What are Magickal Tools and how do you use them?

When performing magickal rituals, you are often required to use a magickal tool to aide you in the performance. However, for beginners this can be a bit confusing when starting out. This blog will give a brief introduction to what are magickal tools used for and some information about each one! You can take this information later on and apply it in our T is for Tools Magick Rituals!

Magickal tools do have immense power if formed and used correctly. In fact, most magickal tools are simply extensions of the self so whereas you can do many of the same procedures with your bare hands, using a magickal tool extends the reach or adds more force. Many magickal tools could serve double duty as ordinary objects -- such as a Chalice that resembles a wine glass or an Athame that looks like a hunting knife. There is a special tool for each of the 4 elements that conducts the energies of that element.

• The Air element tool is the Wand, a stick or rod thought to have magic properties, held by a magician, fairy, or conjuror and used in casting spells or performing tricks.
• The Fire element tool is the Athame which is a ceremonial blade, generally with a black handle. It is the main ritual implement or magical tool among several used in ceremonial magic traditions.
• The Water element tool is the Chalice, when we talk about chalices in witchcraft and magic, we generally mean ceremonial goblet used in rituals and spells. Although often silver, you can use a wine glass, ceramic drinking vessel or even something carved from stone.
• The Earth element tool is the Pantacle or Plate is a talisman that is used in magical evocation, and is usually made of parchment, paper, cloth, or metal (although it can be of other materials), upon which a magical design (usually a protective design) is drawn. However, a plate will usually suffice.

Find Yourself in a Spiderweb Situation? Cut Those Lines Magically!

When you find yourself in a sticky situation that you want to let go of or unattach from, the athame is the perfect magick tool to use. You can cut psychic "lines" attached to yourself or others with the athame which is the magick tool to conduct Fire energies. The athame has a wide variety of magick uses that you can learn about in our Athame: Fire Tool ebook. The technique of using a fire energy beam for cutting lines is a way to release unhealthy relationships and situations by severing the psychic attachment they have to you. Cutting lines on a person will not affect healthy relationships or situations, only unhealthy ones. Some of the ways to tell if these psychic lines exist on a person are:

• sore spots on the back, neck or shoulder blades
• bad dreams
• being sick several days or longer without reason
• brooding over a broken relationship

Cutting Lines with the Athame
When cutting lines with an athame, be sure to hold the athame tightly with both hands so that it does not bounce off a tough line. Make sure as you make the various cuts that you overlap them so you get all the lines on every side. Don't cut directly in front of a person as they have a lot of shielding in the front of the body. Some people notice that they are a bit dizzy or feel tired after this procedure has been done. They may need to sit for a while or rest and you may want to sweep them with a flare of Sun Yellow energy off the athame from head to feet to add back energy

Here are steps to follow to cut psychic lines on another person:

1. Stand in the south facing north and have the person you are cutting lines on stand to the north of you facing away from you.

2. Have the person close their eyes and ask them to relax.

3. Load your athame with the fire energy color of electric blue from a candle flame or color chip and project a beam of electric blue off your athame 3 to 5 feet beyond the person. This beam will be used to cut through the lines.

4. Standing at a right angle to the person, make the first cut directly behind them by starting with aiming the beam at a level above their head and making a forceful downward cut. The beam should be about a foot away from the person's back.

5. The 2nd cut is made to the right and slightly behind the person in the same way as the first.

6. The 3rd cut is made to the person's right again, but closer to the front of their body (remember to not make the cut directly in front of them).

7. The next two cuts are made on the left side of the person's body, reflecting the two positions of the cuts you made on the right side.

8. Finally, make a horizontal cut above the person's head from right to left, and below the person's feet (you can extend your beam into the floor to make this cut). The blade edge of the athame faces left as you make these two cuts.

The diagram at the top of this article will give you a visual representation of the lines and the order in which to cut them.

So the next time you find yourself in a spiderweb situation with lots of psychic lines sticking to you, just have a magical friend whip out their athame and cut those lines right away. More quick, fun and easy magick that you can learn to do.

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About Magical Tools

Firebowl: 2 Element Cleansing Tool

The Firebowl is an essential altar item and magical tool for any magician or shaman. Used primarily to cleanse people, areas, sacred space and tools, the Firebowl can also be used for divination, finding lost people or objects, and meditation.

Although almost any bowl will do for a Firebowl, most traditional Firebowls are made of brass, ceramic, cast-iron or hardwood. Except for special bowls used for specific rituals, the bowl should be light enough and small enough that you can carry it in your hand.

To make a working Firebowl, put about two inches of fire clay (unscented cat litter will do), rice or beans in the bottom of the Firebowl to prevent the bowl from getting to hot. Put self-lighting mini-charcoal tablets on top of the fireclay, then add any resins or botanicals you want to burn.

Choose your resins and botanicals based on what you want to do with your Firebowl. For instance, if you want to meditate, use a Water element botanical to help you get in touch with Spirit. If you want to "see" a lost object, you might use an Air element botanical. Here's a short list of resins and botanicals, listed by element, to get you started:

All Purpose: Sage, juniper, copal and frankincense.
Air: Sandalwood, sage, mint and sweetgrass.
Fire: Pine, juniper and frankincense.
Water: Gardenia, lotus and rose.
Earth: Musk, mosses and myrrh

If you have difficulty quieting your mind during meditation, you can use the Firebowl. Simply light the charcoal tablet with paper or wooden matches until it starts to spark, then put a Water element botanical on top. When the combination begins to smoke, focus on the column of smoke. Having a visual focus that is irregular and difficult for your mind to follow will occupy your mind while you meditate. Good luck!

Wand: Magical Air Tool

The Wand is an essential magical tool and a crucial part of any magical altar. Like most magical tools, the Wand is an extension of our own energies, amplifying and extending those energies for psychic communication, healing, protection and energy balancing.

The most common misconception about the Wand is that it is a Fire tool. The Wand is actually an Air tool for the simple reason that it is made out of wood, which burns easily when in contact with Fire energies. While popular movies, such as Harry Potter, often portray the Wand as a multi-purpose tool that can handle Air and Fire energies, it is actually the Athame, or magical knife, that can handle multiple types of energy.

Wands should be made from the limb of a live tree (with proper permission from and thanks to the tree) or recently fallen from a live tree, preferably of a light-colored wood, since Air colors are clear, white and sky blue. The limb should be between ¼ and 3/8 inch, and be no longer than from the bend of your elbow to the tip of your middle finger.

While some Wands are carved with various patterns and designs, we find that a smooth surface with no carving produces the greatest and most effective flow of Air energies. The Wand should be pointed at one end and notched at the other.

Like most magical tools, your Wand should be "keyed" or personalized to your own energies. Keying aligns the flow of the Wand from base (notched end) to tip, and ensures that only you will be able to use it. If you're a beginning practitioner, the Wand is an excellent first tool, allowing you to practice the major techniques of sweeping, pulling, flowing and flaring without endangering yourself or others.

Athame: Magical Fire Tool

The Athame, or magical knife, is one of the most powerful of the magician's tools. As a Fire tool, it has the characteristics that are most often attributed to the Wand in popular movies and TV shows, including blasting, fireballs, lightning bolts and shields. Just as the Wand could not possibly be a Fire tool since it is made of wood, the Athame must be a Fire tool since it's forged in Fire. In addition to Fire energy, the Athame can also handle some Water and Earth energies. That makes it one of the most versatile of the magician's tools.

Most often used for self defense and shielding, the Athame is also a powerful healing tool. For instance, a skilled magician can use a beam of Fire energy from the Athame to seal or cauterize a wound that won't stop bleeding. This tool is also used to create full-cast circles, invoke deity beings during ritual and release psychic "ties" to other people.

Athames should be made of high carbon, nickel alloy, or chrome alloy steel. In addition, it should have a full tang, which means that the steel goes all the way through handle, and not be a folding knife. Finally, beginners should start with a single-edged blade with a straight edge (it's harder to control Fire energy through a double-edged or curved blade).

Like the Wand and other magical tools, the Athame should be "keyed" before use. Keying clears the tool of junky energies, aligns the energy to flow from handle to tip, and personalizes the Athame so that it is in tune with your own energies. Finally, you should store your Athame in a sheath or wrap it in a natural material such as cotton, wool, leather or silk.

Chalice: Magical Water Tool

The Chalice is often called the magical tool of the Spirit, since the Chalice is the magical Water tool and Water is the language of the Spirit. Most often used for divination, psychic communication and blessings, the Chalice is also used for protection of sacred objects, self-defense and healing.

The Chalice is associated with the West, and is the tool of feeling, emotion and connection. Goblet-shaped chalices work best, and should have a bowl that is large enough to store small magical objects (storing objects in your keyed chalice keeps them clear of unwanted energies). Chalices should be made of a single material, such as glass, ceramic, silver, pewter or copper. With the Chalice, as with all magical tools, you need to consider the characteristics of the element you're working with to determine what materials will work. Wood chalices, for instance, don't work well because wood doesn't flow Water energies well.

To work with your Chalice, you'll need some additional items, such as spring water (don't use chlorinated water, which has some unhealthy energies), rock or sea salt (don't use iodized salts) and an all natural material in which you can wrap your Chalice. For the most effective use, you'll also want to "key" your Chalice to personalize it to your own energies and set the Chalice energies rotating in the correct clockwise direction.

Plate: Magical Earth Tool

The Plate, also known in magical circles as the Shield or Pantacle, is the magical tool of the element Earth. Associated with the direction North, the plate is primarily a tool of protection and healing. Magicians and shamans often use the Plate to protect magical operations, such as divination or spellwork, from outside interference. Plates are also useful for storing magical objects you want to protect, similar to the chalice, and for self protection.

Ideally, Plates should be round in shape to produce the strongest energy vortex and beam, and should be of earth-colored material, which include greens, browns and blacks, or have plant-based designs on them. Ceramic, wood or porcelain Plates work well, as do metal and glass Plates. Avoid Plates that are too heavily carved with designs or patterns, since this can interfere with the Plate's energy flow and pattern.

To key or personalize your Plate for magical use, you'll need rock salt, non-chlorinated water and a pure cotton cloth. You'll also need a Firebowl and a spare Chalice. Keying ensures that the energy in your Plate flows in the appropriate direction for protection, healing and spellwork.

A little known fact about the Plate is that it is an important tool for simulacra or "voodoo" type magic. In addition, the Plate is also a "broadcaster," meaning that you can use it to broadcast certain energies into your environment.

If you are interested in expanding your magical "reach", then using magical tools will help you do that. You can find ebooks for each tool separately on our website, or just get some specific ways to use magical tools with our Kindle book, Learn How to Do Witchcraft Rituals and Spells with Magical Tools.

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The Power of Magickal Tools

If you have watched any television shows or movies about magick, then no doubt you have seen characters do all kinds of wild and wonderful things with Wands, potions, herbs, Athames (magickal knives), Chalices, and more. But since these tools are being used in a fictional setting, you may wonder what magickal tools really can and cannot do.

For instance, you may wonder:

• Can you really throw a lightning bolt with a Wand? (Nope)
• Do magickal potions really exist and do they work effectively? (Yes, if created correctly)
• Can you ride a broomstick to the moon? (Nope)
• Does telekinesis, the ability to move things with the mind, really exist? (Absolutely)
• Is it really possible to read someone's mind? (Yup)

Magickal tools do have immense power if formed and used correctly. In fact, most magickal tools are simply extensions of the self. For instance, any well-trained magickal practitioner can throw lightning bolts using only his or her bare hands. However, if you add an Athame, or magickal knife, into the mix, a practitioner can throw a lightning bolt much further and with greater power than by using only bare hands. The same with the Chalice, a tool that allows a practitioner to see into the future or the past.

But for magickal tools to have power, they must: 

1. Be correctly formed or "keyed"
2. Be used properly

While many magickal tools could serve double duty as ordinary objects -- such as a Chalice that resembles a wine glass or an Athame that looks like a hunting knife -- the difference between an ordinary household object and a magickal tool is the process of "keying."

Keying a tool so it becomes a magickal tool accomplishes three tasks: 

1. Cleans the tool of any junky or unwanted energies
2. Aligns the energy of the tool correctly so it can be used magickally
3. Personalizes the tool to your specific energies so others cannot use your magickal tools without your consent

Once a magickal tool has been keyed, it is ready for use. To maximize its power, the practitioner has to use it as it was intended and "keyed." For instance, although Harry Potters sends lightning bolts through his Wand with no trouble, in the real world sending Fire energies such as lightning bolts through a Wand would cause the Wand to catch on fire or explode. Wands are meant to handle Air energies, which are associated with communication, planning, breathing, seeing, enlightenment, and understanding to name a few. If you want to throw lightning bolts, then you need to use an Athame, the metal of which is designed to handle Fire energies without catching on fire. So choosing the right magickal tool to do a specific ritual or spell is as important as properly keying a tool.

Here's a sneak peek at what magickal tools can do: 

• Firebowl: Send a message to higher beings and Spirit guides by burning your written request and letting your wish ride the currents of smoke upward until they reach the higher beings

• Wand: Create communication between two people who refuse to speak to each other by using the Wand to create a "communications link" (the Wand uses Air energies, which govern communication)

• Athame: Banish any unfriendly beings from your sacred space in five minutes or less

• Chalice: See into the future or past by putting a dark liquid into your Chalice, giving the Chalice a command, such as "Show me .." and then watching the show play out on the surface (this technique is also called scrying)

• Pantacle (plate): Heal broken bones or soft-tissue injuries far ahead of any doctor's predictions by focusing and gathering the power of the Earth element into a cone of energy projected by the Pantacle

• Pendulum: Got trouble? Swing your pendulum counter-clockwise to "undo" your troubles

These are just a few of the things that a properly keyed magickal tool can do when used in an appropriate manner. If you want to learn more about magickal tools, delve into our tools ebooks. Read more about those ebooks HERE.

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Ask Alan: Why Use Magical Tools?

We just got an email that raises an interesting question. The author of the email says, "We don't need any sticks or wands or anything. We have the powers in are hands just as well in are head."

This raises an interesting question:

Why use magical tools?

This is a great question, and the author of the email is right. Everyone possesses and can channel magical energy using their hands, directing the energy with their intention (head). In fact, most magicians learn to handle the four elemental energies-Air, Fire, Water, and Earth-bare-handed, without the benefit of tools. It is best when you are first starting out in magic to handle these energies directly, with your hands, and throughout your body. We call this hand magic, or the direct handling of elements.

Magical Tools Give You More Reach
However, as you advance your skills, the use of magical tools is important. Magical tools extend our "reach," since they can handle more energies than we can handle with our hands. This greater level of energy means that we can reach further with the elemental energies to accomplish more.

For instance, you can easily to put up a personal magical shield around your body using your hands. It is simple to summon and direct enough energy through your hands. However, if you wanted to shield a house or a large property, you can do it much more easily with a tool, like a Wand. With the use of a properly made and keyed Wand, you can easily shield a property that includes many acres. It's possible to do the same using just your hands, but the level of force is much greater. The Wand saves you quite a bit of exertion.

Each of the four magical elements has its own corresponding tool, as follows:

Air element = Wand
Fire element = Athame
Water element = Chalice
Earth element = Plate

By using magical tools, experienced practitioners can affect situations on many levels, ranging from the personal level to the global level.

Learn more about Tools.

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