tools of witchcraft

In just about everything there are tools used. In mathematics there are numbers, signs and formulas, in languages there are tools of punctuation, spelling, and conjugations, and in carpentry there are hammers, saws, and drills. So tools are everywhere, and there are tools in witchcraft just like anything else. The tools I am going to list are just some of the more common or basic ones, the ones you need to know. Often, you need tools to complete spells or rituals or casting a circle. Even if you are just reading up on witchcraft, it might talk about tools you aren't familiar with.

Athame: An athame is a ritual knife and it is one of the most common of tools. It is a double sided knife and it should only be used in rituals of good, it should never be used for dark magick(not that you should ever do dark magick) or to harm anyone or anything in any way, shape, or form. You can most likely find them in new age or occult shops or you can order them online. Once you get it then you should always purify it. This can be as simple or as complicated as you want and them you should bind it to you so only you can use it for magick. A lot of witches used to make their own athames, and if your family has a long line of practicing witches, then you might receive a family athame that has been passed down from generation to generation.

Wand: The wand is used for focusing and directing energy better. Usually it will have a crystal at the tip. The wand can be made out of wood, metal, whatever. It is very common for witches to make their own wands. Usually they get a relatively straight stick and put a crystal at the end using glue, cord, or wire of some sort. It is also common to decorate them with runes, cord or wire, or smaller crystals and gems.

Cauldron: The cauldron is a pot used to make brews, potions, concoctions, or other mixtures. They are usually made of cast iron and can be very large or tiny. I am sure you have seen pictures or movies around Halloween with a witch standing around a big pot with a roaring fire under it, usually stirring it with a stick. That big pit was a cauldron. You might have even used a plastic cauldron for a trick or treat bucket when you were younger. These are a bit harder to find. If you are lucky then you might find one in an occult or new age store. The new age store in my town has them, but they are very small. You will most likely have to order them online. It is common these days for witches to just use a stove and a big pot to make their brews. Cauldrons are rare and expensive these days.

Mortar and Pestle: The mortar and pestle consists of a bowl and a stick of rod of some sort to mash or grind up whatever you put into it, usually herbs of flowers. These are quite common. I have three in my house. One small metal one, another small wooden one, and a large stone one. Your new age or occult shop will most likely have these, and if they don't try looking in the utensil section of your local grocery store. If you still can't find them then try a big store like Walmart, K-Mart, or Target, I am sure they will have them. You can also try some small foreign stores.

Pendulum: A pendulum is some sort of weight attached to a string. In your local new age store it will usually be some sort of crystal or stone, but for cheaper you can use something as simple as a ring tied to the end of string. The point of the pendulum is to reveal hidden answers, sort of like an ouija board or a fortune teller, but you can do it by yourself. Only one flaw though, it can only give yes or no answers. If you are looking for more detailed responses, then I would recommend scrying. I made an earlier post about scrying.

Broom: Now we have all seen pictures of witches flying through the sky on a broom, but, unfortunately, that is not what brooms are used for in witchcraft. Brooms date back thousands of years and it is believed that the broom was one of the first tools used for magick. Many witches had brooms around their house to use in their magick and they could even be placed outside of the house as a sort of code to other witches and friends, telling them if they were home, busy, out, etc. Brooms were sometimes hung inside or outside the house or crossed with another broom to ward of evil and negative energy. Brooms are used to literally "sweep" away negative energy. You should use a broom to purify the area of your circle before using the space, and this can be simply accomplished by sweeping clockwise or deosil around the area. Brooms are simple to make too. Just get a stick or dowel of some sort and some thin twigs or long grass. Then tie the twigs or grass around the end of the stick using some cord or string. Now you should purify it, and you can simple do this by rubbing some salt over it and saying "I purify this tool of the craft, it shall be only used for good." This is what I did, but you can make it more complicated if you like. Then just make sure that your broom is never used for anything except magick, as all of your tools!