When magicians talk about consecrating an item, what we’re describing is imbuing an item with divine energy to bless it. When this is done repeatedly with an object, you create a kind of holy artifact due to the way energy accumulates over time.

Novice magicians are told to, whenever possible, do their rituals in the same place each day. The reason for this is that energy gradually accumulates there, enhancing any magick done in the space. This is also true of all the tools and paraphernalia used during rituals. The more we use our tools, the more of a “charge” they build—making all magick done with them even more effective. This is the same reason that magicians traditionally had an article of clothing that was worn during ritual work—so that every time you do magick while wearing it, it absorbs a little more energy that will aid and assist with future endeavors.

The wand is the preeminent tool of magick. In fact, when most think of a magician, one of the first associations that comes to mind is the wand. This has been true since the dawn of human civilization, where we find wands used for various purposes in traditions from the ancient Sumerian magi to the Old Testament prophets. In Christian iconography, the earliest depictions of Jesus ever created show him using a wand to call Lazarus forth from his tomb. In many Sumerian carvings you will see the king or one of the gods holding what is referred to as a rod and ring. This was passed to the king by the deities, representing his divine right to rule. It showed that he had been found worthy of the position by Divinity itself.

The ring or circle represented eternity because it had no beginning or end—just like the gods themselves. The rod represents the finite lifespan of the king, showing that his life—and rulership—has both a beginning and an end. The rod would be symbolically wielded by both the king, in the form of a scepter, and the priests, in the form of a wand. This is the origin of the magician’s wand.

In magick the wand symbolizes the element of fire and an extension of the will of the one who wields it. In his book Modern Magick, Donald Michael Kraig goes so far as to say that the magician should sleep with the wand in bed with them for a month, so that it is continuously bathed in their energy field, which makes it even more connected to them. When not being used, the wand is wrapped in a black cloth to protect it from outside energies, and it shouldn’t be handled by others.

The history, use, and correspondences of wands is an entire field of study unto itself. Some traditions, such as the Golden Dawn, use multiple wands for different purposes. Neophytes usually began by using a wand that looked like a small wooden rod, with one end painted black and one end painted white. The white end was for basic, minor invoking, the black end for banishing.

Wands can be made of particular woods, metals, and stones so that the energies are woven into the magick done with them. For example, if you want to make a wand to use only in rituals that deal with love in some way, it could be made of the wood of an apple tree, since apple trees correspond with Venus. Woods that correspond with the planetary energy of Jupiter—such as oak—are traditional for wands used in rituals for any kind of prosperity, expansion, or wisdom. A wand made specifically for protection or defensive rituals, including things like warding your home, could be made of ash, which corresponds with the energy of Mars.

While some magicians may go so far as to have a different wand for each of the energies they work with, others use a single wand for all work. This is what I do, for the most part, although I also have one I take on the road with me because I don’t want to chance something happening to my main one. If I have to travel, taking my wand with me on the road is like taking a piece of my temple with me. It’s topped with a quartz crystal, because quartz holds energy better than just about any other material.

Some will swear that all your tools—including a wand—should be made by you. That is certainly a route you can go. However, I made neither of mine. They are both one of a kind, handcrafted by a wandmaker in Colorado. My main wand is made from the found leg bone of a deer, a piece of oak, and the finial from an antique chair. There’s an old cliche saying, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” Sometimes magickal tools are the same. The one that you’re supposed to have just seems to find its way to you.

The most common magician’s tools, other than the wand, are the chalice, pentacle, athame (or ritual blade), and robe. Do not go out and try to obtain all of your tools at once. You’ll be tempted to do this, but it’s much more powerful to collect them one at a time, with great deliberation and attentiveness. Make the project of collecting your tools a ritual unto itself. Wait and see what will call out to you, or what you’ll be drawn to.

Begin by doing a magick ritual to obtain a wand. To start, visualize your wand, and bring gold light down upon it, asking that you find the perfect tool to aid you in accomplishing the Great Work within this lifetime. Then let go of the outcome and let the magick do its work.

Once your wand finds its way to you, you can then do the same ritual for a chalice, pentacle, athame, robe, or any magickal tool.

You’ll find through the years that you will have collected things that are incredibly personal to you but may not even remotely resemble the items depicted in traditional grimoires. That’s as it should be, as your tools serve as an extension of yourself—and every magician is unique unto themselves.