Futhark, which makes them natural casting cloths for a rune set as well as altar covers.

Spirit board cloth. Our 24 by 30 inch spirit board cloth is printed with the alphabet, numbers, and yes-and-no layout of a talking board, and it works on a divination altar or as a wall hanging.

How Do I Choose an Altar Cloth?

To choose an altar cloth, measure your altar first and then pick the symbol you want at the center of your practice. An 18-inch square fits a shrine shelf, a nightstand, or a travel altar. A 24-inch cloth covers most dresser tops, and a 36-inch cloth dresses a small table with room to hang over the edges; the 36-inch squares are also light enough to wear as a scarf. Many people keep more than one cloth and change them with the seasons, a dark cloth for Samhain and a green one for Beltane, for example. If you are setting up for Samhain now, our guide to how to set up a Samhain altar walks through the whole altar, cloth and all.

How Do I Care for an Altar Cloth?

To remove candle wax from an altar cloth, let the wax harden completely, lift off what you can with a butter knife, then lay a paper towel over the spot and press it with a warm, dry iron until the paper absorbs the rest. Wash the cloth by hand in cold water with a mild detergent and hang it to dry, because printed rayon can shrink or fade in a hot machine. Oil blends can leave permanent spots on fabric, so dress candles on a plate rather than over the cloth. Always set lit candles in a holder and burning charcoal in a censer with sand, never directly on the fabric.

Explore Related Collections

An altar cloth is the foundation, and the rest of the altar is in altars and altar tools. Set an altar tile at the center of the cloth as a heat-safe working surface, keep a small witch's broom beside it to sweep the space before you begin, and give your candles steady candle holders. If you read on your cloth, browse tarot cards and rune stones, and find more pentacle designs in pentacle items.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Difference Between an Altar Cloth and a Tarot Cloth?
An altar cloth covers the altar, while a tarot cloth is laid down under a reading to keep the cards clean and give the spread its own space. Any altar cloth can serve as a tarot cloth, and our rune cloths are designed to do both.

What Color Should My Altar Cloth Be?
Your altar cloth can be any color, and many witches match it to the season or the working. Black is common for protection and Samhain, green for money and growth, and white or silver for moon work. A cloth with a symbol you love will serve you well all year.

Can I Wear These Altar Cloths as a Scarf?
Yes, our 36-inch square cloths are made to be worn as a scarf as well as laid on an altar, and many people wear theirs in circle or at festivals. The smaller 18- and 24-inch cloths are sized for the altar only.

Are These Altar Cloths for Church Altars?
No, our altar cloths are printed with pagan and witchcraft designs for home altars. Church altars traditionally use plain white linen made to specific liturgical standards, which you will find through church supply companies.

How Do I Cleanse an Altar Cloth?
To cleanse an altar cloth, pass it slowly through the smoke of incense or a herb bundle, or leave it folded on a windowsill overnight under the full moon. Salt water can mark printed fabric, so keep salt for the altar tile or a dish on top of the cloth.