Proper Disposal of an Altar Cloth (and tools in general)

[Breeze]

Hi, All.
 
 I had to come to terms yesterday that my altar cloth is beyond salvageable and needs replacing.  I have a few sarongs scattered around the house and decided to use a lovely blue one with spirals and triskellions on it.  However, I'm at a loss of what to do with the old one.  I've had this altar cloth since my initial wanderings into the world of Witchcraft nearly fourteen years ago and it has apparently earned a special place for me.  Simply tossing it in the trash definitely seems wrong to me.  I looked online and found plenty of references, most of them Catholic, to altar cloth (and religious regalia in general) disposal.  They burn anything that may be burned, bury what can't, and even use a special sink to dispose of Holy Water and the Eucharist.  
   
I don't know that it would be advisable to burn my altar cloth because it has a healthy coat of wax all over it and I do not have a fire pit.  Burying it is out too because I live in the middle of the city.  I'm at a loss here
 
 So.  How have you disposed of religious objects, and in particular altar cloths?  Was there an element of ritual to it?  :confused:

[missgraceless]

So.  How have you disposed of religious objects, and in particular altar cloths?  Was there an element of ritual to it?  :confused:

I end up using my old altar cloths for arts and crafts. Everything I make is highly personal and often spiritual. If it's that beyond repair, I'd guess put it aside until you can get somewhere to burn or bury it. Maybe you have a friend or family member who lives in a more rural area? I don't know where you live and what's around you, so that's really the only advice I can think of

[dragonfaerie]

I don't know that it would be advisable to burn my altar cloth because it has a healthy coat of wax all over it and I do not have a fire pit.

Barbeque grills make an excellent portable fire pit. Or you could hold on to it until you have time to take a camping trip and burn it in a fire pit there.

Or, ya know, you could always wrap it up and keep it tucked away in your magical supplies. Nothing says you have to get rid of this one in order to use something else. I change out my altar cloths depending on the season, what I'm doing, etc.

Also, you might want to look into getting a piece of plexiglass or plastic to put over the cloth to protect it from damage. I use a little round table for an altar that came with one of these, and it's nice. It's a lot easier to scrape wax off the plastic than out of cloth, but I still have the decorative aspects of an altar cloth.

Karen

[Breeze]

I end up using my old altar cloths for arts and crafts. Everything I make is highly personal and often spiritual. If it's that beyond repair, I'd guess put it aside until you can get somewhere to burn or bury it. Maybe you have a friend or family member who lives in a more rural area? I don't know where you live and what's around you, so that's really the only advice I can think of

I initially thought of using it to make something else, but it really is that far gone.  I do have a friend who would understand my reasoning and she has a makeshift fire pit, so I may be paying her a visit soon.  Thanks for the idea.

[Breeze]

Barbeque grills make an excellent portable fire pit. Or you could hold on to it until you have time to take a camping trip and burn it in a fire pit there.

Or, ya know, you could always wrap it up and keep it tucked away in your magical supplies. Nothing says you have to get rid of this one in order to use something else. I change out my altar cloths depending on the season, what I'm doing, etc.

Also, you might want to look into getting a piece of plexiglass or plastic to put over the cloth to protect it from damage. I use a little round table for an altar that came with one of these, and it's nice. It's a lot easier to scrape wax off the plastic than out of cloth, but I still have the decorative aspects of an altar cloth.

Karen

I thought about keeping it for those really messy projects (making black salts, grinding resins, etc).  I might actually keep it for that reason.  I can't decide between that or the burning in a friend's firepit.  I don't know why I never thought of the glass covering, that's a fantastic idea!  I foresee the wax being a problem in the future because my main candlesticks are gorgeous and I want to keep them, but wax always goes everywhere.

[Ravyn]

Barbeque grills make an excellent portable fire pit. Or you could hold on to it until you have time to take a camping trip and burn it in a fire pit there.

Or, ya know, you could always wrap it up and keep it tucked away in your magical supplies. Nothing says you have to get rid of this one in order to use something else. I change out my altar cloths depending on the season, what I'm doing, etc.

Also, you might want to look into getting a piece of plexiglass or plastic to put over the cloth to protect it from damage. I use a little round table for an altar that came with one of these, and it's nice. It's a lot easier to scrape wax off the plastic than out of cloth, but I still have the decorative aspects of an altar cloth.

Karen

 

Ooh, that is a delightful idea - the glass covering.

Personally, i would likely burn it, instead of using it for very messy crafting (i would see that as a ...'demotion' almost? and i can be oddly sentimental about that stuff), but keeping it as a work cloth is also a very practical and workable solution.  Cool that you have a friend with a fire pit - that is the best way, with a friend and place you know.  otherwise i would offer you could mail it here and we could burn it out at the circle in the woods.

[Breeze]

Ooh, that is a delightful idea - the glass covering.

Personally, i would likely burn it, instead of using it for very messy crafting (i would see that as a ...'demotion' almost? and i can be oddly sentimental about that stuff), but keeping it as a work cloth is also a very practical and workable solution.  Cool that you have a friend with a fire pit - that is the best way, with a friend and place you know.  otherwise i would offer you could mail it here and we could burn it out at the circle in the woods.

That's a very kind offer, Ravyn.  I understand where you're coming from about using it for messier crafts being a 'demotion'.  I disagree though.  If I decide to use it for that reason then I can still keep it and work with it, and it still serves a utilitarian purpose.  That cloth has soaked up quite a bit of mojo over the years and it only seems appropriate to continue the practice.  I think I have decided to keep it for that purpose and using Karen's idea of covering the altar and new cloth with some glass.