| Here is part 2 of what should be considered essential | | | | twigs and willow binding. The ash wood serves to |
| for your wiccan supplies list. | | | | protect, the birch is for purifying and the willow is |
| Wands | | | | sacred and holy to the Goddess. |
| A wand is used to project and direct energy to a | | | | Cauldrons |
| specific area, object, person,or even dimension. It can | | | | The cauldron, like the chalice and bell, is also symbolic |
| be used for tasks like stirring a cauldron if | | | | of the Goddess. In |
| itsconstruction allows this. In some traditions, it is used in | | | | Wicca, when a cauldron is used it is often central to |
| calling the God and the | | | | the ritual, usually linked with fertility or transformation. |
| Goddess to join a ritual. Although traditional wands are | | | | Some of the lore of the cauldron is based on the |
| made of wood, you can find wands today in a variety | | | | legend of Kerridwen's cauldron. |
| of materials. | | | | Kerridwen is a goddess from the Celtic pantheon. The |
| The ancient Druids held woods sacred and tools from | | | | story begins where Kerridwen bore a son who was |
| wood were considered to carry the spirit of nature. It is | | | | the ugliest and most rotten tempered man in the world. |
| not suggested that wood from a living tree be cut to | | | | She wanted to fix this by brewing a potion to |
| make a wand. A piece of fallen wood is much more | | | | transform him into the Maiden Moon wisest man in the |
| appropriate as it can be considered a gift from divinity. | | | | world. To do so she brewed a potion for a year and a |
| There are few rules about the size of the wand. | | | | day (a period still recognized as significant in Wiccan |
| Some Wiccans believe wands should be the length of | | | | practice). |
| a persons forearm and hand, but in general wands | | | | At the end of that time, there were three highly |
| commonly range from as little as 10 inches up to 3 | | | | concentrated drops left. Kerridwen hired a boy to stir |
| feet in length. Some people like to hold a wand that is | | | | the potion and a man to stoke the flames. On the very |
| more massive because they feel more powerful. | | | | day that the potion was ready, the 3 drops splashed |
| It is equally acceptable to use a wand that is compact | | | | out onto the boy’s fingers. The boy fled knowing |
| and lightweight. A wand can be as ornamental or as | | | | that Kerridwen would be very angry. |
| plain as desired. Anything from a wand fabricated of | | | | Kerridwen took after him in pursuit. During the chase, |
| sterling silver and encrusted with gems to a piece of | | | | both the boy and Kerridwen changed into several |
| tree branch still covered in bark is acceptable for use. | | | | animals. When Kerridwen finally caught up with the |
| Each will serve well if the person wielding the wand is | | | | boy, she ate him and became pregnant. She had |
| comfortable with it. The only real concern is that it | | | | planned to kill the child but when he was born, he was |
| feels comfortable. | | | | the most beautify boy she had ever seen, so she kept |
| The Wiccan Boline | | | | him and he grew to be Taliesin the Bard, one of the |
| The boline is a white handled knife, which clearly | | | | most inspired poets. As you can see, throughout the |
| distinguishes it from the black handled athame. In many | | | | story, the concept of magickal transformation (the |
| cases the blade has a distinct curved shape. It is a | | | | symbology of the cauldron) isprevalent from beginning |
| simple working knife used in ritual or ritual preparation | | | | to end. |
| for tasks like cutting herbs from a garden, inscribing | | | | Cauldrons are usually made of iron and stand on three |
| candles, cutting cords, etc. It is to be used for cutting | | | | legs with the opening ofthe vessel being smaller than |
| purposes only for the materials and items you need | | | | the inside. You can find cauldrons in a wide rangeof |
| for your rituals and spells. | | | | sizes from the very small altar top varieties to gigantic |
| The Wiccan Boline is commonly the size of an | | | | pots big enough for headhunters to cook a few |
| athame. There are larger bolines that are made, but | | | | explorers in. |
| these are normally called Druid Bolines and are | | | | Crystal Balls |
| common within paganism rituals and ceremonial use. | | | | While many forms of divination tools have been used, |
| Even though a larger boline can be used in Wicca, it is | | | | the crystal ball has beenthe longest surviving. When |
| usually easier to use the smaller versions of the blade. | | | | used for divinatory purposes, the practitioner gazesinto |
| The Besom(Ritual Broom) | | | | the ball and pictures are perceived either inside the ball |
| A besom (ritual broom) is used in Wicca for the | | | | itself or in themind's eye of the crystal gazer. |
| preparation of magickalspace. The magickal | | | | When used in Wiccan ritual, the crystal is placed on |
| significance of a besom is twofold. First, as a magickal | | | | the altar to represent the Goddess. Some Wiccans |
| tool directing energy for cleaning, and second in the | | | | use the ball during the ritual for scrying but it can also |
| heritage of ancient Druidic regard for the woods from | | | | be used to store energy raised from the ritual. The |
| which a traditional besom is made. In Wicca, the | | | | crystal ball is often at the center of full moon rituals |
| besom is used to clear the negativity and residual | | | | where it represents the Goddess in Mother form. Of all |
| energy from space being prepared as sacred. The | | | | the tools, the crystal ball is often considered as one of |
| sweeping of ritual space is not to clear debris in the | | | | the hardest to charge magickally. |
| physical environment. | | | | Many recommend that the crystal be exposed to |
| The besom does not even have to touch the ground | | | | moonlight to increase its charge after cleansing in a |
| at all. The sweeping motion in the air combined with | | | | saltwater bath. This is seen as aligning the crystal and |
| visualization clears the negative energies lingering from | | | | filling it with energy from the Goddess. |
| the mundane world. The traditional besom has many | | | | It is usually best for crystal balls to be as close and as |
| legends associated with it. It is said to have been used | | | | pure to crystal as possible. Finding pure crystal balls |
| in fertility rituals where it was ridden hobbyhorse style | | | | however is not only expensive, they are hard to find. If |
| through the crops. | | | | you can charge the standard crystal balls that are |
| It is also said to have been used in handfasting | | | | comonly available as much as possible, especially in |
| ceremonies promoting fertility in a newly wed couple. | | | | the full moon over night, they will work just as well. |
| Besoms are commonly made using an ash staff, birch | | | | |