It is not mandantory to make your craft tools. It is my belief that you put a part of your spirit into things you craft yourself. So it also stands to believe that tools you craft will be more effective for you than ones purchased. Granted not everyone is capable of making their own tools. For those I offer this advice, alter the tool in some way--paint it, carve on it, something that would add a part of you to it.

Index

ALTAR
AMULET
ATHAME
BOLINE
BOOK OF SHADOWS
CANDLES
CENSURE
INCENSE
PENTAGRAM
STAFF/WAND TALISMAN











Altar

The Altar is the central point or "heart of your power". It is your work table in your magickal endevours. Each item you place on it has a specific purpose in a ritual.

You can use anything as your altar. Outdoors you can use a large flat rock or tree stump Indoors a small table, crate, or even a board across two blocks will work. If you are handy with wood you can make your own. Your altar can be set up as a permanent declaration of your faith or can be erected as needed.

Your altar should not have any metal in it as it will interfere with energies you are trying to harness. So if you go out to buy a piece of furniture to use as an altar, check to see if it was put together with screws and brackets or if they used glue and pegs.

My altar doubles as my coffee table during mundane times. I am in search of the right piece of wood (actually I'm waiting for one of my friends to cut down a tree). My altar will be a 2"-3" thick cross section about 2' in diameter. The legs will be 2"-3" diameter limbs from the same tree. I will then sand the top to a smooth finish leaving the bark intact on the sides. From there, the god/dess will guide me on how to decorate the wood.

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Amulet

An amulet is a natural object used for magiclal purposes. You can not make an amulet although you may adopt one. A rabbits foot, a four leaf clover, bears claw or tooth, or certain stones are all amulets. The perfect Wiccan's amulet would be a stone with a natural hole in it. Symbolic of the God/dess, the hole represents the vagina, thus ensuring fertility.

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Athame

Every witch should own their own athame. It is usually made of steel and has a double edge. It is used for ritual work only and is never used for cutting. The handle is usually black and it is often refered to as the black handled knife.

You may make your own as I'm in the process of doing or you may purchase your athame. If you purchase your knife you can personalize it to make it a part of you.

Find a knife that has a removable pommel (the metal nut that holds the Handle in place). You may carve into the existing handle any design you want or you may attempt to carve a new handle. Some handles are made of horn or antler (be sure to bleach the old skin of before using) Some are made of stone or have stones embedded into the wood. Once you get your handle decorated to your specifications you can decorate the steel blade

If you wish to decorate the blade of your athame. Coat the blade with melted bees wax and allow it to dry for at least 24 hours. Scratch the design that you want to decorate your blade with into the wax with a sharp pointed tool or even a nail. Make sure you can see the metal of the blade in your design. You may put your "Magickal Name" in runes or a pentagram or anything your spirit tells you to on your blade.

Once you've got your design etched in, put the blade in a basin of ferric chloride (found at any electronic parts dealers). Stir the ferric cholride around every few minutes and turn the blade so both sides are etched equally. After an hour, take out the blade and clean it off (the wax can be removed with hot water).

Your blade will have your design engraved in the metal. Cool huh??? The process is very easy and fun to do.

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Boline

The "boline" or the white handle knife is your working knife in the craft. It is used to gather your herbs, carve candles, and wherever something needs to be cut in a ritual.

You can use the method for making an "athame" to make your boline. Note: some bolines are made with a curved blade.

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Book of Shadows

A Book of Shadows is a book or a journal for us to keep our notes of our spells, rituals, recipes, observations, and other information that we hold sacred and will help to bring us closer to our goal of spiritual growth. Traditionally, the Book of Shadows was kept by a coven. Now in times of more solitary practice, we can each have our own. Coming Soon: How to make your own.

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Censure

A censure is basically an incense burner. You can buy one already made or you can make your own. One suggestion on making your own is to take a pretty sea shell and filling it with sand. this will help to disapate the heat. Do not leave burning incense unattended.

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Incense

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Pentagram

A pentagram is a five pointed star enclosed in a circle. The points are said to be symbolic of the elements; earth, fire, air, and water. The top most point is repesented by the spirit.
To be continued...

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Staff/Wand

Wands are used to focus and project your magickal energies toward a person, place, or thing. It can be used interchangably with your athame for this purpose. I choose to include a staff here because no WiseOne should be without one:) A staff is just a bigger wand. (must be a guy thing, Ladies)

Take a branch from a tree that is fairly straight and the correct length for a staff or wand. A good rule of thumb for length is for a wand to be from the tip of your fingers to your elbow, and a staff to be a long as you are tall. This branch can be one you find or it can be taken from a living tree.

If you use a living branch, you must "ask for the tree's permission first". If you get the feeling that it is wrong and don't feel right about cutting this branch, then don't use this tree. Go to the next one. If you get the negative feelings from more than a couple of trees you need to stop and take another look at what you are doing.

Leave an offering of thanks to the spirit of the tree. If you are into the Native American traditions, an ounce or so of tobacco or cornmeal is appropriate. If you are Wiccan, a libation of apple juice is most fitting, as are some home-baked cakes. Another idea would be a few small charged crystals, implanted in the ground for the tree's growth.

The next part is all a matter of decorating to your partcular taste. You can adorn your wand/staff with crystals, gems, feathers, leather, thread, pinecones, or anything your little voice tells you to use.

Preparing your wood can vary from a plain stick to one with intricate carvings and markings. You can strip the bark, sand it down, mark it in 7 segments and paint each in the colors of the rainbow from top to bottom. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.

You can wrap a coil of thick steel wire around the handle to make a grip, which is also said to contribute to the energy flow.

  Another way to paint a wooden wand is half black and half white or half gold and half silver, to express the balance of the polarities.

I prefer to leave the wooden rod plain, allowing the natural beauty of the wood to come through. I have a talent (small though it may be) to shape the wood into shapes and figures that are already in the wood.

You can make your wand out of a wooden dowel rod bought at a local hardware store. If at all possible, try to go into nature and make a small offering to Mother Earth for the materials used. Even a purchased dowel or a crystal bought from a rock shop are all gifts from Mother Earth and Father Sky and it is important to show your gratitude for what they have generously have given us.  

Ultimately, make the wand be what you feel it should be. A simple stick wrapped with colored thread that has some feathers tied to the ends of the thread will work just as well as the most ornately carved and bejeweled staff or wand if you have the faith it is so.

Now if you really want to get down to serious wand making here are the instructions from one of the oldest Book Of Shadows...

from the "The Key of Solomon"
The Staff should be of elderwood, or cane, or rosewood; and the Wand of hazel or nut tree, in all cases the wood being virgin, that is of one year's growth only. They should each be cut from the tree at a single stroke, on the day of Mercury, at sunrise. The characters shown should be written or engraved thereon in the day and hour of Mercury. This being done, thou shalt say:"ADONAI, Most Holy, deign to bless and to consecrate this Wand, and this Staff, that they may obtain the necessary virtue, through Thee, O Most Holy ADONAI, whose kingdom endureth unto the Ages of the Ages. Amen."After having perfumed and consecrated them, put them aside in a pure and clean place for use when required.  

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Talisman

A talisman is a man made object that is endowed with magickal properties. They are used to ward off evil, bring good luck, to ensure fertility, etc. etc. etc. A talisman should always be made by the person using it. The magick is much stronger if made by the user than if made by someone else.
To Be Continued...

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