Everything Under the Moon

There is a lot of power in crafting your own personal ritual tools. How many people have crafted or made their own ritual tool? If you haven't crafted or made your own tool (like a wand, staff, feather, broom etc) how have you personalized your tools to really make them your own?

One of the first tools I made was a wand. I have no idea what kind of wood it was, other than a vague answer of "something that grows in Michigan." It's got small, faceted breads in different colors strung together on wire wrapped around it. It's kind of funny that I put so much effort into making it, but I don't use it.
I have a little clay candle holder that I made around the same time I made the wand. It's "painted" with different shades of blue nail polish, except for the bottom, which is black.
I have a bag for my tarot cards made from an old pair of flannel pajama bottoms with a celestial print. I even have a bag for my runes made of the same material.

I like making my own tools. It's usually cheaper, although the price is not always what matters. I have a wand, a rune set and I make my own candles. My BoS i made watching youtube clip on making Charmed BoS And I actually love it and am quite proud of it. I have a Tarot deck I made, but don't use it anymore as it wore off and looks horrible. My recent Tarot deck bag is something I made. The bag for my rune set is made by me. One of my altar clothes is a made by me thing. It's got pentagram on it and I love it.
And yes, i make all my candles. I recently bought a chisel set that I can use to carve wood and other things.

Echo_of_shadows wrote:One of the first tools I made was a wand. I have no idea what kind of wood it was, other than a vague answer of "something that grows in Michigan." It's got small, faceted breads in different colors strung together on wire wrapped around it. It's kind of funny that I put so much effort into making it, but I don't use it.

Thats sort of funny. Did you enjoy the process of making the wand though? Maybe making the wand was the reason to make it. Just to make it and find beauty in it. Or maybe you just haven't found a ritual to use it in yet that calls to it. I feel that when you need to use them the ritual tools will make themselves known to you.

Echo_of_shadows wrote:I have a little clay candle holder that I made around the same time I made the wand. It's "painted" with different shades of blue nail polish, except for the bottom, which is black.

Do you use this tool?

Echo_of_shadows wrote: I have a bag for my tarot cards made from an old pair of flannel pajama bottoms with a celestial print. I even have a bag for my runes made of the same material.

I've made a few bags for my tarot cards. I have more material so I am going to make some more for the rest of my decks. I created the pattern from a very fragile bag that came with the Hidden Path and Well Worn Path divination oracle decks and training cards produced by Raven Grimassi and one other person. I need to get back to those again.

Elcida wrote:I like making my own tools. It's usually cheaper, although the price is not always what matters.

I think that making our own tools is essentially part of the craft aspect of witchcraft. Though I know not everyone has all the time to make every tool they might ever want or need I do think that all witches should at least try to make one or two of their own tools at some point in time.

It is usually cheaper. Like you said the price doesn't matter. Some of the most expensive beautiful ritual wands will be no more or less effective than an oak stick picked up in the woods or on a walk that you consecrated with oil and intent. The most elaborately decorated feathers and wands have no more power than a feather or wand picked up as a gift from nature. So the cost really isn't important.

What's really the most important thing is the effectiveness of the tool for you as a witch. Tools you make yourself will always bee more effective than that which is bought. The reason is that when you make your own tools you are putting your own actual energy into the tools. You are the one that is bringing them to life so to speak. Your spirit goes into the tool and as it gets made the tools spirit awakens and it helps you complete it.

Elcida wrote:I have a wand, a rune set and I make my own candles.

I think a wand is one of the first tools that most every witch makes themselves.

Elcida wrote:My BoS i made watching youtube clip on making Charmed BoS And I actually love it and am quite proud of it.

The BOS is another tool that every witch makes for themselves. Though not every witch considers the BOS a tool. I personally do. Its a record and a reference of what I have done where I have been and where I may be going.

Elcida wrote: I have a Tarot deck I made, but don't use it anymore as it wore off and looks horrible.

You made your own tarot deck?! Wow. How much time and effort did that take?

Elcida wrote: My recent Tarot deck bag is something I made.

I made a few of the bags my decks are in myself as well. They were my first sewing project and will be my relearning to sew project as well.

Elcida wrote: The bag for my rune set is made by me. One of my altar clothes is a made by me thing. It's got pentagram on it and I love it.
And yes, i make all my candles. I recently bought a chisel set that I can use to carve wood and other things.

Have fun with that. I hope to start making candles soon myself.

loona wynd wrote:You made your own tarot deck?! Wow. How much time and effort did that take?

It took about 2 months to make and I only had the Major Arcana. I did spend time in the making every day, though. It wasn't with fancy drawings as I am not very good at drawing things, but I did have a very special connection to it, eventhough I am not good in divination in general. I only used it to get yes and no answers and it always told me the truth. But after 5 years of every day use, I had to let it go

Elcida wrote:

loona wynd wrote:You made your own tarot deck?! Wow. How much time and effort did that take?

It took about 2 months to make and I only had the Major Arcana. I did spend time in the making every day, though. It wasn't with fancy drawings as I am not very good at drawing things, but I did have a very special connection to it, eventhough I am not good in divination in general. I only used it to get yes and no answers and it always told me the truth. But after 5 years of every day use, I had to let it go

Well that still must have been a great way to connect with the Tarot cards. I've heard of people making their own oracle decks before but no one I have talked to has completed the process as far as I know.

I have made my own wand and in the past I made a crystal divination set but my ex-husband has lost that. I just haven't had the energy to create another one

I ve started making my tarot cards -I chose the deck of pagan cats. I gathered them all in electronic form and printed them in hard paper. cutting them apart is a bit tricky but I use a ruler.

I have begun to make my own wand. I certainly agree that it is the first thing a witch usually makes.
I have no idea what kind of wood it is, though I know what tree it is from. I've been meaning to look it up.
I've only gotten the shape for it. I don't know exactly what I want to do with it from here...

spiritraven wrote:I have made my own wand and in the past I made a crystal divination set but my ex-husband has lost that. I just haven't had the energy to create another one

A crystal divination set huh? Were you using actual crystals or were you using pictures of crystals?

Kat wrote:I ve started making my tarot cards -I chose the deck of pagan cats. I gathered them all in electronic form and printed them in hard paper. cutting them apart is a bit tricky but I use a ruler.

Good luck with that.

Agarwaen wrote:I have begun to make my own wand. I certainly agree that it is the first thing a witch usually makes.
I have no idea what kind of wood it is, though I know what tree it is from. I've been meaning to look it up.
I've only gotten the shape for it. I don't know exactly what I want to do with it from here...

Maybe nothing. If the wand doesn't want you to do anything with it than don't do anything with it. Just bless it now and call it good.

I wanted a plain handle on my athame so the symbols could be wood-burned on it. After a storm I'd found a good stick at a cemetery for my wand & peeled the bark & sanded it, wood-burned symbols & waxed it. Following another storm I found a tree splintered by lightening & salvaged a suitably long shard to trim, sand & wax for a staff. I had an unfinished wooden disc from the hobby store to use for my pentacle; stenciled & wood-burned the design, then stained & sealed it. I spray painted a wooden serving tray for a portable altar surface & every so often I change the color. I bought a thick, blank book for a BOS & hand-draw my own stuff. I still use a glass-pentacle candle holder that was my 1st one & have quite a collection now. I can't seem to hang on to store-bought cups, incense holders & doohickies & have either broken, lost or given them away & feel no attachment to them. My hand-made stuff has endured 35+ years. Oh, & I made a pendulum out of an old chain link bracelet & a small, faceted sun catcher. It works good. Making scent-infused oils is easy. Um - I guess that's it. I'm lousy at Tarot but i do luv 'dem rocks!

As a kid, I used to make a pendulum out of a necklace chain with the pendant hanging on one end of the chain. I also made God's Eyes out of Popsicle sticks and scrap yarn.

Fast forward to me as an adult. So far I made a black mirror, a rune set out of jadeite crystals, spray painted a couple of bottles black that now store moon water and moon salt and another rune set out of deer horn with help from husband. In the works: I have a staff doubling for dowsing, a cored willow wand and an altar plate. Currently decorating a box to store the rune sets, a tarot deck with its book and a hand sized notebook for incantations and whatever else I might need for altar work.