Tools of the Trade

This is by no means the definitive list of tools used by craftworkers, but at least provides a start and an understanding of the most commonly used tools.  Many is the person who will cheerfully guide you towards bankrupting yourself on all the paraphernalia so, where possible, I have tried to give ideas on how to create these items for yourself, thus minimizing the expense.  However, this serves more than just a materialistic purpose as, in my experience, the tools you make for yourself are generally the ones which hold the most potency in your work.

If there is a commonly used tool which you can't find on this list, and feel should be included, please don't hesitate to contact my by clicking on the image below.

Now please click on the name of the tool you are interested in learning more about.

Altar

An altar can come in a multitude of shapes, sizes and styles, and essentially how you choose to select yours is entirely up to you.  Unlike the enormous altars seen in churches, most Pagans generally have one which is about coffee table sized, and this is plenty for the average practitioner.  Those who work in groves or covens may use something a little larger for the group meetings, although this is entirely up to each individual group.

The purpose of the altar is to become the display area for the tools and accessories of your ritual.  Various basic altar dressings are suggested in the article on the wheel of the year.  Alongside these, the elemental representations are generally placed, as well as any other equipment you may need during your rite.

A lot of people actually use their coffee table as an altar, and when starting out this really is just fine.  Come to think of it, it's fine for as long as it feels fine to you!  If you want a slightly more practical, yet still affordable, option then I would suggest buying one of the small pine chests sold for around £10 in most DIY stores, which can double up as a storage place for your other equipment.  If you want, it's easy to get an extra panel of wood cut slightly larger than the surface area of the top of the chest, and nail four blocks in to allow it to rest safely on the chest top to either serve in a dual role as a coffee table, or to provide a greater surface area for your altar.

Altar Cloth

Much like an ordinary table cloth, the altar cloth serves a variety of purposes.  On a practical level, being washable means that they are the preferable place for accidents to occur, as opposed to directly onto the wood of your altar!  Even the most experienced craftworker has to admit to spillages of wine, wax and oils at some point in their history, no matter how careful they are!

Some people always use the same cloth for all rites, and in these cases the cloth is generally black as the embodiment of all other colours.  Others, however, have different coloured cloths depending upon the nature and season of the ritual.  Once again, this is entirely down to personal preference in a lot of cases.  If you need a hint on which colour to use, please refer to the sections on colour correspondences and the wheel of the year.

Many stores offer altar cloths as part of their range, though in truth this another entirely unnecessary purchase to make.  A cheaper option would be to visit your local fabric shop and select the fabric which is right for the job.  If you want to leave it at that, all you need do is cut the piece of material in the appropriate shape for your altar, allowing sufficient for a slight overhang, and then simply fold in and sew (or glue, if you really don't like sewing!) the edges.  If you want to really get involved in the creative process, you may also decide to embroider borders or images upon the fabric, again selecting the appropriate colours to do so.  If, however, you want the height of laziness and practicality, you may wish to purchase one of the heavily waxed materials available nowadays, which are far easier to keep clean, and only require cutting as the edges won't fray.

Athame

With a double edged blade, the athame is most commonly used either in a symbolic manner (such as the athame in the chalice) or as a means of directing energy (such as circle casting).  In the case of the latter, although a nice accessory, frankly your fingers do the job perfectly adequately!  For the symbolic representation, a wand can be used to equal effect in it's place.

Unless you happen to be skilled in metalcraft, or fancy taking up a course in it which allows you to create what you wish to, it's not the sort of thing you can create for yourself!  However, those living close enough to a blacksmiths to ask their assistance may find it possible to trade with them as a way of creating their own.

In choosing an athame, it is essential that you select one which feels right for you; never mind what anyone else says.  Some prefer dark handles, others light... some go for bone handles, others wood.  It really is entirely up to you.  Generally, however, the uniting factor is the double edged blade.  A brief study into duality will explain why.

Besom

The archetypal witch's broom, a besom is most commonly made from the broom tree.  If you wish to make your own, you can use the section on working with trees to understand how best to go about gathering the wood you require.  Using one longer, thicker branch as the handle, take the dried twigs and bind them as you see fit around the base.  The easiest way is with a simple length of parcel string or twine.

The besom is most commonly used for cleansing a space, although the traditional image of a witch does arise from witches mounting their besoms whilst under the influence of hallucinatory "flying" ointments to participate in the Wild Hunt.

In truth, however, I would rate the besom fairly low down on the list of essential items when working.  Space clearance can be achieved in a multitude of ways, most of which are easier than creating a besom.  That being said, it does make a nice addition to your kit as and when you feel ready to add it.

Book of Shadows

Essentially a craftworker's diary of magical workings and learning, in whatever form it takes, the kind of book you choose to use is entirely up to you.  Many sites and stores offer the old fashioned style leather bound books, although this is more of a gimmick than a necessity.

As with so much in craftworking, your own individual personality should be the guide.  Modern technology has changed much of the way people choose to work, and many people now keep a Disk of Shadows as opposed to the old fashioned Book!  Just as many keep a ring binder of shadows, a notepad of shadows, a heaped pile of scrap paper of shadows... and then some of us still use the old fashioned book!

One nice way of making an affordable Book of Shadows is to buy a hardbacked blank or feint ruled book and cover it yourself.  I have found the Black 'n' Red range to be ideal for this purpose.  Although many will insist your book should be a certain colour, I feel this again takes out the individuality of the piece.  So I would personally say, allow your imagination to run riot when deciding how to cover it!  Sure, you could just use paper, but you could also use fabric, leather, pressed leaves or flowers, paint... whatever seems right to you.  The important thing is that it feels like a piece of magic to you; not that anyone else thinks it is!

Equally, what you choose to put in your Book of Shadows is down to you as an individual.  Some people's read like a diary, with notes made of each magical working they perform, together with anything new they have learnt on that day.  Others treat it more like a notepad, and just insert thoughts, knowledge and information as and when it occurs.

One thing which should be mentioned however is that, unless you are creating your first Book of Shadows as part of a 101 course (in which case it will probably be following some kind of order), you should not expect your Book to be logical!  Invariably, no matter how hard we try, they end up chaotic!  Such is the nature of our world, and to me, this only serves to add to the charms of the Book.  You may, however, like to run two systems alongside each other..  I personally have a Book of Shadows for the bulk of my entries, but keep a separate ring binder for those I feel I will wish for a quick reference to, as this allows me to place them in some form of order.

Candles

The uses for candles in Paganism and craftwork are probably as varied as the number of styles, shapes, sizes and colours they come in.  From purifying a space to honouring the salamanders to candle magic to ink making, the list is endless.  As you go along, you will find the techniques which work best for you when candles are employed, so I shan't try and list them all here!

Most craft shops stock candle making kits for you to make your own at home, and others still offer mouldable wax if you want to be even more creative!  By making your own, it is possible to add the colours, scents and herbs appropriate to their purpose, together with infusing your own energy and intent into them from the outset.  Unless the ritual or spell calls for the disposal or retention of the candle stubs, you can also save these up, cleanse them, and melt them down again for reuse.

However, if you wish to buy ready made candles, care should always be taken to cleanse them thoroughly before use.  This can be done in a variety of ways; the easiest of which being to simply wash them down from tip to base with charged water.  From there you can charge them as necessary for their intended use.

Cauldron

The traditional image of the cast iron pot bellied cauldron is still a popular form today.  However, this is by no means the only form that they come in.

Whilst sometimes still used as portrayed in the images of old as a receptacle in which to brew potions of various forms, they are more commonly used by most as a container for a variety of objects or substances, depending upon the ritual involved.  This can be anything from the salt or mud representing the earth element to a candle and/or flowers and fruit for various sabbats, to the water by which a scrying session is to be performed.  It all depends upon the practise about to be undertaken.

Not something I would personally count amongst the essential items, the cauldron does, however, provide a nice addition to your paraphernalia as you start to build up your collection.  The cauldron and chalice are linked in many ways, not least of which being their symbolic representation of the Grail.

It is possible to make your own cauldron using modelling clay, which can be found in most craft shops, although you should take care when firing to ensure it is both watertight and fireproof if you intend to use either of these elemental substances within it.  Alternatively, most homeware stores have something appropriate for you to use as an alternative to the, often expensive, traditional cast iron cauldrons available.

Censer

A censer is a heat proof receptacle designed to hold burning coals on which to place loose incense, and comes in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, colours and styles.

Choosing a censer is largely a question of personal preference, although with rolled incense available, it doesn't constitute an essential purchase.  This being said, in my own experience, the smoke given from loose incense and resins is infinitely preferable to that of the rolled variety, although this is of course balanced out by the lack of mess made, or attention required by rolled incense.  Once more, a question of personal taste.  Whilst I tend to use rolled incense for day to day purposes, I personally find that loose incense adds that extra touch of magic to a ritual setting.

Censers are generally fairly cheap to purchase, and can start from as little as around £2, so an economy version isn't really called for in this case!  However, a word of warning, obvious as this may sound, they do get incredibly hot, and so it's generally a good idea to place a coaster underneath them, and novices should wait until they have cooled to clear them away.  It's always a good idea to keep a tin of water nearby to place any burning embers into after use, and I also keep a pair of tweezers to hand in case any stray bits of expensive resin need rescuing!

Chalice

Another representation of the Grail, the chalice is most commonly used to contain the sacramental wine, or as a symbolic piece to contain the athame or wand.  Once more, these tend to come in a variety of shades, sizes, colours and forms, although the most popular colours tend to be blue and/or silver, for obvious reasons.

Select a chalice which feels right to you; it won't necessarily be the most ornate or elaborate one, nor should it be unless that is truly what you are drawn to.  Genuine Bristol blue glass (because of it's purity) often provides a cheaper, and equally attractive, alternative to a more pricey silver.  This glassware can often be found in homeware stores, so you should have no trouble in locating a piece you like.

As with the cauldron, you could also make your own out of modelling clay, although again care should be taken to ensure that the piece is watertight, and do bear in mind when selecting a finish for it that you need something non-toxic if you are to drink from it!

Incense

In olden times, one day to day function of incense would have been to keep the natural smells of daily life out... nowadays, it seems, they are used for quite the opposite reason!   Incense comes in two main forms; loose and rolled (also called joss sticks).  Both types come in a wide range of blends and scents, and both have their plus points.

With loose incense, I find the smoke given off tends to be purer, although it is a messier method as well.  It does, however, lend an extra air of magic to a ritual setting.  With rolled incense, on the other hand, although the smoke given off tends to be slightly weaker scented and, well, smokier, there is far less mess and maintenance involved.

Rolled incense is, on the whole, infinitely cheaper to buy than loose.  Perhaps this also accounts for the quality.  However, it is great for daily use, as well as for ritual if you're trying to save money.

That being said, with both loose and rolled incense, you can make your own at home for a fraction of the cost.  I would recommend buying a book on blending your own incense to start off with.  Scott Cunningham's book of Incense, Oils & Brews contains all the recipes you'll need to get started.

Inks

Magical inks are used most commonly for writing in your Book of Shadows, and in various forms of spellcraft.  In truth, for the Book of Shadows at least, they aren't strictly necessary, but more a nice addition to add further strength to an already strong piece of craft.

Invisible inks are fun to incorporate in various works of spellcrafting, as they assist in visualizing your desires coming from nothing into full view.  You can buy invisible ink from some joke shops, but why spend out money when lemon juice or milk works just as well?  To make the ink come visible, simply warm in front of a candle flame, holding the paper close enough to heat it, but not so close as to catch it on fire!

Lampblack is a cheap ink to make for writing your Book of Shadows, and is considered magical as it's pigment comes from nowhere.  To make lampblack, simply hold an old teaspoon or spoon over a candle flame until it gathers soot upon it.  Carefully scrape this off into a jar of water and repeat the process until you have a strong enough colour.  You may need to add a little gum arabic to thicken the ink... and be warned, this can be a very messy process!

Pendulum

A common tool of divination, a pendulum most popularly consists of a shorts length of chain with a crystal or pendant attached to one end.  The pendulum is used to divine all manner of things, from answers to simple yes/no/maybe questions, to divining a water course or ley line.

As with many tools, it is the intent which makes it work, and not so much the materials used, although obviously quality adds to the feel of the piece.  However, given that my first (perfectly successful) lessons in the use of a pendulum consisted of one made out of a piece of parcel string with a rusty pair of scissors attached, I'd say that it's not essential to spend out a fortune on expensive equipment for this!

For a good compromise, I have found that an ordinary necklace with a pendant on it (perhaps a ritual adornment?) works perfectly well, and doubles up with more than the one purpose.  See my article on divination for further advice on the use of pendulums.

Pentagram

The five pointed star has come to be used not only to resemble the five elements, but also as a symbol of wiccans, much like the use of the Christian crucifix to recognize one following the Christian path.

In ritual, the pentagram sits on the altar at the heart of everything, and the blessing of the four earthly elemental representations are generally done over the pentagram to unite them together and acknowledge the fifth, unseen, element.

Many beautifully crafted pentagrams can be bought in a variety of styles, although for your altar piece, you can equally well make your own if you feel like being creative, or need to save money.  A couple of nice ways to do this are either to make one from modelling clay (either by making the shape, or by making a circle and painting or engraving the star within it), or to use pliant twigs and bend them into shape, or nail them together.

Wand

Most commonly used as a means of directing energy, the wand comes in a range of sizes, and is most popularly made of either wood or copper (a conductive metal).  Many choose to tip their wand with a crystal as a means of enhancing it's conductive properties.

Some use a staff in place of a wand, but wands themselves rarely resemble the thin pointed sticks most commonly portrayed in films and cartoons.  Rather, they tend to be thicker, and any point is likely only to be the crystal if one is positioned at the end.  However, it is not unheard of for them to be slightly tapered.

With this in mind, the next factor to bear in mind is it's length.  This should ideally be the exact length between your elbow and wrist, and should not be used by someone other than yourself.  If you wish to make your own wand, there are two popular methods to choose:

For a copper wand, simply select an appropriate thickness of copper piping from a local hardware shop.  Ask them to cut it to the right length for you, and then you are ready to begin.  Use some form of sealant (most commonly wax) to plug the ends, setting the crystal in the wax or sealant at one end at this point, if you desire to use one.  You may either leave it as it is at this point, or may choose to use leather strips (or another appropriate fabric) to cover it, as copper can leave a rather unpleasant smell on your hands, not to mention turning them green!

For a wooden wand, again select the appropriate piece of wood, although this time it is nicer if you can find a piece of driftwood, or some healthy wood which has fallen from a tree.  You may, at this point, wish to refer to the tree calendar page for details of your particular birth tree.  If needs be, sand and seal the wood, before choosing whether or not to set a crystal upon the end.  How you do this, of course, is up to you; you could bind it (again, leather strips work well for this), or cheat completely and use superglue!