Most Witches would agree that a wand should be made from wood, preferably fallen not cut. First, find the tree your wood will come from; remember you want it to give you something of itself for your magical work, so take it an offering of some kind by way of introducing yourself. Once you have done this, look all around the tree to see if there is already something suitable on the ground. If there is not, come back at a later date. you may need to repeat this several times.
The piece you are looking for should be straight, about as thick as your thumb, and the length of the area between your elbow and your palm. Once you have something which seems likely, thank the tree, and then take it home to dry. It usually takes around 6 weeks of gentle drying before the wood is ready for working.
Whilst you are waiting look several times at your wood and decide if it lends itself to any particular shaping and if you want to remove any bark. When it is ready, shape it and removethe bark if you wish. Using sandpaper smooth down both ends and the length too if you wish. Start with a coarse paper and move down to the finest you can get. Then decorate it in the way you prefer and polish it with beeswax. It is now ready to be consecrated.
Good woods for wand making include Oak, Ash, Rowan, Willow, and Hazel.
"People are like trees,
it takes time to grow a good one."
From: The Real Witch's Year
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