Lore of ToolsA tool for a sorcerer, magician or witch... (do add your own label here) is at times rather important to many. However with all these modern interpretations it will become rather confusing from their modern perspective to their humble predecessors of the past. Here I will try to write the older lore...and type what sort of symbolism or indicator it holds within modern magical practice.
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Altar
According to the dictionary "Altar" is described as an elevated place or structure, as a mound or platform at which, religious rites are performed or on which sacrifices are offered to gods, ancestors, etc
Altar therefore means "high place" or just "high". Altars exist in all religions and spiritual practices and cultures. Altars most certainly the main focus in churches, but they are not confined to large public buildings: Many beliefs and faiths have a domestic Altar in the home. (Some faiths apply the word shrine instead of altar)
An Altar can be in a modern sense, something as humble as a cloth on the floor. Where you lay down your other tools or what you might need to use during spell-work or ritual. I know some who have dedicated a room, in their house to serve the purpose of different Altars. Some are more inclined to a kind of table (It appears most prefer these to be round). Or even a natural slate or piece of flat stone will do wonders as an Altar.
Altar therefore means "high place" or just "high". Altars exist in all religions and spiritual practices and cultures. Altars most certainly the main focus in churches, but they are not confined to large public buildings: Many beliefs and faiths have a domestic Altar in the home. (Some faiths apply the word shrine instead of altar)
An Altar can be in a modern sense, something as humble as a cloth on the floor. Where you lay down your other tools or what you might need to use during spell-work or ritual. I know some who have dedicated a room, in their house to serve the purpose of different Altars. Some are more inclined to a kind of table (It appears most prefer these to be round). Or even a natural slate or piece of flat stone will do wonders as an Altar.
Apple
The apple tree is a tree of the Underworld, a tree of immortality, and sacred to Apollo.
The mythical Isle of Avalon, meaning orchard (from afal , the old Welsh word for apple) is the resting place of the Celtic kings and heroes, and one of the places where King Arthur is meant to wait until he is needed once more to protect his people. For Celtic people, the apple tree symbolizes the World Tree, the axis of the Universe. They considered the apple the most magical of fruits, a fruit of immortality and prophecy.
At Samhuin, or Halloween, the time of the apple harvest, the fruit has a large part to play in the rituals and celebrations, including divinationary practices. The apple itself contains a potent magical symbol within. If it is cut across its "equator" (with the stalk at the top) there are five pips inside, contained within five pointed star or pentagram. The pentagram in turn, can be the basis of the golden spiral. The spherical shape of the apple symbolizes eternity
The mythical Isle of Avalon, meaning orchard (from afal , the old Welsh word for apple) is the resting place of the Celtic kings and heroes, and one of the places where King Arthur is meant to wait until he is needed once more to protect his people. For Celtic people, the apple tree symbolizes the World Tree, the axis of the Universe. They considered the apple the most magical of fruits, a fruit of immortality and prophecy.
At Samhuin, or Halloween, the time of the apple harvest, the fruit has a large part to play in the rituals and celebrations, including divinationary practices. The apple itself contains a potent magical symbol within. If it is cut across its "equator" (with the stalk at the top) there are five pips inside, contained within five pointed star or pentagram. The pentagram in turn, can be the basis of the golden spiral. The spherical shape of the apple symbolizes eternity
Athame
The Ceremonial knife used by a Witch.
(Originally Wiccan Witches, but it has become more common practice outside of the Witches Religion Wicca.) It is normally made with a black handle, and is used to mark a magical circle or sacred space, or to direct (guide) the energy, but is never used to cut anything. The pointed shape of the blade of the Athame suggests the element of Fire, which it also symbolizes. (Other traditions may argue) The Athame is balanced by the chalice which represents water.
Ceremonial Daggers, Knives and Swords have been used for thousands of years as in terms of initiating leaders, knights, Kings and Queens, Harvesting slaughter (food for the winter, and to honour gods such as Odin during Yuletide "Juletiden" near the Winter Solstice) The Aztecs used a dagger to cut out the heart of the sacrifice.
(Originally Wiccan Witches, but it has become more common practice outside of the Witches Religion Wicca.) It is normally made with a black handle, and is used to mark a magical circle or sacred space, or to direct (guide) the energy, but is never used to cut anything. The pointed shape of the blade of the Athame suggests the element of Fire, which it also symbolizes. (Other traditions may argue) The Athame is balanced by the chalice which represents water.
Ceremonial Daggers, Knives and Swords have been used for thousands of years as in terms of initiating leaders, knights, Kings and Queens, Harvesting slaughter (food for the winter, and to honour gods such as Odin during Yuletide "Juletiden" near the Winter Solstice) The Aztecs used a dagger to cut out the heart of the sacrifice.
Boline
The boline is a knife like sickle in the Druid and Wiccan tradition, the unique symbolism is held within its blade, which is shaped like the Crescent Moon and is Silver in Colour. The boline usually has a white handle due to its associations to the moon. This boline is a practical and ceremonial tool used for cutting herbs magcially or physically for cooking. As for the Druidic aspect would be used to cut mistletoe directly from the tree.
A sickle was and still is to this day used for harvesting grain and grass, consisting of a curved hook like blade. (Quite many Villages in Northern Europe use Scythes and Sickles for amounts of grass or hay that is too much for a modern machine to handle. And also to keep with some old traditions.) Some of those who follow a more Folk magic inclined path may be more familiar to follow the old farmers almanacs, and home remedies. Which tells you quite accurately which moon phase or time of day is most ideal to harvest or gather a plant/herb to preserve and extract certain purposes for use in spell - work, potions, ointments, salves, concoctions etc
A sickle was and still is to this day used for harvesting grain and grass, consisting of a curved hook like blade. (Quite many Villages in Northern Europe use Scythes and Sickles for amounts of grass or hay that is too much for a modern machine to handle. And also to keep with some old traditions.) Some of those who follow a more Folk magic inclined path may be more familiar to follow the old farmers almanacs, and home remedies. Which tells you quite accurately which moon phase or time of day is most ideal to harvest or gather a plant/herb to preserve and extract certain purposes for use in spell - work, potions, ointments, salves, concoctions etc
Besom/Broomstick
The hard and polished elm wood that is traditionally believed to make the handle of the witches broomstick would help make it more aerodynamic. The broomstick is in appearance a very plain household object. The form have changed slightly over the centuries, from the traditional dried branch of the broom plant, but the use seems to have remained much the same. Although it is much more than that. The act of sweeping was and still is a sacred task in temples, since to be able to clean something properly the person doing the cleaning must also be clean and pure.
As well as sweeping away dust and dirt, symbolically the besom or broomstick sweeps away other things too; in parts of France, it is considered bad form to sweep up after dark, in case good luck is swept away with the dirt. In Ancient Rome special broomsticks where used by sacred "midwives" or wise women to symbolically sweep away any negative influences from a house which a baby had just been born.
In Scandinavia brooms gained another power similar to its ancient roman predecessor. If you swept the broom against your threshold you would be able to "sweep out unwanted guests" be it ill intentions, unwanted guests as in the form of cheeky fairies or vettir who would want to cause your family harm.
The Broomstick of the female witch is a very handy object to have around. It is often seen as a phallic symbol, and in pre -christian societies marriages were often validated by the happy couple leaping together over the broomstick. It is also a symbol of liberation of the woman away from domestic drudgery; with her magical broomstick the witch can fly anywhere, wield her power, and disclose her true identity. Incidentally, the broomstick is often called a "besom" this word is from the old English besema meaning "woman" and has the same root as "bosom" (= breasts)
(When making a broom, make sure to use woods. And branches ideal and significant to your region and local area.)
As well as sweeping away dust and dirt, symbolically the besom or broomstick sweeps away other things too; in parts of France, it is considered bad form to sweep up after dark, in case good luck is swept away with the dirt. In Ancient Rome special broomsticks where used by sacred "midwives" or wise women to symbolically sweep away any negative influences from a house which a baby had just been born.
In Scandinavia brooms gained another power similar to its ancient roman predecessor. If you swept the broom against your threshold you would be able to "sweep out unwanted guests" be it ill intentions, unwanted guests as in the form of cheeky fairies or vettir who would want to cause your family harm.
The Broomstick of the female witch is a very handy object to have around. It is often seen as a phallic symbol, and in pre -christian societies marriages were often validated by the happy couple leaping together over the broomstick. It is also a symbol of liberation of the woman away from domestic drudgery; with her magical broomstick the witch can fly anywhere, wield her power, and disclose her true identity. Incidentally, the broomstick is often called a "besom" this word is from the old English besema meaning "woman" and has the same root as "bosom" (= breasts)
(When making a broom, make sure to use woods. And branches ideal and significant to your region and local area.)
Cauldron
When trying to understand symbols, sometimes it is useful to simply look at the shape and see what it resembles. The traditional cauldron represents no more than the belly of a pregnant woman and, not surprisingly. the cauldron is an important female symbol all over the world. The circular shape of the cauldron gives another clue; the circle is a symbol of never ending - life and regeneration, and these symbols recur repeatedly in stories containing cauldron symbolism. The way the cauldron is used also gives a hint about its symbolic meaning.
Things are put into the cauldron and something different is taken out; the basic ingredients are transformed. Therefore the cauldron also symbolizes germination and transformation. Originally cauldrons have three legs. The number three in this instance represents , the triple aspect of the Great Goddess (modern interpretation), or the three fates. Shakespeare alludes, to this when the three Weird Sisters -- arguably the most famous witches in literature "cook up" trouble at the beginning of Macbeth.
In pre- christian literature there are numerous accounts of legends and myths featuring magical cauldrons, and it might be because of this that the cauldron has its "witchy associations".
Celtic tales tell of cauldrons that contain an unending supply of food or knowledge. The dead are quite often thrown into a Magical Cauldron of Rebirth and climb out the next day, alive once again. Mythical warriors and heroes who died in battle are restored to life in this way. Ceridwen had a cauldron full of inspiration and magical powers. In India, a magic life giving food, called Soma, was brewed in three bottomless cauldrons. In Greece, there are tales in which a kind of intiation involves the person boiling in a cauldron, but after the rite, the initiate emerges with magical powers, including the gift of immortality.
Things are put into the cauldron and something different is taken out; the basic ingredients are transformed. Therefore the cauldron also symbolizes germination and transformation. Originally cauldrons have three legs. The number three in this instance represents , the triple aspect of the Great Goddess (modern interpretation), or the three fates. Shakespeare alludes, to this when the three Weird Sisters -- arguably the most famous witches in literature "cook up" trouble at the beginning of Macbeth.
In pre- christian literature there are numerous accounts of legends and myths featuring magical cauldrons, and it might be because of this that the cauldron has its "witchy associations".
Celtic tales tell of cauldrons that contain an unending supply of food or knowledge. The dead are quite often thrown into a Magical Cauldron of Rebirth and climb out the next day, alive once again. Mythical warriors and heroes who died in battle are restored to life in this way. Ceridwen had a cauldron full of inspiration and magical powers. In India, a magic life giving food, called Soma, was brewed in three bottomless cauldrons. In Greece, there are tales in which a kind of intiation involves the person boiling in a cauldron, but after the rite, the initiate emerges with magical powers, including the gift of immortality.
Chalice
This is a cup or grail that is normally used during rituals. No matter what the religious and spiritual persuasion of the celebrant, a chalice of some form is used, even if it appears as a highly ornamented vessel of the Catholic Church or the simpler wooden cup favoured by some Pagan groups. The Chalice itself is symbolic of water or of the Spirit, and is used as such in the suit of Cups in the Tarot. The chalice is also a universal symbol of the feminine aspect because of its shape, it is used as a vessel, and it is linked to water. Eastern Religions use a kind of bell called a Drilbu, in the place of a chalice.
Crystal Ball
Combining the sphere's perfection and totality with the clarity and brilliance of crystal, the crystal ball is apart of the toolkit of the professional clairvoyant or seer. The clarity of the crystal matches the "Clear sight" of the psychic. When used for scrying, the crystal ball acts as a focus for meditation, making it possible for the adept to access a place that is out of time in order to be able to see the future. This practice of scrying is carried out in various ways . Instead of an expensive crystal, cheaper methods are also available for the talented psychic. A bowl of water, a drop of blood, or a pool of ink can be used.
Incense
The origins in incendere, the Latin word for fire, the importance of incense as a magical symbol lies in the resins and spices that it is made from, its perfume, and the action of its smoke that rises toward the sky. This smoke is believed to conduct prayers, messages, and devotions toward the deities. The scent is said to please the Gods as well as lifting the spirits of the followers/worshippers, and the fact that frankincense was one of the three gifts given by the Wise Men to the infant Christ is a reminder of its significance.
In Christianity incense was first used in burials as a symbol of purity that would drive away demons and to carry the soul up to Heavcn. However its use soon expanded, and today, incense has a prominent part to play in rites of all kinds, especially within the Roman Catholic Church and The High Church of England. Neopagan (Pagan) groups, too, use incense for the same reasons. Burning of incense transcends faiths and cultural boundaries .
For Native Americans, the fragrant smoke given off by tobacco and other herbs when they share the calumet or pipe carries the exactly same significance as the incense that is burned in churches and the "dhupa" (or dhoop sticks) of Hindu ritual. For Hindus, incense represents the element of air and the perception of conciousness. Practitioners of ceremonial magic might use incense so that disembodied entities, such as elemental's or other spirits, might use the smoke to make themselves manifest.
In Christianity incense was first used in burials as a symbol of purity that would drive away demons and to carry the soul up to Heavcn. However its use soon expanded, and today, incense has a prominent part to play in rites of all kinds, especially within the Roman Catholic Church and The High Church of England. Neopagan (Pagan) groups, too, use incense for the same reasons. Burning of incense transcends faiths and cultural boundaries .
For Native Americans, the fragrant smoke given off by tobacco and other herbs when they share the calumet or pipe carries the exactly same significance as the incense that is burned in churches and the "dhupa" (or dhoop sticks) of Hindu ritual. For Hindus, incense represents the element of air and the perception of conciousness. Practitioners of ceremonial magic might use incense so that disembodied entities, such as elemental's or other spirits, might use the smoke to make themselves manifest.
Mirror
The belief that a reflection can somehow be an actual part of the soul may be a primitive one, but it reaches far into our collective concious.
The mirror is somehow regarded as a mystical gateway into another world. Lewis Carroll plays with this idea to great effect in Through the Looking Glass. Here the mirror is a window to a parallel Universe of opposites, a sort of negative image of reality. The mirror is used as a magical object, again, in the fairytale of Snow White, where the mirror of the Evil Queen has a spirit of its own that can see what is going on elsewhere in the world. The Mirror can tell the Queen "who is the fairest in the land" Like the mirror in this fairytale, the mirror always reflects the impartial truth, and so is symbolic of honesty and purity.
The Buddhist Mirror of Dharma reveals the causes of past actions, so here the mirror symbolizes not only truth but also enlightenment. For Tibetan Buddhists, the "Wisdom of the Great Mirror" teaches a secret similar to that of Plato's Cave of Shadows; that things reflected in the mirror are just another aspect of the Void. In Japanese Mythology, the mirror that belongs to the Goddess, Amaterasu, draws light from darkness of a cavern and beams light back out into our world. The ancient Celts believed too, that the mirror could capture souls, and their women were buried with a mirror to keep their soul safe. Mirrors appear repeatedly in myths and legends from all over the world.
A broken mirror is a symbol of doom (bad luck) the archetypal bad omen, and popular superstitious belief says that the person breaking the glass will suffer seven years of bad luck, although there are certain unusual measures that can be taken to minimize this. These include burying the mirror in a piece of thick cloth, deep in the ground, presumably so that the reflection of the "Bad Luck" is hidden in the dark. A Black bowl filled with water makes a reflective surface; the water is associated with the Moon, itself a mirror of the Sun, and for those with the talent to move outside the confines of linear time this scrying bowl provides a magical mirror that can be used as a divinatory tool. The use of a reflective surfaces is one of the most ancient forms of divination.
Pythagoras had a magical mirror, which he placed in moonlight to "charge" it with lunar, occult powers. He then used the mirror to divine the future. The reflective surface of the witch ball, hanging in the window, wards off evil spirits by reflecting their malevolence right back at them. In this sense, it has a similar use to the hexagonal mirror used by practitioners of Feng Shui. This mirror is fixed about the doorway of the home, the eight sides repelling bad influences from all directions a protective symbol.
The mirror is somehow regarded as a mystical gateway into another world. Lewis Carroll plays with this idea to great effect in Through the Looking Glass. Here the mirror is a window to a parallel Universe of opposites, a sort of negative image of reality. The mirror is used as a magical object, again, in the fairytale of Snow White, where the mirror of the Evil Queen has a spirit of its own that can see what is going on elsewhere in the world. The Mirror can tell the Queen "who is the fairest in the land" Like the mirror in this fairytale, the mirror always reflects the impartial truth, and so is symbolic of honesty and purity.
The Buddhist Mirror of Dharma reveals the causes of past actions, so here the mirror symbolizes not only truth but also enlightenment. For Tibetan Buddhists, the "Wisdom of the Great Mirror" teaches a secret similar to that of Plato's Cave of Shadows; that things reflected in the mirror are just another aspect of the Void. In Japanese Mythology, the mirror that belongs to the Goddess, Amaterasu, draws light from darkness of a cavern and beams light back out into our world. The ancient Celts believed too, that the mirror could capture souls, and their women were buried with a mirror to keep their soul safe. Mirrors appear repeatedly in myths and legends from all over the world.
A broken mirror is a symbol of doom (bad luck) the archetypal bad omen, and popular superstitious belief says that the person breaking the glass will suffer seven years of bad luck, although there are certain unusual measures that can be taken to minimize this. These include burying the mirror in a piece of thick cloth, deep in the ground, presumably so that the reflection of the "Bad Luck" is hidden in the dark. A Black bowl filled with water makes a reflective surface; the water is associated with the Moon, itself a mirror of the Sun, and for those with the talent to move outside the confines of linear time this scrying bowl provides a magical mirror that can be used as a divinatory tool. The use of a reflective surfaces is one of the most ancient forms of divination.
Pythagoras had a magical mirror, which he placed in moonlight to "charge" it with lunar, occult powers. He then used the mirror to divine the future. The reflective surface of the witch ball, hanging in the window, wards off evil spirits by reflecting their malevolence right back at them. In this sense, it has a similar use to the hexagonal mirror used by practitioners of Feng Shui. This mirror is fixed about the doorway of the home, the eight sides repelling bad influences from all directions a protective symbol.
Wand/Staff
It is likely that the wand belonging to the fairy a top the Christmas tree will only work in the correct hands, but if not, what an enviable tool it would be. But it is not only fairies who carry wands or similar objects.
The Wand is an essential tool for anyone who aspires to a position of authority and power: witches and wizards, druids, bishops, the monarchy. If it sounds strange to think of a bishop holding a wand , think of his crozier, the highly decorated staff with a bend in the end like a shepherd's crook; the crozier is his wand. Similarly, the scepter of the monarch fills the same role. Essentially the wand connects the user to the spirit world or to magical powers. The wand itself is a thin stick, or rod held in the hand, and signifies both the power of the person holding it and the extension of that power. The baton of the conductor concentrates the attention of the orchestra to where it is needed; the stage magician uses his wand to direct our attention away from something else.
Wand - like tools have a long history. Wands were found in Egyptian tombs where they would have enabled the soul of the deceased to use the other items laid out for use in the Afterlife. Moses carried a wand of Hazel, and Hazel or Willow is also the preferred wood for the construction of dowsing rods, another kind of wand. Indeed, the material from which a "magical" wand is made will have great significance, too; druids for example, use a staff made of yew wood to divine the future.
Aesclepius, the son of Apollo carried a wand around which two serpents where entwined ; this is a wand which carries healing powers, called a Caduceus. In the Tarot the suit of Wands is related to the element of fire.
The Wand is an essential tool for anyone who aspires to a position of authority and power: witches and wizards, druids, bishops, the monarchy. If it sounds strange to think of a bishop holding a wand , think of his crozier, the highly decorated staff with a bend in the end like a shepherd's crook; the crozier is his wand. Similarly, the scepter of the monarch fills the same role. Essentially the wand connects the user to the spirit world or to magical powers. The wand itself is a thin stick, or rod held in the hand, and signifies both the power of the person holding it and the extension of that power. The baton of the conductor concentrates the attention of the orchestra to where it is needed; the stage magician uses his wand to direct our attention away from something else.
Wand - like tools have a long history. Wands were found in Egyptian tombs where they would have enabled the soul of the deceased to use the other items laid out for use in the Afterlife. Moses carried a wand of Hazel, and Hazel or Willow is also the preferred wood for the construction of dowsing rods, another kind of wand. Indeed, the material from which a "magical" wand is made will have great significance, too; druids for example, use a staff made of yew wood to divine the future.
Aesclepius, the son of Apollo carried a wand around which two serpents where entwined ; this is a wand which carries healing powers, called a Caduceus. In the Tarot the suit of Wands is related to the element of fire.