by Autumn Damiana
Witches, Wiccans, and other Pagans all love their magical tools. Most of us collect them and will own more than one of each type—some of which cost a small fortune. And while it is inspiring to work with an ornate crystal wand or sparkly silver chalice, sometimes it can be just as rewarding to use the tools that nature provides us. Natural tools are sometimes the only ones necessary if you would like to do impromptu rituals, instant magic, or require items that are environmentally friendly. Working with natural magical tools is also an effective way to grow spiritually and become more magically adept by breaking out of your routine and comfort zone—and spell or ritual components that you use once and then return to the Earth are an excellent way to let go of the energy raised and send it into the cosmos.
Witches know that any stick can become a wand and that seashells are good to use as bowls for holding salt, incense, or offerings. And yet, “natural” should not limit you to “naturally formed” or “naturally occurring” tools such as these, but can encompass anything that is constructed from materials that are biodegradable or will not harm the environment. Some paper and wood products, food and other compostables, and mineral items (like salt or crystals) all fall into this category. Ecofriendly crafting supplies, like white glue, plant-based paints/dyes, and hemp or raffia can also lend themselves to the creation or adornment of natural magical tools. Here are some more ideas.
Around to Be Found (and Adapted)
If you have an open mind and a little ingenuity, you’ll be surprised how many ordinary materials can be used as natural magical tools with minimal effort. Here is a short list to get you started. (Note: never ingest or apply anything to the skin out of a container that is not food safe! If in doubt, don’t do it.)
Bowls/Vessels: Seashells, nut hulls, acorn caps, hollowed out vegetables and peels (peppers, tomatoes, squash, avocados, etc.), fruit and peels (see Picnic section), coconut shells, lettuce leaves, unglazed clay pots, and deep, naturally cup-shaped rocks or stones
Wands/Athames: Sticks; fallen branches; driftwood; long, thin, or jagged crystals/stones; arrowheads; wand-shaped edibles (bananas, celery stalks, vanilla beans, scallions, etc.); woody stems or stalks (roses, pussy willows, rosemary, etc.); disposable chopsticks; reeds; lavender wands, agate or other stone “slices”; and naturally shed animal parts (feathers, antlers, bones, porcupine or sea urchin spines, etc. USE CAUTION when collecting these items, as they can harbor parasites and disease, and in some cases are illegal to pick up. Only handle if you are knowledgeable!)
Other Tools: Grass, reed, or twig bouquets (broom); evergreen boughs (broom); wide, flat stone slabs (altar surface or trivet); rocks with a natural indentation (cone incense burner); flat river rocks (pentacle); herbal or vine wreaths (pentacle); flat pieces of wood (pentacle); and long grasses or vines (can be twisted/braided/knotted into cords, wands, crowns, necklaces, etc.).
Origami Altar Tools
This is a “think outside the box” altar composition. Some may feel that the ephemeral quality of the altar tools or the humble origins of the materials you will use to make them might be unacceptable. That’s okay—if this idea doesn’t resonate with you, then using these tools will feel strange and empty. However, if you want to give it a try, I feel that the best time is during the fall and winter months, when people are confined inside and the hearth fires are burning, as it provides a project to do and the tools themselves can be offered to the fire after your ritual. Folding the origami can also be a meditative exercise or a fun way to safely and inexpensively familiarize children with the purpose and use of magical tools.
Decide which tools you want to make. There are myriad patterns and tutorials online for almost anything you might use as an altar tool. Try YouTube or children’s craft sites for simple instructions on an origami knife or dagger, cup, bowl, or box. Tightly roll up a piece of paper to use as a wand, rolling it diagonally to get that tapered look. A pentacle can simply be drawn on a piece of paper, or a four-pointed origami star can be used to represent the elements. Fold a fan to wave incense around, or to replace it altogether. And if you want to challenge yourself, try folding your totem animal(s), as many animal patterns exist.
In addition, you can experiment with the type of paper used. Expensive, store-bought origami paper is not necessary—reuse what you have, such as wrapping paper, printer paper, colorful junk mail, brown paper bags, or even aluminum foil or waxed paper (good if you want to fill your origami cup with liquid!). By doing this, you are also honoring the Earth by recycling.
Ritual Picnic Fruit Salad
How about an edible altar setup? Consuming spell-charged food and drink has been a common practice for centuries and is an innovative way to work some magic outdoors under the guise of having a picnic! This is a working best suited to the spring and summer months when fruit is plentiful and can be used as a spell of prosperity, abundance, luck, self-blessing, or sabbat celebration. Create and use this edible tool arrangement on its own or as part of a full meal or larger outing or event.
Decide which fruit you would like in your salad, both in terms of taste and magical properties. Grapes and berries are good choices because they add color and most do not need to be cut up (although you will be able to prepare some of your fruit before the picnic). Also decide what type of dressing, herbs/spices, nuts/seeds, or other garnishes you will use. Part of the fun in planning this fruit salad is in being creative on how you will use your food components in ritual. For example:
Stone fruits (apricots, plums, peaches, nectarines, etc.) cut in half make wonderful little bowls when their pits are removed, as do the rinds of halved citruses (oranges, lemons, limes, etc.) after the fruit has been extracted. Apples and pears, partially cored with the bottom left intact, can also become vessels and make adequate chalices. Hollowed-out melon rinds (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, etc.) are useful as larger bowls or cauldrons, as they hold liquid particularly well and can even be used to serve the fruit salad. A cinnamon stick or mint sprig, before becoming a garnish, can be empowered to use as a wand. Even portable sugar and honey packets make convenient substitutes for salt and anointing oil, and mixed with a little citrus juice can be drizzled over the fruit salad as a dressing afterward. And pentacles are easy to carve into almost any kind of fruit.
With a little imagination, it is possible to adapt many of your picnic items into the magical tools that will be broken down and eaten as part of the ritual, with the exception of the knife used to cut the fruit. For this you can use any kitchen knife or a sharp athame, depending on whether or not you will further use the tool in your working, such as to cast the circle. You might also want to pack a cutting board, a small grater (for the cinnamon), or wooden skewers if you prefer fruit kabobs to salad (and the skewers can double as wands—very handy for groups or covens!). However you do your ritual and prepare your fruit salad, make sure that you leave a tiny bit on the ground as an offering, and dispose of all garbage responsibly when you are finished.
Because the natural world around us is the source of magical current, it makes sense for all magical practitioners to work with the raw materials that nature provides in our workings. After all, we already do this to represent the elements on the altar, frequently using soil or salt for earth, feathers for air, lava or pyrite for fire, shells for water, etc. Why not take it a step further, and structure entire rituals that use nothing but natural magical tools? Remember, a tool is only a symbol and a device through which to tap into and direct energy. And while it is true that magical tools can build up energy through repeated use, a tool itself is powerless. Nature, the Divine, and the divine spark within you are the source of all magical power. That makes YOU yourself the most magical tool you will ever have.