Ritual Tools and Materials

The best materials for making tools are those materials that were originally “living” at one point, as opposed to artificial substances. Thus, something like wood is better than metal, and metal is better than plastic. If the material is Virgin (having never been used before for anything else), then all the better.

Things augmented are better than things used as-is. And those items made by hand (any hand) are even better. The very best, however, are those tools you make yourself by your own hand- and all the better if crafted by your own hand entirely from start to finish; the more energy you can channel into the tool, the better. And so logically, the greater percentage of the tool that you make, the better.

Any tool is better than none at all, however. And your ritual tools need not be expensive or fancy, either. Though they should be special in some way and have significance to their owner- and they should be pleasing to them on an aesthetic and spiritual level; that the tools of the craft have a certain beauty of both form and function is certainly helpful to a practitioner in its own right.

Tools should also be consistent with the path or tradition being participated in, in the first place. Not all Tools are necessary for one to possess, even within a singular tradition. But care should still be taken when deciding which tools to (and not to) take up as a practitioner- especially along paths which utilize a variety of tools.

All of that being said: It’s very easy for beginning practitioners to be distracted by the tools early on in the process, and ultimately lose their focus on what’s really important- which is their own spiritual and psychic development; real magic ultimately begins entirely within you, the practitioner, and continues from there. A set of tools, therefore, can never be a replacement for actually doing the mental, spiritual, energetic, and other work of Wicca. Likewise, performing spells and rituals through tools alone, and nothing more, will ultimately be ineffective.

But then why do Wiccans use tools at all? Because a Wiccan’s magical tools are like extensions of the Witch themself, infused with their owner’s energy and attuned to their metaphysical will. Thus they act as assistants to ritual, ultimately enhancing both the ritual itself, and the practitioner’s magic, by helping the Witch focus their energy in a much more fine-tuned way. In addition, since the tools are only used in ritual- and since each one has deep symbolic meaning- they help to attune one to the ritual mindset in the first place.

Yet effective ritual isn’t dependent upon the number of tools one uses. Yes, tools and memorized chants are outward expressions of inward changes (such as the shift to ritual consciousness) which add richness to the deep well of power that magical people draw from. They can assist us in creating these inner transformations as a result. But they aren’t in any way prerequisites or requirements for them.

To put it otherwise: Tools are the icing on the cake. They aren’t necessary- especially once a practitioner has mastered the basics. But they are welcomed, and they can be of invaluable help.

However, there is always the slightest caveat to the discussion: You can eat a plate of spaghetti in many ways without using a fork, true. But using utensils- especially a specialized tool such as a fork- certainly makes it quite a different experience overall (and often a much easier one). Yet, with or without the tools, the end result is still the same regardless. The same is true in Witchcraft.