Witch’s Tools

Loki is known as a trickster. He is described in the Prose Edda as a “contriver of fraud”. Although he doesn’t appear often in the Eddas, he is described as a member of the family of Odin. Despite his divine or demi-God status, there’s little evidence to show that Loki had a following of worshippers of his own; in other words, his job was mostly to make trouble for other gods, men, and the rest of the world. A shapeshifter who could appear as any animal, or as a person of either sex, Loki was constantly meddling in the affairs of others, mostly for his own amusement.

Njord, God of the Sea

Njord was a sea God, and was married to Skadi, the Goddess of the mountains. He was sent to the Aesir as a hostage by the Vanir, and became a high priest of their mysteries.

Odin, Ruler of the Gods

Odin was a shapeshifter, and roamed the world in disguise. One of his favorite manifestations was that of a one-eyed old man; in the Norse Eddas, the oneeyed man appears regularly as a bringer of wisdom and knowledge to heroes. He pops up in everything from the saga of the Volsungs to Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. He was typically accompanied by a pack of wolves and ravens, and rode on a magic horse named Sleipnir. Thor and his powerful lightning bolt have been around for a long time. Some Pagans still continue to honor him today. He is typically portrayed as red-headed and bearded, and carrying Mjolnir, a magical hammer. As keeper of thunder and lightning, he was also considered integral to the agricultural cycle. If there was a drought, it wouldn’t hurt to offer a libation to Thor in hopes that the rains would come. Tyr (also Tiw) is the God of oneon-one combat. He is a warrior, and a god of heroic victory and triumph. Interestingly, he is portrayed as having only one hand, because he was the only one of the Aesir brave enough to place his hand in the mouth of Fenrir, the wolf.

https://www.learnreligions.com/norsedeities-4590158

Witch’s Tools

Often, when people first discover Wicca or some other form of Paganism, they rush to go buy every single magical tool they can find. After all, the books tell us to buy this, that, and the kitchen sink, so you better hustle on over to Ye Local Wytchy Shoppe and get stuff.

Altar

The altar is often the focus of religious ceremony, and is usually found at the center of a Pagan ritual. It’s essentially a table used for holding all of the ritual tools, and can also be used as a workspace in spell casting.

You can have permanent altars that stay up year round, or seasonal ones that you change as the Wheel of the Year turns. It’s not uncommon to meet someone who has more than one altar in their home.

A popular theme is the ancestor altar, which includes photos, ashes or heirlooms from deceased family members. Some people enjoy having a nature altar, on which they place interesting items they find while out and about – an unusual rock, a pretty seashell, a chunk of wood that looks appealing.

If you have children, it’s not a bad idea to let them have their own altars in their rooms, which they can decorate and re-arrange to suit their own needs. Your altar is as personal as your spiritual path, so use it to hold the things you value.

Athame

The athame is used in many Wiccan and Pagan rituals as a tool for directing energy. It is often used in the process of casting a circle, and can be used in place of a wand. Typically, the athame is a double-edged dagger, and can be purchased or hand-made. The athame is not typically used for actual, physical cutting. If you’d like to make your own, there are a number of different ways to do it. Depending on how skilled you are with metalworking, this can be either a simple project or a complex one. There are a number of websites that offer instructions on how to make an athame, and they tend to vary in skill level.

Bell

Hundreds of years ago, rural folks knew that loud noise drove away evil spirits, and the bell is a prime example of a good noisemaker. The ringing of a bell causes vibrations which are the source of great power. Variations on the bell include the shaking of a sistrum, a ritual rattle, or the use of a “singing bowl”. All of these can help bring harmony to a magical circle. In some forms of Wicca, the bell is rung to begin or end a rite, or to evoke the Goddess. Blogger Blau Stern Schwarz Schlonge at Coven of the Catta says,

In our Coven we ring the bell after calling the Watchtowers, and is to both to call them and to honor them. At All Hallows or Samhain we ring the bell 40 times to call the dead we wish to honor. Its hard to get the clapper to just ring 40 times so I usually just hit the bell with the athame to achieve this number.

Besom

The besom, or broom, is used for sweeping a ceremonial area out before ritual. A light sweeping not only cleans the physical space, it also clears out negative energies that may have accumulated in the area since the last cleaning. The broom is a purifier, so it is connected to the element of Water. It is not uncommon to meet witches who

have broom collections, and it is fairly easy to make your own besom if you don’t wish to buy one. The traditional magical formula includes a bundle of birch twigs, a staff of ash or oak, and a binding made from willow wands. In many belief systems, household items have their own set of magical properties. Quite possibly, few things are as magical as the basic broom. Long known as one of the most popular tools in a witch’s magical arsenal, the broom has a lengthy and complex history of folklore, legend, and mystery behind it.

Book of Shadows

Despite popular movies and television shows, there is no one single book of shadows. A book of shadows is a Wiccan’s or Pagan’s notebook of information. It usually contains spells,rituals, correspondence charts,information about the rules of magic, invocations, myths and legends of various pantheons, etc. Sometimes information in a BOS is passed along from one Wiccan to another (and in a coven setting, there may be a coven BOS as well as individual members’ books), but you can create your own with a little bit of effort. A BOS is a very personal thing, and should contain the information you find most important. The candle is a commonly used tool in Wiccan and Pagan rituals. In addition to being used as symbols of the god and goddess, and the element of fire, candles are often used in spell workings. The theory is that candles can absorb your personal energy and then release that energy as they burn. In some traditions of Hoodoo and rootwork, candles are burned for a specific amount of days as part of the working. Some people believe that a candle you make yourself is far more powerful than one that is purchased. Others believe that it is the intent you put into the working that makes a difference, and not the source of the candle

Cauldron

The cauldron, like the chalice, is found in many goddess-oriented traditions of Wicca. It is feminine and womblike, the vessel in which life begins. Typically, it represents the element of Water on the altar. In Celtic mythology, the cauldron is associated with Cerridwen, who has powers of prophecy. She is the keeper of the cauldron of knowledge and inspiration in the Underworld.

There a number of magical ways you can use your cauldron:

• Burn incense, candles, or offerings in it • Use it to represent the goddess of your tradition • Blend herbs for magical workings • Fill it with water and use it for moonlight scrying

Keep in mind that many magical uses will make your cauldron unsuitable for food preparation, so if you’re going to use one, keep a separate cauldron designated as your magical one. Also, be sure to season your cauldron properly if it’s made from cast iron.

Chalice

The chalice, or cup, is found in many Goddess-oriented traditions of Wicca. Like the cauldron, the chalice is feminine and womblike, the vessel in which life begins. Typically, it represents the element of Water on the altar. In some covens, the chalice is used in tandem with the athame to represent the female aspect of the Divine during a symbolic re-enactment of the Great Rite.

Wren, over at Witchvox, says, “Chalices may be of any material. Many use silver or pewter (be careful with untreated metals when serving wine), but ceramic ones are now quite popular and readily obtainable. Some Witches have many different kinds for different types of rituals. Many a practitioner will avoid real “lead” crystal because of the Saturn energy influence. The chalice is sometimes passed around the circle so each participant may take a sip from the cup. This is a bonding experience and often the words “May you never thirst!” are passed throughout the circle with the chalice.