“The intentions of a tool are what it does. A hammer intends to strike, a vise intends to hold fast, a lever intends to lift. They are what it is made for. But sometimes a tool may have other uses that you don’t know. Sometimes in doing what you intend, you also do what the knife intends, without knowing.” – Philip Pullman
You don’t require any special equipment to be magical, but there are certain items you may wish to keep near your altar or have available for rituals. These items have historical and symbolic significance within the magical community, and while I would not call them vital, I certainly advise considering keeping them around if you are so inclined!
The Core Four
Wands: The witch or wizard’s most vital tool. It is also one of the most versatile! You can use it like a conductor’s baton to direct the flow of energy within you to dance around your altar, or as an focal point to channel and enhance your spells. When sitting to meditate I often will run my fingers up and down my wand to regulate and balance both our energies. A wand can be a simple or as elegant as you desire. Go outside and find a nice stick on the ground that calls to you, and you’ve just found your first wand! Wands often are adorned with crystals, and while traditionally they represent air, some witches keep wands attuned to specific elements handy for their spells. There is a lot of freedom for customization and use here!
Athames: Who doesn’t like knives? Athames are incredibly special knives. More specifically they are ceremonial double edged daggers, traditionally with black handles, though some are made entirely of crystal (I’ve got my eye on an obsidian one on etsy)! Athames traditionally have been used to draw casting circles and pentagrams to invite the elements to join our rituals, and is used as a channel for psychic energy. It traditionally represents fire. Despite being a blade, it’s intent is not to cut or hurt, and in fact some believe if it ever is used for these purposes, or ever contacts blood, it will forever be tainted and unable to perform its protective and restorative magic. There’s no wrong way to be magical, but this is one superstition I’d advise you to keep! If you need a ritual cutting blade for herbs or carving candles I suggest looking for a white handled Boline.
Chalices: Cups carry water, water carries life. As the healing element, having a chalice available for rituals as a white witch is vital. Chalices have been a ritualistic staple for pagans, witches and a number of religions, and there are so many myths surrounding their magic (Holy Grail anyone? They traditionally represent water and are used for carrying and consuming fluids in rituals. Covens may pass a chalice containing blessed water or wine to allow all members a drink in magical solidarity. Absolutely any cup that you have set with the intent of using for magic can be your chalice, though you may reach for a simple or elegant silver goblet to deepen your connection with the moon. Horns, shells and gourds are all accessible natural options as well.
Pentacles: Pentacles traditional represent the element of earth and often represent the centerpiece of the altar. A pentacle is generally a circular piece of parchment, stone, clay or wood that has been adorned with a symbol of energy being invoked or drawn, often this can be as simple as a pentagram with a circle. I’ll be the first to admit, I’m no artist, but there are wonderful resources online about different symbols and sigils that can be drawn. The Seal of Solomon is a simple and popular choice and is what I will typically draw. Having this centerpiece attuned to the earth element provides the grounding for your altar and your ritual, and is a very important piece of magical equipment!
But what about spirit?
You may reviewing the above list and notice that each of these traditional items aligns with one of the five elements, leaving all but spirit are represented. I have known witches who have a special incense burner or extravagant bell they use in ritual to represent or enhance spirit in ritual. Personally I like to consider myself responsible to be the conduit of spirit, capable and required to contribute an equal share of effort to the regulation of energy used in my casting.
These are just a few of the most common items that have traditionally been used by witches and wizards of all walks of life for centuries but remember- NONE of these items are required to be magical, all you need is yourself and intentions your heart believes in.
Make it Yours
“First you harmonize, then you customize.” — Wilson Pickett
Much like with crystals don’t rush to your favorite .com to buy these items, unless your favorite .com happens to be Etsy, as Etsy can be a wonderful place to pickup handcrafted ritual tools from talented artists. Though I still recommend crafting your own whenever possible!
If you do feel the crafters call, I’ll offer some ideas to get you started:
Wands: Claiming a stick from the ground to carve into your wand then add crystal accents with wire, twine or even simply glue, perhaps stain it or paint it first. Add streamers, attach feathers, drill a hole to thread a wrist wrap cord through. I once met a witch who had used a Dremel to carve out a space to slot a small compass! There are endless ways to customize your wand.
Athames: Unless you have some metalworking or crystal polishing experience this might be a hard one to craft, but you can search thrift stores, flea markets, garage sales, and possibly find a suitable double edge blade that you can clean, polish, restore and cleanse, putting in the effort to show your intentions and gaining a trusty companion. There also are a number of simply beautiful options available on Etsy and from other talented crafts folk.
Chalice: As this can be any cup, you can take a cup you currently have, a favorite or hated one and, depending on the material, customize it in a number of ways! You can also check out some of the same places you’d look for athames to try and find a silver cup that may be suitable. You may be able to find (or if you have the skills/tools make!) cups that have been etched with a pentagram or Moon Goddess symbol!
Pentacle: I detailed above some of the common materials that can have evoking symbols drawn, but there is so much freedom for pentacles! Quite literally any item that has a symbol that can evoke energy can be used, meaning that if having a piece of wood, block of clay or paper with your sigils drawn isn’t your style, you could instead use a medallion or pendant that bears a symbol of significance for you!
Whatever items you chose to practice with, it is important that they the items YOU chose, and that you make them yours in whatever way that looks like. Don’t let anyone else tell you the way to be magical!
Z's Grimoire 
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