When most witches begin their practice, there’s a scramble for the tools of esoteria. We take our time to gather incense burners, just the right candles, our athames, bollines, and swords – and we love these shinies. They brigthen our lives and spirits. As practice goes on, we also find other tools that might not have an entry in our favorite spellbooks and grimoires. Maybe they didn’t exist, maybe the people that gathered that data assumed more common sense than I happen to have – but over time you learn that other tools, not necessarily magical, make all the magic a little bit better. This is a list of my “I never knew I’d need this” witchcraft tools, that I wanted to share.
1.Fire extinguisher(this may be just me)
Stuff happens and fire extinguishers are not that expensive. If you can purchase them in a pack, do. Otherwise, try to keep one sitting wherever you burn the candles most often.
2. Metal tongs and or giant tweezers
If you use charcoal incense at all, you likely have lost some skin in the deal. Tongs put an end to this torture. (This still increases the need for that fire extinguisher.)
3. Earthquake wax, in addition to rice/sand/salt
When I moved to San Francisco, I packed my large essential oils collection with a whole lot of earthquake paranoia. So I researched how museums keep their precious objects from breaking. This wax keeps items firmly fixed to a shelf so that they stay still while the earth moves. I have since calmed down about the random objects in my house, but I do use it to affix taper candles in bowls and for revocation workings. Sometimes a taper candle doesn’t quite work with what you’re doing (at least, not in my style of spellcraft) so I often use salt or sand to stand candles up and act as a fire safety buffer, especially when I also add water to the bowl. Earthquake was adds a little extra stability in those situations.
4. Labelmaker
You may want to use these with a little bit of tape, too. How many times have you gathered material only to forget what it was for? Worse, how many times have you hand-written the label, only to have liquid erode the ink, leaving you stuck guessing what something is for?
If you can handle fragrances but not smoke, aromatherapy misters are a fabulous replacement. I don’t even bother using distilled water with mine – I just use tap water and float the herbs I want in the moment. If something sticks, a little time soaking with citric acid between uses removes the old smell and then I can start again with the next material.
Many witches use old fashioned liquid ammonia to cleanse and even erase old magical signatures. Bakers ammonia, usually used to make especially dry flatbreads and cookies, has the same sharp smell (so don’t inhale and don’t mix or store with bleach!) It can act as a targeted eraser – feel energy in that spot? Think someone left it? Sprinkle a little baker’s ammonia on it and wipe that stuff right off! The down side is that it does not discriminate in what it wipes out – your own energy work can disappear, too.
Eventually, you will need to bury something. Whether it’s spell remnants or a mirror box, some stuff simply has to be earthed. You may also need to dig things up. I won’t ask, and hope it’s no worse than a mandrake root. Really, that and a potted plant should go on any altar intended to venerate the forces of nature.
What are your non-standard tools for practice of your Craft?
Stick lighters! I only somewhat jokingly call them modern magic wands…
Oh my gosh how did I miss that one????