Magickal Pagan Power Tools
Which Household Items Are Purified and Charged for Use in Rituals?
Knife becomes athame or bolline; broom, besom, while other items keep their common names. Each tool has a specific practical purpose for Wiccans, Druids and others.
Magickal tools are kept on the altar, which is usually made of wood and can be a table, shelf, chest or other furniture. Before the tools are put there, they are purified, charged and consecrated for their specific purposes. What is placed on the altar and how each item is arranged is a matter of personal choice, although some traditions have specific tools and places for them.
Other items may be placed on the altar, according to what is desired, perhaps, the season, and the whim of the practitioner. These include candles, herbs, crystals, flowers, herbs, plants, shells, feathers, earth, charms, parchment paper and pen, runes and Tarot and/or meditative cards.
Traditional Tools
Athame: a double-edged dark-handled knife which is employed to raise and direct energy and is not used to, physically, cut anything. The athame is of the south and represents fire.
Bell: wards off evil and negativity. Some traditions use bells to invoke the Goddess.
Besom: a broom, usually made from a small ash branch, birch twigs and bound with willow, which is used to purify spaces and cleanse negativity. The ash is for protection, birch for purification and willow, psychic awareness. Besoms are used only for magickal purposes, not for general house cleaning.
Bolline: a white-handled knife, which may have a curved blade, used to harvest herbs, engrave candles, carve wands and other magickal practices that involve cutting.
Cauldron: traditionally, a cast-iron pot with three legs; however other fireproof metal containers can be substituted. It’s used for making herbal concoctions, holding a small fire and incense or candles. It is the Goddess’ symbol. Cauldrons represent water and the west.
Censer, Incense Burner or Thurible: used for burning incense to cleansing, represents the air and the east.
Chalice or Goblet: a cup containing the ritual drink. It represents fertility and is associated with the Goddess, water and the west.
Crystal Quartz Sphere: is used for divination. Scrying, gazing into the sphere, is the method used. Exposure to moonlight will increase its power. This represents earth and the north.
Grimoire, BOS or Book of Shadows: a book that practitioners write notes, spells and rituals in. Some covens have a standardized BOS that all share, which is given to members during initiations.
Incense: used for purification and cleansing and is associated with air and the east.
Paton or Altar Pentacle: a five-pointed flat star. The points represent fire, earth, air, water and Akasha, the fifth element, the spiritual power that permeates the Universe. The pentacle is protective, an earth symbol and of the north.
Salt (Earth or Sea) – purifies and when mixed with water, cleanses tools, crystals and ritual space.
Wand: a stick, branch or dowel used to raise and direct energy. Used by some for invocation. Represents air and the east. Etchings, crystals and other decorations are sometimes added to the wand. .
Related articles:
American Pagan Folk Protection
Cleansing and Charging Crystals
Sources:
Raymond Buckland, (Llewellyn Publications, 1990)
Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft,
Rosemary Ellen Guiley, (Facts on File, Inc., 1999)
The Encyclopedia of Witches & Witchcraft,
Scott Cunningham & David Harrington, (Llewellyn Publications, 1994)
Spell Crafts,
ScottCunningham, (Llewellyn Publications, 1992)
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner,
