Chapter Eight
In order to perform any act of successful ritual witchcraft, you must have your basic traditional set of working tools. Without them, all but the most powerful born-witch or warlock is powerless when working at a distance from his victim. They are the tools of your trade, as much as an easel and brushes are of the artist.
Paul Huson, Mastering Witchcraft
Another one of those things I have wavered back and forth on in my work is the use of the traditional tools. There are two schools of thought when it comes to them, the first being that of a folk magic perspective, which says that you should be using practical implements in your magic: your chalice can be a teacup, your athame a butter knife, a kitchen pot your cauldron, etc. Their common use and practicality are said to imbue them with extra power, and this school of thought also emphasizes that anything that works, works. The second school suggests that magical tools should never be used for anything besides magic and that a degree of special attention must be placed on their preparation and preservation. I have come to believe that both of these schools are right and present perfectly functional approaches to magic.
The issue is, however, that neither school works well on their own. For starters, there is something to be said about practicality. We know it isn’t likely that the folk magicians of old actually had access to fancy tools. They would have worked with whatever they had and would have used everyday objects found around the home. This would have either limited the number of tools used or perhaps made every available tool magical in its own right. Witches if anything are creatures of familiarity and would have instinctively sought out the quintessence in their environment. On the other hand, when you stumble into high magic, you see how tools that are treated with an elevated degree of intention and attention are capable of wielding great power on their own.
It is one thing to have never been exposed to this sort of power and not understand what is going on behind the scenes with the tools, possibly even forming the opinion that there is nothing more profound there. It is another thing altogether to dismiss the practice of working with special tools because you haven’t been exposed to them and then assume that you have all the pieces of the puzzle. I was one of those witches who gave up on having special tools, mostly because I couldn’t afford them or couldn’t find them, but after realizing that my practice was missing something, I revisited the practice and found a hidden gem that often goes without notice.
Our tools are vehicles for quintessence that help connect the witch’s dream to its power. As energy manifests within them, it is altered and changed so that by the time we are ready to use that tool, it has already been sculpted for our purpose. As you might imagine, specific materials and ways of preparing those materials might be more efficient than others when reaching for the best end result. A chalice can be a coffee cup, but a silver chalice will sculpt the energies of the goddess with much more ease, and a silver chalice that specifically has been consecrated for the purpose will provide almost perfect efficiency. The tools are just as much shortcuts to the wells of energy we must draw from as they are sensory aides to help us sync into the witch’s dream, where we can better interact with quintessence.
Because our tools are vehicles for the energies we must summon and then weave together, we really must give advanced consideration as to the makeup of those tools. For me, the formula that works best is one rooted in the practical and the more fantastical. Tools that have a history and have been used for practical means have a particular sway over our world. Tools that have absorbed quintessential energies have a specific sway over the other worlds. It would make sense to have a tool that possessed influence over both sides of the veil; in theory, it would be in our best interest to procure such a tool.
Antiques! The most powerful tools I own are those which came from a friend or an antique store. I have an affinity for both copper and silver, and I started collecting pieces for magical use over a decade ago. I have a silver knife that I inherited from a grandmother of mine, a copper chalice that I picked up from a flea market, and an iron cauldron that was gifted to me, all of which came preloaded with plenty of juju. All I had to do was clear them of direct intention and voilà! I refer to these types of tools as being “wise” because if they could talk, they would likely have some good stories. Clearing them of direct intention simply erases any specific programming that might have come from foreign sources and resets the item back to its original purpose or frequency. This particular type of clearing removes the influence of past users while allowing you to tap into its history and is appropriate to perform on any object before its conversion to a magical tool.
Clearing Intention
All you need to perform this clearing is salt, spring water, and a white towel. Mix the salt and water. Visualize a white flame and send it into the water, activating the quintessence therein, and say:
I summon the oceans from between the worlds
And imbue this water with their strength.
By the King, Queen, and Sacred Other,
I fuse the realms as the salt melts and
Bring forth the sacred well of innocence!
Pick up or place your hands on the object and visualize a thin blue haze, the remnants of someone else’s willpower still barely active but present. Cleanse the tool with the freshly empowered spring water, using the towel to make sure you cover the whole surface. In the case that you are needing to cleanse a wood surface, such as a finished wand or altar table, add oil soap to the water once it has been charged and then use the solution without worry of damaging the wood. As you clean the object, send white fire out of your hands with every motion and visualize yourself polishing out the thin blue layer of energy. Once the whole object has been removed of this blue haze and is vibrating brightly with white fire, say:
By the three crowns and the sum of their parts,
I reclaim this (insert tool name) in the name of all worlds
And break the bonds of all former masters.
IO, IO, SHAE-O, IO, IO HÉ-O. So must it be!
Consecrating Tools
When we consecrate something, we are essentially doing two fundamental things. First, we are anchoring the witch’s dream in mundanity. When we go to pick up that tool, we will be channeling the power of whatever that tool is programmed to channel instantly. My spirit allies taught me that we should be able to instantly tap into a ritual tool’s power, and it should be so strong in this power that even someone who does not possess the witch blood should be able to feel the energy off of it. Think about that for a second. If someone who doesn’t have the natural hardware to sense preternatural forces were able to detect the power coming off an item, that item has to be pretty potent. It also has to have the ability to pierce through the veils of perception. As instant access to the wells of power, our magical tools should possess that much strength on their own, which makes them unique and, in my opinion, deserving of a little extra-special attention.
The other essential thing that consecrating a tool or object does is prepare that object to actually wield this sort of power, sort of like tempering it for use. For this reason, we should be aware of the properties related to each unique part of the tool. Sometimes it is as simple as knowing the wood your wand is made of, but other times it is being able to identify multiple types of stones and metals or specific patterns and shapes. So if you get a wand that is made from willow and is adorned with crystals, you absolutely must be familiar with how the properties of willow and those stones work together. Each unique combination of properties will create a different frequency and produce a different set of principles when the tool is used. Whatever your tool is made of, do some research as to the properties its components carry and connect to the quintessential force within them before consecration.
Sometimes acts of consecration can take minutes, sometimes they take days or even months; depending on the specific energies you are working with, they may also require you to do a little traveling. Because we are programming these tools with particular sets of energies, we have to do the work related to their consecration when and where those energies are most available. For example, if you were consecrating a blade to the moon, the entire consecration would take place over a moon cycle. If you were going to consecrate a blade to the full moon, you would only need to do the working while the moon is full. Likewise, if you were binding the powers of the ocean to an object, you would need to actually travel to the ocean to do so. For a tool to be a substitute for higher power, you must first encounter that power and expose that item to it.
Consecration requires us to mark tools with specific sigils or runes, which will be used to instruct the flow of energy once the tool is drawn. These sigils are a code that instructs quintessence as to its direction and cues you as the user into the source of that quintessence. Different systems have different codes, and the goal of most advanced witches is to develop their own secret system that is known only to them and their spirit allies. Any one of the symbols you have seen in this book can be used as a piece of this operation, as well as any symbols that hold specific purpose to you or any sigil you make of your own accord.
At this point, I am going to assume you are well aware of what each tool is associated with and don’t need me to go into great depth as to their implementation. However, since most books lack a set of consecration symbols and rituals, and not all witches have had the instruction on how to consecrate their own tools, the following, from my own tradition, is a brief introduction to the Lesser Rites of Consecration for each tool.
The Lesser Rites of Consecration
These rites are versatile and should be altered to fit the needs of each specific tool. As an act of preparation, perform the previously mentioned clearing of direct intention before moving onto inscribing. Each tool will have a specific act of ingress that will involve some sort of inscription, an act of congress that will align the powers and charge the object, and an act of egress that will seal the energies and complete the working.
The Athame
The athame is one of the most popular and beloved of the witching tools. It pierces the veil and cuts sharply into all worlds. It is a tool of air, of focus and clarity, of perception and willpower. The athame can be made of any material that can be rendered into a sharp edge, most commonly steel, bone, and brass. Again, different material responds differently to different energies. A steel blade is not going to be conducive to working with the fae due to its heavy iron content. A bone blade would not be appropriate for working with angels as it would vibrate too slowly. No matter what the material is made of, it must be sharp! Part of its effectiveness comes from its sharpness, and if it is going to pierce the veil, it better be razor sharp. Sharpen the edges to the best of your ability and be sure to keep it covered when it is not being used. It is a knife, so remember it is a tool and a weapon, and that is its purpose.
During ingress, if the blade is metal, the sigil would be engraved, but when not possible, draw the sigil with black marker (it works!) or with black water-resistant paint. If it is made from wood or bone, then burning the design into the medium is generally preferred.
athame sigil
Ingress
Place the above sigil on your blade. Visualize and draw upon a blue flame and allow it to circulate through your body for some time. When you feel a sufficient charge, take a deep breath and then blow over your athame, visualizing the blue fire pouring out from your breath and empowering the symbols on the tool.
Congress
Program the athame by cutting each of the following three times: a piece of flesh (meat or leather works best; sorry, vegans: the best option for you probably would be to use reclaimed leather), a piece of earth (stab the ground), and lastly by cutting through a knot that has been tied three times. With each cut visualize the pressure and force actually quickening the power within the blade and enlivening it.
As you cut through the flesh, say: “By the Queen of the Red Flame!”
As you cut through the earth, say: “By the Queen of the Black Flame!”
As you cut through the knot, say: “By the Queen of the White Flame!”
Draw upon the blue fire once again. Channel the energy through your athame, lift it up so it is pointing directly in the air, and visualize the blue fire shooting up toward the heavens with laser-like precision. Say:
By the witch’s power and the triple queen,
I charge this blade to part the unseen.
Sharp and swift, like my will,
The witch’s blade will tread the mill.
By these marks of sigil and spell,
May it part the worlds from heaven to hell!
Egress
Seal this rite of consecration by slowly bringing the blade down so that it is directly in front of your eyes, and then visualize the blue fire slowly calming and settling into a subtle burn. Kiss the tip of the blade on both sides, and then say:
Awakened now by my desire,
Always to burn with my blue fire.
So must it be.
The Boline
The boline is a crescent-shaped knife that is usually only sharpened on one side and traditionally has a white hilt. Much like the athame, the boline is used in magic to cut but is generally reserved specifically for use with herbs. The boline is also particularly excellent for working with the dead and the spirits of the lower worlds. Like the athame, the boline should be sharp along the edge used to cut.
Ingress
Place the following sigil on your blade. Visualize and draw upon an indigo-colored flame and allow it to circulate through your body for some time. When you feel a sufficient charge, take a deep breath and then blow over your boline, visualizing the indigo fire pouring out from your breath and empowering the symbols on the tool.
boline sigil
Congress
Program the boline by performing each of the following tasks: harvest a bundle of herbs with the boline under the dark moon, harvest a sliver of earth from a cemetery or crossroads, and harvest a piece of bark from a dying tree. With each cut visualize the pressure and force actually quickening the power within the boline and enlivening it.
As you cut through the herbs, say, “By the Queen of the Red Flame!”
As you cut through the earth, say, “By the Queen of the Black Flame!”
As you cut through the bark, say, “By the Queen of the White Flame!”
Draw upon the indigo fire once again, and channel the energy through your boline. Lift it up so it is pointing directly in the air and visualize the indigo fire shooting through the blade and bending toward the underworld with laser-like precision. Say:
By the witch’s power and the triple queen,
I charge this blade to part the unseen.
Sharp and swift, like my will,
The witch’s scythe will tread the mill.
By these marks of sigil and spell,
May it part the worlds from heaven to hell!
Egress
Seal this rite of consecration by slowly bringing the blade down so that it is at eye level and then visualize the indigo flame slowly calming and settling into a subtle burn. Kiss the blade on both sides and then say:
Awakened now by my desire,
Always to burn with my indigo fire.
So must it be.
The Wand
Wands are tools of fire, representative of the male phallus (as are the athame and sword) and the potency of willpower. They are connected to the creative and regenerative forces in the universe. Traditionally made of wood, though frequently seen fashioned out of crystals or metal, wands are one of the oldest tools known to magic.
Ingress
Place the following sigil on the handle of your wand. Visualize and draw upon a blue flame, and allow it to circulate through your body for some time. When you feel a sufficient charge, take a deep breath and then blow over your wand, visualizing the blue fire pouring out from your breath and empowering the symbols on the tool. Pass the wand over an open flame three times.
wand sigil
Congress
Program the wand by performing the following tasks: draw a pentacle upon the earth with your wand, stir a bowl containing water clockwise until it creates a whirlpool, and, lastly, run the wand along the inseam of your thighs, allowing it to pass over your sexual organs. As you perform each action, visualize the motion and sensations empowering the tool.
As you pass the wand along your inseam, say: “By the King of the Red Flame!”
As you draw the pentagram upon the earth, say: “By the King of the Black Flame!”
As you stir the water, say: “By the King of the White Flame!”
Draw upon the blue fire once again. Channel the energy through your wand, lift it up so it is pointing directly in the air, and visualize the blue fire shooting up toward the heavens with laser-like precision. Say:
By the witch’s power and the triple king,
I charge this wand to bare my sting.
Sharp and swift, like my will,
A witch’s wand to tread the mill.
By these marks of sigil and spell,
May it travel the worlds from heaven to hell!
Egress
Seal this rite of consecration by slowly bringing the wand down so that it is directly in front of your eyes and then visualize the Blue Fire slowly calming and settling into a subtle burn. Kiss your wand and say:
Awakened now by my desire,
Always to burn with my blue fire.
So must it be.
The Broom or Besom
Brooms are essential to our rites as they are used to cleanse space, to create borders or hedges, and for protection. They are especially loved by those of us in Sacred Fires, and we go to great lengths to learn how to work with their magic. Sacred to the Divine Other, they are tools of directionality and duality. The handle classically symbolizes the phallus, while the brush symbolizes the vagina; its combined power symbolizes the unification of the two halves of God Herself. Brooms used for the heavier magics, which would require consecration, should be made of wood and have some form of natural bristle. It isn’t always possible to find a natural binding, but at the very least the handle and brush should be made of all-natural and simple materials. The metal brooms you get at the supermarket won’t cut it in the long term. Part of what makes a broom powerful is that its handle was grown over time and comes with all the energy from that process.
Ingress
Place the following sigils on your handle. Visualize and draw upon an orange flame, and allow it to circulate through your body for some time. When you feel a sufficient charge, take a deep breath and then blow over your entire broom, visualizing the orange fire pouring out from your breath and empowering the symbols on the tool.
broom/besom sigil
Congress
Program the broom by performing the following acts: lift the broom so that the bristles are pointing toward the ceiling, then use it to draw a clockwise circle three times; flip it over and draw a counter-clockwise circle on the floor with the bristles; lastly, sweep a crossroads with the broom (or your front doorstep and back doorstep). With each motion visualize the pressure and force actually quickening the power within the broom and enlivening it. As you sweep the ground beneath you, say: “By the Queen of the Red Flame!” As you sweep the threshold or the crossroads, say: “By the Queen of the Black Flame!” As you draw a circle in the air with the bristles, say: “By the Queen of the White Flame!”
Draw upon the orange fire once again, and channel the energy through your broom. Lift it up so that it is perpendicular to the ground and the handle is pointing directly in the air, then visualize the orange fire shooting up toward the heavens with laser-like precision. Say:
By the witch’s power and the Divine Other,
I charge this broom to uncover.
Sharp and swift, like my will,
The witch’s broom shall tread the mill.
By these marks of sigil and spell,
May it part the worlds from heaven to hell!
Egress
Seal this rite of consecration by slowly bringing the broom down so that it is directly in front of your eyes, and then visualize the orange fire slowly calming and settling into a subtle burn. Kiss the tip of the broom handle and the bristles, then say:
Awakened now by my desire,
Always to burn with my orange fire.
So must it be.
The Stang and the Staff
Traditionally, a stang is a vertical altar that has been made from special wood that has a fork at the top, creating a Y shape. It is engraved with sigils, and then an iron nail is driven through the bottom to prevent any energy from draining out. The stang is considered to be masculine, another phallic symbol, whereas the horizontal altar is feminine. These vertical altars are supposed to be specific to the god force. I am, I guess, rebel enough to have a stang dedicated to the Witch Queen, and quite a sizable horizontal altar dedicated to the Witch King. In some traditions the stang represents the axis mundi and the Star Goddess.
A staff is similar to a stang, representing the axis mundi and the phallus, but it lacks the forked top and the iron nail. This is a tool that is more movable and can do much of the work of the wand with more weight. Similarly, the stang and staff can be made of any wood, the properties of that wood being the underlying energy of the tool. Commonly, these are made from oak, redwood, ash, thorn, and birch. Regardless, the related magic work is almost the same, save the sigils.
Ingress
Place the following sigils on your handle. Visualize and draw upon an orange flame once again, and allow it to circulate through your body for some time. When you feel a sufficient charge, take a deep breath and then blow over your entire stang/staff, visualizing the orange fire pouring out from your breath and empowering the symbols on the tool.
stang/staff sigil
Congress
Program the stang/staff by performing the following acts: hold the stang out as far as your sun hand will allow and drive the bottom into the earth. Using the stang/staff as a point of fascination, walk around it, creating a small circle with the stand in the center.
Draw upon the orange fire once again, and channel the energy through your stang/staff. Lift it up slightly but keep it perpendicular to the ground so the forked top is pointing directly in the air, then visualize the orange fire shooting up toward the heavens with laser-like precision from the two points. Say:
By witch’s will I charge this stang/staff to be
The tree of all worlds, containing the three.
By the thrones I imbue it with power, blessed by this sacred hour!
By these marks of sigil and spell,
May it align the worlds from heaven to hell!
Egress
Seal this rite of consecration by slowly bringing the stang/staff down so that it is directly in front of your eyes, and then visualize the orange fire slowly calming and settling into a subtle burn. Kiss the tip of the stang/staff and then its bottom. Say:
Awakened now by my desire,
Always to burn with my orange fire.
So must it be.
The Cauldron
Cauldrons are probably my favorite magical tool as they are incredibly versatile and there really is just something extra witchy about chanting over a cauldron! Aside from aesthetics, the cauldron is traditionally made of cast iron and as such is incredibly heat tolerant. This is part of the energy we will be drawing from, so it is an important thing to keep in mind as you go cauldron shopping. You don’t want a cauldron that will break if it gets too hot or if it gets accidentally dropped, so durability is also an issue.
My first cauldron was made of green glass, and I used it for years. It was more of an antique potpourri vase, but it had a large mouth and got the job done. I have used ceramic pots and ashtrays, mason jars and aluminum pie tins; all of these will work in a pinch, but nothing beats the real deal.
What makes a cauldron so unique is that they are vehicles for transformation and as such can transmute anything that goes into them into something else. Think of their original purpose of cooking: mixing various ingredients to make a meal that would sustain a family for days. Though traditionally a tool of female energies, mythology is full of gods and goddesses who are associated with the cauldron for this purpose, so we can’t overlook this origin. All this being said, a cauldron is a powerful tool in the craft as it is the perfect vessel to contain our quintessential fusions.
cauldron sigil
Ingress
Place the above sigils on your cauldron. Visualize and draw upon a blue flame and allow it to circulate through your body for some time. When you feel a sufficient charge, take a deep breath and then blow it into the cauldron, visualizing the blue fire pouring out from your breath and empowering the symbols on the tool.
Congress
Program the cauldron by performing the following acts: place the cauldron so that it may catch moonlight and then fill it one-sixth of the way with salt, blessing herbs, and alcohol. Light a flame therein and say:
By the Queen of the Red Flame,
By the Queen of the Black Flame,
And by the Queen of the White Flame!
I summon the nine sacred fires!
Be here now in my cauldron’s flame
And burn bright with quintessence!
Draw upon the blue fire once again and channel the energy into the cauldron fire. Say:
Blessed cauldron of ancient art,
A gift from the gods they did impart.
Quicken now with the sacred flame
And be blessed with all their names.
By the thrones, I call all nine,
Become one with this cauldron of mine!
Egress
Seal this rite of consecration when the fire burns out by blowing it a kiss and saying:
Awakened now by my desires,
Always to burn with sacred fires.
So must it be.
The Chalice
The chalice is traditionally seen as being sacred to the element of water as well as the female anatomy. It is the breast full of milk and the womb full of the waters of life. In my tradition it represents the regenerative forces of these things as well as being a tool that represents the physical body. Like our skin, the cup holds the blood and life force of the witch. It represents the sacred bond of a coven and community and is sacred to Aradia. It is made of silver or copper and should be blessed at dusk.
Ingress
Place the following sigils on the cup part of the chalice. Visualize and draw upon a white flame, and allow it to circulate through your body for some time. When you feel a sufficient charge, take a deep breath and then blow over your entire chalice, visualizing the white fire pouring out from your breath and empowering the symbols on the tool.
chalice sigil
Congress
Program the chalice by performing the following acts: fill it with water at a stream or river, but do so with the mouth facing the direction the water is flowing; you don’t want the water to pour into it but rather to slowly fill as you submerge it. You want the chalice to charge with the energy of this flow of power. Say:
By the Queen of the White Flame, the power of water I claim.
Be one with this chalice as you are with the stream,
Bring thy quintessence into the witch’s dream!
Lift the chalice up in the air and then slowly pour the contents back into the running water.
Egress
Seal this rite of consecration by slowly bringing the chalice to eye level and then visualizing the white fire slowly calming and settling into a subtle burn. Kiss the bell of the chalice and say:
Awakened now by my desire,
Always to burn with my white fire.
So must it be.
The Altar Paten
The altar paten is a plate or shallow bowl that is made in the shape of a pentacle or contains within its center a pentacle and is usually made from either wood, metal, or clay. Traditionally, it would be used itself as a tool for consecration; offerings made during ritual are to be placed on the paten. I like to think of it as a charging station on my altar that I can put magical objects such as fetishes, candles, charm bags, and other amulets to soak up energy during workings. Once the paten has been consecrated, it can be used as a powerful tool for manifestation.
The paten has no sigils beyond its pentacle.
Ingress
Visualize and draw upon a blue flame, and allow it to circulate through your body for some time. When you feel a sufficient charge, take a deep breath and then blow over your paten, visualizing the blue flame pouring out from your breath and empowering the symbols on the tool.
Congress
Program and consecrate the paten thusly. Pass the paten over the earth, over a flame, through a doorway, through fresh running water, and through incense smoke. As you do this, chant:
By the Queen of the Red Flame,
By the Queen of the Black Flame,
And by the Queen of the White Flame!
By the King of the Red Flame,
By the King of the Black Flame,
And by the King of the White Flame!
By the Numinous One!
By the Numinous One!
By the Numinous One!
By their power, this be done!
By their power, this be done!
By their power, this be done!
Draw upon the blue fire once again and channel the energy into your paten. Lift it up so it is eye level and visualize the blue fire shooting through it like lightning. Say:
By the witch’s power and the triple queen,
By the mystery and the triple king!
I charge this paten to summon the unseen.
By the sign of the art of the spell,
May it marry the worlds from heaven to hell!
Egress
Seal this rite of consecration by visualizing the blue fire slowly calming and settling into a subtle burn. Kiss the tip of the paten on both sides, and then say:
Awakened now by my desire,
Always to burn with my blue fire.
So must it be.
There are many ways to weave quintessence. Tools aren’t necessary, but they make it easier for us to tap into wells of power in an instant. You are the ultimate tool; you don’t need anything other than your will to perform powerful spell and ritual craft. Everything else is just an extension of your power. When you are performing at your best, there is little that can stop you. Sometimes, however, it is harder than others to be at our best, and this is when tools become a boon. The more energy you pour into them before you need them, the more powerful they will be when you do need them.
Journal Topics
Meditating on the topics presented here in this chapter, answer the following questions in your journal:
1. When you perform magic, how do you reach out and connect with the magical quintessence within your tools and ingredients?
2. What are some ways that you can keep activated quintessence around for quick use?
3. Which of the witch’s tools do you have, and how do you work with them? Have you blessed and consecrated them? What is the difference in energy like before and after?
4. Sketch the sigils and symbols you use on your tools and what they mean to you. How do these symbols connect to the witch’s dream?