Magickal Tools For Witchcraft

When you think of the word "altar", it brings to mind many different images. For the population in general, it is not necessarily a good image. Hollywood has made the depiction of a witch's altar to be a grisly thing; the site of sacrifice and elicit behaviour. Thankfully, this image could not be further from the truth! For any genuine practitioner of the Craft, the altar is a magickal focal point, and a place where we can connect with Deity and perform our workings. Quite literally, the altar is where the magick happens!!

Among magickal tools, the altar is one of the personal items a witch possesses. As you can probably guess, it is generally a large, flat object, usually constructed of wood, though stone altars are not uncommon. One of the most impressive altars I have seen was a large oak slab, with a silver pentacle inlaid in the center. The owner made it himself, and it was a very nice piece of craftsmanship. However, many altars are as simple as a decorated board, or the lid of a trunk. Personally, my altar is a large board that is easily tucked under the bed or in a closet when not in use. No matter what it is made of, the most important consideration is that it be reserved for use as an altar, and nothing else. While the coffee table or the dining room table can work in a pinch, it is really best to have a specific, dedicated altar.

As mentioned above, the altar serves as a focal point of magickal energy. The altar is where we perform our magickal workings, connect with Deity and gather in circle. I have heard it mentioned the the word altar derives from a Latin word that means "on high". Rather than physically higher than anything else, I think this means that the altar is regarded as being in a "higher state".

For every Witch out there, there is a way to set up an altar. As I said before, this magickal tool is one of the most personal there is. Have fun with it! The picture at the beginning of this module gives you a basic idea of what a set-up altar will look like. I've seen many extravagant altar set ups in my time, but do not feel that you have t go overboard with this. Especially if your altar is a permanent fixture in your home, it may feel better to keep it simple.

Now, let's go over a few of the most common components of an altar.


A representation of Deity.
For most witches, this will include a representation of The Goddess and The God. These can be statues, pictures, or whatever feels right. If you work closely with one God or Goddess in particular, then you may want to use a representation of them.

Illuminator Candles
These are generally large, white candles placed in the upper corners of the altar. I say white, because white is a color that will not interfere in other magickal working you might be trying to accomplish. Their function is easy to guess: provide light. They also give your altar a good ambiance as well.

A flat centerpiece.
This is usually a pentacle. Though it can be any geometric shape the you feel comfortable with, such as the zodiac ring, a picture of the moon, tribal art...

Your wand

Your Athame

Book of Shadows

Representations of the four elements.
This part completes the altar, in my mind, and gives it a good feel. The four elements are Earth, Air, Fire and Water. For Earth, a bowl of salt is a good representative. For Air, a stick of incense or a feather will work. Fire is best represented by a fire candle that is usually worked into the ritual. Water is represented by a small bowl of Holy water.

Of course, this is all suggestion. If you want to add, change or substract anything from this, do not worry. Feel free to give it you r own touch, and have fun! Remeber, though, that your altar is going to see a lot of messes, hot wax and work, so it should be able to stand up to it.

Now that you have your shiny new altar before you, it's time to use it to cast some spells! Many fledgling witches struggle with finding spells that work for them, but there a few methods out there that work for anybody. To learn one of the easiest and most powerful methods of spellcasting, please take a few minutes and check out The Simple Spellcasting E-kit. This will teach you some simple ways to cast successful spells.

Thanks for reading today, and Blessed Be!!!

Aside from a broom, the wand is probably the most recognized magickal tools used by witches. Generally, the wand measures from the elbow to the wrist. It is made from various materials, the most common of which is wood. The type of wood depends on what magickal correspondences the tree type has. There are many wands out there that are made from copper, crystal or glass, as well.

Wands range from very simple to ornate, depending on the tastes of the particular witch. Most, however, are decorated with various occult symbols and sigils carved or painted onto them. Some witches choose to wrap their wands in leather, embed them with precious stones, or even decorate the with feathers or ribbons.

The type of wand you use, what it is made out of and how it looks is completely up to you. The only peerson that your wand needs to please is yourself. After all, this magickal tool, above all others, is to be used by you and you alone. How it FEELS in your hand is what is important.

The Use of Your Wand
A wand is very specific in its uses. Primarily, it used to direct your will and intnent when in-circle. Think of it as a "magickal conductor" that amplifies your will and directs it where you need it to go. Witches use their wands to cast circle, empower other objects and to repel negative energy.

A good way to test a potential wand is to hold it in your primary (writing) hand and direct its tip toward the palm of your non-writing hand, about three or four inches away from the palm. imagine white light coming down your right arm, going through the wand and into your left hand. You willl feel a sensation of some type in your left hand, be it a slight warming, a feel of pressure or a "magnetic" feel. With practice, this becomes an easy thing to do. If the wand is especially good for you, the sensation will be unmistakable.

Wands are probably one of the most recognizable tools that witches use to cast spells. However, many witches struggle with casting effective, successful spells. To learn an amazingly simple method for casting very successful spells, please visit The Simple Spellcasting E-kit.

Thank you for coming by this lens today, Blessed Be you and yours!

The athame (ath-ah-may) is a ritual dagger used by witches in ritual circles. It is commonly a double-edged blade with a black handle, and it is often carved or painted with varuious occult symbols and sigils on the hilt. Due to glamorizing or various movies out there, the athame has a nefarious reputation witht the population at large. What the population seems to forget though, is that the golden rule of witchcraft is, "If It Harms None, Do What Thou Will." So, what business does a ritual dagger have in a religion with a rule like that? Well, in truth, the athame is merely a representation of a Witch's will. It is used to direct that will and other energies while in-circle, nothing more. It is NEVER used to physically cut or harm any person person, animal or thing. If such a blade does happen to cause harm, it is considered tainted, and cannot be used for ritual purposes without some serious cleansing. I hope I've made this paragraph clear.

Moving right along, let's talk about the athame itself. In addition to the description above, there are a few considerations to keep in mind when choosing an athame. For instance, what is tghe blade constructed from? Some witches out there swear that iron is the only thing that you a good atahme can be made of. On the other end, many practitioners disdain the use of iron, claiming that it can interfere with and obscure your magickal intent. (note: If you plan on working with faery energy, then definitely avoid iron, as they hate it.) Personally, I enjoy using an athame made of steel, as it looks good and is easy to maintain. I've seen athames carved from wood as well, though that doesn't sit too well with me, as I'd rather use a wand if I'm going to use a wooden object.

The Uses of an Athame:

Directing of will or energy in-circle. When you are empowering another object, the most common way to this is point your athame at it and visualize the energy flowing from you, through the athame, and into whatever object is recieving it. Additionally, many witches use there athames to ground their excess energies into the earth below their feet. In short, the athame is use to point and direct your magickal energies in the right direction.

Casting the Magickal Circle. The most powerful use for the athame is the use it has when erecting a ritual circle. While walking the circle, a witch will direct their athame towards the ground, and visualize their circle forming where the energy from their athame connects with the ground. Additionally, the athame is used to do the Quarter Calls, or, summon the guardians of the ritual circle, as well as closing the quarters and dismissing the guardians.

Cutting a door in the ritual circle. Occassionally, a witch will have to leave the circle in the middle of a ritual, or somebody who is late the ritual needs to enter. Simply walking across the line of the circle can be very disruptive to the protective energies of the circle, and can even intefere with the ritual's intent. So how does one enter or leave a ritual that is in progress? Well, if deemed necesarry, a witch can "cut a door" in the wall of the circle, so that people may pass through without disrupting the spellwork. In general, this is the only cutting of any kind that an athame is used for.

So, there you have it. those are the basics of athame use in Witchcraft. If you've had an athame and other tools for a while, and are still having trouble casting successful spells, you may want to check out The Simple Spellcasting E-kit. This will teach you a very simple method of casting spells that will blow you mind with how effective and easy it is!

Thanks for reading, and Blessed Be!

In addition to the few tools spoken of above, there are many other tools in the Witch's repertoire. Before I continue, I really want to say that there is one tool that stands above beyond all the rest; Your Mind! Our minds work most effectively when symbolic imagery is applied. This is true for witchraft as well. Every tool and trapping you come across in your magickal journey is merely a symbolic image of your intent. The stronger the symbology, the more effective your magick. In truth, you can practice magick with nothing more than your imagination. Keeping that in mind (pun intended), the following is a short list of what you may encounter. I'll try to be brief....


Bolline This is another magickal blade, often with a white handle and a curved blade. It's use is to gather herbs and other botanicals from nature.

Sword. While not as common as the athame and wand, it is still a popular tool used by many witches. It's use is in circle, and is very similar to the athame.

Bell, gong or chimes. In whatever form you find these, their use is often the same. The are used primarily in quarter calls when summoning energies to protect your circle.

Book of Shadows. This should have a lens all its own! It is basically a witch's spellbook. Each one is highly individualized by the particualr witch or coven it belongs to.

The Broom (of course!). The broom is associated with the element of air, and is often used in cleansing rituals and has been used in the past as an aid to astral travel.

Candles. Candles are probably the most commonly used tool in spellcraft, and they are incredibly versatile. I will be creating another lens soon that details the use of candles a little more thoroughly.

Cauldron (Bubble, Bubble!). The Witches' cauldron is another tool with a bit of a reputation.... It's uses are many, though it is often used in ritual to heat and prepare magickal mixtures and concotions. Oftentimes, it is used as a vessel in which to burn parchments and paper as a part of spellwork.

Chalice The Chalice is used as part of our communion rites, and has a lot of the same magickal properties as the Cauldron.

Poppets and Dollies More often associated with voodoo, poppets and dollies are commonly used by many witches, especially in pow-wow magick. They are used as a link to a specific individual, more often than not, the witch him/herself.

Staff. The Staff is a variable magickal tool that is used by many witches today. It is a highly personal magickal tool, and is often decorated with many magickal trinkets and gifts that are collected over time. It is used much in the same way as the wand, that is, to direct magickal currents. Many witches have a variety of staves, with each one having it's own magickal attunement.

So, there you have it. A brief list of some of the different tools out there. By no means is this an all-inclusive list. In fact, this list is only a fraction of the many different tools and items out there for our use. However, all the tools in the world won't help you if you are not casting spells correctly. Many witches struggle endlessly trying to cast spells that actually work. In fact, you need very few tools to cast a successful spell. To learn a wonderfully effective way to cast powerful and easy spells, please check out The Simple Spellcasting E-kit. It will take your magickal game to the next level, guranteed!

Thank your for spending time with my lens today, and as always: Blessed Be!