Mortar & Pestle

     One of the most important tools to the Witch's herbal craft is the mortar and pestle. It is the hands-on tool of magic where materials are prepared, refined, mixed, and diluted. The mortar and pestle represent the witches’ ability to stir up magic and send it forth.

     The mortar represents the womb of nature, collecting, creating, and regenerating. It is the birthing womb of herbal magic. The pestle represents the phallus through which energy is directed. The pestle fertilizes and initiates the forces of manifestation and directs the magical forces into the mortar.

     Mortars and Pestles may be made of wood, stone, metal, or ceramic. A wooden mortar will absorb chemicals from plants more readily than metal and will need to be cleaned thoroughly after each use. Stirring the pestle in the mortar clockwise builds energy, stirring the pestle in the mortar counter-clockwise disperses energy.

Pentacle or Paten

     The Pentacle represents the Element of Earth and is the fourth major sacred tool. It's the symbol of Witchcraft and is over 8,000 years old. It is the most powerful and popular symbol used by Wicca’s and pagans. Its message is that we have the ability to bring Spirit down to Earth. What exactly does that mean? To me, it means that we can channel Divine energy into our bodies and use it to our purposes.

     Nearly all cultures had a 5 fold spiritual or religious symbol. Around 500 BCE, Pythagoras set up a mystery school to teach divine knowledge. Unfortunately, the school was brutally repressed, and his followers and their knowledge were forced underground. Because Pythagoras considered the five-pointed star to be a symbol of life and of the divine-human, it became the secret sign of the Pythagorean followers.

     From the Pythagorean schools descended the Gnostic and Hermetic Mystery Schools, Masonic Guilds, alchemists, scientists, philosophers, and magicians, all of whom kept the five-fold symbol and its positive attributes of hidden knowledge.  Because the star of life symbolized divine illumination, it became a sign of heretical thought because it threatened the power of the Christian Church. The Pentagram was transformed into something evil, and even became a symbol of the Christian Satan’s followers. 

     Today, for us the Pentacle contains many layers of symbolism. The Five points represent the four directions with the fifth uppermost point representing Spirit. The Circle around the pentagram represents unity, the wheel of the year and wholeness. The Circle, a single unbroken line, is used to create magical space in Ritual. A Pentacle Disc is placed in the center of the Altar and is used during ritual to consecrate objects by laying them upon it. Any tool, herb, amulet, jewelry, or crystal will have increased metaphysical energy after being placed on a Pentacle for a time.

Sacred Oil

     Anointing oil is sacred oil, blessed and charged and specially formulated for the purposes of sanctifying or elevating sacred objects or people in the service of a higher purpose. In many European-based magical practices, anointing oil is used to mark a person who has cleansed themselves in preparation for magical ritual and/or to come into the presence of the Gods. Anointing magical tools to mark them for magical use only is also a popular ritual. Many magic-users prefer to create their own oil blends for this purpose.

Smudge Sticks

     According to countless ancient ways of knowing, all plants possess a sacred spirit that goes well beyond, and vibrates deeper, than its physical constituents. It is this pure and hallowed nature of plants that has led to their traditional/medicinal use in:

• Altering or Shifting Consciousness

• Cleansing (a space or our bodies)

• Community Building

• Consecration

• Guidance

• Healing (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual)

• Personal Exploration

• Protection

• Religious Ceremonies

     Contrary to popular thought, the use of plants for these purposes is not a new idea. Nor is it new-age, super hipster mumbo-jumbo. It’s rather, a collection of methods humanity has used for millennia in order to maintain connection to the Earth, and to the spirit world as well.

     Plants used in the making of smudge sticks include, but are not limited to:

• Balsam Fir: Cleansing and Purification.

• Cedar Leaf: Cleansing and Purification.

• Desert Chaparral: Calming, Negative Energy Clearing, and Protection.

• Holy Basil (Tulasi): Calming and Purification.

• Juniper: Cleansing and Purification.

• Lavender: Calming

• Lemon Balm: Calming and Spiritual Cleansing.

• Mugwort: Calming, Lucid Dreaming, and Purification.

• Mullein: Cleansing Sickrooms and Heals/Improves Respiratory Function.

• Peppermint: Healing and Protection.

• Pine Needles: Cleansing and Purification.

• Rose Petals: Attracts Love, Calming, and Meditation.

• Rosemary: Protection

• Sage: Negative Energy Clearing.

• Sagebrush: Treat Wounds, Headaches, and Colds.

• Sweetgrass: Brings Positive Energy (perfect to burn after smudging with a more potent energy cleanser), Healing, and Purification.

• Yarrow: Eliminates Toxins from the Body.

Stang (Staff)

     The word “Stang” is derived from the Anglo Saxon term staeng or steng which translates as pole or rod. A traditional Wiccan Stang is a staff, shoulder height in length, with a fork at the top resembling the horns or antlers of the male animal. The Stang is used as a greater magical weapon of fire and represents the Horned God and the male aspect of nature. 

     In our tradition, the Stang represents the Horned God in his aspect of protector, destroyer, and life giver. In other traditions such as Raven Grimassi’s Strega, the Stang is used as a tool portraying the Goddess. The Stang is also symbolic of the World Tree with branches in the Upper World and roots in the Underworld with the trunk running through our Middle Earth. The Stang represents the channel between Sky and Earth. It is a physical representation of the Goddess, the God, and their Children. One fork is the Goddess; one fork is the God and the shaft, their Children.

     The Stang can serve as an altar without anything else commonly used on altars. Symbolically the Stang can replace the Chalice (forked yoni) and the Athame (the shaft). The Stang is physically a Staff, which means it functions as a Wand and its base is often thrust into the ground, which completes the list of Elemental Tools, the Pentacle.

     The fork (yoni) represents the Goddess, while the God is represented by the shaft (lingam). So, the Stang also represents Their Union, the Great Rite within Wicca.

     Standing in or behind a cauldron, it reminds us of the greatest of all mysteries, the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

Stones

     The term “crystal” in Wiccan and other “New Age” circles often refers to a wide variety of solid minerals, not all of which are technically true crystals. However, they all fall under the crystal magic umbrella. A mineral is defined as any inorganic substance that is formed naturally in the Earth’s underground geological processes. Every mineral has its own specific chemical composition, along with, as Witches, shamans and other healers are aware, its own energy signature.

     Wiccans and other Witches understand that the power of crystals and stones is also in essence the same power inherent in other natural phenomena, such as the wind or a flowing river. All matter, visible and invisible, is essentially energy, and all energy is interconnected. And since thought, or intention, is also energy, it can be harnessed and sent out into the Universe through the energy field of the crystals we choose to work with. In this way, crystals and stones are conduits of energy. They can both bring healing energy to us, and send our positive energy to the spiritual realm to manifest real change in our lives.

     In Wiccan practice, one common use for crystals and stones is to mark the sacred circle before ritual begins. They are also used to honor deities, with specific stones sacred to particular gods and goddesses. Some magical tools, such as wands and pentacles, are decorated with crystals, and they are often featured in magical jewelry of all kinds.

     No matter where or how you acquire your crystals, be sure to cleanse them thoroughly of any unwanted energy. Charge them with your intentions for magic before using them in spell-work, and enjoy exploring the wonderful and wide world of crystal magic!

Wands

     The Wand represents the Element of Fire and is used to direct energy. It is the third of the four major sacred tools. To use a Wand hold it in your power hand and focus energy through it, visualizing the energy emerging as a beam from the tip of the Wand.

     Certain wands can also be used to "capture" energy. To capture energy with a Wand, point it at the object that contains the energy you want to get then visualize the energy pouring into the Wand. You’ll feel it entering your Wand as a tingle, pulse, or warmth in your hand. Magic wands work through the power of the practitioner. It directs the user's will and intention. Traditional wands are made of wood, but metal wands, clay and crystal wands can be amazingly effective also.

     You may purchase a wand, receive it as a gift or you may inherit it from another practitioner. You may also create your wand from natural wood, stone, crystals, or metal. Your new wand must be cleansed of all previous influences and then charged with your own personal energy. The exception is if you inherit a wand from a magically powerful person. In this case, you will want to maintain the vibrations and build upon them with your own energy.

Magic Properties of Wooden Wands

• Apple: Love Magic

• Ash: Divination, Love Magic, and Prosperity Magic.

• Blackthorn, Olive, and Rowan: Protection

• Cypress: Necromancy

• Date Palm and Tamarisk: Exorcism 

• Driftwood: Combines the Power of Earth and Sea.

• Elder: Spirit Work

• Hawthorn: Hawthorne is protected by Faeries, never cut a wand from a Hawthorne tree, or there will be dire consequences. Use only fallen or hanging branches.

• Hazel: Healing Magic

• Lightning Struck Wood: Very Powerful

• Rowan and Willow: Divination

Special Wands

• Quartz Crystal Tips: Add power to any wand.

• Rose Quartz: Attached to any wand aids in love spells.

• Amethysts: Attached to any wand aids in spiritual quests and cleansing.

• Black Tourmaline: Add protection to any wand.

• Herkimer Diamonds: Add protection to any wand.

• Smoky Quartz: Add protection to any wand.

• Love Wand: Copper topped with Rose Quartz.

• Lunar Wand: Silver Wand topped with Moonstone.

• Mermaid Wand: Driftwood topped with Coral, Pearls, and Shells.

• Protective Wand: Iron Wand wrapped with Copper Wire embellished with hematite and black tourmaline.