TheWitchsWand

Introduction

Wehaveimagesofthewitchorwizardstandingwithinagreatcircleofartcommandinggreat
forcesofnature.Intheiroutstretchedhandisthewand.Thatallpowerfulrepresentationofthe
magickthattheycommandattheirfingertips.Isthisromanticimagebaseduponrealmagick,or
simplyafantasyconjuredupbyastorytellertotitillatetheunwary?WefindwandsintheTarot,
andtheyrepresentFire,controlofforces,newgrowth,andthelike.Theyhavebeenpartof
culturesaroundtheworldandstillrepresentgreatpower.
Inthisdissertation,wewilldiscusstherealityofthewandandhowonemayemployitspowersin
thegreatwork.

History

Youalwayshearinthefairystoriesthatthewitchextendedherwandandpoof,amanwas
turnedintoatoad.Butwheredotheycomefromandhowdidtheybecomesuchagreatpartof
magicktradition?Nextwewilldelveintoabitofhistory.

Magickwandshavebeenaroundforaverylongtime.Someofthefirstdepictionsofawand
comefromEgypt,inthehandsofPharaoh.Notonlydidhecarryascepterforhiskingdom,but
alsoawand.Hewasa'God'afterall.Andmagickwassupposedtobepartofhisroyaltalents.

TheGreekGodHermes(Mercury)isrepresentedbyawandentwinedwithasnakeandwinged
top.Inlegend,thiswandisasleepproducingwand.ThefamousmusicianArion,hadawandof
Ivory.Linguisticresearchshowsthethesymbol"cel"ofthewordCeltsand"ger"oftheGerman,
bothmean"wand".Andbothculturesusedthewandasthesymboloftheaxisofthespringand
summersolstices.

InCelticlegend,thethreewisewomenwhoguidethestepsofmankind(theTripleGoddess)are
oftenseenordepictedwithwands.Usingthesetoolstodirecttheirenergyorcontroltheir
desiresduringvariousevents.Onelegendtellsofthewisewomenfacingcavedwellinggiants,
usingtheirwandstodislodgebouldersandrocksfromthemountaintoraindownuponthe
giants.

InNorselegend,ThorsetsouttovisitGeirrodwithouthisweapons.TheHagGrid,warnsThorof
thedangershefaces.Shegiveshimherbeltandmagicwandtodobattleuponhislongjourney.
InthisstoryThorflingsaboulderandbreaksthebackofagiantesswiththewand.

InArthurianlegend,Merlincastshismagickwiththeuseofasilverwandpresumably
constructedfromthehardenedbloodofaunicornthathehelpedtosavefromadragon'sattack.

Butthewandisn'tjustseeninpaganpaths.Incatacombfrescoesofthethirdandfourth
centuries,Christisfrequentlyrepresentedperformingmiraclesbymeansofawand.

Scholarsbelievethewandfoundit'srootsinthedrumstickofashaman.EspeciallyfromSiberia
andCentralAsiawhendrummingwasusedtoraiseenergybeforeandduringceremonialrituals.
Thenpointingthewandattherecipientofthatenergysuchasapatientwhorequiredhealing.
Fromthesehumblebeginnings,thewandhasbecomeastapleinmagickpracticesthroughthe
centuriesandintomodernmagick.

BlastingRods
Incunningcraft,thewitch'swandbecamethepowerfulBlastingRod.Thisintimidatingand
powerfultoolwascarriedinplainsightand,toallthatwereintheknow,couldcallcursesdown
uponanymalefactorthatplaguedthesorcerer.
OnesuchfamousBlastingRodbelongedtoGeorgePickingill,theCunningManofEssex.
StorieshavebeentoldofOldGeorgeneverbeingwithouthisBlackthornwalkingstick,whichhe
usedtogoodeffectuponthosewhomheheldparticularire.HewouldtellyouIllcallinmeimps
andmakeyasorryferyerways,andthenpointhisstickatyouandthatwasthat.
Traditionally,thesewalkingsticksweremadeofBlackthorn,butcanjustaseasilybefromApple,
Ash,Oak,etc..

ForceofFire

Symbolically,theWandisrelatedtotheelementFire.However,insometraditionsitis
associatedtoAir.ThedifferencesarethatWandsweremadeofprimarilywood,andwood
burns.Hencefire.But,inothertraditions,thewandwasthemaintoolofHermesandbrought
intellectanddiscernment.Hermesisdepictedwithwingsuponhisfeet,(Mercury),andsois
consideredacreatureoftheair.Forourpurposes,weseeitasembodyingthepoweroffire,
whichisourforcetocontroltheworldaroundus.Aswedirectourthoughtsandpowerdownthe
slenderbodyofourownwand.Throughit,wecantouchthepowersoftheotherworldsandcast
ourdesiresuponthefabricofWyrd.

TheStaff

AnotherembodimentofthewandistheStaff.Stillapoweroffire,butalsocanbetheStangof
cunning.OrthealtaroftheHornedOne.Iutilizethestaffagreatdeal,moresothanthewand,as
itisbothobjectofpowerandtoolforhikingintothewilderness.Itbothsupportsanddefends.
Somecunningfolkadorntheirstaffswithfeathers,stonesofpower,andsymbolssuchas
Runesorsigils.Itisaverypersonalthing,likealltoolsofpower,andIencourageyoutogiveone
atry.

TheMakingofaWand

Itisactuallyverysimpletomakeawand,orevenastaff.Manybooksspeakofgoingtoatreeat
acertaintime,andaskingpermissionforabranch,andthenleavinganoffering.Thiscertainlyis
oneway,andtrueinandofitself.But,youcanalsofindwandsandstaffsthathavebeen
previouslycastofffromthetreesinquestion.Thepoweryouputintotheobjectwillmakeit
strongandanswertoyourwill.
But,makingawandfromscratchcanbeafunandmeditativeprocess.

Thewoodcanbeimportanttotheactualconstruction.Ipreferafruitbearingtree.Apple,Walnut,
Pear,Blackthorn,andthelikeareallexcellentwoods.Iknowcunningfolkthathavemadetheirs
fromabranchofOak,whichalsobearsfruit.TheAcorn.Anyoftheseareappropriateandwill
serveyouwellformanyyears.
Onceyouhavedecidedtheappropriatewood,youwillneedtogatheritinaspecificway.Ifyou
canlocatethetreefromwhichyouwillbetakingyourwand,allthebetter.Itisnotmandatory,but
preferred.Locatethetreeandbeginyourcommunionwithit.Thisissimplyconnectingtothe
spiritofthetree.Iclosemyeyesandenterintoameditativestateandthenspeakaloudtothe
treemydesire.Suchasthefollowing

Creatureofthewood,Icometoaskaboon
Idesireapieceofyoutomakeawandofpower
IaskthatyouallowthistakinginthenameoftheHornedOne

Ithenawaitaresponse.Sometimesitcantakeseveralsessionstoestablishtheconnection,but
keepatitandyouwontbesorry.
Oncetheconnectionismadeandyouhaveyouraffirmativeastothecollectionofoneofthe
treesbranches,youwillneedtoremoveitwithaslittledamagetothetreeaspossible.
IhaveaLaplandersawwhichhasveryfineteeth,butanyfinepruningsawwillwork.Selectthe
branchandthenremoveitquickly.Besuretobringabitoftreepatch,availableatyourlocal

nursery,andpaintitoverthewound.Iliketoofferabitofmybloodintothewoundbefore
patching,butthatisuptoyou.
Remembertoalwaysgiveanoffering.IlikeabitoffertilizerthatIscatteraroundthebaseofthe
tree.And,sometimes,asilvercoin.Itdoesnthavetobepuresilver,soanysilvercoinwilldo.

Whenyouhaveyourpieceofwood,thenleaveyourofferingandthankthetreeforitssacrifice.
Backawayfromthetreeandthenleave.

Youmaystripthebarkfromthebranchandletitdryandcure.Afterthatyoumaydecorateit
howeveryouwish.YoumayburnRunesintoit,andothersymbols.Thenitistimetoempowerit.
Iliketodoaritualforthis,butjustusingitwillimbueitwithpowerovertime.Theritualjustjump
startsit.

RitualforEmpowermentoftheWand

MaterialsNeeded
Wand
BloodoftheMother(seasaltandspringwatercombined)
Lancet
MugwortorSagebundle
Candle

AtthehourofMercury(calculatetheplanetaryhour),placeallofyouritemsuponanaltar,oron
thebaregroundifyouworkoutside.
Calltoyourspirits,orthespiritsoftheHornedOneasfollows

Spiritsofthisplace,childrenoftheHornedOne,comeandattend

Lightthecandlesaying

SpiritofFire,comeandattend.Giveyourpowertothisworkingandbringyour
forcetobear

TakeuptheWandandsaythefollowing

TotheHornedOne,Idedicatethiswandofpower
Mayitbeatooltoextendmyownpowerintothereachesoftheotherworlds
GreatHornedOne,sendyourspiritstofillitwiththymagick

AnointthewandwiththeBloodoftheMothersaying

Ianointthee,creatureofthewood
WiththeBloodoftheMother,thatyouarerebirthedanew
Intothisworldyouarenowmadetobeaconduitofpower
Takemythoughtsandconnectthemtotheotherworld

LighttheMugwortorSageandsmudgethewandsaying

Thouartcleansedwiththissmokeandempoweredbyitsspirit
Asmythoughtsfly,sodoyoutakethemtotheendsofallworlds

Holdthewandjustoverthecandle,beingcarefulnottoburnitsaying

Spiritoffire,someintothiscreatureofwoodandmakeitwhole
Comeatmycallandtakeyourplacewithinitsheart

Usingthelancet,bringforthyourownbloodandanointthewandsaying

MybloodIofferandconnectyoutome
Myspiritwillresidewithinandbeforeverbounduntome

Raisethewandonhighsaying

Thouartnowmadewholeandwillservethegreatwork
HornedOne,Iamthyservantandwillwalkthecrookedpathofcunning
Thiswandwillcarrymeoverthehedgeandbeyond

Itisdone.

Nowyoumayusethewandforprojectionofyourpowerintotheotherworlds.Itwillbeyoursonly
andboundtoyou.Theaboveprocedurescanalsobeusedforthestaff.

Tousethewand,simplypointitinthedirectionyouwishtoprojectyourpowerandfeelthe
energybuildatyoursolarplexususingtheSphereExerciseandseethatpowerflowingthrough
yourarmanddownthewandblastingfromthetip.
Thatisit.Notthatdifficult,butverypowerful.

Useitwell.