Merry Meet! This section will be all about the furniture or tools of Wicca. This will give you a basic knowledge of what the tools are and what they are used for. I hope you enjoy reading about these. Blessed Be! ~Ravenwings~ The following information has been taken from the book Living Wicca A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. Written by Scott Cunningham. All images were taken from Google images. TOOLS Most Wiccan traditions use the same tools, with a few additions among certain groups. Since the tools are virtually mandatory in Wiccan ritual, you wont have to spend hours deciding on which to include in your new tradition. However, you can determine the exact forms of these tools, their symbolism and ritual uses. For review, these are the main Wiccan tools: Images of the Goddess and God. Many traditions place them on their altar. The nature of these images are of great variety. Some simply use candles; others natural objects reprehensive of the Goddess and God. Still other Wiccans use hand-crafted sculptures or drawings. Genuine clay is available that, when dried in a normal oven, becomes quite hard. The Book of Shadows. This hand-written book records the heart of any Wiccan tradition: rites, rules, magical techniques and other information. (I will be covering this more in depth in a following post.) The Athame (black-handled knife). A director of energy used to create the magic circle. The Censer. In it, incense or herbs are burned to invite the presence of the Goddess and God, and to cleanse the ritual space. (A small box, or bowl or bottle to contain the unburned incense is also used.) The Cup or Chalice. This holds wine, water or other liquids for use during the ritual. The White-Handled knife. This is used for actual cutting purposes either within or within and without the circle. Salt. Generally used for circle casting, consecration of tools and for other purposes. Water. For purification of the circle. The Pentacle. This is a flat disk or plate bearing, at the least, the symbol of the five- pointed star. The Wand. A traditional tool, its generally used in either power-raising or while inviting beings to attend the circle. Ive listed the tools here because theyre an integral part of Wicca, and all Wiccan tradition should utilize most if not all of them. Other tools that arent as widely used can be incorporated into your Wiccan tradition as you see fit. The Cauldron. Some Wiccans utilize cauldrons as a symbol of the Goddess, and they can be the center of religious rites. Fires are sometimes lit within them. The Bell. Bells can be rung at specific points in rituals. The Broom. These can be used to cleanse the ritual area before a ritual. The Cords. Of importance in initiatory groups, in which cords often symbolize the bond of love and responsibility shared by the members, cords are also used in some initiation rites. Cords can certainly be used by the Solitary Wiccan, but neednt be constantly on the altar. The cords are truly tools of coven workings. Altar Cloth. Some Wiccan traditions prescribe a specific color cloth for use on the altar. Certain designs (such as pentagrams) may be embroidered or painted onto these cloths. Many traditions, however, dont use them. ` Such tools can be extended: bottles of ritual oils, candle snuffers, incense spoons and swords immediately come to mind. Other objects may well be on the altar with the other tools from time to time: flowers or seasonal greens, sketches or runes or photographs for magical purposes. The mortar and pestle set is a handy tool that many Pagans - and other folks - use for grinding and blending herbs and dried ingredients together during a magical working. The set consists of two pieces - the mortar, which is typically a bowl, although it can be flat as well, and the pestle, which is held in the hand. Place your herbs, spices, or other dry goods into the bowl and hold it steady with one hand. Using the other, hold the pestle. By pressing the pestle down into the mortar, and moving it back and forth, you can grind and blend the herbs or other items for spell work. This is a great tool to use if youre using dried herbs which may be in large pieces. It also works nicely with fresh herbs, because the grinding motion of the pestle will help release essential oils from the leaves.` In deciding which tools to use in your new tradition, always rely on your experience. You may read that the athame should be double-edged in one source; in another, single-edged. Some books state that the athame must be razor-sharp. while others say that it can be dull. you must decide whats right for you. Make a decision and keep it. In the next session I will get into the making of your Book of Shadows.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 02:22:11 +0000
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