A Malkuth of Me,  Magick,  rants,  S. Connolly

Wands & The Rite of Making

Wands. They’re one of those magickal tools that a lot of modern magicians don’t give a great deal of thought to. Or don’t seem to. A lot of people will run to the store and buy those pretty pewter ones with a crystal at either end. Functionally speaking, I see no practical use of such a wand.  A wand is about focusing energy and allegedly the crystal at its end is that focal point. To have one pointing at yourself, too, seems a bit risky. I mean, I get the metal thing. Metal is a great conductor. But what I don’t get is the tiny size of some wands along with the stone on both sides. Someone explained to me that one of the stones draws from the self and projects it away from the body, as is the case for copper healing wands. They’re meant to draw out illness and send it away from you. Or draw health and vitality from you and into someone who is ill.  I suppose I can see this use. But for a magickal wand – I like them old school-traditional.

The first key in the Rite of Making (of an old school traditional wand) is the magician needs to find the wood for his wand himself. You would choose this branch based on the type of tree and the magical properties of the tree. The one in these photos is oak. If you really wanted to imbue the wand with certain properties you would wait for the right magickal time to cut your tree branch or choose an already fallen branch at that time. The one pictured was actually cut from the parent tree.

The second key in the Rite of Making is the magician should actually make the wand himself. This means that you should debark the wand, allow it to dry, and pick the crystal and/or other stones you choose to afix to your wand. Old school wands only had a crystal on one side (the side pointing away from the magician – especially in the case of a blasting wand or rod) – presumably because you are focusing the energy outward. I suppose the premise behind this is that the magician channels his energy through the wand (via contact between wood and hand) and it is concentrated and focused by the crystal at the end. The magician also carves the magical symbols into the wand.

The entire “act” of creation is the main point of the Rite of Making. The process of the creation is just as important as your final tool.

Finally, the wand is charged. This can be done in any manner of ways fitting to the magician, his techniques, and his traditions.

This is the old-school way of doing things.

The new school seems to be to go to the store, find the fanciest wand you can afford, then bring it home, charge it and go. There’s an entire part missing when you aren’t part of the process when constructing certain ritual tools.

But some other sorcerer can make it for you! Sure they can. And I’ve been gifted some lovely magickal items over the years. Still – they’re not of the essence of you. They maintain that essence of their creator in them (even if you work with them often and make them your own). While it’s great to collect items made by other magicians, do they add all they could to your magickal practice?

I’m sure this could be a debated point.

I guess my point is that some of my ritual tools (as old school as they may be) may not look pretty (by today’s standards) – but they’re more powerful than anything I could buy from another magician or off a store shelf. There’s something to be said for that.

Steph is an award winning and bestselling author of thrilling steamy and paranormal romances, dark urban fantasy, occult horror-thrillers, cozy mysteries, contemporary romance, sword and sorcery fantasy, and books about the esoteric and Daemonolatry. A Daemonolatress and forever a resident of Smelt Isle, she is happily married and cat-mom to three pampered house cats. Her muse is a demanding sadistic Dom who often keeps her up into the wee hours of the morning. You can contact her at swordarkeereon@gmail.com

2 Comments

  • Jenn

    I’ve never understood people who would rather have a pretty, yet likely useless tool, than an not so pretty but actual functioning tool. Well, I guess I can understand them…many are armchair magicians who maintain an altar just to watch their guests eyes open wide whenever they come over.

    My one and only wand is one I made about 10 years ago out of a skinny piece of driftwood that caught my eye from the local river. I spent hours sanding it smooth,, carving parts of it, and wood-burning other parts, and hotgluing little stones to the end of it. It’s honestly pretty damn ugly, but it works. And that’s what matters.

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