There, are of course, many blessing rituals in existence and this is the one we use.

There is no right way or wrong way - it's

whatever works for you. So if this wand blessing ritual doesn't feel quite right don't be afraid to change it. If you have several
wands you wish to bless, they can all be done at the same time. There is no need to perform the ritaul individually although
there is nothing wrong in doing so. The ritual should be carried out on the night of the full moon. Make yourself comfortable on
the floor with all the items in front of you.

 You will need a white candle, incense, a small dish of water, and some salt.
 Light the candle and incense.
 Breathe in deeply through your nose (as if you were meditating) and visualize grounding energy filling your body.
 Breathe out through your mouth ridding yourself of all negativity.
 Repeat this process until you are completely relaxed and grounded.
 Pass the wand through the incense smoke and say: With scented air light and free, I give you breath. Blessed be.
 Pass the wand quickly through the candle flame (being careful not to burn the wand or yourself obviously) and say:
With fire dancing wild and free, I give you passion. Blessed be.
 Sprinkle the wand with a little water and say: With water pure I give to thee, the blood of life. Blessed be.
 Sprinkle the wand with a little salt and say: Salt of earth I give to thee, roots in magick. Blessed be.
 Hold the wand close to you. Caress it lovingly and say: I am yours and you are mine henceforth until the end of time.
Life I give you willingly as I will so mote it be.

Your wand is now ready to be consecrated.

THE BROOM OR BESOM

Some say that the broom is simply the magician’s staff or a dancing pole, which was disguised as a useful household object during the
Burning Times. However, the broom or besom is a tool in its own right and has three functions. Firstly the pole is made from ash wood,
sacred to the Sky God, and serves the same function as a staff in creating the axis mundi. Secondly it has birch twigs for ritually sweeping
and cleansing the sacred space; birch is a tree of purification, dispelling negativity and new beginnings. The twigs are bound to the pole with
osier [willow], which is the tree of the Moon Goddess, ruler of the cycles of being, the tides, the feminine, intuition and the unconscious
mind.

Because the broom is both masculine and feminine, it is a symbol of fertility. In the old times women would ride broomsticks around the
field, leaping as high as they could: the higher they leapt the higher the crops would grow. Today it is used as a fertility tool during the
Handfasting rite, when the newly wed couple leap over it to bless their marriage, or sometimes once for each child they would like to have!

 MAKING A BROOM OR BESOM

The ash pole, twigs and binding should be collected in a conscious fashion, though the actual construction of the besom is a fairly simple
matter. The twigs are bound to the pole with osier shoots, which should first be soaked in water to make them soft and flexible. As they dry
they will shrink and make the binding tighter. The birch twigs can then all but cut off to the same length. As you work on your besom, think
of the functions of its various components and bind them in.

 CONSECRATING A BROOM OR BESOM

The besom should be consecrated with an incense of ash, birch, borage, sweet cicely or blackthorn with the following words:

‘God and Goddess, deign to bless this besom which I would consecrate and set aside. Let it obtain the necessary virtues for acts magic in the
names of the Lord and Lady. Let it be an instrument of cleansing whose influence ifs felt in all the realms. God and Goddess, I call upon you
to bless this instrument which I have prepared in your honour. Make a few symbolic sweepings with the broom and say ‘Let blessing be’

 THE WAND

The wand represents the fertilising phallus, which joins to opposites to transmit and create life, thus on a deeper level, the tool which joins
the physical and the spiritual realms and transmits energy from one to the other. The wand relates to element of fire, the season of summer,
noonday and the direction of the south. Its station on the wheel is the midsummer solstice, which we call Coamhain, when the earth flowers
and grows lush. In the Celtic tradition the wand comes from the magical city of the south, Finias.

Magically, fire rules creativity, life energy and the spirit. Fire is the illumination within, the force of the spirit. Fire is the power of inner sight
and creative vision, with strength of will directing it and controlling it to make it manifest in the world.

The function of the wand largely depends of which wood it is made from. For example an ash wand connects with the Sky God and invokes
the axis mundi, an apple wand, depending on when it is cut, may connect to the Summer Goddess and her gifts of love and fertility, or to
Samhain and the Underworld with its secrets of transformation. A bay wand is connected with the sun and its power of healing, while rowan
connects to the Goddess Brighid and rites of divination [for individual attributions see the A-Z].
Different trees have been called upon to furnish the magic wand or divining rod. One of these was the willow as it was believed to be full of
magical properties. In Sicily branches of the pomegranate tree were considered the best, while in Sweden the mistletoe was sometimes used.
The most efficacious of all wands was the hazel, sometimes called the wishing rod.

The divining rod was connected with elves and pixies who have all the treasures of the earth in their keeping. In Cornwall it is said that the
pixies guide the rod to the mine and that a rich lode has often been found by hearing the singing of elves on the moors at night.

In ancient times when the races of the earth were pastoral the patriarch bore his shepherds crook and this crook, or wand, developed into the
insignia of royalty, known as the sceptre. The rod was also the emblem of discipline and many ancient sculptures show the ruler wielding the
rod over his subjects and captives. The rods of Moses and Aaron were considered to have been the original crosier of bishops. Adam is said
to have cut a staff from a tree which grew in the Garden of Eden and this staff descended to Noah, and later Moses. The rod of Aaron appears
to have been made from the almond tree. The Bible says that Moses put twelve rods representing the twelve tribes of Israel into the
tabernacle to choose from among them which tribe should furnish the high priest. Next day, the almond rod, representing the tribe of Levi
was found to be covered with leaves and blossoms.

In the story of Tanhauser, he confessed his guilt to Pope Urban IV desiring absolution. The pope was horrified at the enormity of his sin and
refused, saying: ‘Guilt such as thine can never be remitted. Sooner should this staff in my hand grow green and blossom than that God should
pardon thee.’ On hearing this, Tanhouser sadly left, but, three days later, the pope suddenly discovered his staff to have budded and flowered.
Messangers were sent out after Tanhauser, but he was never seen again.

Classical mythology tells how Prometheus brought fire from heaven in a hollow wand.

St Patrick drove the serpents from Ireland with a wand and in Sicily a branch from the elder tree is considered the best for killing serpents
and driving away thieves. In Scandinavia it was believed that no child could be born in safety and no soul could depart in peace if a wand of
the goat willow were suspended anywhere nearby. In these countries Wotan’s wand was used for measuring land [in Britain, rod was a
measurement of length]. In addition to a sod of earth and stone, a branch of a tree was thrust into the sod and the whole was presented to the
new owner.

There is a very ancient tradition that after Adam had been banned from Paradise, God gave him the power to create any animal he desired by
striking the sea with a hazel rod. Eve thought to go one better and created a wolf which ate the sheep. Adam, to redress the matter, created
the dog which overcame the wolf.

Long ago in Europe omens were taken from the manner in which rods, when thrown up, fell.

 MAKING A WAND

You should cut your own wand from living wood [see the instructions for cutting a staff]. The time the wand is cut depends on what you
want to use it for, but if you wanted to cut an oak wand, for example, you should go out before dawn on Midsummer Day and seek your
chosen tree as the sun rises. The wood should be virgin, that is of one year’s growth only, and the wand should be cut from the tree at a
single stroke. It should measure from elbow to fingertip. Make a small hollow in the end that you will hold in your hand and insert of piece
of cotton thread with a drop of your own blood into it, before sealing it with wax.

 CONSECRATING A WAND

The wand is consecrated with an incense of bay, alder, birch, cedar, frankincense, hazel, sweet cicely or pine with the following words:

God and Goddess, deign to bless this wand which I would consecrate and set aside. Let it obtain the necessary virtues for acts of beauty and
love in the names of the Lord and Lady.’ Pass it through the elements in the following manner- push the tip into the earth, through the candle
flame, into the dish of water and through the air in the sign of the pentacle, then say ‘God and Goddess, I call upon you to bless this
instrument which I have prepared in your honour.’ Hold it high in the air and say ‘Let blessing be’.

 THE CAULDRON

A cauldron is essentially a cooking pot, a vessel which transforms the raw ingredients of life into something new. There are many cauldrons
in Celtic myth, owned by various gods and goddesses. Some mysteriously produce sustenance, some transform, some hold the fruits of the
harvest or give life. In essence all these cauldrons represent the transformative womb of the Goddess, which may be the vault of the heavens
or the underground earth, in which seeds germinate and growth, and return to in death to grow once more- the cycle of all life.

Perhaps the most famous story of a cauldron concerns the Goddess Ceridwen who brewed a potion which contained all the wisdom of the
Three Realms. The cauldron simmered for a year and a day. A little boy, Gwion, was given the job of feeding the fire beneath it. One day
three drops fell from the cauldron onto his finger, which he put into his mouth to ease the pain. Instantly he was at one with all things, past,
present and future. Furious that he had stolen the magic, Ceridwen pursued him in the form of a black hag. Gwion, using his new powers,
changed himself into a hare but Ceridwen turned into a greyhound to catch him. Gwion jumped into a river and became a fish while
Ceridwen proceeded to change herself into an otter and swam after him. He then flew from the river as a bird and Ceridwen became a
hunting hawk. Hoping to elude her Gwion transformed himself into a grain of wheat on the threshing floor of a granary, but the goddess,
becoming a black hen, ate him. For nine month Gwion remained in the womb of the goddess, until at last he was reborn as a beautiful boy
child.
The story of Gwion relates the events of an initiation. First of all he stokes the cauldron of knowledge, then, when he least expects it, his
consciousness is transformed. This all embracing knowledge then makes him afraid and he tries to run away from it. The goddess challenges
him by assuming a frightening form to test his worthiness. He goes through different personifications of animal totems, assimilating the
knowledge of different realities, while the confrontation of the goddess forces him on, refining his being. Eventually he has to be reassumed
into the womb of the goddess in order to be reborn as a true initiate, one of the Twice Born.

Therefore the cauldron is a symbol of initiation, renewal, rebirth and plenty. It may contain water, fire, incense or flowers as the occasion
demands. Leaping over the cauldron, like leaping over the broomstick, is a fertility rite.

 MAKING A CAULDRON

The earliest cauldrons would have been made from clay, though later they were made from metal. Whether made of clay or metal they
consist of materials from the earth, transformed by the fire of the kiln or forge.

It is not possible for the average person to construct a metal cauldron, which requires a forge and specialist tools, but a cauldron can be made
from pottery, though unless you are able to fire it in a proper kiln it will be more fragile than usual, and may not last forever if you use it for
cooking in. The bottom of a cauldron should not be flat, but rounded so that the heat of the fire can be transmitted more efficiently to the
contents of the pot.

First you will need to obtain some earthenware clay, which has a low firing temperature and comes out a white or buff colour. In ancient
times it was used for ritual as well as domestic pots. Pound and knead it for a good few minutes to squash out any air bubbles, which will
expand and smash the pot during firing.

There are several ways to achieve the desired shape: you could make a small cauldron by shaping it with your hands, but a larger pot can be
formed around a conical or oval boulder. Be sure wet the boulder thoroughly first and to only leave it on the boulder for a few minutes; clay
shrinks as it dries and will crack if this is not done. Coiling is another very easy method known to most children. Simply roll out long
sausages of clay and coil them in a spiral, forming the shape as you work. When you have the basic shape, beat with a flat stick , or wipe
with a wet sponge to smooth the coils inside and out, being careful not to create any air bubbles. Unless you have access to a kiln you will
not be able to give your pot a glaze firing, which would make it waterproof. A pot which is fired only once is still permeable, and water will
seep through [think of a terracotta flowerpot]. This can be overcome by burnishing the pot. Wait until the pot has dried out to a leather-like
consistency, then rub it all over with the back of a spoon until it obtains a glossy shine, this will take quite a long time and a lot of patience.
Rub it with a cloth, then leave it to dry out thoroughly.

If you want to colour the pot this can be done before the burnishing stage by dipping the leather hard earthenware pot into red terracotta
earthenware slip [clay diluted to a liquid consistency]. Burnish the pot, then if you like you can take a sharp tool and incise a design through
the red clay to the white.

The pot can then be fired in a number of ways without a conventional kiln:

1] The oldest method is a bonfire kiln. Lay a bed on logs, and on top of this place a layer of wood savings and sawdust. Place your pots on
top of this and cover with more wood shavings. For the first couple of hours you will need to control the intensity of the fire, you don’t want
it to burn up too fast or slow down too much and the fire can be damped down a little by adding damp grass cuttings. Add more wood,
aiming to build a pyramid shape of the fire and keep the fire going for 5-6 hours, then leave to cool. This fire the pots to quite a high
temperature, and with the burnishing they will be quite waterproof. This method allows you to keep an eye on your pots all the way through
and you can add more wood where it is needed, but it results in a high number of breakages, so make more than you need.

 2] To clamp fire your pots dig a pit and line it with straw and wood shavings and very finely chopped twigs. Place your pot inside the pit and
cover it with more straw and wood shavings, then a layer of paper, wood shavings and wood, putting in a metal funnel as an air vent each
side. Light the paper and when the clamp starts smoking well, cover with earth, seal up the air vent and leave the whole thing alone for two
days. If you are lucky your pots will be unbroken and nicely fired.

 3] A sawdust kiln can be made from building a chimney of bricks or by using a steel drum with four holes drilled in the base. Put a layer of
wood and sawdust in the bottom, then place a pot in and a layer of more sawdust, then another pot [in a different position to the first] and
another layer of sawdust and so on. Light the kiln and put on a metal lid [ e.g. one from a dustbin or trash can]. When the kiln gets going seal
up the base holes with a fire proof material. This firing takes around 24 hours and you will need to keep checking it and adding more
sawdust.

 CONSECRATING A CAULDRON

The cauldron is consecrated with an incense of chervil and primrose with the following worlds:

‘God and Goddess, deign to bless this cauldron which I would consecrate and set aside. Let it stand for the cauldron which contained three
drops of wisdom for all the world. God and Goddess, I call upon you to bless this instrument which I have prepared in your honour. Let
blessing be’ Use your new cauldron as soon as possible.

 
CUP

The symbolism of the cup is many layered. On one level the cup is a similar tool to the cauldron, representing the nurturing and loving womb
of the Goddess; it contains, holds and protects and the sharing of the cup during a ritual exemplifies this. When we drink we make a direct
connection with Mother Nature, harking back to our very first sustenance, mother’s milk. Both the milk and the cup are also mythically
connected to the White Goddess of the moon, which is seen as a vessel filled with physical and emotional food for the world: one which
empties and is replenished every month, ever nurturing. Both the cauldron and the cup possess this power of replenishment and regeneration.

The liquid that fills the ritual cup is wine, brewed from the life energy of a plant, matured under the moon which measures the time of its
fermentation. It is a drink which gives inspiration, vitality and which changes the consciousness. The cup demonstrates the need to satisfy the
thirst for both the liquid nourishment of the earth and the desire for knowledge. Those who have never felt thirst can never know the joy of
its quenching.

The cups corresponds to the element of water and the season of autumn. In Celtic myth it was brought from the mystical city of Murias. Its
station on the wheel is Herfest, the autumn equinox, which marks the harvest and the completion of the vegetation cycle of the year, as the
days begin to grow colder and the light declines. It is the time of fullness and maturity.

Magically water rules emotions and feelings, including love and hate, daring and cowardice, happiness and sorrow, giving and taking. It also
rules the intuition and psychic skills. Water is cleansing and purifying. It is the power of experience.

The most famous legend of a cup is that of the Holy Grail, the cup of enlightenment; drinking from it brings about union with the Divine. It
has many antecedents, including the magical cauldrons of the Celts, but in Christian lore it takes the form of the chalice used at the Last
Supper, which according to legend was brought to Britain by Joseph of Arimathea. In legend the knights of King Arthur searched for the
mysterious Grail, which would heal the sacred king of his wound and make whole the land. The quest of each knight was personal and
individual, subjecting them to many tests and challenges to prove themselves worthy, loyal and pure in heart and most fell by the wayside.
The ritual cup can represent the Holy Grail of spiritual fulfilment which we all seek in our individual spiritual quests.

 MAKING A CUP

During the time of the persecutions, no special magical equipment was marked or set aside in any way, lest a search reveal it. The cup used
in a craft ceremony was simply the best cup in the house. Nor was the cup marked in any way outwardly, but rather consecrated with the sign
of the pentagram drawn upon it in charged water and thus sacred to the Lord and Lady from that time forth. Today the cup is usually of
silver, wood or clay. It is not bought but always given with love, usually at the time of initiation.

A simple pottery cup can be shaped from a piece of clay with the hands, a technique called ‘a thumb pot’. This can be fired as per the
instructions on firing a cauldron [remember it will need burnishing]. The outside of the cup can them be painted with ceramic paint, available
from art and craft shops.

 CONSECRATING A CUP

The cup is consecrated with incense of dragon’s blood, blackberry, bindweed, primrose or red poppy and the following words:

 God and Goddess, deign to bless this cup which I would consecrate and set aside. Let it obtain the necessary virtues for acts of beauty and
love in the names of the Lord and Lady. ‘ pass through the elements ‘God and Goddess, I call upon you to bless this instrument which I have
prepared in your honour. Hold it high in the air and say ‘Let blessing be’ use the new tool as soon as possible.

KNIFE

Today there is much talk of swords, black handled knives [called athames] which are purely ritual in function and white handled knives
[called curfanes or bollines] which are used to cut anything which needs cutting. These are concepts that have entered into the Craft from
ritual magic. At one time a simple knife would be used for all purposes. In modern times the knife is a tool set aside and is usually
consecrated at the time of initiation. It is usually used to cast the circle and invoke the axis mundi and the quarters.

The knife relates to the magical sword brought from the mystical city of Gorias, which no eye has seen but the soul knows. It appears in
various guises as the sword Excalibur, the athame, and the curfane. The sword corresponds to the element of air, the season of spring, the
dawn and the direction of the east. Its station on the wheel is the spring equinox, which we call Ostara, when new life germinates and
emerges with the increase of life and warmth. Magically, air rules all mental activity, from the inception of an idea to abstract knowledge, to
the questioning of established theories.

In previous ages the forging of metal was a magical act and the blacksmith was considered to be a magician, taking the raw materials from
the underworld womb of Mother Earth and transforming them with air, fire and water. The shaping of metal equates to shaping the flow of
life, which has potential for any form, and therefore to shaping destiny.

 MAKING A KNIFE
Generally the knife is made from iron or steel, which has power over the invisible realms. While forging a blade is not possible for most, you
can carve your own handle.

The kind of wood you use is up to you; you might want to choose something that you feel suitable after reading about the significance of the
various woods. Soft woods often splinter with carving, while hard woods require sharper tools and more effort, but give a better result.

Take the block of wood and roughly sketch on it the shape of the handle you want to carve. Remove the bulk of the unwanted wood with a
saw. Fix your work in a clamp and, taking a large gouging tool and mallet, gradually chip away small parts of the wood, working away from
you, cutting with the grain. Keep working around the shape evenly, turning it as you need until you get the desired rough shape. Then using
flat chisel begin rounding the handle. You also will need to carve a channel inside the handle to take the prong of the blade. When you have
the shape smooth it with a rasp, then rub with coarse sandpaper, finally finishing it off with fine glass paper.

Heat equal amounts of beeswax and turpentine over a double boiler and paint it over the handle. When dry rub over with a soft cloth to
polish.

 CONSECRATING A KNIFE OR SWORD

The knife or sword is consecrated with an incense or oil of nettle, dragons blood or hellebore with the following words:

I conjure thee, O sword [or knife], that thou shall serve me as a strength and a defence in every magical ceremony. You shall defend me
against my enemies, both visible and invisible. In the name of [god] and [goddess] Pass the sword through water and incense and the air in
the sign of the pentacle ‘I conjure thee O creature of steel, by the God and the Goddess whom we worship, by the waters and the wind, by
earth and fire, that in your virtue I shall attain my desire, by the power of [god] and [goddess].

THE HERB KNIFE

Herbs are never cut with iron or steel, as this earths the power of the plant. We all know that druids used golden sickles to represent both the
power of the sun [the gold] and the power of the moon [the crescent shape] but not many of us could afford such an implement. Herb knives
are usually made of copper or silver.

 MAKING A HERB KNIFE

If you are lucky you may be able to find a silver knife such as an old piece of cutlery in an antique shop, or persuade a friendly silversmith to
make you a silver or copper blade which you can fashion a handle for.

 CONSECRATING A HERB KNIFE

The herb knife is consecrated with an incense, oil or tisane of centaury, the patron plant of herbalists, with the words:

God and Goddess, deign to bless this herb knife which I would consecrate and set aside. Let it become my ally in the craft of herbs. God and
Goddess, I call upon you to bless this tool which I have prepared in your honour. ‘ Point the knife to the sky, then to the earth and say ‘Let
blessing be’ .

NECKLACES

The necklace represents the continuos cycle of being, of life, death and rebirth. Many goddesses are depicted with strings of beads which
stand for the circle of the heavens [the passage of the zodiac], while the jewels are the stars. The thread which joins the necklace is the single
energy, the oneness, the whole, that holds the cosmos together.

Traditionally witches wear a necklace of amber and jet. Amber holds both a magical and electrical charge and relates to the powers of the
sun, daylight, the heavens, the God and the masculine, while jet relates to the powers of the moon, the dark, the underworld, the Goddess and
the feminine.

The necklace does not have to be amber or jet. Beads may be made from many things including seeds, crystals and pressed flower petals; the
earliest Catholic rosaries were made from pressed rose petals, hence the name. You might like to make a necklace from gemstones you feel
appropriate, from the petals of flowers you feel to be significant or from the seeds or fruits of a tree or plant that you have built up a
relationship with.

 MAKING A NECKLACE

Small holes may need to be made in natural materials. Take a piece of twine at least six inches longer than the necklace you intend to make.
Slide the first four beads onto the twine. If you intend to attach a clasp, knot one end to your twine leaving about 3 inches of twine loose. If
you do not intend to add a clasp. Tie on a small piece of twig to prevent the beads from slipping. Thread this loose end back through the first
bead and knot firmly. Repeat through the other beads, knotting each time. Thread the remaining beads onto the other end of the twine,
incorporating the loose end, and attach the clasp if required [otherwise, loosen the other end and tie both together firmly]. Take the loose end
and rethread it through the last bead, knotting as at the beginning of the necklace. Do the same with the next three beads and thread the
remaining twine back through the next four beads without further knotting and clip off any spare. The twine can be persuaded to go through
beads more easily if the threading tip is stiffened - nail varnish does the job admirably!

 CONSECRATING A NECKLACE

An amber necklace is consecrated with an incense of anise or aspen, while if the necklace also contains jet alder should also be added. The
necklace is held in the smoke and consecrated with the words:

God and Goddess, deign to bless this necklace which I would consecrate and set aside. Let it represent the continuity and cycles of life under
the influence of the Lord and Lady. God and Goddess, I call upon you to bless this necklace which I have prepared in your honour. Place the
necklace around your neck and say ‘Let blessing be’ .

 THE PENTACLE

A copper disc marked with the sign of the pentagram is a rather modern import into the Craft; again it comes to us from the practices of ritual
magic. It relates to a much older symbol which is the stone or sometimes the shield or the mirror. In Celtic myth the Lia Fal is the stone of
destiny, truth and wisdom which the Tuatha de Dannan brought from the Otherworld city of Falias [‘truth’].

The disc corresponds to the element of earth, the season of winter, midnight and the direction of the North. Its station on the wheel is the
midwinter solstice, which we call Yule, when the sun is reborn at the dead time of the year when the earth sleeps. From this point on the days
begin to lengthen once more and though the worst of the winter weather is still to come, we have the promise of the return of spring.

Magically, the earth rules the body and the material plane. Earth is solid, the manifest world which supports and nourishes us. In token of
this, bread is placed on the disc during the ritual, which is then blessed and shared before its close.

 MAKING A PENTACLE

While it would be difficult for most people to gain access to the equipment to make a copper disc, a simple an effective pentacle can be made
from rolled out clay, cut into a nine inch or twelve inch circle and inscribed with a pentagram and symbols which represent the earth to you.
This should then be fired and glazed.

An effective disc can be made from a sheet of slate. This does not have to be round, and can easily be incised with a sharp tool with suitable
symbols. These can then be filled with gold paint. Similarly you could use a flat sheet of rock, but if it is of a hard variety the symbols will
have to be painted on.

 CONSECRATING A PENTACLE

The pentacle may be consecrated with an oil, incense or tisane of clover with the words:

God and Goddess, deign to bless this pentacle which I would consecrate and set aside. Let it obtain the necessary virtues for acts of beauty
and love in the names of the Lord and Lady. God and Goddess, I call upon you to bless this instrument which I have prepared in your
honour. Place it on the earth and say ‘Let blessing be’ .

 THE ALTAR

The altar is the symbolic naval of the earth, a centre, a place of connection to the sacred womb of the Goddess. In many cultures there are
several steps leading up to an altar, representing the levels of consciousness which have to be ascended to truly stand before it. In the Craft
when we work outdoors the altar is a rock or stone, though indoors it may be a low table.

 MAKING AN ALTAR

A low table, such as a coffee table, can be used as an altar, providing it is set apart and not used for anything else. If it is not possible to leave
your Craft tools on it all the time, cover it with a white cloth and put only a vase of flowers on it. When the altar is in use for a ritual or a
consecration, cover it with a special cloth and lay your tools upon it, together with symbols of the God and Goddess. These can be anything
from statuettes to ears of corn and pine cones.

 CONSECRATING AN ALTAR

The altar is anointed with olive oil or, in the British tradition, vervain oil or tisane and consecrated with the words:
‘God and Goddess, deign to bless this altar which I would consecrate and set aside. Let it obtain the necessary virtues for acts of beauty and
love in the names of the Lord and Lady. God and Goddess, I call upon you to bless this place which I have prepared in your honour. ‘ Light
a candle on the altar and say ‘Let blessing be’.

CANDLES

Candles have been used for thousands of years and until the Victorian Age candles and lamps provided the only form of lighting known to
mankind. The word is derived from the Latin candere which means ‘to flicker’ or ‘to glow’. Candles have been made from many things,
including cheaper tallow candles made from tallow, or rendered animal fat, and beeswax, while reeds and flax have been used for wicks,
though plaited cotton is used today. Candles, representing the light of the spirit, are an important part of many rituals. Three candles are
usually placed on the altar- we use white, red and black to represent the three phases of the moon and the Triple Goddess, and candles are
placed in the four quarters of the circle [north, east, south and west]. In addition different colours are used for different purposes:

 Black: Samhain, ancestor contact, the Crone Goddess, the void or womb, receptivity, Scorpio, CapricornBlue: Herfest, the west, water,
healing, spiritual protection, tranquillity, throat chakra, third eye chakra, Moon, Virgo, AquariusBrown: Herfest, earthiness,
practicalityGold: Coamhain, spiritual energy, strength, life force, solar plexus chakra, SunGreen: Beltane, Yule, the North, earth magic,
fertility, prosperity, love, compassion, heart chakra, Venus, Cancer, CapricornGrey: communication, MercuryIndigo: intuition, vision,
insight, third eye chakra, TaurusOrange: Samhain, Lughnasa, success, Sun, courage, self esteem, spleen chakra, Leo, Magenta: inspiration,
creative vitality, base chakraPink: Handfastings, love, beauty, harmony, peace, heart chakra, LibraPurple: Occult power, PiscesRed:
Yule,Coamhain, the south, fire, energy, vitality, sexual energy, base chakra, the Mother Goddess, Mars, AriesSilver: Esbats,
communication,personal enlightenment, MoonTurquoise: creativity, communication, throat chakraViolet: spirituality, self esteem, spiritual
growth, third eye chakra, crown chakra, SagittariusWhite: Imbolc, dispelling negativity, the Maiden Goddess, purity, cleansing, protection,
crown chakraYellow: Ostara, the East, development of the mind and intellectual capacities, vision, solar plexus chakra, Mercury, Leo

 MAKING CANDLES

The best candles are made from pure beeswax, though paraffin wax is more common. Stearin is added to the wax at a rate of about 10% to
harden it. The wax mixture must be heated in a double boiler or in one saucepan heated over another of simmering water. Commercially
available dyes or children’s wax crayons can be added to the melted wax to colour your candles.

The diameter of the wick needs to be adjusted to take into account the size of the candle, If the wick is too narrow, the candle will puddle and
go out. If the wick is too wide, the candle will smoke.

The type of perfume that you can buy to scent candles is all synthetic, and is of no magical value. If you want to perfume magical candles
you will need to add pure essential oil, which can be done just before the wax is poured.

There are many ways of shaping candles and you can be as creative as you like. Here are a couple of simple methods:

1] One of the easiest ways of making a candle is in a mould. There are many varieties commercially available, constructed from metal, glass,
flexible PVC, rubber and plastic, though you can use household items such as yoghurt pots, tin cans and so on.

Thread a wick through a small hole in the bottom of the mould and knot it. At the top of the mould suspend a twig and tie the other end of the
wick to it. Pour in the melted wax and after a minute tap the sides of the mould to release any air bubbles. Stand the whole thing in a bath of
cold water, placing a weight on top to keep it down. Check it after an hour and top up with more wax if necessary. When the candle has set
remove it from the bath and cut off the know at the bottom and pull the candle out of the mould. Cut off the wick to the required length. If
the bottom of the candle is uneven, ‘iron’ it off in a hot saucepan.

The candle can then be painted, or you can make patterns in the surface with the back of a hot spoon or with a warm knife. You can also
decorate the candle with dried, pressed flowers: take your flowers and lay them on the candle then ‘iron’ all over with the back of a hot
spoon.

2] An interesting candle can be made using a bucket of sand to form an irregularly shaped mould. Put some sand in the bottom of a bucket,
then place a wooden post on top. Supporting the post, pour in damp sand. Carefully remove the post and pour in melted wax. After a few
minutes pour in some more. Don’t worry about the wax seeping into the sand- it’s supposed to. After a couple of hours insert a wick,
threaded onto a wicking needle and top up with more wax. The candle will them take 5-6 hours to set completely, and you can then lift it
carefully out of the bucket. Sand will still be adhering to the outside of the candle, and this looks very attractive.

For a more authentic feel, you might like to try making rush lights or ‘Hag Tapers’ made from mullein stems dipped in pitch or wax.

CONSECRATING CANDLES
Candles are anointed with an essential or infused oil from a plant suitable to the purpose [see appendices] from the centre to the top and then
the centre to the bottom with the words:

‘Be to me the fire of moon,

Be to me the fire of night,

Be to me the fire of joy,

Turning darkness into light.

By the virgin waxing cold,

By the Mother full and bold,

By the Hag Queen, silent, old,

By the Moon, the One in Three,

Consecrated, Blessed Be.’

 * Sue Phillips wrote the instructions for making a necklace. I am grateful to Angela Bennett for supplying me with instructions on firing
pottery without a kiln.