The Modern Witchcraft Spell Book: Your Complete Guide to Crafting and Casting Spells - Skye Alexander 2015

Magick Tools and Accoutrements
Spellworking Basics

Carpenters use hammers, saws, screwdrivers, and lots of other tools in their work. Chefs use knives, spoons, bowls, pots, and pans. What do spellworkers use? Technically speaking, you don’t need anything except your mind to cast a spell. However, people who do magick generally use certain tools and accoutrements, in part because these help you to focus and therefore achieve greater success with your spells.

The tools you use to do magick speak to your subconscious mind. A tool’s shape, material, and other features provide clues to its symbolism and thus its role in spellwork, according to the concept of sympathetic magick. Although some items may look familiar, their magickal purposes may differ significantly from their roles in the mundane world. In this chapter, we’ll look at some of the most popular tools witches, wizards, and other spellworkers use and the roles these implements play in spells. Remember, however, that even the most elegant tool requires your will to empower it. You may decide to work with a few of these, all, or none—it’s up to you entirely.

Masculine and Feminine Energies

When we speak of masculine and feminine energies, we don’t mean man and woman. Instead, we’re referring to the complementary forces that exist everywhere in our universe: action (masculine) and receptivity (feminine). You’ll notice that a spellcaster’s tools correspond to the human body, symbolically depicting those energies. The wand and the athame, which represent masculine power, look distinctly phallic. The chalice and cauldron signify feminine energy and the womb. The five rays of the pentagram stand for the five “points” of the body: the head, arms, and legs.

THE WAND

You’re familiar with magick wands, no doubt. The fairy tales we loved as children told us that you could tap a guy on the head with a magick wand and turn him into a frog or make him disappear. That’s not the reason spellworkers use wands, though. A wand’s real purpose is to direct energy. You can either attract or send energy with your wand. Aim it at the heavens to draw down cosmic power. Point it toward a person, place, or thing to project energy toward your goal. Some magicians cast circles with their wands.

Choosing Your Wand

What material makes the best wand? Traditionally, magicians used wood for their wands, particularly willow, yew, hazel, or rowan. But you don’t have to hold with tradition. If you prefer, select a wand fabricated from metal, glass, quartz, ceramic—whatever “calls” to you. If you decide you want a wooden wand and plan to cut a small branch from a tree, always ask the tree’s permission first and thank it when you’ve finished. (It’s nice to give the tree an offering in return, too.) Cutting a wand is a ritual in itself, so approach the task with the proper mindset.

Your wand should be at least six inches long, but no longer or heavier than you find comfortable to handle. Are you a down-to-basics kind of person? If so, you might want to leave your wand in its natural state. Would you enjoy something more ornate? Then decorate your wand to suit your fancy. Again, the choice is yours; however, because the wand is considered a “fire” tool, you might like to enhance its fiery nature with appropriate adornments, such as:

✵ Red, orange, or gold paint

✵ Gold, brass, or iron accents

✵ Red or orange gemstones: garnet, ruby, carnelian, red jasper

✵ Astrological glyphs for the fire signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

✵ Red or orange ribbons, feathers, beadwork, etc.

Charging Your Wand

Now it’s time to infuse your wand with magickal power. This transforms it from a stick of wood or a metal rod into an awesome tool for spellwork. Witches, wizards, and other magicians often enact a ritual or ceremony to charge their tools. It can be as simple or elaborate as you wish; your intention and attitude are the most important factors. Part of my wand-charging ritual involved hanging my wand from a tree in the sunshine for a solar month. Because charging your wand is a magickal act, approach the ritual with the proper mindset and perform it within a circle.

You might consider one or more of the following techniques:

✵ Hold your wand in the smoke of a ritual fire.

✵ Anoint it with essential oil(s): cinnamon, sandalwood, clove, musk.

✵ Carve it with words and/or symbols of power.

✵ Chant an incantation you’ve composed for this purpose.

✵ Play energizing music.

Clearly and authoritatively instruct your wand to do your bidding. Command it to work with you and only you. Point it toward the south and invite the energy of fire to enter it. Breathe your own energy into the wand to bring it to life. When you’ve finished, state aloud: So mote it be!

Magick Wands at Hogwarts

What woods make the best magick wands? According to author J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter’s first wand is made from holly, while Hermione Granger’s is made from vine wood. Ron Weasley’s first wand is fashioned from ash, and Draco Malfoy’s from hawthorn. The evil Lord Voldemort chose yew for his wand—a wood that magicians link with longevity, but that also has associations with death.

These suggestions are just that: suggestions. The best and most powerful charging rituals are those you design yourself. Put lots of energy and enthusiasm into your work. Pull out all the stops. Make it as personal as you can—the more meaningful it is to you, the better.

PENTAGRAM

The pentagram is a five-pointed star with a circle around it. Many witches wear this symbol for protection. You might choose to display one on the door to your home or place of business as a safeguard. Keep a pentagram in your car and on your altar. Draw them on paper and slip them into mojo or medicine pouches to make amulets. Carve pentagrams into candles and burn them during spellwork. In circle casting, you can trace pentagrams in the air or on the ground at the four directions to ensure safety. Many of the protection spells in Chapter 11 use pentagrams.

Choosing a Pentagram

The pentagram represents the earth element and is linked with the feminine force. Consequently, you might like to have a pentagram made of silver (a metal ruled by the moon) or copper (which is ruled by Venus). Perhaps you’d like to decorate your pentagram with crystals or gemstones, especially if you plan to wear it as a piece of jewelry. No material is inherently right or wrong, better or worse—it really depends on how you intend to use your pentagram.

Although you will probably only use one magick wand, you can have as many pentagrams as you want. You might like one made of ceramic, glass, or wood on which to serve food during rituals, perhaps decorated with the astrological glyphs for the earth signs: Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. If you’re handy, you can embroider pentagrams on ritual clothing. If you plan to hang a pentagram outside, make sure it can withstand weather conditions. Display your pentagram with one point up, two down, and two out at the sides.

Charging Your Pentagram

As discussed earlier, the ritual of charging your tools empowers them and transforms them into magickal instruments. Consider the act of charging your pentagram a spell, and do it with the appropriate intent. You may choose to create an intricate ritual to charge it, or keep it simple. Here are a few suggestions:

✵ Mist it with flower water made with carnation, snapdragon, geranium, and/or hyacinth petals. (If your pentagram is made of metal, pat it dry to prevent tarnishing.)

✵ Anoint it with essential oil(s): amber, basil, pine, fennel.

✵ Bury it in the earth for a period of time, perhaps a week. (You may need to encase it in a protective container.)

✵ Lay it on your altar and place crystals at each of the five points and in the center.

✵ Chant an incantation you’ve composed for this purpose.

✵ Let it sit in the moonlight overnight.

Clearly and authoritatively instruct your pentagram to do your bidding. Command it to work with you and only you. Point it toward the north and invite the energy of earth to enter it. Breathe your own energy into the pentagram to bring it to life. When you’ve finished, state aloud: So mote it be!

ATHAME

The origins of the word athame have been lost to history. Some people speculate that it may have come from The Key of Solomon (Clavicula Salomonis) (published in 1572), which refers to the knife as the Arthana (athame may be a subverted form of this term). Another theory proposes that athame derives from the Arabic word al-dhamme (blood-letter), a sacred knife in the Moorish tradition. In either case, manuscripts dating back to the 1200s imply the use of ritual knives in magick work.

The athame’s main purpose is to symbolically clear negative energies from a space you’ll use in spellworking. You can also slice through obstacles or sever bonds with it, again symbolically. It needn’t be sharp—you won’t be chopping veggies with it. Some Wiccans and witches like to cast a circle with an athame instead of a wand.

Choosing Your Athame

This ritual dagger is usually a double-edged knife about four to six inches long. Some Wiccans, however, prefer crescent-shaped athames that represent the moon. Most athames are made of metal, but yours can be crystal, glass, or another material. An ordinary kitchen knife will work, too. If you like something more elegant, choose one that’s adorned with crystals or gemstones. Because this tool symbolizes the air element, consider stones associated with air, such as aquamarine, fluorite, or clear quartz.

If you decide to purchase a vintage dagger for your magick work, make sure it hasn’t drawn blood in the past. Some magicians believe that an athame used to physically harm another will never again be functional in magick, although in ancient times witches often “fed” special knives by rubbing them with blood.

Charging Your Athame

Before you use your athame in spellwork, charge it to make it truly “yours” and to imbue it with magickal power. Remember, this is a spell in itself, so approach the process accordingly. How you go about charging your athame is up to you—you can simply command it to do your will, or design a ritual with all sorts of bells and whistles. Here are some possibilities:

✵ Hold it in the smoke of burning incense.

✵ Anoint it with essential oil(s): carnation, lavender, ginger.

✵ Attach feathers to its hilt and/or decorate the hilt with the astrological glyphs for the air signs: Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius.

✵ Tie yellow or light blue ribbons on it, and recite a prayer or incantation with each knot.

✵ Play flute music, ring a bell, or place your athame near wind chimes to receive their sounds.

Clearly and authoritatively instruct your athame to do your bidding. Command it to work with you and only you. Point it toward the east and invite the energy of air to enter it. Breathe your own energy into the athame to bring it to life. When you’ve finished, state aloud: So mote it be!

CHALICE

The fourth major tool in the witch’s tool kit is the chalice, which symbolizes the element of water. During rituals and rites, witches often drink ceremonial beverages from a chalice—many chalices feature long stems so they can be passed easily from hand to hand. Sharing the cup with coven members or spellworkers signifies connectedness and unity of purpose. You may choose to drink magick potions you’ve concocted from your chalice. Spellworkers also serve magickal elixirs, for healing or other purposes, in a special chalice.

The most famous chalice of all is the Holy Grail. The Grail myths embody far more information than we can go into here, but you may wish to examine them to gain a greater understanding of the magickal meaning of the chalice. Shaped like the womb, the chalice represents feminine fertility, power, and creativity in the larger sense. This potent vessel holds the waters of life and nurtures the imagination that births all things in the manifest world.

Choosing Your Chalice

Your chalice is a sacred vessel from which you will sip magick potions and ceremonial beverages. As such, it should be reserved for these special occasions—don’t drink Coke from it at lunchtime. Depending on your preferences, your chalice may be simple or ornate. Some people choose chalices made of silver, because silver is a metal ruled by the moon and the chalice is a feminine tool. Others prefer crystal, colored glass, or ceramic chalices—the choice is entirely yours. You could even use an ordinary water glass or coffee cup, but that might not be quite as much fun. The beauty of the chalice, the way it feels in your hand, and the sound it makes when you clink it to another chalice in a toast all contribute to the experience.

In Chapter 5, we talked about Japanese scientist Masaru Emoto’s work with imprinting water with words. Because the liquids that go into your chalice will absorb the energy of whatever images are on the vessel, it’s best to choose a plain chalice without pictures, words, or patterns, as those may affect your spells. If you wish, you can decorate your chalice with temporary images that relate to your intentions for a spell and remove those images when you’ve finished.

Charging Your Chalice

Until you charge your chalice, it’s just an ordinary vessel. Once you’ve imbued it with your magickal energy, it becomes your own “Grail.” The ritual you enact to charge your chalice may be simple or complex, depending on your preferences. I charged my chalice by submerging it in a sacred pool for a lunar month. Because this tool symbolizes the element of water, many magicians choose to charge it with water or another liquid. Here are some suggestions:

✵ Spritz it with flower water made from jasmine, rose, lotus, or gardenia blossoms.

✵ Sprinkle it with “holy” water from a well, spring, or lake that holds special meaning for you. (Pat metal chalices dry afterward to prevent tarnishing.)

✵ Nestle the chalice in a bed of white rose petals, and leave it overnight.

✵ Anoint it on the outside with essential oil(s): rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, gardenia.

✵ Paint your chalice with the astrological glyphs for Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces.

✵ Place a piece of rose quartz, amethyst, moonstone, or a pearl in the chalice and fill it with spring water. Let it sit overnight, then remove the gem and either drink the water or pour it into a clear glass jar for use later.

✵ Play a singing bowl near your chalice to infuse it with positive vibrations. Singing bowls are usually made of metal or crystal and they have different musical tones. You strike them or run a mallet around the rim to create sound, which can be used for meditation, healing, or other purposes.

Clearly and authoritatively instruct your chalice to do your bidding. Command it to work with you and only you. Hold it so that the bowl of the chalice faces west and invite the energy of water to enter it. Breathe your own energy into the chalice to bring it to life. When you’ve finished, state aloud: So mote it be!

Magick Tools and the Tarot

You can see these four main tools illustrated in the beautiful oracle known as the tarot (which we’ll talk about later). Each suit in the deck of cards is named for one of these tools: wands (sometimes called rods or staves), swords (or daggers, meaning athames), cups (or chalices), and pentacles (or pentagrams, sometimes called coins or disks). As such, they describe fundamental life energies and ways of interacting with the world.

CANDLES

The most common and versatile tool you’re likely to use in your magickal practice, candles play a role in lots of rituals and spells. They also brighten many of our secular and religious celebrations. The concept of illumination carries both a practical meaning—visible light that enables you to see to conduct your daily tasks—and an esoteric one—an inspiration or awakening that enlivens mundane existence and expands understanding. The flame represents the element of fire, inspiration, clarity, passion, activity, energy, and purification. It can also signify Spirit.

You can use candles to set the stage for magick; their soft, flickering glow transports the spellworker into another level of awareness. You can gaze into a candle’s flame to see beyond the ordinary limits of vision, even into the past or future. Many witches and other magicians use candles to tap color relationships in spellwork—burning a candle of a relevant color can augment a spell or ritual. “Dressing” or anointing your candles with essential oils adds another sensory dimension. As you evolve in your work as a spellcaster, you’ll probably want to stock up on candles in various colors, sizes, and shapes—tapers for creating moods, pillars for long-term spells, votives for shorter spells/rituals and circle casting, and so on.

Some witches like to make their own candles, blending the wax with herbs/flowers, essential oils, and dyes that represent their intentions. You can even form candle wax into shapes that signify your objectives. In Part II, you’ll find lots of spells that use candles in various ways to produce magickal results.

INCENSE

For thousands of years, aromatic gums and resins have been used in sacred rituals. Ancient Chinese and Indian texts describe the therapeutic, philosophical, and spiritual properties of aromatics. Churches and temples use incense to clear the air and to honor deities. In Buddhist belief, burning an offering of incense invites the Buddha into a statue of the holy being. Incense also serves as a vehicle for conveying prayers to the spirit world—as the smoke rises, it carries your requests along with it.

Aromas trigger instantaneous reactions in the brain. Inhaling certain smells can cause measurable responses involving memory, emotions, awareness, and more. That’s one reason magickal workers include scents in their spells.

Burning incense combines the elements of fire and air. You can use it to cast a circle by walking the perimeter and trailing the fragrant smoke behind you. For balance, walk the circle a second time while sprinkling saltwater to represent the elements of earth and water. You can also charge talismans, amulets, and other magickal tools with incense by holding them in the smoke for a few moments.

Many witches purify a sacred space with incense. Sage is the most frequently used herb for this purpose, but you can burn pine, frankincense, sandalwood, eucalyptus, or another scent if you prefer. The best incense is blended from pure gums and resins, without synthetic binders. You can even make your own by grinding up aromatic wood or resin (with a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder) and adding finely powdered herbs or dried flowers.

Choose a scent that matches your intentions. You’ll find lists at the beginnings of most chapters in Part II that show which scents correspond to love, money, protection, and so on.

Essential Oils

Like incense, aromatic oils enhance your sensory experience during a spell or ritual. These plant extracts contain the life energy of the plant, its unique signature and “soul essence.” Unlike commercial fragrances, they do not include synthetic ingredients in their composition. You can use essential oils to dress candles, anoint talismans and amulets, charge magick tools, add to ritual baths, perfume your skin, and lots more. Use caution, however, because some oils can cause allergic reactions and some are toxic if ingested. Because essential oils are volatile, store them in a cool, dark place to prevent deterioration.

CAULDRON

According to Norse mythology, the god Odin received wisdom and the gift of intuition from a cauldron. Celtic legend mentions a cauldron as a tool of regeneration for the gods, and artists often depict the Irish creativity goddess Brigid stirring a cauldron. Stories such as these give us clues to the symbolic value of the cauldron today. Its shape represents the womb from which all life flows and its three legs represent the threefold nature of human existence: body, mind, spirit.

The cauldron performs both symbolic and practical functions. You can use a cauldron to cook ritual foods and to concoct magick potions. It also serves as a handy vessel for holding water, flowers, or other items at a ceremony or ritual. If you like, you can build a fire inside your cauldron and drop wishes written on paper into the flames—the cauldron’s creative qualities nurture your requests and bring them to fruition. Build your fire of sacred woods that pertain to your purpose: cedar for prosperity, ash for protection, apple for love. Although usually iron, a cauldron can be made of any fireproof material including copper, steel, or terra cotta—you can even draft an ordinary cooking pot into duty if need be.

SPELL BOTTLES

Spell or “witch” bottles contain items with similar energies, brought together for a specific intention. Depending on your purpose, the bottle can be a temporary or permanent fixture. Select a glass bottle that’s large enough to hold all the ingredients you plan to put in it, then wash and dry it to remove any unwanted energies. Make sure all the ingredients correspond to your objective. Add botanicals, gemstones, coins, milagros, shells, or anything else that symbolizes your intention. You may wish to write an affirmation or sigil on a slip of paper, roll the paper into a scroll, and then put it into the bottle, too.

When you’re certain you’ve included everything you need for your spell, close the lid and seal the bottle with wax dripped from a candle that you’ve designated as part of the spell. Once the spell is cast, the bottle should remain sealed. You may choose to place your mark on the wax seal and/or decorate the outside of the bottle with symbols, words, images, ribbons, etc. that relate to your spell. Place the bottle on your altar or in another spot in your home or business, depending on its purpose. If you prefer, bury the bottle in a special place. Spell bottles also make great gifts—personalize them with good wishes for friends who won’t think you’re too weird.

OTHER TOOLS AND ACCOUTREMENTS

What else might you want to put into your magick chest? Anything that you feel adds to your craft as a spellcaster. If wearing elegant ritual clothing enhances your sense of power or makes you feel part of another dimension, by all means dress up. If music elevates your mood or takes you into another place emotionally, play your favorite CDs or an instrument, if you have musical talent.

Oracles

Divination is the art of predicting the future. The word literally means to “let the divine realm manifest.” An oracle may be a person with special abilities to see beyond the limits of the visible world—a psychic, astrologer, or shaman. Physical tools such as tarot cards and runes are also called oracles; magick workers consult them to gain guidance and advice. You can also use them in spells, as you’ll see when you get to Part II of this book:

✵ Tarot—As mentioned earlier, these beautiful cards typically contain four suits that correspond to the four major tools we talked about at the beginning of this chapter. Each of the seventy-eight cards in a tarot deck has a special meaning based on its suit, number, colors, and many other things. You can lay out patterns of cards known as “spreads” for divination purposes, or you can use a single card in a spell. (My books The Everything® Tarot Book and The Only Tarot Book You’ll Ever Need offer in-depth information about the meanings of the cards and instructions for using them.)

✵ Runes—The word rune means “secret” or “mystery.” Most people think of the early Norse alphabet when they hear “runes.” If you’re a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, you’ve already heard about runes. The most popular alphabet contains twenty-four letters, and each letter is named for an animal, object, condition, or deity. They also convey deeper meanings that you can tap in spellwork, as you’ll soon see. You might also enjoy working with Ogham runes. These twenty letters from the old Celtic alphabet correspond to different trees, and like Norse runes they hold secret meanings. The letters are composed of lines, or notches, cut along a central line or stave. A phrase written in Ogham looks like a tree limb with branches sprouting from it. You can cast runes made of wood, stone, ceramic, etc. for divination purposes, or choose individual runes for spellwork.

✵ Pendulum—A pendulum usually consists of a small weight, such as a crystal, hung from a short chain or cord. You hold the chain, letting the pendulum dangle at the end of it, while you ask a simple question. The pendulum’s movement—back and forth, side to side, around and around—has meaning and answers your question. The pendulum swings of its own accord—you don’t influence its movement. When you use a pendulum, you’re doing a form of dowsing. Most people think of dowsing as searching for water hidden underground, but that’s only one method. When you consult a pendulum for the purpose of divination, you’re searching for answers hidden deep within yourself.

Ribbons and Ropes

I’m a big fan of knot magick, and I’ve recommended using ribbons and ropes in many of the spells in Part II. When you tie a knot, you capture the mental and emotional energy present at the time in the knot and hold that energy there until you’re ready to use it. Ancient mariners tied the wind into knots; if they were becalmed at sea, they opened the knots to release the wind and continued on their way.

You can also use ribbons to secure mojo pouches and medicine bags, so your magick stays inside. You’ll find spells in Part II that use this method. Magick cords can also tie people together in a personal or professional relationship. If you believe an enemy is trying to harm you, you can bind that person or spirit by symbolically tying up him, her, or it with rope. A quick study of numerology will reveal the significance of numbers in spellworking and help you determine how many knots you’ll need to tie in order to support your intentions: two for love, four for security, etc.

Make a Joyful Noise

Drums and rattles serve various purposes in magickal work. They raise energy. They break up blockages and stimulate sluggish conditions. They send messages far and wide. They can induce trances. They unify the minds and emotions of a group of people who choose to work together. They connect you with the spirit realm, and much more.

Bells can signal steps in a ritual. Bells and wind chimes also disperse unwanted energies and inspire harmony. Singing bowls help to balance the body’s energy centers (chakras). They also calm and focus your mind, and connect you with higher levels of being.

Keep a Record

A grimoire or book of shadows is a witch’s collection of magick recipes, spells, charms, invocations, and rituals. Here’s where you keep a record of the magick you perform, the ingredients and tools you use, the potions, formulae, and incantations you create—and, of course, the results you generate. It’s also a good idea to date each entry and note whatever else you consider significant, such as the moon’s phase, your feelings, and anyone who participated in the spell/ritual with you. Many people prefer physical books for this purpose—the more ornate the better—but you can keep a computer version of a grimoire if you choose. You might want to take a look online at some of the beautiful old grimoires from medieval Europe, and even as far back as ancient Babylonia.

Pretty much anything can become a magickal instrument if you deem it so. Use what you consider necessary and what feels right to you. Over time, you may wish to add other tools to your collection or to devise your own. Remember to treat your tools with respect. When not in use, place them in a safe spot where they won’t get damaged or handled by other people. You may wish to wrap them in silk or store them in a pretty box to protect them from ambient vibrations, as well as ordinary dust and dirt. With proper care, they should last a long time and serve you well.