Purifying Ritual for Ritual Tools

 

 

(Touch instrument to the deity statue, candle, or general space)

"Sacred spirits, before you I bring (name of the tool) to be dedicated to the service of (names of your deities)."

 

(Pass tool three times through smoke of the incense.)

"Purified by the power of air, may you be consecrated. May you be dedicated to purity of thought and to harmlessness that all intentions for which you are used may harm none and be for the good of all."

 

(Pass tool three times through or over the flame of the fire candle.)

"Purified by the power of fire, may you be consecrated. May you be dedicated to purity of desire and to harmlessness that all goals that you may help achieve may harm none and be for the good of all."

 

(Take a few drops of water and sprinkle or dab on instrument.)

"Purified by the power of water, may you be consecrated. May you be dedicated to the purity of emotion and to harmlessness that all that you shall be used in a spirit of harmony, harming none and for the good of all."

 

(Touch instrument to the stone, salt, or earth in north quarter)

"Purified by the power of earth, may you be consecrated. May you be dedicated to steadfastness and purity of purpose, that my will be achieved without wavering, with harm to none and for the good of all."

 

 

Sidenote: When touching your tool to the deities. You may want to offer tools with feminine symbolism first to the Goddess side of your altar. As such, you may also offer the masculine items first to the God. Some also feel it is most polite to offer the Goddess all items first, use your personal preference.

Also, if you do not have deities or you don’t wish to consecrate your tools to them, you may wish to replace the deity names with something more general, like “The service of witchcraft” or “The service of Magick”.

 

 

 

Witches have a wide variety of ritual tools we use to aid us in our working, there are many uses for tools in Witchcraft, but tools aren't mandatory. You do not need tools to perform Witchcraft. Elitist Witches may make you feel less than worthy if you work without tools, but don't let them fool you, YOU are the ultimate tool in your workings. The energy we put in the tools I will cover in this post comes from within ourselves. Little power lies in them save for the power we charge them with. Decide for yourself what works for you.

When you do begin working with tools, you should be aware that all tools should be cleansed, consecrated, and charged with your energy. In my next post I will give you a sample purifying/charging spell to help you prepare your tools.

Altar - If you read my post on casting a Circle you are already familiar with the Altar. Most commonly an altar is a wooden table placed in the center of your Sacred space, but an altar can be all sorts of things. Tables may not be ideal if you are not setting up a permanent altar or if you are setting up outdoors. What a hassle that would be! Your altar may be the ground or a box covered in a cloth, a piece of driftwood, a large flat rock or stone. Use your imagination, and make it work! Most often, the altar is placed facing North, being that the Earth element association makes this a direction of power. Some place the altar facing East where the Sun and Moon rise which is ideal for those that focus on the God and Goddess, more so than spell work.

Athame - The Athame is a double-edged blade with a black handle that is used to direct and raise energy. As a common rule, the Athame is not used to cut anything on the physical realm. As such it is often blunt. The Athame is associated with South [fire] and East [air], and the God. It is pronounced ATH-ah-may or ath-AH-may.

Bell - Bells are used to purify sacred space, invoke Deities, and to ward off evil spirits, illness, and hexes. Mostly commonly used are bells made of silver. Bells are hung on doors and placed in cupboards when being used to ward off evil and illness.

Besom - A Besom is a Witch's broom. These brooms are made for metaphysical use only, I'm sure you'd find they aren't much for cleaning up physical dirt anyway. Besoms are most often made from an ash, birch, or oak for the staff, with birch twigs and willow binding. Besoms are used in ritual to sweep the area clean of astral dirt, and non-productive or negative energies. In the home, Besoms are symbols of protection when placed across doorways.

Bolline - A Bolline is a white-handled knife; they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are crescent shaped for symbolic purposes. A Bolline is used to do work in the physical realm, and with it you can cut your candlewicks and harvest herbs. You can even use it to inscribe items if it sharp enough.

Book of Shadows - the Book of Shadows [or Grimoire] traditionally contains the hand-written texts of a Witch's rituals, spells, herbal concoctions, and anything else that is Sacred to them. However, It is common for modern Witches to keep a "Floppy Disk of Shadows" instead of a BOS, with pages typed on the computer that can be edited and printed as needed.

Cauldron - The cauldron is the feminine symbol of the goddess; it represents transformation, life, death, and rebirth. The Cauldron can be associated with fire or water, but it is most commonly placed in the center of your Altar. A cauldron is a cast iron pot with three or four legs, a handle and a lid. It is used in many ways for magical work and rituals including incense burning, scrying (a method of divination in which you fill the pot with water and gaze on the surface), cooking, and as a safe way to burn items (as you may do during a spell).

Censer - A censer is any heatproof dish or container used for burning incense. In it you place a piece of self-igniting charcoal, which you light and place the incense and/or herbs on. Resin and powdered incense are burned in a Censer, they smoke more than stick incense and can give off a more present smell. Censers are ideal when you will be using the incense smoke for a physical purpose (running your tools through the smoke for example).

Chalice - A Chalice is a symbol of the Goddess, femininity, and fertility. It is representative of the womb, and associated with water and West. A Chalice is a cup used to hold the ritual drink or even water. If you don’t fill it up, it can still be used symbolically on your Altar.

Crystal ball - A crystal ball is traditionally made of quartz- often people are fooled by a seller into buying a fake crystal ball. A method to find out if it is real would be to spend some time looking into the sphere with both the naked eye and a good hand magnifier (10X preferably). If with the naked eye you see fluid swirl marks, the sphere is glass or plastic. Quartz has not formed from a melt so it would never show swirl marks. Under magnification, look for small spherical bubbles. If present, the sphere is not a natural material. Except for lava flows, nature almost never produces perfect spherical holes, especially not in rock crystal. I have seen these bubbles in both glass and plastic spheres. The Crystal ball is used for divination. Periodical exposure to moonlight will increase its psychic power, I recommend wrapping your crystal ball in a dark cloth during daylight hours, and at night placing it somewhere it will receive moonlight consistently.

Incense - Incense is a powerful asset to your workings. As a general rule it can be used to protect you during your workings, but burning different kinds of incense can carry a variety of different meanings. I recommend picking up a book on incense or herbs and seeing the magical purposes for them. Scott Cunningham is a great resource. It was believed in Ancient times that the smoke from the incense would carry your wishes up to the deities. The proper incense can help you cleanse and purify your space. Incense is a great method to help you focus during your workings.

Salt (Rock or Sea) – Unaltered salt, sea salt or rock salt, is symbolic of Earth and North. When mixed with blessed water, it can be sprinkled to purify your Sacred space, your tools, and yourself.

Pentacle - A pentacle is a five-point flat star. The pentacle is the tool that represents the power of manifestation and the element of earth. Placed towards the center of the altar, it is used as "an altar upon the altar". In other words, ritual items to be charged or consecrated are placed upon the pentacle symbolizing magic made manifest. The five-points represent the four elements held in balance by spirit. The pentagram is a sacred symbol of wisdom and protection.

Wand - The wand is a tool of communication, the tool of the mind, and of invitation. The Directional Guardians [see post about Casting a Circle] and the God/dess can be invited into the witch's circle through the use of the wand. It is an instrument of invocation most often associated with the element of air, but it is sometimes associated with fire as well. The wand is made from the branch of a sacred tree. Examples of sacred trees are oak, willow, and birch. The directional element the wood represents will most likely define what direction it hails to. You can find some of the elemental properties of wood here. The wand is a phallic symbol, a symbol of the Gods and masculinity.

Scrying Mirror- Scrying mirrors are used to induce visions, and answer questions. Scrying Mirrors are traditional black backed, and you should not be able to see your reflection in your mirror. If you have a specific intention, chant it in your mind, or whisper it out loud over and over until you're mind is completely focused on nothing else. The way to use your mirror is not to look at, but through the surface of it. Gazing into the blackness. This is a fairly advanced technique for a beginner, but with the right focus and intent, anything is possible.

 

• Other items you can use as tools in ritual are offering dishes, smudge sticks [covered in my post about Casting a Circle], herbs, seashells, stones, and, of course, lots of candles! The possibilities are endless, find what is Sacred to YOU.

Covenspace cuts this image off a bit in the main view so I have rotated it, click here to see a bigger, stand alone image.

Feel free to add and subtract as you see fit.

Remember: Make it Work!

The Sacred Circle

Traces of the magic circle can be found throughout ancient history, forms of it were used in what we can gather of old Babylonian magic, in the Ceremonial workings in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and in pre-Christian Europe you could find many Pagan religious festivals taking place in circles, outdoors under the moonlit night skies.

There are two commonly known reasons for Circle use in magic. One example is Circles formed by ceremonial magicians are most often designed to protect the magician from the forces that he or she raises. The other, as I will be discussing in this post, is Circles formed by Witches- which are mainly used to create sacred space in which to meet and commune with their deities, nature, and the Great Spirit. For most Witches, in these urban times, many Circles must be cast indoors for lack of undisturbed land outside. But if you can manage to find a quiet space out in an unscathed forest or field, consider yourself blessed, and take advantage of being able to commune so closely with the energies and spirits of the Earth.

While there is a physical aspect to casting a Circle, the Sacred Circle is used to define an area of non-physical space created by and consisting of personal power or "energy". In today's busy world, this Circle creates the proper working atmosphere for ritual and spell working. The energy this Circle is comprised of, this personal power, is raised, felt and visualized as streaming out from the body through the athame or, if you are without tools- you may use your right hand to substitute. Out of your athame (or hand) a 3-D sphere of energy is created encompassing the entire working area. The circle is not obstructed by the walls or floors- it is above the roof, below the floor, all around you. This sphere of energy is your Sacred Circle.

Preparing yourSelf:

To ready yourself for you workings you may want to take a purifying bath. A great bath sachet (square piece of cloth with herbs inside tied at the corners to close) to use would be one with equal parts fennel, rosemary, basil, lavender, hyssop, thyme, vervain, and mint.Tie the herbs up nice and tight in a sachet and drop it into the bath. You can use the essential oils of these herbs also. If you do not want to bathe, mediation is also an option. But if you feel comfortable just taking of your street clothes and hopping right into the circle, you can. This bring me to my next subject....

What do I wear?!

I'm sure if you have read books or watched movies, you are thinking you need a robe or cloak in the circle. While you can wear one, and many people do, it is not necessary. Some practitioners choose to do their workings "skyclad" ( in the nude). If you aren't comfortable with that, its perfectly ok to choose something else. If you are wearing street clothes, try to wear clothing that is not constricting. Clothing like jeans are uncomfortable- I recommend getting a pair of cotton pajamas that you use specifically for indoor ritual in whatever color you like. But you can really wear whatever you'd like, especially if you are doing this outside-- always dress for the weather!

Preparing your Space:

We live in a world of many emotions and energies, in our space that accumulates and make for some "astral garbage". Before you have cleansed your space, there will be negative and un-productive energies sticking around you. To rid ourselves of this so we have a clean slate to work in, we need to purify our space.

First, we need to clean the physical dirt out of our space. Sweeping, vacuuming, or mopping may be necessary. After we've done this, it's time to take care of the Astral dirt. The things that we cannot see with the naked eye.

There are multiple ways of doing this. The first of which is smudging. Smudging is the use of a herb like Sage or Sweetgrass (which smoke heavily) to fumigate and rid the space of the energy. Because of the amount of smoke, you will need to have the windows and doors open to let it out. Another option, if you have a besom (broom), to sweep the energy out (not actually touching the ground). Envision the besom catching the energy and sweeping it out of your space. Lastly, you can use a bell. By ringing the bell to the directional points, you can use the powerful vibrations to rid the space of the unwanted energy. I recommend a bell with a long, resonating, tone.

The last and final thing to do when preparing your space is to make sure you will not be interrupted. Turn the ringers of any phones and lock the doors if need be. If you are working at home and have family or roommates around, ask them to please not disturb you. Now you are ready to begin and cast your Circle

The Circle (Physical):

To aid in your visualization during the casting of a Circle, you may want mark a physical circle on the ground. If at all possible, you should cast a circle in a place with sufficient room to make a Circle that is 9 feet in diameter. 9 is the divine number of perfection. If you feel comfortable in a smaller or bigger circle, feel free to mark it out at whatever size you'd like- some Witches simply do not have an area with sufficient space. Regardless, you don't want your Scared space to be crowded. It is perfectly understandable if you are "in the broom closet" and cannot practice in the living room. I know many witches whose first altars were actually in a cramped closet. If you must practice in a small place, make it work. Figure out how to visualize your energy going through the walls of the closet to make the appropriate size for you.

To mark your Circle there are innumerable methods. You can mark your space with cord (I prefer purple or black colored, but you may use whatever color you'd like) in a circular shape, chalk, crystals, stones, soil, wood, flowers.....

Now we move on to the directions, or the "Cardinal Points". (North [earth], East [air], South [fire], West [water]). Most commonly the points are marked by candles. There are different trains of thought on the colors used for these points. I use Green for North, Yellow for East, Red for South, and Blue for West. You may find that British Traditional Wicca has different colors at different point, or that some use brown candles to represent North. Decide for yourself what you feel is comfortable. You may also set your Ritual tools at the points, this is especially handy if you don’t use an altar. To represent the elemental properties of Earth, set the pentacle, a bowl of earth or salt to the North. To represent the elemental properties of Air, place a censer (see page one of this thread for tools) of incense, stick incense, feathers, flowers, or wands made of wood whose element is Air to the East. To represent the elemental properties of Fire the red candle will suffice- or you may use your Athame, Boline, Candle Snuffer, self-igniting charcoal (for your censor), or matches to the South. To represent the elemental properties of Water you may place a cup/bowl of water, seashell, chalice, or beach sand to the West.


The Altar:

Inside the Circle most witches construct an Altar smack dab in the center (leaving room to walk around). There are many available shapes for an altar table. Round, square, rectangular... shape is not important Remember, however, that some shapes do represent certain things. For example, a round table represents the Goddess.

It is important to note that an altar doesn’t have to be a table at all. Tables may not be ideal if you are not setting up a permanent altar or if you are setting up outdoors. What a hassle that would be! Your altar may be the ground or a box covered in a cloth, a piece of driftwood, a large flat rock or stone. Use your imagination, and make it work! Most often, the altar is is placed facing North, being that the Earth element association makes this a direction of power. Some place the altar facing East where the Sun and Moon rises which is ideal for those that focus on the God and Goddess, more so than spell work.

Your tools can now be placed and arranged on the altar. The left side of the altar is generally dedicated to the Goddess and tools associated with her are placed here. These include: the chalice, bell, besom (broom), and the cauldron. Also, a green, silver or white candle to represent the Goddess. The right side of the altar is dedicated to the God and you may the tools associated with him there. These are: the censer, wand, athame, and bolline. Also a gold or white candle to represent the God. Your Book of Shadows might also be placed in the middle or to the right side. If the purpose of your Circle is spellcasting, be sure to get all of your herbs, incense, oils, paper, pen... or whatever you will need together as you set up your altar so you don't forget (it's not fun to have to cut a door in your circle to get out and get some more ingredients).

It is most important to remember that the Altar and circle must be comfortable for you. You must be able to work well within it. There are not set rules for the construction of these things, work with it. Create it to suit your needs.

Once I get to my home computer, I will post a Altar Diagram to give you a visual.


The Circle (Metaphysical):

Enter your physical circle and light any candles you are using on your altar. If you are also using candles at the directional points, start at the top candle. Be it North or East (as discussed above) and light the four candles walking deosil (clockwise) around the circle. Once those candles are lit, return to your altar and light your incense. Before you begin to cast your circle, you should ground and center yourself. An easy way to this is as follows:

Sit or stand in a comfortable position. Become aware of your breathing. Feel your tailbone start to elongate, stretching itself down into the Earth. You are a tree, and your tailbone is your roots. Your roots go down deep into the Earth and all excess "nervous" energy, tension and stress flow down your roots and seep harmlessly into the earth, where the loving Earth accepts and is nourished by it. In return the earth sends back calming nutrients, stability, and ancient serenity. Feel this positive energy flowing up into your body. Centering your mind. Grounding you. Now you are ready to build your Circle.

Take a position in front of your altar, or if you are not using an altar, the center of your circle facing your preferred direction. Concentrate and envision energy building within you. You can visualize it starting as a pebble of energy and expanding in your body till you are home to a giant ball formed in your chest or behind your navel. You can feel it as vibrations of energy progressively getting stronger. When you have reach a peak and you feel the energy staying constant (with practice this will be obvious), hold out your athame or projective hand palm (facing downwards [the one you write with]) at waist height and point your athame or fingers at the edge of the physical circle on the ground. Feel your energy flowing freely from your body through the point of the athame or your fingertips. Visualize it as a bright light, perhaps in your personal color, and slowly walk deosil (clockwise) around the circle. As the energy flows around the circle it swirls into a sphere. Through the ground, through the roof (if indoors) and encompassing your entire circle. See it pulsating into place doming over your head and beneath your feet. A perfect sphere of energy. Go into the center and feel it solidify. when it is solid, pull your athame back toward your body cutting of the flow, or clenching your hand into a fist if you are not using an athame. If you would like, you may take your sea salt and water around the circle, sprinkling it around, sealing the circle.

Now your sacred space is complete. It is time to focus on your spell work.

Many witches like to invoke the rulers of the four quarters to protect them and watch over your workings. There are various ideas regarding these rulers- some people consider them the “Spirits” of the elements, others see them as ancient guardians or watchers of the four directions, former humans who have completed the scared spiral and reached perfection, or the four directional winds. I even call upon the Archangels. See what is comfortable for you.

Below is a basic method of calling the quarters rulers, and also a more complex and powerful method- the invoking (and banishing) pentagram.

basic method of calling the quarters

invoking and banishing pentagram


Cutting a Doorway:

Things happen, and at some point it may be necessary for you to leave the Circle before you have finished your workings. A common practice is cutting a doorway to walk out of without dissipating the energy you have worked so hard to create. Using your athame (or if you don't have one - another pointed object) starting at the ground, counterclockwise, cut a "doorway" large enough for you to exit through. Visualize the walls of the circle being absorbed into the cutting tool. You may now walk out of the Circle (where the air may feel quite a bit different. When you return to the Circle, re-seal it by closing the door with your athame (or other cutting tool you used), in a clockwise direction. Visualize the energy stored in it's point streaming back out and re-sealing the Circle.

Closing the Circle:

Closing the circle is normally a reversal of the casting process with a few minor differences. Be sure to note as you a releasing the circle, that you are not "dismissing" the deities or directional guardians. That's presumptuous and rude. It is simply a way to release the energy and thank them for their presence.

Here is a closing method using the banishing pentagram

or, you can simply thank the corners and your deities, snuffing the candles out as you do so (notice I say snuff- I don't recommend blowing them out- it seems rude to me) then pierce your sphere and walk widdershins (counterclockwise) to reabsorb the energy into your athame or receptive hand (reversal of the casting).

You should return to the grounding centering exercise shown above after this is complete.

Now just clean up your space and put away your ritual tools. Any leftover offerings and incense ash should be buried outside in the Earth, and leftover liquids should be poured into the Earth as well.

Congrats! You've cast a circle!