Tools of Air & Fire

Tonight we are going to discuss some of the basic tool for your magical collection. Most of these are often seen as Altar tools as well. We are going to talk tonight about the tools that are most often associated with Air and Fire.

The first tool often traditionally associated with Air for ceremonial traditions or Fire for some Witchcraft traditions (it just depends on what traditions you follow) is the Athame. This is a ceremonial knife that traditionally has a black handle and is not used for physical cutting. It is used for cutting and directing energies. In the 1950's Gerald Gardner is credited for originally using the term Athame. It is believed he got it from the Key of Solomon where there is a black handled knife called the arthame.

The Athame with its phallic shape is associated with Masculine or God energy and principles. It would be placed on the right or God side of your altar. The Athame or its larger more impressive form, the ritual sword are used to the directing of energy most often in the casting of the magical circle. It is also used for blessing in particular the blessing of cakes and ale in the part of ritual that is often called the “Love Feast”. In which the Chalice (Melissa will be discussing in detail) represents the Goddess and her womb and the Athame the God and his phallos coming together in a ceremonial “Great Rite” as blessing of prosperity.

The other blade in witchcraft is the Boline or Bolline is traditionally a white handled knife that is used to do the actual work of physical cutting of cord, herbs, inscribing candles and such. They are often have the crescent shape that was traditionally used for harvesting herbs. It is reminiscent of the sickle that was described int he the Key of Solomon. The Boline is very much a practical tool. In some traditions like kitchen or hedge witches that tend to not make distinctions between their mundane cutting or cooking implements and their magical ones the Boline is unnecessary and not often used.

The magical Wand is traditionally associated with Fire by ceremonial traditions and Air by witchcraft traditions (it just depends on what traditions you follow. Like the Athame it too has a phallic shape and represents the God or masculine energy, thus going on the right side of your altar. It is believed that the use of wants dates back to pre-historic times. It is used for the directing and amplification of energy, most often used in spell casting. It is also often used when summoning and working with the Fae or elementals who where believe to be traditionally afraid of iron and in turn steel.

While you can buy many fancy wands online, this is one of the tools that are often suggested you make yourself. It would traditionally made to your measure. That being the length of your forearm from the tip of your middle finger to your elbow. You can choose the wood for your wand based on the properties you are looking to be imbued into your wand. Popular choices are oak, hazel, elder, and willow.

One cannot think of a witch without thinking of her Besom or Broom. This can be an actual broom or it can be a staff that has pointed end at the bottom that “broom” can be tied to for clearing out the ritual area. This later description is what was used in many British Traditional Traditions. The staff could be used as a walking staff as they traversed into the forest, then “broom” could be tied on to clear the ritual area not only of physical debris, but energetic debris as well. This type of besom would traditionally be the height of the practitioner either to their shoulder or full height.

The Cingulum or cord is often worn around the waist of members of some Wiccan traditions. Depending on the tradition it may be worn over or under the robes. The color of the cingulum often indicates the degree of the initiate. It is a symbol of initiation. It is often nine feet long and can then be used to measure out and mark the circumference of a ritual circle. It can also be used for knot magic.