This book will give you a basic knowledge on your wand while going in-depth on the
many magical properties of the wand’s components.
Introduction Wands are the source of power for witches and wizards. Your wand is the center of your magic and could be thought of as an extension of yourself: part of you. There is one unique wand for every person. There are so many combinations of magical cores and wood that no two wands are ever alike. Your wand should be the most treasured item you own. Most witches/wizards learn to develop a bond with their wands and when this happens, greater magic can occur. Wands were created to help harness the power within witches/wizards. No wizard or witch has ever been able to cast a powerful spell without a wand or some other harness, such as a staff, although some great wizards have cast small, insubstantial spells without the use of wands. There are two main parts to the wand: the core and the wand itself. The core is where the witch/wizard extracts the wand’s power. The rest of the wand is made of wood. Standard wands are 7 inches to 16 inches or 17.78 centimeters to 40.64 centimeters. The Core of the Wand The core is the most important part of the wand itself. The wand draws its power from the essence of the core. Without the core, a wand would be rendered useless. The core is created from an extremely magical substance. Each of the substances for wands are equally powerful. Do not over-concern yourself about the core of your wand. Each kind of core is as powerful as any other. Most wands, today, use either phoenix feather, unicorn tail hair, or dragon heartstring.(Veela hair is also very common, despite the fact that wands with veela hair cores tend to be temperamental.) Centaur hair, dragon scale, mermaid scale and even mandrake hair have been used as cores for wands. Almost any magic substance can be used but it needs to be very powerful. It is well know that dragon heartstring enhances transfiguration, unicorn tail hair aids counter-curses, and phoenix feathers work well in casting both charms and curses. The Material of the Wand The wand itself is made of hardwood and every different type of wood has it’s own special magical properties. For example, Beech enhances charmwork while Mahogany aids in transfiguration and Poplar aids flying. Here I will list some of the most common woods used in creating wands and their backgrounds, as well as their properties. Ash~ Ash’s powers reside in water. It is considered a healing wood and offers protective qualities as well. Because of that, Ash absorbs sickness. This wood is extremely useful in any spells involving mental and emotional purification as it cleanses inner conflicts and discord. This is very common wood for wands because it conducts power well. It is believed that snakes naturally fear and avoid ash, but it has never been proven. Beech~ Beech or Beechwood symbolizes stability and flow of energy. It conducts energy very well, but cannot hold energy as well as other woods might. Beech is excellent for charms and brings good luck to its user. Beech wands are a favorite of many because it is easy to care for and maintain. It is the most durable of all common wands. Ebony~ Ebony is one of the most powerful woods for wands. It gives pure, unlimited power to those that can actually tap into its strength. Few can, which is why Ebony is considered extremely rare for wands. It has come to symbolize power and prestige. Ebony wands are quite hard and heavier than most other wands and some consider them far too cumbersome. Despite this, Ebony wands are still valued for their rarity. Hickory~ Holly~ Holly is a the strongest protective wood and is constantly for guarding against evil. Holly symbolizes combat and defense. Holly is good at holding and storing energy, but does not work well with energy flow. Those with Holly wands may find that they do well in Defense Against the Dark Arts and other fields that deal with banishing evil. The word “Holly” itself means holy. Hornbeam~ Hornbeam is Mahogany~ Mahogany is known for it’s ability to withstand lightning and it has good protective qualities, making it work well in the field of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Mahogany like Willow has a high tolerance with wet conditions. Mahogany wood makes excellent wands due to the fact that it is very stable and dries easily and wands made of Mahogany are a attractive red-brown color. Depending on the core, most Mahogany wands work well in the field of transfiguration. Maple~ Maple is the wood of longevity. Its energy is very positive and the maple tree symbolizes attraction, luring, drawing in, or bringing things together. Maple wands are sturdy and dependable, making it very common in wands of today. They excell in the fields of levitation and all charms. Maple wands come in a variety of colors from off-white to light brown. |
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