Starwood’s Making Your First Wand

bySusan Baxter

Some feel the tools of magick must be made by some powerful person with more
knowledge than yourself. This just isn’t true. Making your own wand is the most
powerful thing you can do. making your own tools invests then with your
personal power and therefore will work better for you as from its’ conception
it is imbued with your vibrations, your energy, it is a part of you – a
familiar, if you will.

Choose a length of wood – I use tree branches that must be pruned anyway. I
like a 12 inch length about the thickness of my finger. When selecting the wood
I refer to the magickal vibrations of the different woods. I use apple for love
magick, seven barks for money magick, Elder for fairie magick, oak for nature
magick, willow for general magick.

You will want a quartz crystal point for the tip – you could use rose quartz
on the love wand or amethyst on a wand for spiritual contact and guidance.

Gouge a bit of wood out of the tip of the wand to help hold the crystal – glue
with high temp hot glue gun or a strong hold glue – let set.

Now use glue on bottom sides of crystal and top ionch or so of wood, wrap with
leather strips or cord or embroidery thread in a color that goes with the
purpose of the wand. That helps to secure the crystal. Now wrap the base end of
the wand by gluing wood and wrapping with leather or yarn to make a hand hold.
Use the same color as on top and cover about 4 inches.

You may decorate the shaft of the wand with symbols that relate to the purpose
of the wand, such as runes and other symbols that have meaning for you. You can
use a knife, water proof marker, paint, woodburning tool, etc.

You could decorate the end of the top yarn with gemstone beads, metalbeads,
wood beads and tip it with feathers if you like. Cleanse and consecrate as with
any tool.

ALTARS AND ALTAR SETUP

Altars

Your altar does not have to be elaborate. It can be a small table, a
mantelpiece, windowsill, a shelf in a bookcase, or what ever else is handy in
the house. It can be round, to represent the Goddess, square, symbolic of the
elements, rectangular or oval. It may be a small area of ground in a field or
wood.

You may decorate it with crystals, talismans, herbs, flowers, or my favorite,
feathers. Anything that has special meaning to you. It is a reflection of the
person who puts it together.

It is considered best to place the altar facing north. This direction symbolizes
the power flow from darkness to light. It is associated with the Earth. Some
face the south with their altars to honor the sun as it rises.

The altar is usually stands in the center of the circle.

We do not believe the Goddess or God actually “inhabit” the altar. It is a place
of power. We are not “idol worshipers”. These are manifestations of the creative
forces found in nature everywhere.

It may be set up permanently or dismantled after use.

Altar Setup

The Goddess is associated with the left side of the altar. The Goddess may be
represent by a white, silver, or green candle. A sculpture or some sort of
figure may be used. Tools that are associated with the Goddess are the Cup,
Pentacle, Bell, crystals and Cauldron. If the Cauldron is large, it is usually
placed on the floor to the left.

The God is associated with the right side. A sculpture or a figure of some sort
may be used to represent the God. A red, yellow or gold candle is appropriate.
Tools associated with the God are, the Censer, Wand, Athame, and Boline.

The Censer and Cauldron are sometimes set in the middle for offerings to both
Goddess and God.

The Pentacle is sometimes set in front of the censer. It marks the Directions
and/or Elements.

Many Wiccans mark North, South, East and West with candles on the altar, space
permitting.

Unless you have a very large altar, you will need a stand for the Book of
Shadows, or place it on the floor where you will not step on it.

As you can see, it is up to you to find what is pleasing.

Altar cloths are sometimes used. The color changes for the holidays or ritual.

A Witches Closet

The things all witches should obtain in their broom closets.

Altar clothes

Athame

Beads

Baskets

Bell

Boline

Book of Shadows

Books for info

Bowls

Brooms

Candles

Candle holders

Capes and Costumes

Cauldron

Chalices

Chants

Crystals and Gems

Crystal Balls

Deacnter

Divination Tools

Earth

Feathers

Glass jar with cork

Glue

Herbs, dried plant, spices

Holy water

Holy Oil

Incense, bricks, burners, and fire resistant plates

India Ink

Fabric for crafts

Felt

Lighters

Magick mirror

Magical jewelry

Matches

Mortar and Pestle

Oil

Musical tapes

Paint

Parchment paper

Pendulum

Pentagrams

Pentacle

Pitchers

Knife

Potpourri pot

Pouches

Quill pens

Rawhide, jewelry clasps, etc.

Rice

Runes

Rope

Salt

Scales

Scissors

Sea Salts

Seeds

Statues

String

Stencil and brushes

Talisman

Tarot cards

Tabacco

Wands

Wooden boxes

Wooden Spoons

May be a tiny bell with a delicate chime, or a larger bell used during ritual and to call upon  the Fairie Folk (If delicate in tome): may be of brass, ceramic, crustal, silver, etc.

A ritual knife used to direct magickal energy, this is usually a back-handled, two-edged knife, measuring the blade is sharp on both sides, but it may be dull rather than sharp as this is not a cutting tool. This knife may be of wood, stone, horn, metal, or jet, and could be a regular knife if visualized as the ritual tool (as with Kitchen Witch tools being taken from those used in daily work around the house). An athame may be a letter opener, pocketknife, etc., as long as it is seen as a ritual tool. The handle color may also vary, but black is traditional.