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Finding
Your Wand
Many witches use wands. Wands represent fire and the life-force
of the witch, they are a symbol of power, wisdom and healing.
The wand, like the sword, staff and athame, can be used to cast
the circle. It may also be used to direct energy during a spell.
You can purchase some very high quality wands that are made for
you, but I believe that at the end of the day you get out what
you put in! A wand created by someone else has their energy imbued
inside it, whereas a wand made by yourself has your own energy
worked into it and it will work more closely with you when you
use it for making magic and during rituals.
Before
you go out to find your wood, decide what you want to do with
your wand, if you're making a healing wand then select a wood
that has healing properties such as birch or rowan. You can
use apple for love magic, elder for fairie magic, oak for
natural magic, willow for general magic etc. Other magical
tree properties can be found here.
When you read about wand making a lot of sources tell you
to ask the tree for permission to cut a branch to make your
wand, and listen for the reply.
Myself I prefer to leave the pruning to Mother Nature and
look on the ground under my chosen tree for branches that
have already fallen to the ground. This way I'm sure that
I'm not harming the tree or leaving it bare and at risk of
disease and decay. |
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Creating Your Wand
Choose a fallen branch that has a shape that pleases you, it doesn't
matter if the branch is straight as a pencil or curved, its what
speaks to you that counts! It needs to be about 12" (30cm)
long and about ½" (2cm) wide, although you can use thicker
or thinner branches if you prefer. Once you've found your branch
thank the tree and leave a small offering, some call this a libation.
Some wine, bread or other environmentally friendly item will do,
once again in some sources say to leave a piece of copper or a crystal,
these are all good items but they will take a lot longer to decay,
I prefer to make a loaf of bread and use that, it feeds the tree
also as well as any of the flora and fauna in the trees natural
habitat.
Now decide if you want the bark on or off, if you want the bare
wood the carefully peel the bark off.Then make sure the branch is
fairly dry, if it isn't leave it a few days until it is. The next
stage is to decide if you want a smooth feel to your wand or a rough
natural feel? My oak was naturally ridged so I decided to just lightly
sand it to avoid losing the textue. Once you're happy with the feel
of your wand look at the wood, do you see anything in it? Any shapes,
or images of animals, plants or people? Is there a knot in the wood
that looks like an eye? Don't forget to look at the cross section
of the wood. I was amazed to find that my chosen oak branch had
a pentagram inside, which confirmed to me that it was 'the' right
branch to use and also made the wand feel more magical.
If you don't see anything in or on the wand that is fine, if you
do see something, trace what you see with a light pencil line. Then
you can either carve around the image you see, use a pyrography
technique to burn the design into the wand, or you can paint it.
For wands, you can use acrylic or oil paint, and permanent markers
pens.You can use watercolour paints or inks to "stain" your wand
with subtle colour. If you use either of these, you will want to
spray a coating of matt varnish on your wand, so the colours don't
run later.
Next decide if you're going to add a crystal point, if you are then
you'll want something like a quartz crystal point for the tip -
you could use rose quartz on a love wand or amethyst on a wand for
spiritual contact and guidance. Gouge a bit of wood out of the tip
of the wand to help hold the crystal glue with high temp hot glue
gun or a strong hold glue - let set. Now use glue on the bottom
sides of crystal and the top inch or so of wood, wrap with leather
strips or cord or embroidery thread, use a colour that echos the
purpose of your wand. If you finished adding decoration to the wood
then this is the time to seal the wood with beeswax or varnish.
Allow it to dry throughly before you add any external decoration.
Decorating Your Wand
Virtually anything
goes when you're making your own wand, you could decorate it with
gemstones, metal, glass or wood beads and tip it with feathers if
you like. Moonstorm used metallic ribbon on the handle of
her wand below to great effect. When you've finished wrapping the
wood all the way to the base end of the wand secure it by gluing
the wood and wrapping with your chosen binding to make a hand hold.
Use the same colour as on top and cover about 4".
You may decide
that you want the leave your wand looking natural or you may like
to decorate the shaft of the wand with symbols that relate to the
purpose of the wand, such as runes and other symbols that have meaning
for you as Beowulf did on his wand below.
Beowulf's wand above is 21" long, and made from the heart-wood of
a Holly branch. He had this to say about his creation. The wood
was gathered after first asking permission of both my friends who
own the bush, AND the bush itself. It was ritually taken, carefully
dried over a couple of months, stripped of the bark and outer wood,
smoothed, then the Elder Futark was burned into it. The "handle"
was wrapped in sisal string, no man-made stuff here. Finally an
incantation was used to "Activate" the wand, when not in use my
wand is kept in a protective cotton bag and hung on a hook very
close to the Altar so as to be within the "Power Circle" that protects
the altar and tools on it.
Bunnycat finished her wand, pictured above using a combination of
both techniques by leaving some wood in its natural state and adding
decoration with items such as a length of purple ribbon round it
and tiny diamantes circling the wand, just below the tip. In her
column (Bunnycat's Journal
- January 2005) she says of her creation "I had planned
something more elaborate, but decided that it was fine just like
this. I feel very comfortable holding it and it truly seems to be
part of me. I'm delighted with it and with my own ability to create
such a beautiful thing. I love it!!"
Dedicating Your Wand
When
you've finally finished your wand and are happy with it, remember
to cleanse and consecrate it as with any tool. How
you dedicate your wand is entirely up to you. I gathered together
items to mark the elements. Some soil from my herb garden to represent
Earth, some homemade wand dedication incense (see below) to represent
Air, some rain water to represent the element of Water and a candle
to represent Fire. Spirit was represented by a pentacle etched board
that I placed all the other 'elements' on.
I sprinkled the wand with the soil, passed it through the incense
smoke, sprinkled it with the rainwater and carefully passed it through
the candle flame. I did this 3 times, as I did so I visualised my
wand being charged with power, feeling it get stronger with each
pass through the 'elements'. Whilst I passed the wand through the
elements I said a few words. It will vary depending on your chosen
wood and what you'll be using the wand for. For example I made a
wand of oak that was intended to raise power and assist with all
forms of magic.The words I used are below, you can use them as guidelines
for your own dedication or write words of your own choosing.
"By the power of the Elements I dedicate this Wand, a tool crafted
by me with love, to help me channel the power from the Earth and
meld it with my magical power, to aid me in ritual and spell. May
it harm none and serve me well.
"May the power of the 'Oak' (insert
your chosen wood name here and change the words to match the woods
properties) charge this wand with power and strength,
may it have the ability to make magic that is strong and true. May
it harm none and aid me in all I do.
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Wand
Dedication Incense
1 Part Cedarwood
1 Part Holly Wood Shavings
1 Part Oak Bark
1 Part Colophony Resin
1 Part Frankincense Resin
3 Drops Bay Oil
3 Drops Pine Oil
3 Drops Cedarwood Oil
You can buy the raw ingrediants for making this wand dedication
incense yourself from the Moonshadows
Realm Shop. If you decide to make your own blend
make sure you add wood from the same tree as the wood of
your wand e.g. willow, apple, hazel etc.
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