Ritual Tools Used in Witchcraft and the Occult

There are different types of magick used in witchcraft and the occult but the ritual tools involved are the same. All practitioners must have a suitable place to perform ritual work preferably with an altar and a magic circle in place. Some ritual tools are considered more important than others. These are known as primary ritual tools and this article will cover those in detail.

Of all the ritual tools used in witchcraft and the occult, the pentacle is instantly recognisable. A pentacle is an object or item which has the famous pentagram symbol painted, carved or engraved on it. This is symbolic of the element of earth. A pentacle can be in the form of a wooden plate sometimes referred to as an altar plate. This can be used to consecrate the circle and hold food during a ritual such as a piece of bread. It can also be made of metal such as brass, silver or pewter. There are many accessories which are made in the form of the pentacle.

The wand is a very powerful tool and is sometimes called a magick wand. It symbolises fire or in some traditions air. Experienced witches and occultists will own numerous wands. They will use each one for a particular type of spell or ritual. Wands can be made from wood or metals such as pewter. They can be decorated with copper or silver wire and some have a crystal inserted into the tip. Some people believe certain spirits do not like the steel construction of the athame or metal wands. In this scenario, a wand made from wood should be used instead.

An athame is a small ritual knife that some people prefer to call a sword. In some traditions, it is associated with the element of air but others associate it with fire. It often has a black handle and it is used to cast a circle and control spirits. There are two types of athame. The traditional version is constructed of steel although a wood version also exists. This is equally as popular because it cannot be confused with weaponry.

The chalice is a ceremonial cup and is symbolic for the element of water. Some people refer to it as a goblet or alter cup. Some traditions consider it a symbol rather than a ritual tool. In particular, it symbolises the womb of the goddess. A chalice can be made from numerous materials including silver, brass, pewter, wood or even cast from resin.

There are a number of additional tools which come in handy when performing a certain type of ritual. These include the censer or incense burner which is used to burn or dispense incense, the boline which is a white handled knife used for any task in which it would not be appropriate to use an athame, and the besom commonly known as the witches broom. This is used to sweep a circle to banish any negative energy.

You should now have a better understanding of the ritual tools used in witchcraft and the occult. There are others such as the cauldron, stang, spear, cingulum and scourge. However, these are not as commonly used in comparison to the aforementioned primary ritual tools.