WAND MAKING - a revival

[Visitor]

Hello All.

I have started this thread in the hope of reviving wand making, for the few that may be interested, in the SF community.

The branch of wand making, has been pruned many times, since its conception. But I fear that the bough is somewhat damaged and possibly dying. In my opinion, a new branch has sprouted, since the mid 20th century, and since then too many pseudo-wands, misconceptions, and weak practices have arisen. I fear we may be losing the most important ingredient to the magic of wands – creating the wand from your own intuition (soul), intent (mind), and use of hands (body).

I am hoping this thread will revive the traditional ways (covering the basics), and then later, we start a new branch of advanced developments.

I believe that any revival requires a shift in reference and attitude to kick it off. Two thoughts come to mind.

• Traditional practitioners dealt with varied forms of psychokinesis (mind over matter), and the (crystal and gemstone) wands were tools to assist them.
  In other words, it is the practitioner first, then the wand. Too many newbies expect wands to do it all.
  
  
• When I wanted to start competitive cycling, a friend said to me "Firstly, you need to decide whether you want to be a pretender or a contender". Those words instantly shifted my focus from a well worn attitude of a 'pretender' to one of 'contender'. I knew then I had to change my attitudes, focus, beliefs, and training regime, to become a champion cyclist. Four years later, I was in Austria, going for the Masters World Championships.

I am hoping this introductory post will give us a starting point. I know we have some well established crystal and gemstone practitioners among us. I am hoping they will be the guiding light required for directing this revival.

Incidentally, Dee47 has already started a great new thread - titled: How to Use Wands.
. . . the revival might be happening after all.

"Now that the thread has started, I will go away, make a cup of coffee, and try to remember how I made my first traditional Wicca wand – the basics of wand making. Later, I will post the details here.
Looking forward to your posts and knowledge of traditional wand making. Cheers."

[Visitor]

POST#2
While remembering what is involved in making a traditional wand, I realized there is fair bit of information involved to cover the basics. However, these basics can be carried over to all other wands as well. So I will have to take it in steps.

The first thing to know is your purpose or intention for making the wand. Once that is established you can start identifying the needed materials for manifesting your personalized wand.

If you are not sure or confused about your purpose, then either wait, meditate, or use intuition to find your intention. A good question to ask yourself is, 'What is needed to fulfill what I think is lacking?'

You may find, like I did, that there is more than just one thing lacking. Then make a list of those things, and consider which one is more important to start off with. Or start with a 'General Purpose Wand', and later make a more specialized wand - (to be covered later in this thread).

My first wand was a General Purpose Wand. My 'intentions' were many, but I could label them all under (the need for an instrument to assist and strengthen my lack to evoke things to happen - especially to insight conviction).

It is a good idea to write down what your intention(s) is(are). Then keep that somewhere in view while making your wand.

Just to give you an idea of what a traditional Wicca wand could look like, here is a link for viewing my first wand.

http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/...PWiccaWand.jpg

POST#3 will be about identifying those ideal materials.

[CrystalSong]

Just wanted to add to this thread, for those making their own wands, something interesting.
I have an Ion, Charge and Field Detector, it's an amusing device that detects moving ions, magnetic fields, lightening before it happens and moving energy among other things.

A shaman I know brought a few of his items over like his shaman blade which were made with Intention during Ceremony to be measured for resident energy.

His blade which was made using a hand crafted obsidian blade, a bone antler handle and leather lashings; gave off a 2 point reading over the energy in the same space with the blade removed. There is no reason that this blade should hold any type of energy charge. We tested it in several different settings adjusting for ambient background energies before introducing the blade to the field to be read.
Items we took measurements on of similar composition (bone, leather, obsidian) that were not made with ritual or Intention did not register as having energy or capacitance to hold energy around them.

While this proves nothing specific it was convincing to those of us involve in the experiment that the act of Intention in either its manufacture or using it with Intention after its completed adds something to otherwise non-energy producing items.

During that time period we also measured the energy fields around various Healers channeling Reiki energy and Healers channeling energy who had not been taught a specific visual method (like Reiki) for channeling energy and had learned their ability via Recall of past life abilities.
While not explainable, we could not get energy readings from Reiki Channelers but could get distinct readings from the 'self taught' energy channelers. We have no explanation for this, merely the observation that it is so in those cases at that time.

In interview/discussions afterwards with the Healers, their Intention was the same and the Source by which they pulled the energy was the same, as was their methodology of holding their hands over the Receiver of the energies. The only difference we could discern was the depth of each one's meditation and visualization and conviction of their Intention.

Several other experiments tended to point to the same conclusion, Intention is what makes the ordinary into the extraordinaire.
The Double Slit Experiment which cause text books around the world to be rewritten indicates the same thing, non visible energies can be directed to behave in certain ways by the human mind (Intention).

It could be argued therefore that even more important than the materials used in wand making, is the Intention of the Wand Maker.

[Visitor]

Thank you CrystalSong.
Beautifully said and explained. Thank you for clarifying how important intention is needed for producing greater effects.
__________________________________

CrystalSong's input has inspired me to include further information on 'intention'. Hopefully it will help those who are not sure of how to implement 'intention' into their wand making.

An important aspect of Intention is ourselves. We tend to be at times 'all over the shop' and so too can our intention. It is because of this, our intentions seem to carry a degree of uncertainty. It may manifest results sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly; sometimes when concerned, or when unconcerned. At times it is about where we are going with it, and at other times, where we are coming from. However, in my experience, their are basically two governing factors that can guide a person to initiate intention more reliably.

• Faith without works, and, works without faith - is dead.
• Love manifests energy, while fear devours it.

With wand making:
Works is the time and energy put into the wand. As we create the wand we are thinking about it's intended use, what materials we are using, how best to incorporate them, what will make the wand channel our intentions the most efficient way, and so on. And this is just the mental energies being put into the wand - there is also the physical and spiritual energies.
Faith. We also have our spirit working with it as well (inspiration, intuition, prayer, faith, etc.). Conviction is the energy, Intention is knowing where to put it.
Love is a self producing energy source. It is tapped into the Source of existence. The energy is out-flowing, from within us, into creating the wand. If you are enjoying your creative efforts, you are in love.
Fear is any form of spiritual or mental tension (physical tension is a result of this). Under tension we squeeze and bleed out our energies. It is not put into creative use, but wasted. Such tensions create 'short-circuits' (so to speak) into our work. The wand's integrity becomes porous and loses the capacity to channel the energies through it - it leaks. If you find yourself getting tense about a particular phase in your wand making, stop, and leave it until you are looking forward to getting back into it. If you were tense for awhile without realizing it, stop, and make amends by returning to it with love. Sometimes, because our tensions has damaged the wand (e.g, hacking into it carelessly) it would be better to start anew.

Note: Tension arises when we are not sure about something. If it has to do with making the wand, then experiment with your intentions on another piece of similar material. I do this quite often. For instance, I might be testing different adhesives between a crystal and the wood I am using - besides looking for strength in a particular adhesive, I will also be listening to my intuitions, and conscience.

My next Wand Making Post (POST#3) will be about identifying those ideal materials to suit your intention.

[Visitor]

Hi All.
I am sorry if the link, in POST#2, to what a traditional Wicca wand could look like may have been broken when I placed it in a new folder. If so, you should be able to reach to it with this new link:

http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/...PWiccaWand.jpg

[Visitor]

Hello All.

I am sorry if what you are about to read is going to fall short of your expectations. The reason for this is paramount. Intention requires 'work, faith, and love' to strengthen it. So the following information will not spell everything out for you. You will need to do the research, learn from it all, create deeper knowledge, and when putting that into practice – understanding. In this way, your intention becomes more empowered than before you started. This is nothing new, this truth is already in you.

Wicca considerations.

• Because many Wicca wands are made from wood, they are naturally attuned to its source. From the parent tree, to that type of tree, to the power of trees, to other energies that are common to them. The parent tree being the strongest link.
• Wicca uses elemental properties (fire, air, water, earth). Fire or Air is common for the Wicca wand.
• Traditionally, the wand represents masculine energy. It ought to look and feel powerful.
• Traditional Wicca wands are also for directing (in/out), channeling, and manifesting intentions. Most common are healing and 'protection'.

Size and shape.

• To help you to get a picture of your special Wicca wand, lets first look at sizes and shapes.
• Because the wand serves as an extension of your body, it is measured as if you had another limb, one that extends from your hand. Standard lengths are determined roughly from back of elbow to tip of middle finger.
• How thick? Usually 25 – 40 mm.
• For those who are into sacred geometry. Consider the 'Golden Proportions'.
• Shape: as straight as possible.

Wood.

• Avoid using wood from poisoned trees.
• Consider branches that have already fallen from a tree. If not, other considerations may be required. I came across a good simple link that covers the basics for selecting wood from a tree.
  http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Wiccan-Wand
• Driftwood.
• Tree that has been struck by lightening.
• You may choose a wood which is native to your area as well.
• Traditionally, witches and wizards used whatever was available to them. Intuition is the key here. If you think you are lacking in that area, and wish to increase it, I am sure you will find answers here in SF.
• Each type of wood has a specific energy which is attuned to it. You might need to research that. Here are common Wicca wand woods: Ash, Birch, Willow, Oak, and many others. Don't forget fruit trees.

You may find, at this point, a particular wood may be a bit hard to find. If that is the case, as it was in old, you will have to rely (faith) on what is at hand. But then again, do not underestimate the Laws of Attraction (LoA). Here is my story about LoA.

Originally I wanted a bough from a tree that had been struck by lightning, but Creation and a wild Peach tree thought differently.

I was living in the city at the time. I was drawn to the idea of using a branch from a wild peach tree. I thought, this is crazy. First of all, I am in the wrong climatic zone, I am in the middle of a capital city, and were do I find a 'wild' peach tree, as opposed to a cultivated one? But the thought of obtaining one was so persistent I sought reprieve by going for a refreshing walk. (There is a lot more to this story, but in short), I was drawn to follow an unfamiliar road that followed a railway line. I came across council workers pruning wild shrubs and trees. One of them was a wild peach tree. I was in shock and ecstatic at the same time. I saw this as a gift, and thanked Creation and the Wild Peach tree for the love.

I did a lot of research as to what I thought I wanted, but in the end, I did not require it to obtain the wild peach tree bough. Was my research a waste of time? Definitely not! I believe my increased Intention, from doing the research (the work) coupled with love and faith, brought me to the bough. An important element about this is, I had no thoughts of finding (claiming) it for me to find it (gift of unconditional love). In other words, materialization such as these accommodate those who provide the spiritual space/void for it to manifest. I'll stop here, because I am going away from basic wand making.


Other considerations:

• Your branch may not be sufficiently seasoned/dried for working on yet. Patience, patience.
• Some woods will split during it's curing time. Or split while working with it. Be prepared for such eventualities. Even my wild peach branch soon showed signs of cracking. It tied copper wire around certain spots along the bough, and oiled the wood. That stopped it. It is now 24 years old and still okay.
• You may have noticed that I have started by selecting the wood before the crystal or gemstone. It does not have to be that way. However, if you do have a particular stone you feel is needed, and it seems too large for our recommended sized bough, do not be discouraged. I have a solution for that. I have posted a link to a drawing that will explain how to adapt such a stone to the bough. In addition, is another link to four detailed views of how I attached the crystal to my wand. I am also sure, other members in SF also have solutions and ideas for you along those lines.

Drawing for adapting larger crystals to wand.
http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/...ercrystals.jpg

Images of the crystal attached to my wand.
http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/...d_Detail-1.jpg

Skills required:

• Intention. In this case, patience and persistence to follow through with your plan.
• Nothing is impossible. It may seem impossible until you find out how.
• All artisans of wand making had to start somewhere.
• My wand was done with the simplest of tools. Hand saw, craft knife, hand drill with a few drill bits, sandpaper, glue, and a loan of a soldering iron for securing the copper wires. Nothing else!

Next post, POST#4, will cover other materials.

[FairyCrystal]

Great thread, Visitor!
I have a wand without crystal, a piece of hawthorn wood that I found in the woods. Didn't know it was hawthorn at the time and it didn't look particularly pretty until I stripped it of its bark, which was a tedious task. Hawthorn seems to be rather attached to its bark, lol. I tried oiling it, got that tip from a druid. But even that didn't work, only helped to get the top layer of the bark off, not the whole lot.
Then I learnt you have to literally soak certain woods in water for several days. So I put it in the bathtub along with a larger hawthorn stick that is now my powerstick (approx. 5 feet)
And yes, after some 4, 5 days I could easily strip the bark off! No more hard work!
The texture of hawthorn is amazing, very fine, and it's one of the hardest woods (harder than oak even) but a very fine grain.
My wand has some lines in it and a sticky out bit where another branch used to be. I left that on there, didn't sand it down (quite a lot of work as hawthorn is that hard). That bit looks like a deer's head, the sticky out bit its nose. I am so glad I didn't get rid of that bit!
After my wand was ready, sanded, polished etc, I never used my athame no more, just my hawthorn wand. It's not decorated with symbols or anything, no crystal either. Just polished with very fine sandpaper, and it looks gorgeous, au naturel, haha. One end is somewhat uneven, where it once broke off the tree or another branch. But as the wood is so strong and hard, it doesn't effect the wand whatsoever :)

But I love the info on your wand making and attaching a crystal etc. Maybe one day I will make myself another one :)

[Visitor]

Hello FairyCrystal.

Thank you for telling us all about hawthorn wood. I have never seen that particular wood. From your description, it sure sounds tough wood to work on. If you do not mind me asking, what part of the world did the hawthorn come from?

It was lovely to read how you worked on the bough, persisted, searched for solutions, and asked another person for advice. Great intentional work.

I identify with leaving knobby bits alone, especially when you can see something appealing to your senses. A great read.

FairyCrystal, is there any chance we will get to see an image of your wand, and the Powerstick too?

Cheers.

[Visitor]

Hello All. Recently I have learnt how to post pictures.
From POST#2

From POST#6: How to use an adapter-head for crystals larger than bough diameter.

Example of a crystal mounted into the bough end.

[Visitor]

Hi All.
Here is my final post for making a Traditional Wicca Wand. POST#4

Terminator:

• There are various crystals and gemstones to choose from - depending on your Intention.
  • Clear quartz crystal is most commonly used because it provides the most additional power from a natural resource.
  • Best type of terminator is a point. The sharper the point the easier it is for energy to escape from its capacitive (energy storage) holding space (the crystal).
    • Problems with points, is they can easily become damaged if knocked about. Also, any excess energy will eventually leak out of the point.
    • I always try to protect the points of crystals. However, do not get too concerned if the tip has slight damage (see photo of Traditional Wicca Wand), it only means that the energy release is splayed a bit. The damaged area is usually made up many tiny pointed/jagged bits for the energy to be released from, and over-spray is the general affect.
  • Rounded terminators have no easy point for energy to be released. Gemstones are an example in case. They tend to be acquired from shops after they have been tumbled (rounded) and polished.
    • Releasing the gemstone's energies is usually through contact with whatever it is you wish to pass your intent to.
    • If you notice any leakage, it is always released from a point of least curvature radius.
      • In advanced wand making, where copper tubes are used, when mounting, the leaky stone parts are generally pointed back into the copper tube.
      • If an easier flow of energies, through air, is required from a gemstone, my choice would be a raw jagged piece (not tumbled) gemstone. These are accessible from places that tumble gemstones. Or from gemstone hunters, and from fossicking.
      • Tumbled gemstones do come with rounded points, but they may still need to make contact to ease the energy release.
• Though certain materials have very good energy releasing properties, the crystal is a natural source and choice.
• Other choices of materials is endless. Here are some examples: point of eagle's feather (root end), quill, bone, and anything that is both natural and pointed. But you really need to research its physical and metaphysical properties before using it. That is, your Intention ought to align with both Love and the materials used.

• Attaching the terminator. The two main ways:
  • Embedded into the end of the wand – most secure way.
  • Attached by wrappings of copper, or silver, wire.
    • Be aware that, if the wire touches the crystal, the wire ends will be a source of energy leakage.

Other Materials:

• Always be aware of the material's source.
• An advanced addition to the traditional Wicca wand is to add copper wire between terminator and handle area and/or to opposite end. (future posts will look into this further).
• Some people use a leather strip wrapped around handle area.
• Natural oils used for wood care.
• Natural resins may be used for affixing the terminator.
• I personally avoid using any type of paint, dyes, of inks. Modern resources of such are usually toxic – an energy which should be avoided as much as possible. If it becomes impossible to get around using anything toxic, or unnatural, try and isolate (encapsulate) it as much as possible. Instead of paint, etc. I prefer to carve wood and/or etch metals.
• Attachments:
  • A common way to alter your wand's properties is through attachments.
    • Wrapping something around the wand.
    • Having something hanging off the wand.
  • Remember, whatever you attach will also alter the original Intent of the wand.
    • Sometimes adding energy, and sometimes minimizing/neutralizing the energies.
  • I prefer to hang my attachments. My favourite attachments include a choice of gemstone, feather, or herb. My traditional Wicca wand has a loop incorporated in its copper wire binding (used to minimize cracking). There is a loop at each end of the wand.

Consecrating your wand with your Intention.

• How you want to do this is purely up to you, after all, it is your Intention you are wanting to embed into your newly made wand.
• I consecrated my wand in the traditional Wicca ways. I trekked into the wilderness for several kilometers. Found a reasonable open space. Cleared the area. And meditated for several hours on my Intent, while waiting for midnight. During the consecration, all sorts of night creatures came to the edge of the protective circle. Reflective eyes were everywhere. I felt as if they were hungry for supper, and I was their main course. When I finished the Intent ritual, all visiting creatures departed, and silence dominated the scene. While waiting for sunrise, exhilaration took over as my Intent became clarified and embedded within me. That was in 1990, and the Intent has dominated my life ever since. Lucky my Intent is based on Loving actions and spiritual growth, and not something I might regret later on. So beware of what your intention is. May it be general, universal, and loving.

Storage:
I always wrap my wand whenever I am not using it. The last thing I want to happen, is for it to fall down and damage the terminator.

Concluding notes:
Have fun with your creation, and always stay aware of your Intention.
Please do not hesitate to post here.