The Tools

The Power that is within magic is not in the candles, the chants, or the time of the moon cycle. It is not determined by who you know or who you practice with. It is also not measured by how expensive your wands, chalices, or atames are, nor how well you handle them. What it is within, determined by, and measured with is the heart and mind of the individual seeking and utilizing it. So why use them at all?

Well, simply put, they have power over the subconcious mind. The use and ritual involved with our tools of trade are signals to our inner, collective self that not only do we believe that what we are asking for is possible, we know it is.

Our tools also focus our mind on our objective, very similar to the mental triggers of many herbs, aromatherapy and colors on the subconcious mind. They become sacred to us after we use them over a period of time. They help us become quite familiar with the elements, and with our own selves. They become an extension of ourselves. We do not worship our tools, but they are to us (Pagans) tools in which we use to help us focus on adequately and accurately worshipping our God/dess.

There is but one bond which holds all forms of Pagan religion together, and that is a belief in the power and magick of the sacred Earth. The use of magickal tools is a constant reminder of that belief.

Consecration of Tools

Athame (Ath-ah-may)

Intellect, Spring, Air, Ideas, East, Male

This is a ritual knife. Within the ritual, the athame is usually representative of the element of air, or the masculine gender, such as seen in the Great Rite. It can be used as a tool of construction or one of destruction. The athame however, is never used to cut or carve. It is symbolic only. It is a reminder that we do have the power to do either... something many of us sometimes forget when we get caught up in the dramas playing out around us. When a person uses the athame, it is used to "cut through the air". This ritual knife announces to us our intellectual ability to cut through time and space. It is our own minds that deceive and trick us, as well as give us the (sometimes very painful) realization that we have been deceived. It is also our mind that can lead to the appearance of the athame as a weapon. The athame is usually a double-edged knife with a black handle. Such as the mind is a dark place and a double edged sword. What you see is what you get, but like the athame, not everything is as it always appears. Even the best athames can have shoddy handles, and even the best people can have shoddy morals.

The tip of the blade is the focal point...it is the representative of your own ability to concentrate on what you are doing. The tip is the point of the most true power within the athame. The black handle represents the part of the mind which is centered the closest with the identification of the id (the ego). As we move our power from the grasp on the ignorant to focusing on what we can accomplish, our power moves toward the tip of the blade where upon it is realized. The dual blade is of course a representative of the duality of life and the fact that to everything there is an opposite.

The athame is primarily used to cast a circle. This is done by invoking the

elements in a clockwise motion around the ritual space, and connecting them at the starting point. The power of the Witch to cast a magick circle 'between the worlds', that is, between our perception of Earthly space and time and the astral planes , is run from the mind and through the athame where it is made concrete in the mind's eye.

Altar

An altar can be of any shape and size. Some are very large such as a stone table, or some can be very small, such as a shoe box or even a Nanta Pouch. It can be changed as the person changes, or it can be kept the same for many years. It is in essence simply where we keep our tools, and where many of our rituals are performed in front of or near. The altar becomes as much a part of us as we become of earth and air. It is an extension of our grounding. It shows us what we have chosen. A person of a dedicated and organized mind has a more organized altar. To allow your altar to be disheveled and in a state of disrepair is unfortunately to do the same to your own mind. You can be assured that if you're not taking good care of your altar, chances are great that you are not taking good care of yourself.

Besom (Broom)

Masculine and feminine united

The besom is a tool used to clear out residual and/or negative energies from the room, from the building, from the circle. The handle of the besom is inflexible and very phallic while the bristles are more receptive, more flexible, and does the dirty work. It is most often used to sweep out the area of the circle to clear the energy and aid in creating a sacred space before the circle is cast.

Boline

Changing the Physical through the Physical

This tool is another knife used in ritual. It usually only has one blade, and a white handle. Whereas the athame is used to represent the spirit in action within the physical world, the boline is more the physical action in the physical world. The boline is used to cut and carve in ritual when it is called for.

Book of Shadows

Accumulated Knowledge

The Book of Shadows (or BOS) is used to record the spells, rituals, and ceremonies one has used. It is also used as a witches journal, keeping it in the results of the spells, the impressions and feelings that each has given, and what the person was able to achieve, see, and discover during each ritual. It is used to remind us of how far we have progressed and all that we have experienced through our usage of magic. It is our knowledge and experiences that can be drawn upon in time of need. Usually it is not wise to use the BOS of another person, especially one much more experienced than you. There is no way of telling what spirits the person was calling upon to achieve their success, and calling upon spirits that one is unable and untrained in dealing with could be very damaging to a person's mental being, sometimes to the point of insanity.

Candles