Ritual Tools: Altar Pentacle

The altar pentacle is a fairly common tool used among many Pagans, especially those who identify with the Pentacle in their practice. There are MANY designs one can purchase at any online store, most made of metal, like brass or silver. However, if you do not have the funds, OR you feel it important to make your own tools to use, there are a few ways to make an altar pentacle for use during almost any ritual.

**NOTE**
The tiles I am about to instruct are not fireproof, therefore do NOT place anything hot on them.

Altar Pentacle #1
Items needed:
Wooden disc (found in any dollar store with a craft section, hardware store, or craft store)
Paint

This one is perhaps the most simplistic form of making one's own altar pentacle. You simply paint on a five pointed star on the disc, and there you go. Now how you paint it is limited only by your imagination. The altar pentacle I made out of a wooden plate, I painted the inner circumference black, painted the star in silver over the black, then the outer rim in gold, all corresponding to my path (black for absorption of negativity, silver for the Goddess, and Gold for the God (for at the time I was following a God).
YOU do not have to paint it in the same way I did, you may leave your wooden disc unfinished, and paint the star in whatever color you wish, say green, or elemental colors associating each point with their assigned colors. Whatever you wish.

Altar Pentacle #2
Items needed:
Round glass trivet or candle plate (can be clear or colored)
Candle wax

Another simple way to make your own altar pentacle, simply drip candle wax in the shape of a pentacle on the round glass trivet. While glass can be heat resistant, the wax is not, thus the reasoning for this type of pentacle to not be used with hot items.

Altar Pentacle #3
Items Needed:
Modeling clay (whatever form you wish, I used air-dry clay)

Gather some clay and work it into a round form, either with your hands, to create a unique circle, or using a glass or other rounded item to make a perfect circle.

Next, take more clay, and work it into five equal ribbons. Interlace them on top of the clay circle, pressing down, so both clay items adhere to each other (you can wet it if you like to ensure proper adhesion) OR carve into the clay disc your pentacle shape. Dry clay in whatever means instructed on the package (either in the oven, or air-dry)

Ta-Da! You have a clay altar pentacle. The beauty of using clay, is you can make the altar pentacle as large as you want. After the clay has dried, paint it in whatever way you like, OR leave it as is.