The following has been taken, and is directly quoted from Wicca Craft: The Modern Witche's Book of Herbs, Magick and Dreams by: Gerina Dunwich
Tools of the Craft
THE ATHAME
The athame (also known as an "air dagger") is a ritual knife with a black handle and a double-edged blade which is traditionally engraved or etched with various magickal and/or astrological symbols.
It represents the ancient and mystical element of air, is symbolic of the Life Force, and is used by Witches to draw circles, to exoricise evil and negative forces, to control and banish elemental spirits, and to store and direct energy during magickal rituals.
As athame with a white handle is used only for cutting wants, harvesting herbs for magikal healing, carving the traditional Samhain jack-o'-lantern, and carving runes and other magickal or astrological symbols on candles and talismans.
THE BELL
A consecrated brass or crystal bell is often used by Witches to signal the beginning and/or close of a ritual or Sabbat, to summon a particular spirit or deitiy, and to awaken meditating coven members. Bells are also rung at many Wiccan funeral rites to bless the soul of the Witch who has crossed oer to the realm of the dead.
THE BOOK OF SHADOWS
The Book of Shadows (also known as the "Black Book") is a secret diary in which a Witch records his or her personal spells, invoacations, rituals, dreams, recipes for various potions, adn so forth.
A Book of Shadows may be kept by an individual Witch or by an entire coven.
In the event of a Witch's death, the Book of Shadows may be passed down to his or her children or grand-children, kept by the High Priestess, and High Priest of the coven (if the Witch was a member of one at the time of his or her death), or burned in order to protect the secrets of the Craft. Whichever course of action is taken depends entirely upon the customs of the particular Wiccan tradition and/or the Witch's own personal wishes.
THE BURIN
The burin is an engraving tool used by many witches (and Ceremonial Magicians) to mark sacred names, numbers, runes and various magickal and/or astrological symbols ritually on their athames, swords, brass altar bells, metallic jewelry, and other tools of magick and ritual.
THE CAULDRON
The cauldron is a small, black, cast-iron pot that symbolically combines the influences of the four ancient mystical elements, represents the divine womb of the Mother Goddess, and it is used by Witches for various purposes, including brewing potions, burning incense, and holding charcoal, flowers, herbs, and other magickal things.
The cauldron can also be used as a tool of divination. (Many Witches fill their cauldrons with water on Samhain night, and use them as magick-mirrors to gaze into the furture or the past.)
THE CEREMONIAL SWORD
The ceremonial sword represents the element of fire and is the symbol of the Witches strength.
In certain Wiccan traditions, the ceremonial sword is used in place of the black hilted athame by the High Priestess of a coven both to cast and uncast the circle.
The ceremonial sword, like an athame, can also be used to control and banish elemental spirits (especially in Ceremonial Magick), and to store and direct energy during magickal rituals.
THE CHALICE
The chalice (also known as the sacred cub or goblet) represents the element of air, and is used on the altar during magickal and Sabbats as a container for consecrated water or wine.
The sacred chalice is traditionally made of silver, and decorated with various magickal symbols; however, many modern Witches use chalices made of brass, pewter, or even crystal.
THE PENTACLE
The pentacle is a flat disc made of wood, wax, metal, or clay. It bears the motif of the mystical five-pointed Witches star (pentagram), and is used in magickal ceremonies and spells to represent feminine energy and the element of earth, to invoke and bind gnomes (elemental spirits of the earth), and also to hold cponsecrated objects such as amulets, herbs, crystals, adn so forth.
THE WAND
The magick wand (also known as a "firstick") is a slender wooden rod fashioned from a branch of a tree. It represents the ancient the ancient and mystical element of fire, and is a symbol of strength, will, and magickal power of the Witch who possesses it. In ceremonial Magick, the wand represents the element of air.
The wand (which, according to many ancient grimores of magick, should be approximately twenty-one inches in length) is used by Wicthes to invoke salamanders (the elemental spirits of the fire element) in certain types of rituals, trace circles, draw magickal symbols on the ground, direct energy, and stir cauldron brews.
Fashioning a wand from a branch of the appropriate tree is essential, for different types of wood possess different magickal preperties. Ash wands are appropriate for use in healing rituals and all forms of white magick. Elder wands are appropriate for use in consecrations and exorcisms. Acacia wands and hazel wands are appropriate for use in all forms of white magick. Oak wands (sacred to the ancient Druid priests) are appropriate for use in all forms of Druidic and solar magick. Willow wands and rowan wands (both sacred to all Lunar Goddess invocations, wish-magick, and psychic healing rituals.
OTHER IMPORTANT TOOLS
Other important tools of Wicca craft are candles (symbolic of the element fire); a thurible or censer of incense (symbolic of the element air, and ritually burned as an offering to the Goddess and the Horned God, in invoke Sylphs, which are the elemental spirits of air, and to create the proper mystical atmosphere for spellcasting or invoking); a dish of salt (symbolic of the earth element, and used for puricfication); and a black or white hooded robe to wear during rituals an Sabbats (inless, of course, you prefer to work skyclad or nude.)
