An altar is a sacred space.  It is for ones own private workings and thoughts.   It can be shared with family, or used as a solitary.  The altar is a place to perform magickal workings, to connect with the earth, a diety, or something else, it can be decorated to reflect the seasons or the sabbats, or it can be a place to store your private Wiccan things.  It is usually though not always constructed with natural materials.

At any rate, an altar usually has some of the following:

The Elements.

A representation of the four elements.  I use salt for earth, insence for air, water for...well... water, and a candle for fire.

These are used to consecrate the circle, and for me, I use them in many of my spells for corresponding attriubutes to what I am casting for.

See the Book of Shadows for an in-depth list of correspondances.

Candles. 

I use colours that reflect the Sabbat coming, or recent past, and a gold and silver one to represent the God and Goddess.

For Yule, we lit 57 candles (no special number, just what $$$ allowed) and called for the sun.

Athame.

A double-edged knife used to cut in the spiritual plane, or to draw energy.  IT IS NEVER USED TO SHED BLOOD.  <---- get it?  :)

I use it mostly in the Goddess position, arms upraised, feet planted firmly on ground to draw down the energy of the moon.

Wand. 

Mine is made of simple pine, and I carved it myself from a tree.  This is used very similarly to the athame, in terms of drawing down energy, but I also use it to direct energy.  (im not comfortable using a knife to point at things yet)

Pentacle. 

I also made my own.  The pentacle represents the four elements and the Spirit (God and Goddess), or the self (4 limbs and a head) surrounded by Spirit (the circle around it.)  It can also represent the Goddess above the self.

A representation of the God and Goddess. 

I drew one.  I scanned it in so you can see my (ugh) art on the poetry page.   This is for connecting to your diety, to offer him/her/them gifts and such.

Other fun stuff

I aslo have some pretty things...an altar cloth of silk, a little feathery bird, and a statue of the God Hermes.  Flowers, insence and a neat little glass bubble also adorn it.  For me, it is my place of worship.

MAGICKAL TOOLS THAT CAN BE PUT ON YOUR ALTAR OR IN A CUPBOARD.

Altar cloths, amulets, athame, beads, a bell, a bolline (tool for chopping herbs and such), Book Of Shadows, Bowls for holding salt, water and the like, Candles, candle holders, robes, chalices, (or just wine glasses :) compass, (for finding north) Corn, Crystals and gems, earth, feathers, herbs, water, lighter, mirror, music tapes, pentacles, runes, statues, wands, tarot cards.

An altar can also be constructed outside for a working, or in another room.  The Sacred Space ritual is good to cleanse the area of any unwanted negativity.  (SEE BOOK OF SHADOWS)

Soon I will have a pic of my altar up.