| The Witch's Tools In the practice of magick, and withcraft, there are tools. Just as if you are a metalworker will you have speicalised tools this is true of witchcraft. This is by no means a complete list of tools, nor are any necessary. The only tool that is necessary to the craft is the witch! Anything else is just to help you along in your thinking (which is what counts). Always remember, you only need what you believe you need!!! |
| Altar: A magick table of practice, usually the focal point of a circle or sacred space. These can be either permentant fixtures or temporary, indoors or outdoors. Athame: This is a double edged knife that usually has a black handle. This is never used for mundane cutting or use and NEVER to draw blood if you are Wiccan. Gernally it is a male symbol, and can be used in many ceremonies. The athame is usually used for invoking the quarters and assisting in symbolic action of the Great Rite with the chalice, once again representing the male or the God. Bell: The bell on the altar is sacred and symbolic of the Goddess. Usually they are concesrted brass bells used to signal the beginning and ending of a ritual or to summon a deity. Bolline: This is another knife but it is used for cutting and carving and harvesting magickal herbs. Other ritual uses for this tool are carving magickal symbols on staff, candles, runes, wand or whatever. Broom: This can be any kind of broom, be it a normal broom, a natural broom, or those small brooms for hanging on wall as decoration. In witchcraft the broom is used for sweeping negative energy from the area being cleansed. This is done in homes, certain rooms, and sacred space and often a part of casting a circle. Some people use this broom for mundane use also but I think this defates the purpose of the using a broom because if you use it for housework it won't really work as a mind trigger to get your mindset out of the mundane. Sometimes this is refered to as a Besom also. Cauldron: In most tradition the cauldron represtnts birth, death, and rebirth, knowlegde, creativity, abundance, and inspiration. This is a female symbol and can also be used to symbolise water or fire. There is a strong connection between the cauldron and the goddess Cerridwen. Chalice: The chalice is really a cup and is also symbolily female and water. This is also a common tool used when symbolic representation of the Great Rite. Often it holds water and sometimes ever the ceremonial drink of the ceremony. Cingulum: The witches' girdle or cord; used in raising energy and casting the circle. Dagyde: Pins used for spell and ritual work; usually in poppet work. Peyton: This is a circular disk with a sacred symbol, often a pentacle, inscribed on the face of it. This can be made of many different materials. Originally it was made of beeswax so that it could be easily disoposed of during times when persecution was common. Usually this is placed in the centre of the altar and is the focal point of the altar and is symbolic of the earth and mostly considered feminine. Staff: This is used in the same way as you use a wand and usually wooden and of about shoulder height. The staff is very similar to the wand and may even be decorated with feathers, symbols, crystals, and inscribed with runes and other magickal symbols. Sword: This is similar to the athame and represeing the male and the element fire. This is used in the same manner as the athame. Thurible: A thurible is just an incense burner. Usually they are fire proof containers used for containing hot coal to burn incense. While the incense is symbolic of air the coal sybmolises fire. It is used to purify and cleanse the air and the sacred space or the home or room, etc. Wand: This is a male tool and is repersents the element air. People use wands for invoking and realeasing the quarters, casting spells, casting the circle, directing energy, and in some cases as you would use an athame or sword in symbolicly preforming the ritual of the Great Rite. |