Just a quick word to let those who sent me an email. Later I will post about calling the quarters and opening a circle. I just didn't include it in my previous post because my focus was on the Full Moon ritual and it would have made for a very long post! Maybe a few posts of the next few days explaining each quarter and what it signifies. There are several ways that a room can be set up to balance these things to aid in rituals. But still to no end, OUTSIDE works better than any environment.
If you can set up a private area to meditate and preform rituals in your own yard it would help to cleanse your mind and clear your head! A small herb garden. If not there are ways of setting up a room to mimic this as well. I've lived in many apartments with only a tiny balcony and no privacy. I tried to get away to the woods to meditate as much as possible when I did. I have used potted plants for earth (also Fluffy my ball python). A small fish bowl or tank for water. Some incense or a caged bird for air. A candle burning for fire. Some of my apartments have been tiny, I didn't have a special room I could devote solely to rituals and had to work within my living space. My living room usually served this dual purpose and the plants and other items helped add harmony to the room! Even in this big house we live now I don't yet have a special room set aside for an altar room. I have a small wooden box that serves as my altar but I have also used a small side table and a coffee table with drawers where things can be stored away after and out of the way. The best thing to remember is that the tools of witchcraft are not magical in themselves alone but are a tool for the witch to focus her energies and a method of conveyance to focus those energies into being. They can be as elaborate or as plain as the witch is. They can be special bought or regular house hold items set aside specifically for ritual use. The best tools are ones made by the witch's hands, as they contain energies expressed during making personal to the witch alone. But what ever is used should only be used for that ritual purpose alone and nothing else. A kitchen knife used as an athame should only ever be used as a ritual knife and never used for sandwich making. A candle used for one of the corners should only be used for that purpose until it is gone. For this reason I suggest tealight candles or votives because they are small and when used in a ritual they can be allowed to fully burn out. One candle should never be reused for another ritual as it will cause problems with the charges. I hope this small word on tools helps a little.
Blessed be,
Lady Alice