Part Four

Many people think you need a wand to perform magick. Well, yes and no. A wand, per se, is not a requirement, but if you choose to use one, think of it as an extension of yourself, or an antenna, transmitting your energy. A wand should be no thicker than your thumb, and no longer than the distance between your elbow and the tip of your middle finger. More important tools for rituals include your athame, or ceremonial dagger. It should be double-edged, with a grip that feels comfortable in your hand. The athame is ued for drawing your magick circle, or for pointing to the four points of the compass: north, south, east, and west, when these directions are included in the ritual. Some people prefer a sword, but this can be impractical for most. Another important tool is your chalice, or ritual cup. This is used for water offerings, or ceremonial wine. It is a sacred vessel and should never be used for mundane purposes. Depending on your preference, the chalice should be made of either gold or silver, and should be like a goblet. Then you have your skrying bowl, or skrying mirror. This is used for, well, skrying. Some people use a crystal ball for this purpose, but it's really a matter of preference. I prefer a piece of flat obsidian, but that's just me. For a skrying bowl, one just needs a large, shallow netal or glass bowl with about two inches of water in it. Let the water become still before attempting to skry. More on that later, though. Another obvious set of tools would be...candles. I know this seems stereotypical, but candles are an essential part of most rituals. They are used for light, to represent the fire element, and to send written requests into the aether. Then there is the pentacle, or focusing disk. This gives one a physical object on which to focus their mouth to properly channel its energies. It also provides a focus for meditation. Also, one needs a representation for each of the four elements: a handful of dirt for earth, water for water, a red candle for fire, and a feather or stick of incense for air. Finally, one needs an altar. It should be waist height, wide enough for all your tools, and preferably draped with an altar cloth. Each of the elemental representations should lie on their respective compass points, and the other tools should be arranged in a convenient place to reach them.

In closing, there are many tools that one needs for rituals, and this list is by no means comprhensive. If you think you need it, you probably do, and miscellaneous items will be added or removed from ritual to ritual as needed. Namaste.