What it looks like is an empty fireplace with things arranged around it and along the mantlepiece.
The central object on the mantlepiece is a flint I picked up on the beach about twenty years ago. It leans against the wall, looking a little- only a little- like a human figure in a cloak.
Alongside it- lined up along the shallow ledge- are a glass jar for burning candles in, a brass cobra, a chalice which came from a shop in Glastonbury and a wooden pot with dried corn in it.
Oh, and a trading card image of the actor Jacqueline Pearce. This arrived on the day I was setting things up- a gift from my friend Judy. I always liked Jacqueline Pearce. There's a fabulous scene in Plague of the Zombies where she climbs out of her grave looking all wicked and Andre Morrel chops her head off with a spade.
The fireplace serves as a niche for a terracotta statuette of the Andean Goddess Pachamama. Beside her is a framed postcard from St Mary, Deerhurst- a church we visited last Sunday. It shows a medieval, stained glass image of St Catherine of Alexandria with her wheel. You can see it on the church's website. I take St. Catherine to be a Christian adaption of one of my favourite Goddesses- the Roman Fortuna.
Leaning against the fireplace is the sword we used to use in our coven. It has a name which I think should remain a secret. Hanging on the wall to one side- from a nail that happened to be already there- is our coven's white handled knife.
Over the fireplace is a small mirror. This too was already there- by happy accident. I've incorporated it in the scheme by hanging the vulva pendant I bought in Glastonbury from the same nail. We used to use a mirror in our Wiccan initiations. The candidate is asked to face the one "who judges truly". The cords are untied, the blindfold whipped off- and she sees herself.