The Stang is the altar and it represents several things. It is the physical presence of the Antlered God, the Master of the Witches, the Archer, of whom you will learn more later. With the pole planted in the earth, and the spreading antlers at the top, the Stang represents the Godstane, the Good Tree or the Old Father Tree. Such is the nature of the center, and of the Witches mind; your own spine runs from the source of life in the lowest parts of your body, through your body, and into your head. The stang, as well as the spine, is the expression of the great axis of the world, the center-pole around which all creation turns for the center is ever around you, wherever you stand.

The Stag's skull that crowns it is the symbol of the Antlers of the Old Rider himself, and the beast sacred to him. The crossed arrows remind us that he is Lord of all things that stand facing each other, what is here and what is there, as well as the one thing that resolves this. To this, we see Life and Death in the arrows. We see the Master that gathers up life and death and shows their meanings to us when we pass beyond. The Stang-pole bridges the gap between the worlds, becoming the one path of understanding, the "reality" that we say is "between" but is in fact the only "reality". It was the awakened mind of the Great Father,The Master that first bridged the gap between the worlds, that is, wholeness, and he has passed this gift on to us humans, and by Art, we may do the same. Thus it is made of Ash wood, the wood of the liberated spirit, the wood that bridges the worlds. By uniting the highest and the lowest, one finds power. To realize the deepest source is to come to omniscience. To realize the highest is to awaken your own inner divinity. And the lowest and the highest meet; they are the same, after a manner. As the stang stands in the North, it guards the portals into the dead lands, which is the underworld kingdom of the Witches' God. The spirits of the dead follow the path back to that place, and our Master is the gate-keeper." In some places where the Old Faith is forced to hide more than it is here, the Stang is an actual two-pronged agricultural pitchfork, used in the same way and with the same symbolism. Other times it is a forked piece of ash wood, again, with the same use and symbolism.

"The Cord is powerful to the Witch. The nine knots are sacred to the Great and Dark Lady herself, who appears as Nine Sisters, nine maidens who tend the underworld's great dark well below. There are nine worlds, of which ours is only one, and nine are the stages of creation. Thus the cord is a symbol of devotion to Her. The cord is primarily an instrument of binding. It binds the soul to her by devotion. It is also symbolic of the umbilical cord that binds the Mother to the Child. The Lady of the World Below, passing between the worlds by night, is the mother of us all, so you see now it's imporatnce. The cord is used ritually to invoke Her, the supreme power, and bind people to others, such as in marriages or to precious objects. It is also used to bind power into an object, trapping it within, and making the object hallowed. Apprentence Witches are given a red cord to show that they are studying for admission into the Old Faith, and initiated members of covens have white cords."

"The Arthame, or knife, is symbolic of many things, but firstly, it is symbolic of the phallus and the plow. Both of these things are driven into something to make it fertile, whether this be the womb of a woman, or the womb of the earth. Thus, the knife is also the granter of fertility. With fertility comes birth, and as a consequence of birth, death. Thus the grim aspect of the knife, as it is a weapon, and the connection between sex, birth, life and death. The power of creation, called "Spiramemnt", or the serpent power, whether it be in the body or the ground, can be directed by the pointing of the knife. Thus the power it guides can impregnate objects that it's point touches. You have seen it do this to the Houzle. The knife is the representative of the impregnating force that is required to help create anything. It is a companion implement to the horn-cup as you will see next."

"The horn-cup is a symbol primarily of the secret power of the mother to give birth and give shape; it reveals to our eyes something of the mystery of the true source in the Mother, which gave forth all things. It is the container of our aware mind. Since Time itself is also a phenomenon more like a serpent coiled upon itself, and less like an arrow, it is better to say that the womb-source is Giving Forth all things, for it constantly gives forth and creates and sustains all things, even now. It can never remain quiet or still. Into it, all things touch the secret and unknown hidden potentials that all things spring from ultimately; this they experience to spring forth again new. Thus, the cup, like the cauldron, or the womb of a woman, is the symbol of fertility, plenty and transformation. By this power, the fact that the Source symbolized by the cup contains all things, including our very awareness, it is also the source of deep wisdom and omniscience. The cauldron-cup is that thing, that power, that quality wherein the "substance" of the awakening mind is slowly brewed and distilled, until it is ready.

As the cup is a symbol of the womb, it is also a symbol of wisdom- wisdom to the Arthame's knowledge. "Knowledge" implies sexual contact. The placing of the knife into the cup therefore places the fertilizing principle into the knowledge principle, knowledge seeking wisdom, reflecting wisdom, being distilled into its underlying wisdom- bringing forth new creation, which in the mind is understanding, and in the body, pure life. The cord is the binding force that binds the male and female together, and drives us to union with each other."

"The broom, or Besom, is symbolic of the three elements of our world. The ash handle is the airy kingdom of the sky, and the movement of the soul as it flies form the body which the broom can aid it in doing. The Birch brushes are symbolic of the earth-kingdom, as the birch is prime among the sacred trees the White Lady, the spirit of the dark Earth mother spirit...who gives the power of witchery, and the willow boughs that bind the brush are sacred to the water kingdom, as willows grow next to the waters the waters in this case symbolizing the moon and the great waters that must be passed over to enter the otherworld. Thus the Besom is a means of entering the next world. The covenstead becomes the next-world when a Compass, or Circlestead, is drawn within it. And the besom is the means by which the People get into and out of the Circlestead.

The compass represents the world all around, and by being inside it, you are symbolically, "inside the world" or within the womb of the world. This is a reference to the world underneath this one, and within this one. It is the source of all things. When the besom is placed across the gate into the Circlestead, with the brush inside it, one jumps from left to right across it and enters. The brush thus represents the hairs that surround the entrance to the mother's womb, and you are "born" into the Circlestead. This is a mystery; for death here is a birth into magic. To leave the circle, the besom is crossed the gate again, yet the brush faces out into the world all around. By jumping it again, you are born into this world. Thus entering the Circlestead is always a journey back to the source, followed by a return journey back to this world.



How to make a black mirror

A mirror is really only a piece of glass with one side coated or painted to keep light rays from passing through.

The light is then reflected back to the viewer. Take a circle of glass ( Lowes and Home Depot will cut it for you and its really cheap) and wash it with spring water.

Dry it and let it sit in the moonlight during a full moon and then dark moon. Next, paint the back of the glass with black enamel and let dry.

Cut out a piece of black felt to fit the back of the mirror and glue it into place. Another method of construction is to paint a circle of black enamel in the center of a circle of sliver aluminum foil.

While the paint is still tacky but not "wet", add a clear glue to the foil rim. Lay the painted foil against the clean glass and carefully press it onto the glass.

This leaves a silvery edge around the mirror. After this dries, you can then glue the black felt to the back of the mirror to avoid scratching or scraping the foil and paint.

Keep the mirror covered when not in use with a black cloth. These are very tools to use in scurying.