Crafting your own tools

Autumn really brings out craftiness! Perhaps the colours and seeing all the cobwebs with the spiders make me creative.

When I started researching Wicca, I was overwhelmed by the requirements. You have to dedicate yourself, you can only be Wiccan if you’re in a coven and you really need all the tools. I got the impression everything was really strict, and perhaps in traditional Wicca it is, but when learning more about paganism, I realized it doesn’t have to be. Yes, you can choose to do a self-dedication or to join a group, but you don’t have to.

Tools especially I find interesting. I’ve found that you actually only need yourself. You are the vessel of power, you can influence the world by focusing, exerting your will and projecting your intent. Of course, tools can help you focus, raise and guide energy, but a characteristic of a tool is that you can do without. Tools merely make it easier.

The wand, for me, is the the tool that speaks to my imagination. In all fantasy stories, it is the essential tool of wizards and witches such as Harry and Hermione. And I decided I wanted one. A couple of months ago I found a perfect branch outside, and as I was feeling crafty, today I crafted my wand. I kept it real simple and just stripped most of the bark away. I still have to consecrate it, but I love how it looks and feels! Can’t wait to work with it.

So tools aren’t really necessary, though they can help in your practice. Should you want tools, I advise you to make them yourself. You’ll use natural material, it costs less, is fun to do and most importantly: the energy you put in will help you in using it, as you feel more connected to it. Just try it!

Your personal correspondences for spell-work

On YouTube I recently started to watch the videos of CharmingPixieFlora, mainly about paganism, and I was caught by this video.

Thinking back of my own limited experience with spells, I remember feeling so awkward following the instructions from a book, learning that spells involving love have to be done on Friday, preferably with the moon nearing full, lighting a pink or red candle whilst invoking these specific deities… And I didn’t know anything about it or felt that it was appropriate. Feeling that way, I don’t think any of my early spells worked. As Flora says, if you don’t believe what you do will work, why bother? If you can’t perform the spell wholeheartedly, it won’t work.

So basically, when you want to do spell-work or want to use some sort of symbolism, you have to find the symbols that resonate with you. Find out what you feel when looking at red, blue, yellow and the other colours. Thinking of earth, water, fire and wind, what symbols come in your head? Do you want to incorporate the chakra system in your workings, do you want to work with specific deities or pantheons etc. So many choices to make. Obviously, the correspondences with colours have been based on what people feel when seeing those colours, so chances are they are also quite similar to your personal correspondences. But find out what YOU want to work with, what YOU feel comfortable with and use only that 🙂