The Bell
The Boline
The Broom
The Censer
The Cauldron
The Cup
The Pentacle
The Wand
Additional Items:
Most religions use tools in their practices. Wicca is no different. Through our touch and intention, energy may directed through these tools to invoke the Deities or accomplish our goals. Tools are not absolutely necessary. The tools themselves have no power. The power comes from within you. You need to change your mind set when doing ritual and magickal work. These tools help to do that. You may buy tools at an occult shop, but it is more fun to search antique shops, flea markets, and junk shops. It may take time, but you will eventually find what you need. Or you may make most of your tools.
The Athame
The athame is a magick knife. It is not used for cutting, but to direct energy raised during rites and spells. It is usually a dull, double-edged knife with a black or dark colored handle. Black absorbs power. Athames are sometimes engraved with magickal symbols, but this is up to you. The knife absorbs power from you and the area around you. A sword is sometimes used, as it has all the qualities of a knife. Because of its size, it is cumbersome to use indoors. Stories about magickal swords are common in mythic literature. The symbolism of the knife is change. It is linked with the Element of Fire. Its straight phallic shape links it with the God.
The Bell
Vibrations are released when a bell is rung. The effects differ, depending on the tone, volume, and material of the bell. Any type of bell may be used. A bell may be rung to signal the beginning and ending of a ritual. It also may ward off negativity or evoke good energies. It is protector if hung on a door. The bell is a feminine symbol. It is often used to invoke the Goddess in ritual.
The Boline
The Boline is a white-handled knife. It is an actual cutting knife. It is used to cut herbs, wands, to inscribe symbols on other magickal items, or cutting cords. It is not used just in circle.
The Broom
History and Lore:
Brooms have long been associated with witches because they were used in pagan rituals of marriage and birth. In Rome the broom was a symbol of Hecate's priestess, who swept the threshold of a house after each birth to remove evil spirits that might harm the child. The broom also used in weddings, signifying sexual union. Wedding customs included jumping over a broom. Medieval peasant weddings were churchless and came under the area of common law. The broom was so closely identified with nonecclesiastical marriages that by the time of the Renaissance, when the church began to take over wedding rites, marriages "by the broom" were considered illegitimate. Children ride a broomstick with a toy horse head at one end. This is copied from Sufi mystics who entered Spain in the early Middle Ages. They organized themselves into groups of 13, like covens. The Sufi sages rode horse-headed canes called zamalzain, "gala limping horse." The dervish's stick horse stood for the Pegasus-like fairy steed that carried him to heaven and back. Customs like this became prevalent among the Basques, and they were frequently accused of witchcraft.
Flying:
The legend of flying has its roots in the fact that witches used an ointment that contained aconite. This drug is readily absorbed through the skin and mucus membranes. It produces sensations of giddiness, confusion, lethargy and tingling sensations followed by numbness, and possibly the illusion of flying. Oldham wrote:
So witches some enchanted wand bestride,
And think they through the airy regions ride.
The broom is used in ritual and magick. This tool is sacred to both the Goddess and God. Pre-Columbian Mexico worshipped a goddess who rode naked on a broom, so this idea is not new. The broom became a powerful tool against curses. Even today many people hang a broom on the front door of their home, but most do not know the symbolism of it. The area to be used for ritual is swept clean with the broom. The sweeping is more than a physical sweep of the area. Visualize the broom sweeping out all the negativity in the area. This clears the way for more effective magick. The broom is a purifier that is linked the Element of Water, which is also a purifier. It is used in all types of water spell.
The Censer
The censer holds the incense burned during ritual. It may be one made of fancy metal, or a beautiful shell from the sea. The censer represents the Element of Air.
The Cauldron
The cauldron is an ancient vessel of cooking, full of magical tradition and mystery. It is often the focal point of rituals. During spring rites it may be filled with flowers. During winter you may have a small fire in it to represent the returning heat and light of the sun (the God) from the cauldron (the Goddess). The cauldron may be used for scrying (gazing) by filling it with water. The cauldron should be of iron with three legs. The opening should be smaller than the widest part. They come in many sizes. This is usually the hardest tool to find. The cauldron is a symbol of the Goddess, the essence of femininity and fertility. It is a symbol of the Element of Water, reincarnation, immortality and inspiration.
The Cup
The cup may be make of silver, brass, pottery, stone, or anything. It is also a symbol of the Goddess and fertility. It is used to hold water, or any beverage to be drunk for ritual.
The Pentacle
The pentacle is a flat piece of brass, gold, silver, wax, clay, wood, or other material. It is usually inscribed with the pentagram. Objects that are to be ritually consecrated are placed upon the pentacle. The pentacle represents the element of Earth.
The Wand
The wand has been used for thousands of years in religious and magickal rites. The Goddess and God are invoked with the wand. The wand is also used to direct energy, to draw magical symbols during ritual. Wands may also be used to stir a magickal brew in your cauldron.
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