Wiccan Study Group
It is important to know that you do not need any specific tools to practice magick. Tools amplify things, and make it easier to cast and move energy. Some of the best magick you may ever perform may be on the spot and with no tools at all.
Besom/Broom
Wand
Incense Burner
Cauldron
Bolline
Athame
Chalice
Crystal Sphere
Bell
Singing Bowls
What is it? As you can see in the picture to the left, a besom is a broom. Many are like this one. A long stick with twigs, often birch, tied around it to form the broom-like bristles. I personally own a besom that is entirely made of long bristles which are simply bound more tightly above the bottom half to form the shaft of the besom.
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What is it used for? I'll begin with assuring you that we don't fly around on them. The broom is used primarily for purification and protection. You can use it to "sweep" an area clean before magic (it shouldn't actually touch the floor) or lay it before a doorway to keep out ill magick and ill will. I often use it when saging, as a sort of double tap to make sure I've removed all of the stale and unwanted energies.
What is it? A wand can be a lot of things, one of such depicted here. It is typically a long cylindrical (or it may have sharp edges) piece of wood, gemstone, or even metal. It may be adorned with wire, stones, runes and other symbols. A wand can be a stick you pick up off of the ground, or a massive quartz prism you buy from Etsy. The options are limitless.
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What is it used for? A wand is used to invoke the God, Goddess, the fae, or really anything that doesn't want a knife pointed at them. It is also used to direct energies.
What is it? This one is pretty self-explanatory. It's often referred to as a censer, but it is to burn incense. Often in ritual, but incense is nice any time. There are orb shaped incense burners often associated with Christian Churches (and that's fine!), as well as the flat wooden ones. Really, your local Walmart should have a few good options!
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What is it used for? This is often key in many ritual ingredients, but otherwise, it may be used to slip into alternate states of consciousness by watching the smoke, and it may help you communicate with the God and Goddess. I've seen beautiful dragons and fairie figures photographed in the smoke of ritual fires, and I can vouch that the smoke has its own story to tell.
What is it? A cauldron is a large iron pot, really. A cauldron may be as big as the front of a car, or small enough to fit in your hand. Mind you, they aren't cheap, and most people don't have a cauldron maker in the family. I suggest one about the size of a soup pot. Around 12 inches wide should open up a lot of possibilities. But hey! If you can come by a three to four foot cauldron, do it!
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What is it used for? These are often ritual focal points. If you have a large enough cauldron, it can be a sight to behold. These are often used to hold fire, filled with water for scrying, or even to brew, though I warn you that brewing anything in a large cauldron will take a lot of time.
What is it? This is usually a white handled knife. There isn't too much to this except you will want it to be very sharp because unlike the Athame, this knife will be used for cutting things.
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What is it used for? This knife is used for cutting herbs, carving candles, symbols into wood, and other more physical practices. You would not use this knife for invocations.
What is it? First and foremost, I just recommend not getting a white handled athame. Isay this because you don't want to use an athame as a Magick Knife. Traditionally, it is a knife with a black handle with a double-edged blade.
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What is it used for? This is used almost as the Wand, but this tool is commanding and manipulative. You can move energy with it, but you won't want to invoke anything with it. No one likes a knife pointed at them. Not even magickal entities.
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Note: You can also use a sword for this, though it would be awfully hard to do in indoor rituals. I only recommend them for outdoor rituals.
What is it? A chalice is a cup like the one pictured on the left, although it can be all different colors and sizes, and can have any symbol on it you like. You may also, if you so desire, find a chalice with your favorite Goddess on it.
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What is it used for? In rituals that I have attended, I have seen that the chalice is representative of the Goddess and fertility. It is often filled with water during rituals, but it may be filled with a ritual drink to be ingested during the ritual.
What is it? This is another easy one. This is a crystal sphere. It can be any size, and doesn't have to be perfectly clear to work with. It can have imperfections. Equally, you can even use a hematite or onyx sphere. Feel free to try both, and see which you like better.
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What is it used for? It may be used in full moon rituals, for scrying, or receiving messages from deities.
What is it? A bell is a bell. All shapes and sizes work. A bell at your local thrift shop can work perfectly.
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What is it used for? Bells can be rang to ward off bad energies and negative entities, and may also be rang to mark the different sections of rituals.
What is it? Singing Bowls are bowls which, when rounded by a striker, produce a loud and distinguished note. They may be made of various metals or crystal. The striker is usually wooden, and some come wrapped in suede.
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What is it used for? Singing Bowls are often used to work with Chakras, and are often coupled with Reiki. They are healing devices, and great for meditation.