How to Set Up a Money Altar
Let’s get one thing straight: money is not neutral. It’s charged and emotional, and it’s been shaped by every story you’ve been told about what you’re allowed to have and what you’re not. Whether you realize it or not, you’ve been participating in that energy your entire life. A money altar is where you take that power back, by choosing, deliberately and intentionally, how you relate to wealth.
Let’s dive into the power of creating a money altar.
What Is a Money Altar?
A money altar is a space where you decide money gets to exist on your terms. It’s a dedicated place where you interact with your money, on purpose and on a regular basis.
Your altar doesn’t need to be large, and it doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s. In fact, if it does look like something found on Pinterest, I encourage you to get a little delulu with it. Make it personal and make it work for you (unless, of course, you were going for that Pinterest look, in which case, you do you!). There’s not really a “wrong” way to set up your money altar and it should reflect your tastes, goals, and magick.
At its core, a money altar is a physical setup that keeps your financial life visible and the magick in motion. Money flows in a current (it’s called “currency” after all!) and we want to keep that current flowing.
As you interact with your money altar, you’ll experience positive changes in your mindset, because you’re no longer avoiding your money. Money does not like to be ignored! You’re also bringing a sense of calm magick to the idea of your finances. We could all use more grounded, calm energy around our money, right? That calm, grounded vibe where you believe in possibilities, rather than focusing on what you don’t have, shifts your relationship with money for the positive.
Why Create a Money Altar?
A money altar gives you somewhere to show up. You can keep it simple and use the altar for setting your intentions around your personal finances, or you can get more elaborate with it and sit near it when you balance your books and pay bills.
Creating a specific money altar can also help you romanticize more mundane parts of your life, too! Why not bring more magick into your day? You may actually find that some of your hard feelings around paying bills and earning money begin to soften.
Choosing the Right Space
Find a space that you’ll regularly interact with. It doesn’t have to be big, and honestly, a smaller altar might be better for your space. The size of the altar does not limit the size of the blessings! Add your money altar to your desk, a small shelf, a corner in your kitchen, or even your nightstand.
If it’s hidden, complicated, or “too nice to touch,” you won’t interact with it, and then it’s just a decoration pretending to be a place for transformation.
If keeping an altar out in the open isn’t practical for your living situation, that’s totally fine! Make it portable by giving it its own box, drawer, or cleansed container that you can open and close. Just like the size of your altar, how secret it is has no bearing on its magickal nature.
Core Elements of a Money Altar
Here are some ideas for adding elements to your money altar. This is not a checklist, though, so look around at what you already have and listen to your intuition when choosing what works for you.
- Cash or coins: This can be real or pretend money, in your space, where you can see it.
- Symbols of wealth: Green, gold, natural elements, and anything that reads “abundance” to you. This could include seeds, sugar, blessed alcohol for the ancestors who you’re petitioning for help in growing your wealth, Pyrite chunks…the sky’s the limit.
- Your intention: Freedom, rest, security, options, power
- A candle: Green or gold if you have one; white if you don’t. Lighting your candle is a kind of magickal switch that says, “pay attention now.”
- Crystals (if you want them): Citrine, Green Aventurine, Pyrite, Black Tourmaline, and Tiger’s Eye are great choices for prosperity, luck, grounding, and confidence.
- A money bowl: A bowl or container holding physical money, intentions, and other elements you can feed with oils, incense smoke, or magickal energy. Add Basil for growth, Cinnamon for expansion, Bay Leaf for your intentions, and a little salt for protection.
How to Use Your Money Altar
The key to keeping your money altar active is to actually use it. Add money often (yes, even $1, especially $1). Make these check-ins a special moment, not a chore.
Decide on your own rules about removing money and stick with them. Some witches like to spend the money quickly to keep the flow going. You can donate it to a local charity or give it as an extra tip for a waiter or service provider. Pass it on! Money loves to be used and loved.
Treat the energy around your money altar as something that’s always in motion, not a set-it-and-forget-it kind of thing. Some magick truly is one-and-done, but money magick likes to keep moving and keep growing.
Finally, when you’re gifted with money, come into an inheritance, get a raise, or book a new client, take a moment to express your gratitude while at your money altar. Light a candle and thank your guides, goddesses, ancestors, and yourself for the blessings that continue to come your way.
You might be surprised how quickly your prosperity grows!
Happy money spell casting, witches!
Megan W.