Arranging Your Altar Setting the Scene for Magick. Arranging your altar is much like setting a stage for a play; every item should contribute to the overall energy and purpose of your magick.

Once you have the personal elements of your altar set, there are also traditional items to include. Marigold flowers, known as cempasúchil, attract departed souls to the altar.

The altar can consist of ofrendas or offerings of photographs, food, flowers, toys and other symbolic offerings. Here's a step-by-step guide to making a Dia de los Muertos altar and what goes on it.

At a witchy shop in the West Village in New York, I found a small marble bowl in an earthy tone. I wanted to fill my altar with natural-looking items, without too much distraction or color.

Once you have the personal elements of your altar set, there are also traditional items to include. Marigold flowers, known as cempasúchil, attract departed souls to the altar.

Items from NPR Life Kit host Marielle Segarra's ancestral altar, clockwise from right: a Julio Iglesias cassette tape, an address book, a crucifix, a mango candy, a card with a rose depicted on it ...