There are many variations of magic wands, depending on the purpose.

In many Witchcraft traditions, the magic wand is a simple stick of natural wood with the bark still on.

The wand is typically six inches to two feet in length and a quarter inch to two inches in diameter, either straight or with bends (one slight bend is the most common). The wand can be cut, but usually it is uncut and kept exactly as it was found laying on the ground in nature. Witches used to break dead branches off of trees.

In earlier times Witches broke off dead wood, never sawing or cutting live wood. This policy actually helped keep the forests healthy, because insects and other vermin went infect dead branches and then spread into the rest of the tree. In many areas of the world there are now too many people impacting the available trees and it is no longer environmentally sound to harvest dead wood directly from a tree.

When picking up sticks for use as a wand, the Witch will pick a natural stick that looks right and feels good when held. A Witch will recognize the right stick because it feels right (a feeling in your heart).

Various kinds of wood are associated with specific kinds of magick and the Witch will find a wand from the right kind of tree for the magick to be performed.

The most famous of these simple stick wands is the divining rod, used for locating water or lost items. The divining wand will have a fork (two short ends that come together into a longer single length, kind of like a Y) and is held loosely by the branched end (one branch in each hand). The wand will slightly twitch or vibrate to give the Witches hints on which direction to look.

In high ceremonial magick the wands are very elaborate, typically constructed of metal (or fine wood that has been covered with gold, a process called gilding) and encrusted with valuable gems. Magick runes or symbols are carved on the length of the wand and typically there is a valuable gemstone at the tip.

Many Witches craft a much less expensive ceremonial wand by wrapping a piece of wood (such as a dowel from the local hardware store) with cloth, leather, twine, and other materials. Magick runes or symbols can be burned or carved into the wood or drawn on cloth or leather strips and wrapped onto the wand. Seashells, feathers, crystals, and other items from nature can be tied or glued to the wand.

With these kinds of homemade wands, the personal expression of the individual Witch is important. Often the choice of items attached to the wand will be based on the Goddess or God the Witch honors (for example, a wand dedicated to Aphrodite might have seashells while a wand dedicated to Diana might have small sterling silver trinkets). The important thing is to trust your heart and create a wand that matches your personality and beliefs.

For some rituals or spells, the wand might have something temporarily attached to it. For example, for a Full Moon ritual, a Witch might write down the goals and desires for the next month on a small piece of paper and then tie or wrap the piece of paper on the wand.

As in most of Witchcraft, it is important to figure out what works for you personally. Something may be great for everyone else but not work for you, while another thing that nobody else does might be perfect for you. Trust your heart.

When you finish choosing or making a wand, you will want to dedicate it to magickal work. Cast a circle and perform a short ritual. If you belong to a specific Witchcraft tradition, use the ritual specified by your tradition. If you are an eclectic Witch or still undecided on tradition, make up your own short ceremony, possibly based around a poem you write. If you have a permanent altar, you might leave your wand on your altar for 24 hours after your ceremony before making use of your new wand. Any of the Sabbats or New Moon or Full Moon are particularly appropriate times to dedicate a new wand.