Tools
The decision to use tools is
completely up to you. Tools make it easier to cast circles and give your mind a firmer
grasp on what you are doing, but some choose to practice with only a few, or without any
at all. They can be expensive and ornate, or they can be made from what you find around
you. You will find many different views on which tools you must have, and really, you can
function just as well without them. I would recommend using some tools, since unless you
are very good at concentrating they just make things easier. There are a few basics, and
then there are some optional tools you may use. Actually all tools are optional, in the
long run. Here are the basic tools of a Witch. Some people use more, some use less. Me, I
use about 2.
Athame - This is usually a dull double-bladed dagger/knife used to channel energy. It is
not used to actually cut anything on the physical plane. It is often the most used tool a
Witch has. It is for directing energy in a dimension where knives are useless. Some
witches use their athame for ritual only, sometimes not even taking it out of the room
they perform most of their rituals in. Others, sometimes called Kitchen Witches, use their
athames (and other tools) for preparing food and other things because they believe a tool
gets filled with more energy the more it is used. It is almost interchangeable with the
wand, so some witches have a wand in place of an athame, including me. I prefer to make my
own tools, and I don't have the resources to make a knife, except maybe a cardboard one.
(Which is perfectly acceptable, remember, you aren't actually cutting anything.) You can
make it out of an old kitchen knife if you want. Sometimes the handles and/or blades are
inscribed with magickal symbols. The athame represents the masculine, intellect, Air, and
calculation.
Wand - A wand is a stick generally made of wood or metal, often the length from your
fingertip to your elbow. It is used to direct energy to different places. It is sometimes
used instead of an athame in rituals; it represents the masculine, knowledge,
communication, Air, and business. If you want to make a wand from metal, you might try
taking strands of copper wire and spiraling (or braiding) them together. Or if the wire is
thick enough, just make it into a spiral by itself. As long as it is comfortable in your
hand, almost anything will do. If you decide to make your wand from wood first decide what
kind of wood will be best. (Some say only hawthorn branches may be used, but I think that
any kind of tree would work.) You can easily make a wand from a cut length of dowel rod,
and decorate it with ribbons and feathers and put crystals or pinecones on the end of it.
If you take a branch from a living tree, be sure to ask its permission first, explaining
what you want the branch for. Some trees are - believe it or not - quite ornery, though
most will let you take a branch. After cutting, be sure to thank it and leave an offering,
a silver coin, or perhaps push some of those plant fertilizer sticks into the ground
around the tree. Wands traditionally have some sort of phallic shape on one end, a
crystal, acorn, pinecone, something, but if there is a problem attaching the symbol so it
won't fall off, first try a hot glue gun, or superglue, then don't worry about it unless
you feel you absolutely must have the symbol on the end. I made my wand from a piece of
cherry wood dowel, put a green ribbon on it, rubbed glitter on it, and tried in vain to
add a clear marble to the end. In all, it cost me a grand total of nothing, since all the
materials were lying about the house.
Chalice - The chalice represents the female, emotions, fertility, Water, and spirituality.
It is a cup, usually long-stemmed, and metal, glass, or ceramic. They hold water or wine
during a ritual, and most are probably originally intended for that purpose, though mine
is a gold colored trophy cup I've had for ages. You can use anything, from a wine glass,
to a trophy cup, to one designed especially for Pagan rituals. They are used in
dedication, offerings, initiation ceremonies, holiday rituals to honor the Gods/Goddesses,
and some spells. In Pagan rituals, the cup represents the Goddess, and the athame the God.
When the athame is lowered into the cup, is symbolizes the divine union of the God and
Goddess, sometimes called the Great Rite in Token, and it is a key point in many pagan
rituals.
Pentacle - A pentacle is a flat disk with a pentagram and sometimes other symbols
inscribed on it. It is used for grounding energy, blessing things (you set them on top of
the pentacle) and protection. It stands for material things and Earth. You can make it out
of almost any flat round object, a slice of wood, a geode slab, stained glass, even a
plate if you wished. To make the symbols on it, wax, paint, marker, a wood burning tool,
or something that will make a mark on the material will work.
Cauldron - The cauldron is the symbol of the Goddess. It is a large cast iron pot, usually
with a handle and three legs. It can be used for divination and making oils or brews. It
is generally found more with coven Witches than with solitaries, especially teen
solitaries, since they are quite heavy, often expensive, and usually too large to drag
around. In the ancient days of medieval midwives, the cauldron was most likely used to
heat water in preparation for a birth, or preparing the wash water with herbs for
cleansing the dead. From birth to death the cauldron was used for many things, including
remedies and medications for healing the sick or bringing love. The Halloween picture of a
Witch shows a gray-haired green-faced hag stirring a bubbling cauldron, while the gray
hair and green face may not be accurate at all, some witches do stir cauldrons, though
they hold tamer things than "eye of newt and toe of frog" All that spell would
bring you would be bad indigestion.
Candles - Candles are used in almost every spell, as they make good focal points for
directing energies. The candle colors usually correspond to the spell, and many candles
are scented as well. Making your own candles is preferred, but store bought ones work just
as well. Candles are used for many things; many witches have a permanent altar candle they
use to light all other candles from. Candles are used as symbols of the God and Goddess,
as releases for spells, and sometimes, just as illumination. There are many different
"rules" about using candles for magick, such as they must all be consecrated, or
only lit with a lighter, not a match, that you must never ever under pain of death blow
out a candle, etc, etc, etc. I have used matches, I always blow my candles out (otherwise
I would have burnt down the house by now) and I rarely do a separate ritual to consecrate
them, and all of my magickal workings work just fine. If you believe that it doesn't work
if you light a candle with a match, it doesn't. And anyway, gas station people really look
at you funny when you are only 15 and you go in and buy a lighter.
There are lots of other tools that you will find some people insist on, but again, it all
comes down to what you feel is right. And sometimes, things just aren't practical for
someone to use, such as a cauldron or an athame. Not many people are ready to believe that
it's just a religious tool, and your $80 athame may be confiscated immediately without
waiting for your explanation. And cauldrons weigh about 30 pounds, and they tend to be
rather more of a hassle than they're worth. Pick your tools wisely, and use them well. For
nothing should be decided by blindly following a book.