Ideas for a Death Witchcraft Altar

Candles from Burke + Hare Co. burning on my Hades altar.

As with all my posts, feel free to add to or ignore any of the ideas listed.

• Bones - animal bones can be scavenged or bought online at certain shops. Make sure to check the laws regarding animal bones in your region/country. Usually, bones placed on an altar are used for spirit communication or dedication to a deity.
• Representations of death - these include fake bones, fake blood, skeleton statues, artistic depictions, cake coffins, etc. If it helps get you in the mood for death work, it’ll improve the energy of the altar.
• Family heirlooms - if you do ancestor work, these will help you honor and connect to said ancestors. This can also include pictures of lost loved ones.
• Items that used to belong to lost pets - should you want to keep in contact with their spirit.
• Toys or dedication to child spirits - should you work with them. This is for both communication and respect.
• Fake headstone or coffin - for the souls who were never buried, or have effaced graves. Again, not needed, just an idea for those who work with them.
• Preserved plants or insects - these work in same way that bones do.
• Furs - animal furs make great altar cloths or bone substitutes. Taxidermy can also make a fantastic altar decoration.
• Graveyard dirt - if you like to work with the spirits you connect through the dirt. I keep me graveyard dirt somewhere else because I can’t handle hearing souls talk to it all the time, but it’s up to the user.
• Offering bowl - good for spirits, ancestors, and deities you may work with. List of offerings for the dead here.
• Fireproof bowl - I’m surprised how many people don’t reference this, even in other crafts. A fireproof bowl acts as an incense holder, scrying bowl, and a mixer for magical powders.
• A spoon - if you make a lot of powders or often handle graveyard dirt. There are some skull-shaped and otherwise decorated spoons sold online if you want to get fancy.
• Incense holder - should you ever burn incense for offerings, cleansing, or enhancing spiritual consciousness.
• Candles - black, grey or white are your best bet for death work. You don’t need these, but they’re great for mood setting.
• Crystals - a list of crystals for death witches can be found here by @lunaesteria. I personally recommend bloodstone, or a clear quartz to prevent mixing the energy of the altar from other energies in the room. 
• Divination tools - if that aids you in spirit communication or shadow work.
• A wand - if you have one. Great wand material for death witches includes yew, cypress, birch, oak, and poplar. Some people use crystal wands or bone wands as well.
• A mirror - or black mirror, for scrying.
• Water - to feed the spirits of the dead, or even for safety if you’re using fire.
• Mortar and pestle - for grinding herbs in powders and smoke blends. 
• Statue of death deity/spirit - should you have or want one.
• Something you use for grounding - I use a bone, but you can also use a crystal, necklace, pendulum, whathaveya. Oftentimes, death work requires spirit communication and trance-like states, so the grounding item can help you return to your usual state.
• A jar of calming herbs - if you have many different spirits or jars of graveyard dirt on your altar, it may be good to have a calming herb or spell jar to keep the spirits feeling content. I use a jar of rose petals; this is especially useful for those susceptible to spirit communication.
• Smoke blends or flying ointments - should you use them often.
• Reference books or materials - including but not limited to family trees, ancestor recordings, spell books, death and dying guidebooks, and folklore.
• Protection candle or sigil - for protecting the altar, and any spirit that dwells there.
• Anything hand crafted - including containers, painted jars, etc. These can be devoted to spirits, and make your altar feel more special and powerful.

Got more ideas? Feel free to add on! Hope this helps!