Pagan Witches Tools

Depending on the tradition, the coven, and/or the individual Witch, variations and additions to the tools described above may be used in ritual and spellwork.

For example, some Witches use a sword in addition to, or in place of, the ritual knife.

However, swords can be impractical for indoor rituals due to their size and are not as easily obtainable as knives, and so are less commonly used.

A staff is also sometimes used in formal ritual, held by the High Priest or Priestess of a coven.

Like the wand, it carries the representations of Air and God, though in some traditions it represents Fire. It is usually made of wood and may be decorated with magical symbols and/or semiprecious stones.

Many Witches also incorporate divination tools in their ritual practice.

These may include runes, tarot cards, a quartz crystal sphere (or“crystal ball”) for scrying, or other oracles borrowed from older traditions, such as the I-Ching.

Individual items, such as a specific Tarot card or rune, may be incorporated into spells for specific purposes.

The crystal sphere is often used on the altar to represent the goddess.

As mentioned previously, divination may take place during a formal ritual, but post-ritual is also considered a good time for this activity, as the Witch is still in a conducive state of mind to communicate with the Spirit world at this time.

Finally, many Witches like to include magically charged jewelry and other elements of “costume” into their practice.

Some may simplywear a pentacle on a chain, as mentioned above, while others may don special robes and/or a headpiece encrusted with gemstones to enhance their personal energy during ritual.

Witches in some traditions also work naked, which is generally referred to as “sky-clad.

”As with any other aspect of  Witchcraft, there is no set-in-stone way to approach using the tools of ritual and magic.

While its generally considered helpful to use at least a few, if not several, of the tools described above, it is ultimately about the Witch and his or her connection to the specific tools chosen, or the coven members’ collective affinities for the specifics of their ritual practice.

At times those identifying with Modern Witchcraft are likely to have some symbolic representation of the Goddess and God at Sabbat celebrations, and the Goddess Esbats, but the way this is carried out can vary widely.

While some covens and solitaries may create elaborate rituals using every tool imaginable, others may design very simple affairs involving simply a candle and a crystal.

In other words, it’s more about using what feels inspiring and “in tune,” rather than gathering items from a checklist.

If it feels out of place, or unpleasantly strange to a particular Witch to purchase and use a cauldron or a censer, or wear special robes, then these items may simply not be necessary or suitable for that person.

Perhaps the most common (and commonly misunderstood) symbol of Witches and Witchcraft in popular culture, the broom has been part of Witchcraft and other pagan lore around the world for centuries.

The sacred broom is not necessarily used in the formal Witches ritual itself but is often used to sweep energetic clutter from the ritual space beforehand.

The bristles don’t actually have to touch the ground, as this kind of cleansing is happening on the psychic and energetic level.

Because it serves as a purifier, it is associated with the element of Water and is sacred to the Goddess.

The broom can also be placed near the entrance to a home to guard against negative or unwanted energy.

The broom can be any size, from miniature “decorative” brooms to larger, full-sized brooms.

It might even be a tree branch used symbolically as a broom.

Traditional woods used for sacred brooms include birch, ash, and willow.

Many Witches keep hand-made brooms for ritual purposes, but a common household broom can also be dedicated to the work of Witchcraft.

No matter what type of material, however, the ritual broom is never used for everyday house cleaning, as this would contaminate the sacred energy it holds for ritual and magical purposes.

The wand is a symbol of Fire and should be placed in the South of the altar.

The wand is sometimes represented by a spear. Both the wand and spear, like the athame and sword, are male symbols.

The spear, another Fire symbol, is not used in magick, except occasionally in the form of a sharpened stick in sacred sex rites, when it is plunged into the cauldron or the chalice as a symbol of the sacred union of Earth and Sky, Water and Fire.

The wand is traditionally a thin piece of wood about 50 centimeters (21 inches) long, preferably cut from a living tree (some conservationists disagree unless the tree is being pruned).

After a strong wind or in a forest where trees are being constantly felled, it is often possible to find a suitable branch from which the wand can be cut. It should be narrowed to a point at one end and rubbed smooth.

You can make a series of wands from different woods for your ceremonies.

Ash is a magical wood, associated with healing and positive energies.

Elder wands are symbols of faerie magick and so are good for any visualization work.

Hazel comes from the tree of wisdom and justice and is linked with the magick of the Sun.

The wand should be cut from a tree that has not yet borne fruit.

Rowan is a protective wood and so is good for defensive and banishing magick.

Willow is the tree of intuition and is said to be endowed with the blessing of the Moon.

You can also use a long, clear quartz crystal, pointed at one end and rounded at the other, as a wand.

In its crystalline form, especially, the wand is used for directing healing energies from the circle to wherever they are needed.

The wand is used for directing energies and for making circles of power in the air – hence the image of the faerie godmother waving her wand – deosil for energies to attract energies and widdershins for banishing.

It can be used to draw pentagrams in the air at the four quarters and it can also be used for drawing an invisible circle when you are working on carpet or another fabric that cannot be physically marked.

In some traditions, a wand is a tool of Air and so this and the athame, or the sword, are fairly interchangeable.

However, the wand seems more effective for casting and uncasting circles, invoking quarters, and closing power.

It is also particularly good for directing energies in rites of love, healing, fertility, prosperity, and abundance.