Items you need to do Magick
In reality I break this into two categories. NEED & WANT.
NEED: A quiet place. This can be any location within your dwelling. If you have am enclose area about your home this can be come your “Sacred or Quiet” place. It is nice to work out doors, but not mandatory. You will also need a small altar. A place to hold two candles, incense and a goblet of wine; even the wine is optional.
WANT: Everything that looks like, smells like or tastes like Magick. Can you do Magick without a robe? Sure you can. Do you need a sword to create a circle? Not necessary. Do I need an Athame to call the quarters? Nope, a hand works well here. In other word, resist the urge to go on a spending spree.
Let’s deal with reality. In my opinion, the most important “Witch Ware” one needs is a “Book of Shadows.” This can be anything from a hand made, leather covered book to a ten cent spiral bound book. The main purpose of the BOS is for your notes, visions, etc.
Candles: Gold for the Lord, Silver for the Lady and holders for each. When using candles make sure to keep them in safe holders. We do not want to reenact the Burning Times.
Compass: Borrow one! This is a one time shot to help align your circle to the 4 cardinal points; North, South, East and West. It can get a little embarrassing when you are calling “Fire of the South” and are facing west. Once you know your cardinal points, return the compass; Cost FREE.
Censer: A safe place to burn your incense. Decide if you will be using stick or cone incense and get the appropriate holder. A simple time is good for the cone while a small pot filled with sand is good for stick incense.
Pentagram: This item will be used on the altar as an amulet for protection.
Wand: Made of wood to help direct energies.
This list can go on for many pages, but at this time I believe you get the idea as how it can grow. OK, so you have some coins in your pocket and are ready to part with them. Where do you go to get the items you want.
Most people will run off to the local metaphysical shop. Yes the Aura of magic is here, but lets face it, this is a business and the goal is to make money. So where do you go?
First of, when you purchase your magical equipment, it should call to you. You just don’t go out and buy one of these, two of those and one of them. With that in mind, where do I shop? If you can, make most of what you need. By making your equipment you put your energies into them. How difficult is it to carve a pentagram out of wood?
OK, so you’re craft challenged, a good source of Magical items are Flea Markets and garage sales. There are also the “After Holiday” sales. Imagine the material you can get after Halloween or Christmas. I purchased 3″ pentagrams for my coven for less than $1.00 each at an after Christmas sale. Just because an item is not labeled “Made in Trollhatten by Trolls” does not make it bad.
I hope you get the point I am making, a home made broom is as good as a Nimbus 2000 (Harry Potter) I hope I don’t discourage too many of you now, but we do not actually use the broom to fly. A broom is, even in the craft, used for cleaning. Strange concept. What is cleansed may not necessarily be dust bunnies, but cleaning it is. The broom, like the Athame, want or hand can also be used to direct energies.
Remember this:
Don’t go crazy buying Magical “STUFF.”
If it doesn’t call you – don’t buy it. Do not get talked into buying “STUFF.”
Keep magickal “STUFF” separate from you mundane “STUFF.”
Try to make it before you buy it.
Witches Of The Craft® 
I made my athame. It is not much to look at but it is very special to me. It took me a long time to figure out how to make it but the inspiration finally came and I worked and worked on it for many months and finally finished it. The blade is brass and the handle balsa wood. Getting the piece of brass to a point was the most difficult part since I had never worked with metal before. The handle has many coats of black paint and is decorated with two anhk earrings and a pentagram. Like I said it is not at all usable but strictly ceremonial. People have smirked and looked annoyed when they see my athame. I have even been loaned one since mine was not usable for cutting (even though everything I have been told and read says the athame is never used for actual cutting). I am very proud of my athame because I put my blood, sweat and tears into it’s making. And when it was finally made it brought great joy to me. It was very much like giving birth to a child.
My pentacle is a cast iron trivet I bought at an antique market for about $5 about thirty years ago. My chalice is a handmade pottery goblet that I bought at a Ren Faire about forty years ago. The people with the booth were getting ready to pack up their wares and they had a table with items that were greatly discounted and my chalice was one of the items.
I want a little cauldron and I know one will come my way when the time is right. I have many different incense burners that I use in the meantime,
Instead of a full size broom buy a child’s toy broom or one of those small brooms they use in theaters. I’m only five feet tall and a smaller broom is just right for me. You can paint the handle and decorate it to make it more magickal if you like. Keep an eye out for interesting plates and platters and glass or ceramic containers to use as salt cellars and water cruets.
The most important tool we have in magick is our imagination, so use your imagination when acquiring your tools.
For altar clothes go to fabric stores or even the fabric department at WalMart. Go through the discounted pieces of cloth. You may find just the right piece with stars and moons or the right color and texture you were looking for.
Just put on your Magickal Glasses and your will see the possibilities everywhere.
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Thank you for your reply, Sable. You have definitely drove the point home that I always try to emphasis. You don’t have to go broke doing spells or rituals. The Goddess doesn’t expect that from us. As long as it works for you, then it is fine. And besides, I have never been one for what other’s think anyway. Thank you again, sweetie.
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