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Altar Tools
Crafting an altar or sacred space that truly reflects your spirituality is an important part of your practice as a witch, and incorporating symbolic items and tools that are blessed and consecrated helps you bring powerful spiritual and psychic energy. There are many tools modern witches use at their altars, all steeped in history and meaning. Here's a look at just a few...
Bell
A little altar bell is one of my favourite tools, I have a few different shaped bells that I have collected over the years. Bells are fabulous tools for cleansing and raising the energy of a space. Ringing a bell is said to attract good energy and repel negative energy, this is essentially why churches have always rung bells – to ward off evil spirits.
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Ringing a bell can signify the start or end of a ritual, if it is something you have arranged with your spirit guides it can be used as a way of connecting with them (I will not use the term summon as I don’t believe we should respectfully summon anything), or just announcing your arrival at your spiritual altar or ending a spell or ritual. Some witches also use a bell to open their circles.
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The ringing of bells has long been associated with contacting spirit, bells were used in Victorian seances and are still used when some mediums wish to work with spirit, it is a sound that is reported to cross the veil.
Besom
The word besom is derived from the Old English Besma, meaning broom. Besoms were originally made from birch twigs, which were bound together with willow or hazel branches to form a handle. They are still traditionally made from birch, hazel and willow
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Besoms can be used in a practical way to physically sweep and cleanse your sacred space, and as a tool at your altar to symbolically cleanse it. You can perform this easily with visualisation, you can also make or buy a 'besom sweep' which is made of cleansing herbs you scatter over your altar to be swept away with a small altar besom.
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Besoms are also used symbolically in a host of ways including to represent a doorway or liminal space, either between two worlds or between one stage of life and another. In this way it is often laid at the entrance of the circle, creating a symbollic space to enter. The besom has been used this way throughout history, with couples jumping the broomstick to wed instead of saying their vows in church, hence the term ‘living over the brush’.
Cauldron
My absolute favourite of all magical implements. This beautifully magical tool symbolises the Divine Feminine, the womb, the belly of life. Cauldrons are typically associated with the element of water, but also fire. As with all things in creation, you need the fire within to bring the life and spark to the magic, so the cauldron is a comfortable representation of both elements.
I use my cauldrons for so many tasks, I use a larger one for the main of my ritual work and a smaller one which sits on my altar, that is used to burn loose incense. I will often use the small cauldron to drop a burning bay leaf in when manifestating. Sometimes I also burn a candle in my large cauldron if I'm outside as it’s deep enough to protect it from a breeze.
Cauldrons can be used for brewing teas and potions, but if you are going to use it for this then I would recommend having separate ones for anything which you consume. Safety first, witches!
Wand
This wouldn’t be a list of magical tools without a wand, would it? I doubt I need to explain what a magic wand is; however, they tend not to work quite like Mr Ollivander’s.
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A wand is probably the most symbolic of all our tools; it symbolises the masculine energy in its phallic shape, the God to the cauldron’s Goddess. The wand represents the element of air (unlike tarot where it represents fire, I do find that confusing!) as the wand tool is connected to our thoughts and intellect, therefore it is a tool for directing our will and intention.
A witch can cast her circle with her wand.
Typically, wands are made from wood, some carved, or simply natural twigs or small branches, they can be decorated with engraving or pyrography, some have crystals set into the ends, some have copper wire wrapped around. There are also wands made from crystals such as clear quartz or selenite.
Wands really are personal to the witch.
Athame
An athame is a dagger, often blunt if to be used symbolically, or sometimes can be sharp to engrave sigils or writing into candles, I believe this to be a bone of contention though! I don't use an Athame personally, but as always do it your way!
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Again, it represents the male or God aspect, and represents the element of fire.
This is more commonly used to draw the witch’s circle, but those uncomfortable with an athame can easily use a wand.
Cleansing Altar Tools
It is important that anything that is used for magical practice is cleansed of any other energies that it might have taken in before you use it.
This includes all your divination tools, altar tools, books that you will write in for magical purposes, glass jars for spell jars, and definitely jewellery.
Animal parts such as skulls, feathers, bones, antlers, and skins are sometimes used by witches on their altars or for magical practice. I would exercise caution using anything which may have been killed or died an unnatural death in any magic spell or ritual. I’m definitely talking skulls and bones here. If you do not know how the animal died there is a likelihood it suffered pain or distress and, in my opinion, (as always, some will disagree) that will hold onto negative energy even after cleansing.
I was once gifted a crow’s skull; I did a smoke cleanse and blessed the bird and gave thanks for its life.
I don’t use this in my practice, but I have honoured the crow and have used it at my altar to represent the air element at Samhain.
Cleansing your items can be done simply with a variety of items that you will have in your magical toolkit.
Safety first though, witches! Do a check, if you are using water – are your items water safe (some crystals etc can be ruined in water) as with salt, check first. Also, some crystals are not sun safe for long periods as they can fade, do your research. I will also warn that leaving some shiny objects outside for a moon bath can be risky if you have wildlife visit your garden, as we do. I will always ask the crows and magpies not to take my crystals while they are cleansing!
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My first port of call is always to smoke cleanse, however I do not have any allergies or breathing problems, and I live in a well ventilated house where I can safely burn a smoulder stick. If this isn’t a safe option for you then you might consider making a cleansing spray. Cleanse the same way you would with tarot cards and crystals, just holding your item in the smoke for at least thirty seconds and visualising a pure white light surrounding it.
How to make a Cleansing Spray
1 part Witch Hazel to 1 part distilled water
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Roughly 15 drops of each: Rosemary essential oil, Lavender essential oil, Sage essential oil
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1 tbsp pink Himalayan salt/sea salt
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Dissolve the salt in the water, add the Witch Hazel
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Combine the oils and give it a good mix
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Add to a glass bottle if you have one and store somewhere dark and cool.
Use this to cleanse your space but do check when you spray that anything it touches is safe for the oils to settle on, also do not use if children or pets are present as the oils may not be safe, do your own research with any oils used.
Moon Cleansing
Moon bathing is another form of spiritual cleansing and charging. I will often smoke or sound cleanse first, then leave my tools out on the day the moon is waxing to full.
Make sure (if your crystals are sun safe) to leave them out for a whole day and night to give them the balance of sunlight and moonlight.
Don’t worry if it’s a cloudy day either, the energy is still there.
Outside is always best, but where it isn’t possible you can always leave things on your windowsill or moon bathe.
Earth is probably the most powerful cleanser. If you have some outdoor space, or even a pot plant, you can bury your tool or crystal pointing down in earth near to a plant or tree’s roots (being super careful not to damage the roots). Make sure if you do this that you leave a marker or you could be looking for buried treasure for a long time afterwards.
If you were to also do this on a full moon it would be a double whammy of energetic power!
A herbal bath is another beautiful option especially if you are short on outside space.
A bowl of herbs such as rose petals, lavender, sage, mint, rosemary, mugwort, any protective cleansing herb will work well. If your tool is salt safe you can always add a little salt to your blend. This may take a little longer for a full cleanse so I would leave for about a week, if you wanted a really good cleanse I would go a full moon cycle, and if you can leave it on a windowsill, even better!
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I would exercise huge caution here, but you can also pass your item through the flame of a white candle. Not your tarot cards or anything flammable – obviously, but crystals, jewellery, metal objects. You really should use tongs, but they are your fingers, so you do you, do it carefully!
The divine spirit! Use your breath, your meditation and your perfect, loving, pure intention. I love to charge crystals this way, envelope them in your pure higher self and they will feel lighter and thank you after, just make sure to wash your hands and rinse off any negative energy you may take on.
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Sound is the most fun way for me to cleanse! Singing bowls, tuning forks, chanting, bells, playlists on Spotify for sound cleansing, and if it’s me then a good blast of Stevie Nicks works wonders for releasing any negative energy and raising the vibration of the room. Spotify Playlist
Regular cleansing of altar tools, crystals and sacred spaces is always for the best.
If you don’t remember to do this, setting reminders to do it at every full or new moon can help stop any negative or stagnant energy build up.
Also keeping things around the house like crystals and healthy, cared for plants (I am staring at a wilting Sansevieria as I type and reminding myself to give it a water!) helps balance the energies. Always have a window open when cleansing so the energy can be moved and cleared and replaced with fresh air.