Wicca for Beginners (14 page)

If you do your homework and truly get to know your gods, the invocations will flow easily for you. As long as they are sincere and from the heart, they will be heard.

8

Tools, Toys, and Altars

So far, we’ve talked
about building a ritual circle, calling the quarters, and calling the gods. As I said earlier on, it’s important to be able to do these things without ritual tools because ultimately the tools are just props, and the Wiccan is the real force behind building the circle; the real will behind channeling the earth energy. I placed this chapter after those others because it’s easy for beginning Wiccans to be distracted by the tools (aka toys) and lose their focus on what’s really important—their own spiritual and psychic development. A bright, shiny set of tools is no replacement for actually doing the mental and energetic work of Wicca.

Then why do Wiccans use tools? A Wiccan’s magical tools are like extensions of him- or herself. They are infused with their owner’s energy and attuned toward his or her will. They enhance ritual and magic by helping their owner focus energy. In addition, since the tools are only used in ritual or magic, and since each one has deep symbolic meaning, simply picking them up helps their owner get into the ritual mindset.

Wiccan ritual tools need not be expensive or fancy, but they should be special and have significance to their owner. Oral lore from some Wiccan traditions states that the Wiccan should make the tools him- or herself. Since we’re not all blacksmiths or woodcarvers, this isn’t practical, but if you can make or modify any of your own tools, they will be more a part of you than if you purchase them.

The Primary Wiccan Tools

Here is a rundown of the main Wiccan tools. There are some additional tools that are specific to certain Wiccan traditions, but since this book is about Wicca in general, we’ll stick to the basics.

Athame

The athame is the Wiccan’s most important tool. It is a double-edged ritual knife, often, but not always, with a black handle. The two sides symbolize the God and the Goddess, who come together at the point; the union of the spiritual and the mundane worlds; and the idea that with power comes responsibility. The athame may or may not be sharp, depending on the preference of the owner. It is never used to cut anything but energy and air. Some traditions hold that if the athame ever draws blood, it must be destroyed, but this is by no means a universal Wiccan belief. Nevertheless, if you’re prone to dropping things on your feet, you may want an athame that isn’t too sharp. Its sharpness has nothing to do with how it works as a magical tool.

The athame is used to focus and direct energy, especially when drawing the circle or calling the quarters. It is associated most commonly with the element of air and the east quarter, but some associate it with fire and the south. It symbolizes the Wiccan’s will. Members of a coven or group can share many of the other tools, but the athame is always personal. Do not touch another person’s athame (or other ritual tools, for that matter) without permission.

If you hang out with Wiccans, you will hear the word “athame” pronounced about ten different ways, so don’t worry about getting it right. Some of the most popular are a-THAH-may, ah-THAH-me, ah-THAW-may, and ATH-um-ay. Give it your best shot.

Wand

The wand is simply a fancy stick. You may think I’m being irreverent, but the traditional wand is a piece of slender branch cut to a certain length, usually at least a foot long. Which is a nice way of saying it’s a stick. The length varies by tradition, so you can cut yours as long or as short as you wish. It may or may not be stripped of bark. Some Wiccans carve magical symbols into their wands. The type of wood varies by tradition too. Common woods for Wiccan wands are oak, ash, and willow. You should take the wood from a fallen branch rather than cutting it from a live tree. Some Wiccans like to “thank” the tree that provided the branch by leaving an offering of water or compost at its base.

You can make a wand from a thick dowel purchased at a hardware store, but in my (very biased) opinion, it’s more “organic,” for lack of a better word, to use a bit of branch. If you go to eBay or anywhere online that sells wands, you will find a wide variety made of all sorts of things, like copper, crystals, antlers, bone, silver, and steel. Although they’re not wood, any of these will work if you think they will. The important part is how the wand resonates with its owner.

Like the athame, the wand is used to focus energy. It is most often used when invoking the gods, since it’s not polite or smart to wave a sharp, pointy athame at Athena or Loki. It can also be used to call the quarters and draw the circle. It’s used especially in rituals that invoke the Horned God or involve phallic symbolism. Sometimes, the wand is carved to look like a phallus. The wand is most often associated with fire and the south, but some Wiccans link it to air and the east.

Chalice

The chalice represents the Goddess and the womb. It is used to drink from, especially in rituals where feminine symbolism is important. There is a ritual that is common in Wiccan circles where the blade of the athame is lowered into the chalice to symbolize the sexual union of the God and Goddess. The chalice can be made of nearly anything—glass, ceramic, wood, metal—but I don’t recommend plastic. The “loaner” cup for people in our training circle who forget theirs is plastic, and it just feels wrong. If you choose metal, make sure it’s a metal that you can drink from safely. If you’re a little accident-prone, try to find a wooden chalice. I know one high priest who is notorious for knocking over and shattering ceramic chalices, and we have more than one super-glued ritual cup in our cupboard. Often you can find great chalices at art fairs and thrift stores. The chalice is associated with water and the west.

Cauldron

The cauldron is a big cast-iron pot on three feet. It is used to represent feminine energy, like the chalice. It is also used to burn things in or build “bonfires.” (Fill the cauldron about half full of clean clay kitty litter, stick candles in the litter, and light them. Have a fire extinguisher handy and be careful! Do this outside.) Although Shakespeare would have you believe that witches and Wiccans boil brews in their cauldrons, this is not true for the most part. They usually use the stove like everyone else. You can find small cauldrons at many occult and metaphysical shops and Web sites. Other places to look are antique shops and flea markets, especially ones that are held in rural areas. The cauldron is associated with water and the west.

Broom

A Wiccan ritual broom can be an ordinary broom, a handmade one, or a decorative one like those found in craft stores. The bristles represent a woman’s pubic area and the handle represents a phallus, so the broom is a symbol of the sexual union of the God and Goddess. It is used to sweep energy out of the circle space before drawing the circle. Some Wiccans also use the broom to raise energy in circle. The broom is associated with either earth and the north or air and the east.

Censer and Incense

Wiccans frequently burn incense in their ritual circles to set the mood and attract the kinds of energy they need for their rituals. All herbs and scents have magical correspondences. Wiccans also use incense to purify the ritual space and consecrate items for ritual use by passing them through the smoke. You can use any type of incense and censer in a Wiccan ritual. Most of the Wiccans I know use the loose incense that you burn on charcoal, but you can use sticks or cones too. The advantage of the loose stuff is that you can blend your own herbs or buy a special blend that suits your purposes. If you think you might like to try making your own incense, read up on each herb before you include it. Some of them are toxic when inhaled. The censer and incense represent fire and air, south and east.

Salt and Water

Many Wiccans keep a dish of salt and a dish of water on their altars. Most often, some of the salt is mixed into the water, and the saltwater is used to bless and purify the ritual circle. It can also be used to consecrate items for ritual use. In a pinch, the water is also helpful if you have an accident with the incense or the candles. Salt and water are associated with earth and water, north and west.

Candles

Wiccans go through a lot of candles. I have never been to a Wiccan ritual that didn’t include them. As I said previously, Wiccans may place candles on the altar to represent the God and Goddess. Candles are used for reading light and to mark the quarters. Sometimes they just serve to set the mood. They are used commonly in magic. Choose a color that corresponds with your magical or ritual purpose. You can find information about color correspondences in several of the books on the recommended reading list. You can use any type of candle you wish. Seven-day candles, like those found in Christian stores, occult stores, botanicas, or the Mexican food section of some grocery stores, are great because they are candle and holder in one, and they’re not as easy to knock over as tapers. One of my coveners has a talent for finding whole boxes of unused tapers at garage sales. Whatever type of candle you choose, make sure to use a sturdy holder and keep a fire extinguisher nearby. Watch your hair and sleeves around the candles too! I’ve been in two separate rituals where a woman’s hair caught fire and she didn’t know she was burning until people started smacking her to put it out. I’ve also been in a skyclad (naked) ritual where someone accidentally put out the God candle with his bare backside. He has never lived this down, of course. Candles, naturally, represent fire and the south.

Utility Knife

Since you can’t cut anything solid with your athame, it’s handy to have a ritual utility knife for cutting herbs, cord, or anything else you might need in ritual or magic, or for carving symbols into candles and wands. The utility knife can be any kind of knife, but it should be set aside specifically for ritual and magical use.

Statues

Wiccans often use statues on their altars to represent the God and Goddess. This is not essential, but it adds to the spiritual atmosphere. You can find great statues online or at occult or metaphysical stores. Sacred Source, www.sacredsource.com, has an amazing selection.

Book of Shadows

The book of shadows, often referred to affectionately as the BOS, is a combination spell book and magical diary. Wiccans use them to record rituals and spells they wrote and whether or not they were successful. The BOS can be anything from a three-ring notebook to a bound blank book that you write in. Some Wiccans draw gorgeous borders on the pages of their books, like medieval manuscripts. Other books are very plain. You can keep your BOS on your hard drive, but it’s kind of hard to lug your computer into circle. If you go online, particularly to eBay, you will find people selling “books of shadows.” Most of the time these are either plagiarized or not genuine, and the people selling them are only interested in squeezing as much money from you as they can. The best books of shadows are either inherited through your tradition, if you have one, or created by you, or both. As you explore your path and find or write techniques and rituals that work for you, your book will grow.

This list of tools is not exhaustive, but it covers the basics. Acquire your tools slowly over time rather than rushing out to get them all at once. That way, you’ll have time to find or make the ones that resonate with you most.

Wiccan Altars

Wiccans seem to love their altars. Whether it’s because of their devotion to the gods or their devotion to knickknacks (or both) we’ll never know, but either way, altars are a place for Wiccans to express their faith, do their spiritual work, store their ritual paraphernalia, and/or channel their inner Martha Stewart or Christopher Lowell. A Wiccan altar can be as simple as a small shelf with a pine cone and a candle on it or as elaborate as a full table with a cloth, candles, incense, flowers, ritual tools, and statues. Wiccans use altars as decorative and devotional spaces around their homes and gardens and also in ritual. For the purposes of this chapter, a devotional altar is one that is set up permanently in the home or garden, and a ritual altar is one that is used only in a particular ritual circle.