Tools and Materials

BASIC TOOLS

Athame: a ritual knife used to direct magickal energy; this is usually a black-handled, double-edged knife, meaning that the blade is sharp on both side 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 visualised 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 too. The handle colour may also vary, but black is traditional.

Bell: 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 tone); may be of brass, ceramic, crystal, silver etc.

Bolline: a cutting tool used in magickal work to inscribe candles, cut herbs, cut thread, or any other such use. Traditionally a double-edged blade, with a white handle, but any tool designated as the working tool may be used.

Bowls: one for salt, one for water, and one for the libation.

Broom/Besom: a ritual broom not used for housework, but for clearing the ritual space during Circle Casting, and for spell work.

Candle Holder: can be individual, candelabra, votive holders etc, but there should be one for the Goddess and one for the God, and one for Both and/or one for magickal work.

Cauldron: metal pot for magickal work; when burning a candle inside it you might want to put a layer of clean sand on the bottom of the pot; must be large enough to hold melted wax and to burn twigs inside without creating a hazard. Lidded is best, but if not possible, get a separate lid for covering when ready to put out any fire within.

Censer: container for incense that can be carried around the circle or set on the Altar; may be of brass, a shell, or any other suitable material (see Incense Burner below), and as a container should be partially filled with clean sand to hold the incense and prevent burns.

Cingulum: a nine-foot long cord of red silk, wool, or cotton cord that is knotted at Initiation (see Ritual), and worn with the robe, kept on the Altar, or wrapped around a tine of the Stang or around the top of the Staff.

Crystal Ball: a smooth sphere without facets, but may contain bubbles and other markings within; clear ones of natural quartz are very expensive, but manufactured lead crystal also works.

Cup: used for the beverage of Cakes and Wine, Esbats Rituals, etc. May be of pottery, silver, brass, crystal, wood, etc.

Incense Burner: suitable to hold the type of burning incense used; may be a stick holder, cone holder, or resin holder and made of wood, earthenware, ceramic, glass, brass, shell, etc (see Censer Above).

Pentacle: a flat disk with the five-pointed star in a circle engraved or painted on it; may be of wood, clay, ceramic, wax, brass, silver, gold, or simply drawn on a piece of paper.

Plate: one to hold the bread or other such food blessed in the Cakes and Wine ritual.

Robes: may want a variety of coloured robes depending on the type of ritual or spell work involved, or a basic white or black robe. The cingulum (cord) may be used with the robe to tie it about the waist.

Staff: used as a long wand, may be decorated and carried as an indication of Craft association or simply for walking in the woods.

Stang: may use this instead of an Altar, by sticking it into the ground or placing within a stand; decorated for the Sabbats.

Tarot Cards: choose a deck that draws you, and use for divinations; you may acquire a variety of decks over time.

Wand: should be the length of the forearm to the fingertip, about 12 to 16 inches; may be of oak, willow, hazel, apple, elder for the influence of those woods; select one from Nature or buy one but choose one that appeals to you; the tool most associated with Witchcraft is the wand.

BASIC MATERIALS

Altar Cloths: a variety of coverings for the Altar depending upon the ritual and the season; attractively patterned sarongs are often used for this purpose.

Beverages: variety of acceptable drinks, be they fruit juices, wines or liqueurs.

Candles: votives, tapers, jar, shaped, tea light styles in various colours.

Charcoal disks: used for resin incense such as copal or dragon’s blood.

Cloths: variety of solid colours of cotton cloth for use in spell crafting for wrapping tarot cards, crystals, stones, holding herbs, making poppets, herbal/dream pillows etc.

Cords: the cord designating the three styles if green practice are gold for energy worker within a cultural tradition, red for working with the Powers of Nature, and black fir dedication to the Goddess and the God. As many styles as have been used such colours may be combined or braided together. The red is also the cingulum of Initiation, to which later may e added the black after Dedication, but only with the red us the practitioner’s measure taken. The symbology is gold for energy work, red for powers, and black for wisdom and union with the Divine.

Glass Bottles: for herbs, oils, spell work, and storage of other items as needed. Rinse with spring water and sea salt to cleanse.

Herbs: a variety of herbs stocked in labelled containers (a glass jar is best; do not use plastic) and kept out of direct sunlight; used in spell work.

Incenses: stick, cone, resins in a variety of fragrances; will need charcoal disks made for incense if using resins. Light incense, look for glow then wave to extinguish the flame so only smoke results (this keeps the fragrance from getting harsh).

Matches: may be regular or long stick variety, or use a lighter.

Musical Instruments: may use drums, bells, flutes, harps, sistrums, cymbals, gourd rattles, other rattles, etc to aid in meditation, spell casting, energy raising, etc.

Oils: a variety of essential oils (rosemary, sandalwood, lavender, benzoin, rose geranium, frankincense, pine, juniper, mint, etc) for anointings (do not use cinnamon; it will burn) and spell work; fixed oils (olive, sunflower, almond, jojoba) for mixing own fragrance blends.

Salt: sea salt, rock salt used in rituals spell work and cleansings.

Spring Water: collected at a natural spring and stored for use in spell work and ritual, or bought packaged (remove from plastic container and store in a prepared glass bottle (see above).

Stones: a variety of crystals, semi-precious stones river, and Earth stones for use in spell, healing and aura work.

Threads: or embroidery floss of various colours for tying up magickal works.

Tiles/Trivets: used under items that will burn hot to avoid scorching a surface beneath.