The Pagan Heart
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July-August 2005 Issue
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Hands On - working with physical items
By Catherine M.
When considering tools, the choice of a blade is usually one of the first decisions made. Athame, boline, sword, sickle - what to choose and why. Most magic users - even those not big on tools in general - have a blade. It may be a knife from the kitchen drawer or a handcrafted sword a la Excalibur - but chances are, there is a blade in use. Why is it that within those paths that use tools, the blade is often the most common and visibly powerful tool? I personally think that all those Hollywood versions of Merlin, Morgausse, and assorted druids, witches and wizards are responsible in part. These "cool" looking magic wielders are all associated with "cool" blades. The other part is the ease with which a blade acts as a conduit for energy. Partially because it's metal and metal conducts energy very well, I suppose. This ease is a double-edged blessing, of course - it can lead a novice in too deep without training and control. The other reason - I believe - is because of its association with the element of fire. Fire is the natural medium for human power - the blade is thus a very natural choice when it comes to wielding power. There are those who ascribe the blade to the element of air - I subscribe to the fire theory for two reasons. Firstly the blade is crafted through fire - the intensity and exposure of heat helps to determine the strength and durability of the metal. Secondly the blade is traditionally a male tool partnered to the female chalice. The chalice symbolises the element of water, which is the opposing partner of fire. It doesn't make sense thus that the blade would be air. And finally fire destroys the wand (the other candidate for fire) but not the blade. Conversely the wand is usually crafted from wood - trees move with the air. The power of the blade comes from a number of things. It is able to wield the power of water and air as well, as these are used to increase and temper the fire within which it is forged. It is also often the more commonly used tool - from herb harvesting to circle casting, from the division of food in a ritual to invoking deities and severing energy ties between people. The use of a tool increases the power it can absorb and wield.
Sharp Pointy Objects: What are they used for?
In learning about various in sundry faiths, I have come across some unusual things. However, nothing enchanted me more, than studying the blades used in rituals; athame's, daggers, bollines and swords. Primarily used by neo-pagans and wiccans, these objects are used in a variety of way's and specific to the task at hand. Blades primarily represent the male energy in rituals (mainly due to the shape), and are counterbalanced by cauldrons, cups, chalices and sheaths, which represent female energy. Because blades are traditionally forged, swords and their counterparts are usually associated with the element of fire and/or air. Athame's are daggers, or double sided blades, with dulled edges. Because of the double-sided nature of the blade, they are more balanced as far as male and female energy goes and have more flexibility in ritual use. They are used similarly to wands in that they are used to direct and disperse energy. However, athame's are ritual use only blades and are not usually used for cutting anything up in most wiccan circles. The hilt of an athame is usually black and many people paint or etch symbols into the blade and grip to personalize them and gain an affinity for their chosen tool. Some people attach crystals that they have a connection with to help aid in working with their chosen blade. Neo-pagans and wiccans use the athame to cast the circle. In older traditions, it is believed that the over time, and use, the power of the athame increases. As a result, in kitchen witchery and with shamanic wiccans, practitioners are encouraged to use an athame with sharp edges essentially combining the athame and bolline for the purpose of increasing familiarity and affinity. Some wiccan paths use the athame when working lesser banishing rituals of the pentagram, general spell work, ceremonies (where it is fitting), initiation and in various rituals and rites. However, it is recommended that if there is any ritualistic cutting to be done, that a bolline, or a white hilted knife, be used. A bolline is a single-sided sharp knife with a sickle shape to it and a white hilt. Some people, in place of a traditional bolline, use a white hilted dagger in contrast to the black hilted athame. The purpose of a bolline is to perform the more mundane tasks involved in ritual work including the harvesting of herbs. It is not used for directing, or dispersing energy--since one is supposed to have an athame for that job! Swords fit in to this mix in the place of an athame when working group rituals. It's a large focus that many people can see when a large ritual is taking place. Most solitary practitioners simply go for the ease of an athame. Iron, copper, sterling silver aside, what works for you is ultimately going to be the best--be it a sword, dagger, or athame and bolline.
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Primary article for July-August - How to Become a Healer Without Harming Yourself II
Secondary article for July-August - Vision Dreaming
Return to the Index of articles for Tools of the Trade
