TOOL SERIES - Athames

 Merry Meet, friends!

Thank you for your patience yesterday. By the time I found my pillow, the storm front had passed through. Leaving me without the migraine but tired. I'm used to the pattern by now but when I want to accomplish stuff, it really irritates me.

This week, we're taking a look at athames and their uses. First off, what is an athame? Well, an athame by any other name is still an important tool in your supplies. Whether it's a knife, a boline or an athame, you still need one. The athame symbolizes the god or masculinity. Any style will work, as long as it fits your needs and budget. 

The key to finding one (or several) is to look for one that you feel a connection to, has a personal string to someone or something in your life or that just feels 'right' when you hold it. 

For example, I have a couple that my husband gave me. I told him what I wanted a knife for and explain their uses in my practice, he brought out a wooden box full of all styles, shapes, and sizes and told me to pick what I wanted. That is the 'personal string'. For the connection, I have one that was given to my by a police officer over forty-five years ago. He wanted to make sure when I was walking alone at night, I had protection when he couldn't be there. He taught me how to use it if I had to. Then I have one that just feels right, comfortable in my hand. That one is a smaller version of this one:

While not a fan of the handle itself, which we'll talk about next, I do love a double-edged athame. Just seems so sleek to me; elegant even. While I don't like the open-air handle, you could incorporate wraps of some type; particularly if you are using it for a specific purpose where ribbon/ cloth colors could bring more ump to your workings.

This one is a great utilitarian style. You can use a single blade for any spell work.  

So, what do we use an athame for?

As I mentioned earlier, they can be carried for protection. Careful of the 'harm non', factor. But if you are in mortal danger, know how to use one correctly. 

They can be used as a wand - an extension of yourself in any ritual. Remember, the power of any tool comes from within you. You can use an athame to open or close or circle, to draw and point. Whatever you would use a wand for, an athame is a perfect substitution. As Melanie Marquis points out in her book, The Witch's Bag of Tricks, often times the athame is preferred over a wand for cutting negative energy. You can also use it in the kitchen when doing a little kitchen witchery.

In her book, Everyday Witch A to Z, Deborah Blake offers up fun info from the web on why you should have a black athame. She also has the Everyday Witch Book of Rituals where the athame is used.

So tell me in the comments. Do you have an athame? Do you have more than one; one you favor over another for certain things? Inquiring minds. 

In the mean time, I invite you to check out this beautiful Selenite athame at 13moons

Blessed Be!

~ Rain

TOOL SERIES - Delayed to Wednesday

 Merry Meet, friends!

I have been battling a migraine since Sunday evening. I think it's weather related. The front should move through tonight and I can write the post later today and have it posted on Wednesday.

Thank you for your patience.

Blessed Be!

~Rain

MINDFUL MONDAY

Merry Meet, friends!

Blessed Be!

~ Rain

 

TOOL SERIES - Charms

 Merry Meet, friends!

Seems Tuesdays roll around more frequently. I thought today's topic fell right in line with Besoms and Ribbons/ Threads/ Yarns.

I love to add charms to all of my junk journals as well as my besom, wands, and anything else I can attach them to, adding significance to how I intend to use the tool or art piece.

For this post, when referring to charms, I'm talking about pieces of metal (usually) that are either in a representative shape of something or have inscriptions on them. You'll find a wide variety in jewelry making supplies. I usually shop for  mine in either Hobby Lobby, Amazon or Etsy. Even Pandora charms hold a significance for the person wearing the bracelet; each chosen to represent a memory.

THIS particular 100 pack bulk charm set has a wide variety of charms representing all kinds of things from eye glasses to musical notes. 

If your tastes run more to the 'fun' aspects of Halloween, then you might like THIS SET from NIHAO Jewelry.

The Charmed Hare on Etsy

But when it comes to all things witchy, one of my favorite shops on Etsy is TheCharmedHare. I've purchased from them a couple of times. You might also check out TwinCharms66 on Etsy.

So, what do you do with charms?

*Add to your besom twinning

*Add to wands (either by permanent attachment or dangle with fibers)

*Add to a spell bag

*Create your own pendants

*Small windchimes for your altar

Select a charm that best matches your intention, whether it be a protection spell, money spell, etc. 

I do want to caution that anything you purchase, please cleanse before adding to your magic. Impart your intention into the charm by holding it in your hand and envisioning what you want the charm to represent and it's purpose. 

Blessed Be!

~ Rain

MINDFUL MONDAY

Merry Meet, friends!

Blessed Be!

~ Rain

TOOL SERIES - Color

 Merry Meet, friends!

Welcome to a new installment of the Tool Series. Today, I want to talk about color.

For as far back as I can remember, I've been in love with color - all colors of the spectrum. I didn't understand the passion until I realized I was a witch. As I began my study of the craft, color melted into every aspect of the practice. 

My favorite way to spend a Saturday was to wander the isles of JoAnns Fabrics looking at all the colors of fabric, yarns, ribbon, papers, inks, and threads. The colors drew me in. I have a warehouse of fabrics and a studio full of yarns, ribbon, and fibers to attest to my addiction. 

When I learned that those colors had correspondences to magic and the things I could create, I was enamored with the concept that color and energy created a strength, a binding, for my spell work. 

If you're new to the craft, colors have different meanings and correlate with whatever intention you want to impart into a spell or candle magic. I purchased THIS digital from Etsy to include in my Book of Shadows as a quick reference guide. The cool thing with purchasing digitals, is I can print this as an entire sheet to put in the BOS, and I can also print a copy to punch out each color individually for single pages.

Here is a great article from Witch and Wand on different ways to use color magic. 

To incorporate colors into your magic, you can use ribbon, yarn or thread into a binding spell, decorate a besom handle, braid a bracelet (remember those friendship braids?), or bind a smudge bundle. You can use specific colors of candles for whatever your intention is for a spell. 

Ms Deborah Blake uses colors in various spells in her Everyday Witch A to Z , Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook, as well as her Witchcraft on a Shoestring. The Witch's Bag of Tricks by Melanie Marquis also has a substantial amount of information. One last reference is Sew Witchy: Tools, Techniques & Projects for Sewing Magic by Rachel Henderson. I've not read this one but it is available on Kindle Unlimited so I'll be checking this book out soon. 

Another great thing about working with fibers and ribbons is if you are not yet out of the broom closet, you can incorporate intentions to anything without anyone around you being the wiser! Who knew something as simple as color could pack such a punch?

I hope you're finding this series helpful and if you have thoughts to add, please leave them in the comments.

Blessed Be!

~ Rain

MINDFUL MONDAY

 Merry Meet, friends!

Welcome to what I hope is the beginning of a long stretch of fall-like temperatures!

Blessed Be!

~ Rain