Stocking Your
Magickal Cabinet
Choosing a Storage Area
Proper care of your magickal tools and accessories is important for the success of any magickal endeavor. If you allow someone with an accumulation of negative energy to handle your tools, it will lessen or even negate your tools’ effectiveness until you cleanse and consecrate them again. Even if that individual is a trusted friend or small child, the tool can absorb emotion and energy; both are vibratory in nature. I have several small children. To prevent the misuse of my tools (because children love my treasures), I keep them locked at all times in a special cabinet that houses only my magickal supplies. Remember, people and animals will instinctively wish to touch your tools. The positive energy held there draws them like magnets.
My cabinet is what is usually considered a bedroom wardrobe with double doors on the top half, and drawers on the bottom. It is taller than I am.
The storage area you choose should be able to hold everything except correspondence. Like a well-designed kitchen where everything is at your fingertips, your storage area should be equipped to house all your tools and accessories. You can pick up a fairly inexpensive cabinet that is either unfinished or made of light pressboard.
I don’t suggest you keep things in boxes because by the time you get done rummaging through them for a particular item, the rest of your things become disorganized. If you must use boxes, get large clothing ones and place an index card on the lid listing the contents of each box. Be sure to keep the card updated as you make changes.
Filling Your Cabinet
Buying, trading, and making “goodies” for your magickal work is one of the most enjoyable areas of Witchcraft, but it is necessary that you understand the importance and the nature of these objects. Tools and accessories do not perform the magick. They do not bring thought into form by themselves. Marion Weinstein has said, “The Witch is the Magick,” and she is right. Tools and accessories serve to enhance your abilities, not create them.
A good example is the crystal, an item that is magickal in character and still a mystery to most of humankind. If we believe the ancient stories of these gems, they are capable of far more than what they are used for today, even in magick. For crystals to work properly in magick, you must learn to plug them into you, like plugging a computer into an electric outlet so that you can access the software on the system. Without the connection, the computer will stare blankly at you. (If anyone reading this book has taught their computer to totally perform by itself, however, please let me know!)
The crystal becomes an extension of yourself and your energy. If it is left sitting alone in your cabinet, it is not going to decide to heal your neighbor’s daughter without any help from you. Your crystals need you to assist in channeling their energy and yours.
The tradition or pantheon you have chosen may dictate some of the more specialized tools you may require. Other items, such as candles, wands, chalices, pentacles, and incense, are relatively standard items used in practice by the new generation of Witches.
The guidelines for tools and accessories are simple, but important:
1. All tools and accessories should be cleansed and consecrated prior to use (even for adornment). This holds true if you have made them for yourself, they have been given to you, or you have purchased them.
2. No tool or accessory should be used for anything other than the express purpose of magick or ritual celebrations.
3. Never touch someone else’s tools and accessories without their permission. Likewise, never allow anyone else to touch your magickal items unless you are absolutely sure that the person’s energy is synergetic with yours. The only exclusion here are the tarot cards or some other type of divination tool that may require the energy of the querent. There are, however, special cleansing guidelines for these as well.
We all know that cleanliness is important in any health-care profession. Guarding against contamination is a top priority. Your tools and accessories are just as important, and you must insure the purity of their energy.
Performing magick is serious business. Your tools are an extension of you. The longer you use them, the more energy they store. After a time, you will notice this by a simple touch. The tool will tingle in your hand.
I have a crystal ball that I call “She Who Sings” because she is the first tool I noticed that vibrated in such a way. This awareness through the sense of touch comes with time, much like the realization that you can type without looking at the keyboard or pad. Some of your tools will carry stronger vibrations than others, depending on how often you use them, what you use them for, and what material they are made of.
When you receive or purchase a magickal item, it is necessary to both cleanse and consecrate it. Cleansing it removes any negative residue from the piece, and consecration empowers it with positive energy in the service of the god or goddess or other pantheon deity for an express purpose. In the next chapter, these techniques are covered in detail.
When stocking your cabinet, don’t run out and buy (or order) products that are beyond the seams of your wallet. Adding to your collection is fun, but it is with wisdom that your collection grows. Simple things, like herbs you have dried yourself, or the gift of a feather from a networking brother or sister, can be far more powerful than a seventy-five dollar wand that is only three inches long and uncomfortable in your hand, especially when you paid for it by eating spaghetti with no meat for a month.
I tend to agree with the thought processes of Native Americans. They feel that if you spend time making an item for ritual use, concentrating your energy and thought process on the creation of the object, you have already brought half of the magickal intention into form.
Standard Magickal Tools
The Wand
The wand serves to project your energy to a certain place, thing, person, or dimension. Wands can be made of wood or copper insulated by leather.
A wooden wand should be taken from trees that are native to your locality. You will need to research the magickal properties of these trees to make the best choice. It is my belief that native trees should be used so your energy will coincide with that of the land around you. Energy patterns in different areas of the country vibrate on their own frequencies. Taking the wand from your own area will keep you in harmony with the land about you.
Special care should be taken when removing a branch from a living tree. You must first check to determine what the pruning season for that particular tree is. If you are unsure, call a local nursery. Oak, maple, and a variety of other trees are usually pruned in the fall season, so if you would like to combine the gathering of the wands with a holiday, choose Halloween or Samhain. Fruit trees, however, like peach and apple, are not pruned until colder weather. In our area, pruning begins after all the leaves have fallen from the fruit trees. This coincides with the Pennsylvania Pow Wow belief that a wand for healing should be gathered on Christmas night, and at no other time. For followers of the Old Religion then (which is where this tradition came from in the first place), the fruit wand would be gathered at midnight on Yule.
When cutting the wand, be sure to explain to the tree why you are taking the branch. It is best to ask its permission to do so. The wand should be about twelve to eighteen inches in length, relatively straight, and a comfortable weight to wield. Remember to sever the aura after you have cut the physical branch, and leave an offering at the base of the tree.
All my wands are tipped with crystals, though I have seen others tipped with pine cones or knobs akin to phallic symbols. The wand I use most often was created by my father and myself as a team endeavor following instructions out of Michael G. Smith’s book Crystal Power. I also have a “heavy zapper” which I think is made out of cherry wood, as near as I can tell. Not only was it a gift from a very special Witch, it is also a tool that has been handed down from Witch to Witch. Adding to its uniqueness are two feathers, one falcon and one raven, who perished in a death fall together.
As the leather/copper wand is used for general magick and healing, the zapper is used to move things quickly. Wands traditionally stand for communication and matters of business. So, if you wish to choose between your athame and your wand in a particular situation dealing with business or communication, you would pick the wand.
The Broom (Bossume, Bossom, Besom)
The broom can be used for decoration, magick, and ritual. It is used to sweep an area clean of negative energy. “Jumping the Broom” can be added to handfastings or May Day/Beltane celebrations, or in children’s circles. The broom is basically the symbol for a female Witch and it represents her vehicle for traveling into dreamtime.
Often Witches name their brooms, because a broom can be used as a vessel to temporarily house a particular spirit or entity, acting much like an inanimate familiar. It also scares the hell out of acquaintances when you tell them, “Please, don’t touch Esmerelda. She doesn’t like that, you know!” Then smile and they will know you are kidding . . . maybe! Seriously, it is a marvelous instrument of protection to be hung on front and back entrances into your home.
When considering a gift for a Craft sister or brother, or for any wedding couple, decorate a broom and give as a gift with a spell tied to the handle with silver cord. They’ll be talking about you for years!
Brooms are laid at the gateway to a coven circle, used to send messages to friends via astral travel, and set outside with specific instructions to make friends with your local fairy folk. Should a mist surround your broom, you will know your message has been received.
The Chalice
The chalice is a symbol of emotion and fertility. Chalices are used in dedication and initiation ceremonies, holiday rituals to honor the gods and goddesses, and certain spells.
There may be instances where you will use more than one chalice—one for you and one for the deity. Chalices are usually long-stemmed and made of almost any food-safe material. My initiation chalice was purchased at the local grocery store in the glassware section.
I designed my own chalice by visiting a local ceramic shop, purchasing my own greenware and glazes, and firing it myself. The first firing was done on the new moon and the second on the full moon. To finish it off, I decorated it with a band of leather strung with beads and feathers.
There is no end to your creativity when you put your mind to it. Chalices can simply hold water, or something more sophisticated, like wine, cider, or mead.
The type of chalice you use is totally up to you. The legend of the chalice is an old one, stemming from the times of divine sacrifice of the kings to ensure the prosperity of their people. In Craft rituals, the cup represents the female and the athame represents the male. When the athame is lowered into the cup, it symbolizes the divine union of the god and goddess, a very moving experience indeed!
The Pentacle
The pentacle is a flat disc with a pentagram (among other possible symbols) inscribed on it. Yes, this item is taken from ceremonial magick. Its basic use is to evoke entities and protection. It can also be used to draw material gain to oneself, or it can be hung in a room to invite protection. It stands for material things and is used in spells for calling money. The pentacle also coincides with the Native American medicine shield or wheel, where each compass direction stands for significant elements and life forces.
My first pentacle was a wooden disc inscribed by a wood-burning tool. Other sigils can be placed on the pentacle as well, such as runes of protection, or words created through one of the many magickal alphabets. Geometric symbols are also employed.
The one I use today is from a slice of geode inscribed with the pentagram. Sigils can be added or removed by drawing them in wax. Care must be taken so that the geode slice does not split either while creating the design or while scraping it off.
This is an excellent tool for empowering jewelry and gems, as you place them in the center of the five-pointed star. Poppets for healing should be placed here, as well. The pentacle should be upright at all times while on your altar.
The Athame/Sword
The athame is used for commanding and manipulating power. This knife is usually doubled-edged and dull as it does not actually cut anything on the physical plane. It is for directing energy in a dimension where real knives are useless. Although most knives are black-handled, mine is not, and it works perfectly well for me. Some Witches prefer to use swords.
The wand and the athame are basically interchangeable; this is more a matter of style and preference than anything else.
The athame stands for intellect, right thinking, and calculation. I do not use mine very often as I look upon knives in general as potentially harmful items, even in the kitchen.
A note on knives, swords, and the law: these items are viewed as concealed weapons by most law enforcement officials, if they are found in your vehicle or on your person. This has sparked a controversial no-win scenario. Law enforcement officials do not view knives and swords as ritual items. They have the right to confiscate and not return them. Most Witches do not bring their ritual knives to festivals or outside sabbats for fear of losing these precious items forever.
The Bolline
The bolline is the tool used for cutting things in the physical realm. It is a type of knife with a curved handle, often white. It is used for harvesting herbs, wands, plants, inscribing candles, cutting cords, etc. It should not be used at a place like the dinner table, or to open a cellophane package in the kitchen. Its use is purely for magickal workings. Here is where the kitchen Witch would argue with me; many Witches use their knives to prepare food.
Their logic is that magick should be in the food served to the family too. So, if you are ever visiting another Witch who wields his or her sacred knives in the kitchen at supper time, then cuts an astral doorway with them around midnight, don’t have heart failure. He or she is doing something that is entirely acceptable to their personal magickal practice.
Incense Burner
The incense burner’s function is to purify the area you are magickally working in. It can also be used to purify your home in a yearly magickal housecleaning. I do this both spring and fall as a part of celebrating the change of the seasons, or when I have had an unwanted house guest, spectral or more than lifelike. There are several kinds of burners and a variety of incenses.
Incense helps the Witch reach altered states of consciousness. It is also expected to be in your home by nonmagickal people who come to visit for readings. (Unfortunately, I’m not kidding here.)
Incense can be purchased in cones, sticks, cubes, or raw. I like to use the raw, or powdered form, as it is sometimes called. Most of the Witches I know use raw incense set on charcoal blocks or discs. There is even self-lighting raw incense now on the market where the charcoal is not needed and the smell of its burning does not overpower the incense.
With powdered incense you can mix you own scents and include herbs, as well. Through practice, you can control the burning time by the amount you measure out. Why so practical? My husband, MindWalker, is allergic to incense and gets violent headaches when I burn it for too long. Guess you know now that we often cut our visits short to metaphysical book stores and homes where incense is overpowering! The point here is that just because a limitation of some sort or another may be imposed on you, there is always a way to work around it.
A simple spell does not require an entire cone or stick of incense to work properly. Like candles, I prefer to use virgin tools. If something is half used, I bury it or dispose of it, depending on the circumstances. Using powdered incense, for me, is cost effective.
The Cauldron
The cauldron is the symbol of the goddess. Transformations take place when this tool is used. When you think of the cauldron, think of the legendary phoenix rising from the flames.
The cauldron can be the main point of interest in a ritual, or it can be used for developing your own oils or brews. The cauldron can be used for divination purposes by scrying with still water, steam, or dripping wax into the water and watching the patterns as the wax expands.
It is usually made of cast iron as it needs to be able to take the heat (and keep on bubbling), and it is a tradition from the Old Religion. In the ancient days of medieval midwives, the cauldron was most likely used to heat water in preparation for the birthing of a baby or preparing the wash water with herbs for cleansing the dead. From birth to death, the cauldron was used for a variety of purposes, including remedies and medicines for healing the sick or bringing love. All people like to meld with their genetic roots; the cauldron provides a link.
Now I bet you are saying, “But we are not all related!” Ah, science is out to prove you wrong. Recent studies in DNA codes indicate that there is a definite link in females of all races in their genetic code structure. It is thought that all women can trace one DNA link back to the first woman on the planet, whose home was in the cradle of Africa.
What Else Will You Find in a Witch’s Cabinet?
Not everyone’s collection of magickal items will be the same. You will learn to work with what comes naturally and brings the highest rate of success. Listed below are those items that reside in my cabinet at this time. The list varies, depending upon the season, upcoming celebrations, and my current skill level.
Altar cloths
Amulets
Athame
Baskets
Beads (for making jewelry and talismans/amulets)
Bell
Bolline
Book of Shadows
Bowls (for holding salt, water, oils, etc.)
Candles (all colors and styles, including beeswax; I prefer to use hand-dipped tapers, and you can learn to craft candles yourself)
Candle holders (several types)
Capes and costumes
Cauldron
Chalices (ceramic and glass)
Compass
Corn (dried and powdered)
Crystals and gems
Crystal ball
Decanter (for wine and mead)
Divination tools (wide variety)
Earth
Feathers (all colors)
Felt (all colors)
Glass bell jars with screw-on caps
Glue (various types)
Herbs, dried plants, and spices
Holy water
Holy oil
Incense, bricks, burners, and fire resistant plate
India ink (for writing spells on parchment)
Lighters
Magick mirror (Hathor’s mirror)
Magickal jewelry
Mortar and pestle
Musical and subliminal tapes or CDs*
Oils (various selection for dressing candles, etc.)
Parchment paper
Pendulum
Pens (watercolor)
Pentacles
Pentagrams
Pitcher
Platters
Pocket knife
Potpourri pot
Pouches
Quill pens
Rawhide, jewelry clasps, etc.
Rice
Rope (five feet for making a circle for the children)
Runes
Scales
Scissors
Sea salt
Seeds
Statues
Stencils and brushes
String
Talismans
Tarot cards (several decks)
Tobacco
Wands
Wooden boxes
Wooden spoons
*Note: Many traditions insist that the tape or CD player for music must be left outside the magickal circle, as it is felt that the electrical energy from the tape or CD player is disruptive to the circle of energy. I have not found this so, and have raised some astounding energy with a Walkman attached to my head.
Study
An integral part of stocking your magickal cabinet is the continued study of the principles of your tools and accessories and how they relate to you, your magick, and the universe in general. In order for you to get the most benefit from the things you store and use, you will want to learn as much as possible about them. For instance, there are a whole gambit of skills that relate to candles, gems, crystals, colors, herbs, tarot and other divination tools. These objects have both practical and high-magickal qualities. You will, no doubt, achieve excellence with either some or all of these items in this lifetime so that you can carry this knowledge on to the next.
How to Find Magickal Items
Magickal items and supplies are not always easy to obtain, depending upon your geographical location and budget. Learn to be a bargain shopper when using catalogs. Check references with other Craft individuals to see who has the best prices, highest quality of goods, and good customer service.
Things you find can have marvelous magickal uses. Often, if I am dealing with a difficult problem, I will either go thrift-store shopping or nature walking, or perhaps take in a flea market or garage sale. Beforehand, I will request assistance from a particular deity, angels (yes, I do believe in them and will talk about them later), or just the universe in general. I always find (or sometimes see) something that is synchronistic to the challenge I am facing.
At one point in my life I was feeling terribly unbalanced. Things in my life appeared chaotic and unorganized; I was desperate for an answer. My husband suggested taking in the historical sites of a neighboring town. During the day we walked down the main business section of the town, moving in and out of thrift shops and old time five-and-tens (does anybody remember those?). At the last shop on the street, I found a set of old decorative scales for five bucks. I knew they belonged to me. I bought them, brought them home, cleansed and consecrated them, and designed The Ritual of Balance. Since that day, whenever I set up a full altar, I always place my scales there to remind me of the necessity of the many types of balance that are required in this incarnation.
Storing Tools and Accessories
How you pack and store your items is important. Wooden boxes, glass jars (the old Bell kind work great), and ceramic containers are good for herbs, incense, holy water, and oils. Plastic jars are nice for “on the go,” but I do not recommend them for home use. Plastic has always seemed “airy” and porous to me.
Leather pouches are excellent for all types of things, as well as natural fiber cloth (cotton or silk) for wrapping crystals, wands, runes, jewelry, divination tools, and any other items that you wish to keep protected from outside energy. For this type of use, the color of the cloth should be black or blue and preferably opaque.
Have Magick, Will Travel
Becoming a magickal person does not happen overnight. Some people adapt more quickly than others in various areas. It may take some time for you to feel comfortable about carrying your tools and accessories around with you. Most people begin by choosing a piece of jewelry as a protective amulet or as a symbol of their new reality.
As you feel the “need” for different items, you may start zipping around town with quite a collection of magickal supplies. Even the most closeted Witch tends to tell at least one very close friend or family member of their Craft association, and often are called upon by that person for help. If you are so inclined as to share that knowledge, then you may want to carry a few items with you for those “out of the blue” requests.
Over the years, my husband and I have come up with some pretty interesting ideas for transporting magickal supplies. When it got to the point that my purse began to take on the identity of a magickal dump truck, I knew I had to come up with some alternatives. I have been known to carry two briefcases, one for magickal work and one for work work. Plastic boxes, especially filers with compartments and handles, work well for transportation of many items.
There are boxes that can be placed between the two bucket seats in a car, complete with writing top. My husband has a metal lockbox that he keeps in his truck. We have used lap desks and tote bags, backpacks, and tummy purses. But the best one of all was when I purchased a heavily lined pistol case to carry all my gems and crystals on short notice. Most of these containers are definitely obscure, and we look like any other business yuppies off to the races.
For smaller items that you wish to carry on your person, little leather or cloth pouches pinned under shirts, trouser cuffs, or undergarments work well. Pouches can also be strung about the neck, but if this is too noticeable and you are a woman, you can sew the pouch onto a garter. This works very well if the lady is going somewhere that she cannot take a purse, or wishes to keep the item close to her at all times. The garter can be of any color; however, I do not suggest using red as it is said that red is the garter color for Witch Queens only.
What is a Witch Queen? If a High Priestess’ coven has successfully hived (split on agreeable terms to all concerned) three times, then she is regarded as a Queen and has the privilege of wearing the red garter. (In some traditions it is green leather lined in blue silk. Silver buckles represent the number of hived covens.) Hiving occurs when a coven grows too large and some of its members wish to begin their own structure patterned on the original coven. It is a tradition that the new coven not contact the mother structure for a year and a day, after which the two covens merge for a celebration or festival. For fun, check your history books about Old England and the Knights of the Red Garter (or the Most Noble Order of the Red Garter, as it is known in England). I think you will find this information extremely interesting.
If you want to get truly ingenious, there are leather belts sold with zippered compartments. Army belts with canvas compartments are great for nature walking, along with those tummy bags mentioned earlier that snap around your waist. That’s a great place to carry a deck of tarot cards and a gem or two. Coats or cloaks can be retailored or sewn by yourself to include hidden pockets to accommodate your needs.
Written Inventory
Keeping track of your tools and accessories is important. That way, when you give or barter an item away, you won’t go looking for it a year later. It also comes in handy when you have a need and are not quite sure what you want to use to fit that need.
And finally, it will assist you in keeping track for shopping purposes. When you run low on a particular item, you may want to make a note of it before your supply is exhausted so you can pick up the item on your regular rounds. Things like herbs and candles have a habit of depleting rather quickly; I have my own weakness of giving away gems for a variety of reasons and then, before I know it, I’m out of moonstone, rose quartz, or crystal.
Get yourself a clipboard and keep a list of what you have on it, as well as a sheet of paper to write the things you need to get. Hang the clipboard inside your closet or cabinet.
Summary
Take some time to consider what magickal items you would like to work with first. Can you make them yourself? Craft shops have all sorts of great things you can turn into magickal items, especially in wood, ceramics, and beadwork. A burning tool, a little paint or stain, and you can make just about anything. Even if you feel you are not talented with your hands, remember that these items are for your use; they don’t have to be perfect and won’t be on display in a glass case in your parlor.
Collecting, exchanging, gathering, and making your own magickal supplies strengthens your focus and abilities.