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Tools and Altars
Here’s a page for you
all about the Tools of Wicca and Altars. Some of these things you may have
heard of, but most, maybe not. I’ll start with "altars" and go down,
creating a list with some basic information on some of the tools Wiccans
use. NOTE: In Wicca, tools are not required. To work magick, all you really
need is you. Tools, such as those listed below, are just meant to
aide in magickal workings, but you don’t have to have them. They can
be expensive, too, so if you really want some tools, make them yourself! A
lot of it you can make easily.
To help you find the item you want easier, here’s a quick list of all the
items mentioned, in order:
Altars: An altar is the most basic Wiccan "tool." It is simply the
temporary or permanent space in which you keep your magickal supplies.
Usually they are tables or even tree stumps outside (if they are temporary),
but they can be on practically any surface. A lot of Wiccans first lay down
what is known as an altar cloth, or, you guessed it, a cloth to lay across
atop your altar. This can signify the significance or can just protect the
surface it’s on from other things (if water spills, salt spills, candle wax
drips, etc.) They are not necessary, and neither are altars, although they
are a good idea if you want a special place to store things or if you do a
lot of magickal work. Some things you may find on an altar are basic and/or
special candles, statues of gods or goddesses, representations of the four
elements (sometimes the fifth, too), a wand, an athame (explained later),
etc. You can put anything important to you on it, but some things you
usually wouldn’t put on it are books and your Book of Shadows (explained
later) if you have one. These can be kept in another location or under the
altar if that’s possible. If you make an altar, you’ll want to keep the
things on it just what you think is appropriate so that it doesn’t become
cluttered. Some people also keep things that are important to them, such as
a Tarot card to remind them or something or a special stone, on their altar,
too, to create better energy or to remind them or something. If you want to
make your own altar, it’s simple! Just find a surface you don’t use for
anything else and lay a clean cloth on it. Remember, you don’t need to have
a cloth, but some people like them. You can use any cloth you think is
fitting or you can but special altar cloths at many occult shops that have
pretty designs on them. Next, put your magickal tools in appropriate places.
Magickal tools are anything you use when working magick. Candles, statues,
stones or gems, a wand, etc. all are appropriate things. These will be
further explained later in this article. Also, when I say "appropriate
places," I just mean that things that specifically correspond to something
should be placed in a location that makes sense. For example, you may put
four colored candles representing the elements and directions in a place
closer to the direction it is. Your red fire candle would be at the south
direction. You may need a compass for this part. Also, if you have God and
Goddess statues, you might put them in the center next to one another. See
how this works? Put them where you think they make most sense.
Another quick note: if you cannot have a permanent altar (no space to
keep it, don’t want friends that don’t know about your choice to see it,
travel a lot, etc.), don’t fret. You can always make a travel altar! This is
really simple: you just put all of your altar supplies in a basket, box,
etc. and store it somewhere. Then, when you need the things take it out and
set up the altar any where it works: on a counter, on a tree stump in your
yard, on the ground, anywhere! One idea I heard was to take a basket, like a
wicker or picnic basket, and line the inside with an altar cloth. Carefully
place your altar materials inside. If you need to, keep only smaller
supplies, like small candles, mini-statues, a small cup for a water
representation, etc. Once you have the materials in side, either use excess
cloth to cover it, like you would if going on a picnic, or just close the
basket as is! Again, you can do this with a box or anything else that works.
Be creative!
Candles: Candles are the most basic magickal tools. They’re used all
over, although usually not for magick, and therefore are easy to find and
buy. You’ll want to keep a large assortment or colors, scents (optional),
sizes, and types on hand if you can afford to. If you can’t, having just a
few of various colors, even just votives or tea-candles, work just fine. You
don’t need them to be extravagant, remember; any candle will do. Candles are
used in most spells and rituals, whether as a main part of the workings or
just for light, a fire representation, forming the circle, etc. When one is
the focus of a spell or ritual, it’s used as a tool to manipulate the
energy. I won’t get too in depth because the possibilities are endless here.
If you’d like to more, there are many books on Candle Magick, a very basic
form of magick, out there and also much information online. Anyways, as I
mentioned, they can be used for simple, yet important, things, too. If it’s
cold or you need to burn something, use a candle. NOTE: Read the candle
safety rules that follow this section before working with candles! I am not
responsible for any fires or injuries caused by candles! Moving on, though.
Candles are probably the most obvious fire representation available. An
element representation is just something you use to take the physical form
of certain elemental energies. I’ll have more ideas of what you can use
later in the Tools and Altars article. Candles are so simple, though, so
many people use them for fire. I mean, you light them and they burn for a
long time and so it’s easy to keep fire there. The last use of candles I’ll
mention if for casting a circle. Casting a circle is the term used to
creating the circle in which the energies you work with will be focused in.
It keeps the energy in one place so you can use it easier. Circles also can
be seen as protection from anything negative or outside forces. There will
be more info on this on the "The Sacred Circle: What It Is and How to Create
One" page, so be sure to check it out. As I said, though, candles can make a
good physical "circle" to represent the one you create. Many people make the
circle of candles and light the as they cast the circle. It adds energy and
helps you remember where the boundary is.
That’s all I really have about candles for now. If Candle Magick
interests you, be sure to look for other reliable sites and books to learn
more. It is a rewarding skill and one of the most simple and still effective
magicks.
**Candles and Fire – Staying Safe**: While many things I’m about to
mention may seem obvious and even boring, please take the time to read them
all. Fire can be very dangerous and even deadly. Here are some guidelines to
follow to ensure safety when working with fire:
Never leave a fire unattended! This even goes for small candles and
small flames in fire-proof containers. Accidents can happen and you
don’t want to burn down any buildings.
Never put a candle or fire too close to burnable surfaces. Yes,
sometimes you will purposely burn things in spellwork and rituals, but
you don’t want anything to catch fire, like carpeting, loose paper, etc.
Be careful near lit candles. If you have many, loose clothing is a
bad idea. Make sure to watch where you go because you many not see a
candle until it’s too late.
Don’t be stupid; trying to look cool by playing with fire is a bad
idea.
Use common sense. Don’t put candles on unsteady surfaces or set a
cauldron with a fire in it on one, either.
Always, always, always make sure to extinguish all flames all the
way. Sometimes candles have the tendency to look like they’re out will
sparks are still "hiding" in the wick. Don’t ask me how or why this
happens, but sometimes they stay hot and even relight a bit. The same
goes for matches, too, if you use them to light things. I usually keep a
small dish of water to drop used matches in so that if blowing them out
doesn’t work all the way, they won’t make anything start on fire.
Things that have been by flames will be HOT! It seems obvious, but
sometimes people don’t think about the fact that most cauldrons are
metal and touch them too soon. Let everything cool! Even some candle
containers and holders will get hot. Wait a minute or two, maybe even
more, to let things cool off.
Incense and Incense Burners: In any magickal work, it’s a good idea
to look at all of your senses and see if they can be stimulated in a way
that will help. Visually, you want things to be uncluttered and calm. You
may put on music to set a certain mood. Incense, though, is a great way to
create good smells. Incense, for those of you that are unfamiliar with it,
is a substance you burn that creates small amounts of smoke that have
certain smells, depending on what’s put in it. It comes in three main forms:
powder, sticks, and cones. Powder, which I have yet to use or see, is just
what it sounds like – a powder you burn. Now, before I go on, let me point
out you don’t just burn them anywhere. They all have their own unique holder
that makes it safer to burn them. Remember, though, that as with all
fire-related things, you should be careful. It burns slowly, but it still
could make something catch fire. Also, it creates smoke, so be careful not
to inhale too much. I’m pretty sure it’s not super dangerous to inhale, but
as with all smoke, it could be dangerous, especially if you have
lung/breathing problems. Consult a doctor before using it, just to be safe.
So let’s go back to powdered incense. From what I’ve heard, it’s burned in
fire-proof seashells or in/on special fire-proof containers. You may want to
look up more about this, though, because as I said before, I’ve never used
or seen the powdered form. Nest is a more common form: the incense stick. It
burns like so:
As you can see, there is no big open flame, although it does it burn.
This is how I usually burn incense because it’s easier to find and easy to
burn. There are many, many scents of incense and you can find incense at
many stores, even non-Occult stores. Last, but not least, then, is the cone.
It’s like the stick incense is that it’s "compact", but it is not in a stick
form. Instead it is a cone, the larger base being how it sits as it burns.
It burns like stick incense, working its way slowly down, but it’s harder
to tell when it’s gone out because you can’t really "see" where the fire is.
I really like cone incense because, unlike stick incense, the ash or what’s
burned stays in one place, piling up where solid incense once was. With
stick incense, the ash just falls onto the holder to be thrown away later.
As seen in the picture above, it usually sits on a tray-type holder. They
sell these many places and sometimes you can get packs of cones with a
holder. You also cane find dual incense holders that have places to burn
stick and cone incense. Incense smalls, like candle colors, can be used to
help the energy of a spell or ritual. There are many sites out there with
tables of correspondences (what certain colors/smells can be used to help).
Please direct yourself to the Places to Find More page to find links of
these.
Oils: Oils are something I’ve never personally used but are pretty
popular in magickal work. Oils are usually scented and made for a special
purpose, such as to bless something. They can be applied to many things, but
usually to the body or candles. Having not used them ever myself, I can’t
tell you much about them or how to use them, but if you’d like to learn
more, check out the Places to Find More page for links to sites with more
information.
Statues: Statues are an important part of some altars. I know people
who have none at all, but also some that have many decorating their altar.
Statues can be used for a number of reasons. Sometimes they are used as
representations of things, like certain creatures of certain and/or
non-specific deities. They also can be there just as reminders of something,
like a power/spirit animal (links to info on them in Places to Find More) or
something else important to you. You can choose whether or not you want one
or more statues and may even want to try carving your own out of wood, foam,
whatever. A quick note if you want God and Goddess representation statues:
if a statue of the Lord and Lady sounds great to you, go ahead and look for
one or make your own! But if you can’t afford statues for deity
representation, don’t worry about it. If you really want, buy two candles
whose colors say "god" or "goddess" to you. You may pick a silver and a gold
or a white and a black; it’s up to you. Decorate these if you want, but it’s
not necessary. If you really want to make them special, carve things into
them, like God and Goddess symbols or things that remind you of them .Place
these, or statues, on your altar to remind you that the God and Goddess are
always watching over you.
Athames: Pronounced ‘ah-thah-may" with stress on either the AH or the
THAH, but never said like "a-frame" with the "th" instead of an "f" sound
(in other words, never two syllables). The athame is a typically, but not
always, black-handled knife used in ceremony (rituals, usually, or spells).
It is never used to but things physically (see BOLLINE), but rather to "cut"
and direct energy. An example of this would be that, first it is used to
direct energy into the Sacred Circle that is cast before magickal work.
Then, if someone needs to enter the circle or leave it safely before it’s
closed, the circle (which is a sphere, in actuality) can have a doorway
"cut" open with the athame, too. Of all tools you may want to have, this is
one you may want to surpass. Although helpful, if you are not an adult or
are living in a house with your family, it could be looked at as something
to harm or could fall into the hands of a child or someone else who is
irresponsible. Later you’ll learn about real wands and how they can easily
replace athames in ritual- and spell-work. If you do decide to have or even
create an athame, though, you can buy them at many stores. Remember, though,
that if you are tight on money or can’t find one, you can use any knife-like
object. I’ve heard that fancy letter openers work fine, too, as do other
things. Get creative if you want! Decorate it if you think it’ll make it
more personal.
A quick safety reminder: do not leave athames unprotected! When not in
use, you may want to put them in a safe bag in a safe place or wrap them
securely in thick cloth. You don’t want to injure yourself or anyone else!
Swords: The sword’s function is much like an athames. Of course, it
is bigger, though, more expensive, and harder to find. It’s also more
dangerous. Usually only covens (groups of practitioners) use them; those
that are solitary tend to stick to athames and wands. Rules of the athame
still apply here, but how they are used is usually up to the coven. If you
practice alone, I’d advise you against getting one because it simply
wouldn’t be all that helpful.
Wands: Let me guess. When I say wand, you think of fairy tales and
Harry Potter, right? Maybe you’re convinced wands are used to make things
levitate or to send fireballs hurling through space at people. At this
point, I’d ask you to think again. Wands are very real tools used by Wiccans
and witches, too. Wiccans use them to direct energy or represent air (and
sometimes combinations of air and something else). To clear things up, too,
let me describe what a wand is. Wands vary in shapes, sizes, colors, etc.
and can be bought or made by hand. It can be as simple or decorated as the
owner wants. Usually, they are sticks of wood carved down (or maybe not, if
the bark looks good on it) to a smooth stick. The bark can be stripped off
or not, depending on what you want. They can be plain, carved, decorated, or
even have jewels secured onto the tip. Some I’ve seen are even metal! I
think the one that work best, though, are ones you make yourself from wood.
I’ll include a short example of how to make a simple wand in a little bit.
Anyways, wands are used, like I said, much like athames and are used
interchangeably. You don’t need to have both, but you can if you want. I
personally use a wand instead of trying to find an athame and also use it
sometimes as an air representation. If I’m using it, though, I use incense
as the air representation.
Now I’ll give you a simple way to make a wand. Just follow the
instructions below:
First, you’ll need some wood. If you want to make the wand
extra-special, you may want to check out some sites and books for the
properties of woods. Then, if you have those kinds of trees in the area,
you can use that wood for some an extra boost of whatever property it
has. While some may disagree, I think the wood doesn’t make a total
difference and I prefer to use whatever wood I have. Anyways, to find
wood, you can just walk around town or wherever you live and look for
trees. If you see one you think will have fallen braches, go to it and
look around the base. NEVER take wood still connected to the tree! Only
use branches that have fallen! It is disrespectful and painful to the
tree to rip wood off of it. Likewise, make sure to thank the tree for
the wood when you take it. You can do this by leaving it a gift of some
sort, mentally "talking" to it, or even literally say thank you. The
wand will work better if the tree is thanked because that energy of the
wood will be positive. Try to get a thicker piece of wood; it’ll be
easier to make a wand out of it that way.
Take the wood home and carefully clean it. If it won’t hurt the wood,
you may want to try washing it with water and drying it, but only do
this if you are sure it won’t wreck it.
Either by hand or with a knife (If you’re a teen or younger, get
parental permission! Don’t use a knife if you’re not allowed because you
could really hurt yourself or someone else!) strip the bark off. Try not
to cut too deep into the wood when doing this. You don’t have to get it
all off or even take any off if you don’t want to or can’t.
If you want to, sand the wood down. This can give it a nicer,
smoother feel.
Now here’s where you can get creative. Decorate it any way you like.
Maybe you want to carve a design around it. Go ahead! Find a feather you
really like? Use some kind of string or whatever else you want to attach
it. You can do whatever you think will make it personal.
If you want to make it even more "magickal," try blessing it. You can
find ways to bless items, people, etc. at some of the links on the
Places to Find More page.
And there you have it: Your very own personalized wand.
Bollines: Pronounced bow-LEEN, the bow being said as it is in bowtie,
is the counterpart of the athame. While the athame is used religiously to
direct energy or "cut" energy, the bolline is the blade used to literally
cut. It is usually white-handled and the blade is a crescent shape. Typical
uses for the bolline is to cut up and collect growing herbs, carve things
(candles, wood, etc.) and pretty much do whatever else it’s needed for. Like
the athame, it’s not totally necessary, but could be helpful if you grow
herbs or need to carve symbols into objects. Please note that, also like the
bolline, do not leave a bolline openly exposed. To prevent hurting yourself
or others, make or buy a holder or wrap it securely in thick cloth. Also, if
you are a teen or younger, get parental permission before buying one. I
don’t care if your parents like you practicing Wicca or not; they have to
give you the okay before you buy potentially dangerous items.
Besoms: Remember the old myth that witches ride on broomsticks?
Here’s the tool that accidentally caused this myth. The besom is pretty much
a broom used to "sweep" energy and clean areas. Like the athame, it is not
used physically, though. It is not supposed to brush against the ground when
in use but rather be held above it. They are used to "sweep" away old or
negative energy in ritual space, houses, etc. There are sites that have ways
to make them if you can’t afford to buy one. Check out the Places to Find
More page for more info.
Quick note: Ever wonder why people think witches ride on broomsticks? One
reason I’ve heard, although I don’t know if it’s true of not, is that
witches used to try to promote good crops by "sitting" on their brooms and
jumping up and down. It sounds strange, I know, but they thought it helped.
However, when ignorant townsfolk saw this happening, they thought the
witches were trying to fly. This progressed into stories of actually seeing
them flying through the night and hurting people.
Cauldrons: Although many people don’t realize it, one thing that
people say that witches do is true. Well, half true. Remember hearing about
witches standing around large caldrons, stirring potions and cackling? Or
maybe you loved Charmed when it was still new and saw that the trio often
made vanquishing potions in a caldron. Although most Wiccans aren’t know for
making potions like that (maybe oils or foodstuffs, but usually not
potions), many do own cauldrons. The reason, however, is for a different
reason. Cauldrons, for those who don’t know, are typically cast-iron pots
that sit on three or four "legs".
Click to enlarge. Credits: Picture taken by
gothicbohemian.
They are used to hold fire (if you are burning something), hold water or
other liquids, mix different things, etc. They can be used for as many
reasons as a Wiccan could think of – plus more. They range in size, from
smaller varieties to large ones and also can be made from sundry materials
and may have designs, too. You can find them at many occult shops if you
want to have one. This, like all others Wiccan ritual items I’ve mentioned,
is not required.
Bells/Chimes: Bells and chimes, to most people, are just regular
mundane things that we see everyday. I mean, what’s so magickal about a bell
or a wind chime? Actually, bells and chimes cane be very magickal. While I
don’t personally use them, I know that many other Wiccans do. They can be
used for general music to set a mood, to "scare away" negative energy, and
other ritual events. They are usually inexpensive and can be used in any way
you think they’ll really help. Perhaps you like to sing and would like to
sing a rhyming spell. Go ahead and ring the bell in time, then! If you want
to protect your house, hang a chime outside. They’ve been known to keep bad
spirits and energy out. If you search the Web, too, I’m sure you’ll find
more ways they are used.
Special Robes/Clothing: While not all Wiccans do, some prefer to wear
special outfits for rituals and spells. Here are some of the choices you
have when it comes to clothing for rituals:
Robes – You can either sew them yourself or buy them. In covens,
sometimes only higher ranking members wear them or wear specialized
ones.
Cloaks – Cloaks are a good choice, too, and can, again, be bought or
made at home. Cloaks can have hoods or sleeves if desired, but can go
without.
Anything else – Maybe you have a nice outfit you’d like to wear in
rituals. That’s great. Just make sure they’re cleaned when you need
them. ;)
Skyclad – Yes, it’s sometimes true – some Wiccans wear absolutely
nothing. Skyclad is the usual term for this. Some people feel they are
closer to nature by being "natural." It’s perfectly fine to do this, but
realize that if you are looking into a coven that practices in the nude
and you’re not comfortable with that, don’t join. To have a successful
group, all members have to feel absolute trust and comfort in the
circle.
Remember, you can wear whatever you want. You don’t need special clothes
or even clothes at all. Wear what you feel is best. And just a hint: if you
do have special clothing you want to wear in rituals, they will be even
better if you don’t wear them otherwise. In other words, try not to pick a
shirt you wear normally to wear in all of your rituals, too. It takes away
part of the "effect" wearing special clothing gives. Also, be careful if you
wear loose clothes, robes, cloaks, etc. if you have candles. As always with
candles, you don’t want to start a big fire and burn down your house. Use
common sense.
Pentacles: The last item I’ll talk about it the basic pentacle. Many
people like having at least one special pentacle on their altar to represent
all the elements, including spirit, in one place, as well as having other
representations. I think this is important because the pentacle connects the
elements that humans are and live off of to spirit, or the part of humans
that is also the Lord and Lady. You don’t need a big fancy one, but if it
suits you, just pick any pentacle you like. Maybe you want to carve one out
of wood or make one out of tree branches. That’s fantastic. Whatever floats
your boat. And as usual, I’ll tell you this: get creative! It’s your altar
and your pentacle. You decide what it’ll be like! If you’d like more
information on pentacles and what they represent, check out the Places to
Find More page for links to other websites.
Element Representation:
As I said before, I’ll give you all some ideas of what to use for element
representations. I won’t be listing Spirit because I don’t personally have a
special representation for it in particular. If you think you want one,
though, feel free to find something you think represents it. I’ll make this
easy by giving you the direction it is and a list of ideas. If you’d like
more information on the elements, check the Places to Find More page to find
links to other websites with good information. Also, in all the lists there
will be items you may need to place into containers. Some good containers
are cups, bowls, plastic storage containers, small pots, large seashells,
etc. Use whatever you feel works.
Earth: To be placed in the North. Pentacles, stones or rocks, gems, twigs
and small braches, dirt, grass, herbs, other plants, moss, salt,
oats/barley/wheat/etc., brooms, metals, coins, bones, greens and earthy
colors.
Air: To be placed in the East. Wands, incense, flutes (or other like
instruments), feathers, fans, yellows.
Fire: To be placed in the South. Candles (usually lit), athames, daggers,
rubies, reds.
Water: To be placed in the West. Cups or chalices, dishes of water,
rainwater, caldrons, seashells, mirrors, blues.
As I get more time to find more, I’ll add to these lists. If you have
ideas, email me them. You can find my email on the About the Creator page.
