WAND MAKING - a revival

[Dee47]

[*]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!



I am very impressed with all these threads, but I'm afraid that they are over my head at this time. It does seem impossible. Saturday was the 5 year anniversary of my son's death. Yesterday was the 5 year anniversary of my finding out that he had died. So I'm a little bummed out right now. I'm pretty caught up with the responsibilities at work, too. I'm posting to assure you I don't lack interest, but I do lack emotional fortitude right now. It seems too hard to find a piece of wood, which is where I'd start. I don't have a hand saw or soldering iron but the other stuff I do have....except the stick, that is. I am thinking I might work on this in June, when I'll have more time to do as I please. Perhaps for now you have helped me to plant the seeds.

How do you know if a stick is poisoned?

[Visitor]

Hello Dee47
Sad to read that you are in grief again for your loss - it has touched upon my own as well.

...I'm posting to assure you I don't lack interest, but I do lack emotional fortitude right now. It seems too hard to find a piece of wood, which is where I'd start. I don't have a hand saw or soldering iron but the other stuff I do have....except the stick, that is. I am thinking I might work on this in June, when I'll have more time to do as I please. Perhaps for now you have helped me to plant the seeds.

About being interested. Please do not concern yourself about me. I don't stress about those things. Besides, I never thought that you were not interested in the making of a wand, for you already told me you were interested. And, if in the future, you decide not to be interested any more, that is your free choice. No one should feel obliged here.

About limited tools. Because not long before I made my first wand I lost everything to a house fire. Since then, I have gathered many new tools to play with (boys will be boys).

About time. My first wand took about two months to complete. The first month was learning about wands, having the bough come to me, and waiting for it to dry out a bit. I was a bit impatient with the drying time.
The second month was finding a crystal that would fit into the end of the bough (I took the off-cut part of the bough with me to crystal shops to compare sizes). In the meantime, I would carve-up the wand with my craft knife.
I am a hermit, and do not watch TV (except now it is the Internet). So, after work, I have plenty of time to develop my knowledge and skills.
I am about to turn sixty years of age. My mind and hands, in that time, have done a lot to refine and articulate my Intentions. So don't stress about any of this. If June suits you better, then it is June. It takes as long as it takes. If not, then it is not.

However, I am afraid that time is running out for me. The goal of these Wand Making threads is to pass on information, that may be of interest, to future wand makers. Hopefully SF will keep these threads available for future readers and members who wish to start down this path. A point of reference so to speak.

About poisoned branches. The tree from which the branch came from is the first sign. If the tree has died prematurely, or among a stand (cluster) of dying/dead trees, or the tree looks down and is very close to a dead (weed) tree - then I may suspect poison. Otherwise, If the branch smells like poison, or my dog disgusts the smell of it, or it has a strange tint to it - I may suspect poison. Then again, it is prudent to pay attention to your intuition if you suspect poison. I have no knowledge of chemical analysis of poisons - though an experienced horticulturist may be able to confirm any suspicions you may have. That is as far as my thoughts go with it.
In short, if I suspect the branch to be poisoned, I let it go, and look elsewhere.

Lol, Cheers.

[Dee47]

I could imagine a booklet for what you've posted so far. A publication. What would be nice is if what's here could be pinned...easily found.

If you are sixty, you may have another 30 years. So unless you know something I don't, time may not be running out for you yet.

[Visitor]

Hello Dee47.

Thanks for your kind thoughts. I think it will be easily found for those who are looking for more information about wands. I have titled the threads in a way that ought to assist those using the Search toolbar.

Yes, I may live for another thirty years (God willing). But my prostrate is saying otherwise (a common problem for men of my age).
There are some things that even crystal therapy cannot stop. In those situations, the best crystal therapy can do, is to delay, divert, or assist in acceptance. No human body has lived forever. Spiritually? Now that is another story.

[Dee47]

Hey! I think I found my branch! I was on a walk with my dog and it just called out to me....I think someone else cut it...was pruning the tree. I think it could be a crabapple tree...no?...some kind of fruit tree though. It seems beautiful! I will try to research to see what kind of tree it is. Here's a photo. Look at how BIG it is...of course I'll need to cut it down...Not a great photo...maybe those will come later. heh heh.



This site will be helpful, I think, once the tree gets leaves...I will see if I can figure it out before hand. If not: patience, patience, patience. heh heh

http://www.arborday.org/trees/whattree/?TrackingID=908

[Visitor]

Hello Dee47
That bough looks fantastic. The fact that you see it as beautiful is your loving intentions at work.

When it is time (seasoned) for you to cut it, make sure you give extra length. It is always easier to cut some off later than to try and add onto it.
Cut it longer than you think, then get a feel for it. If it is too heavy or wieldy for comfort - trim it down to size (plus that little bit extra).
The first end I normally work with is the terminator end. That end gets cut according to size of stone I am going to use.
If you feel uncertain about attaching your stone, practice on the unwanted piece you had cut off, with another stone.
Use other parts of the branch to teach you how to do a better job on the bough of choice.

Keep me posted, I am interested to see your bough come to life.

[Dee47]

Okay. I have a few questions.

It seems that some strip the bark off their branches and some don't. I think I want to strip mine off, though the bark of this ornamental crabapple tree (found out what it is) is lovely.

Today I found TWO wonderful branches at the dog park. I think they are elm. (I don't know my trees, but these are from very common trees. They're beautiful branches all the same. More masculine than my apple branch.) I think they would make awesome wands. The bark is already falling off of them.

So. Question number one. Do you recommend that I strip the bark off the apple tree?

Question number two. How do I find out about carving. I love your carvings, Visitor, and I think I'd like to try something like that.

Not a question, now. Just a comment: I think the apple tree wand will be great for healing. The elm branches, well, one for communicating with the other dimensions and one for protection. That's what I'm thinking right now.



Question number three. What did you do to your wands to make them the color they are?

[Visitor]

Hello Dee47

Originally Posted by Dee47

Okay. I have a few questions....

So. Question number one. Do you recommend that I strip the bark off the apple tree?

• That is up to you.
• However, each tree type is different. I think most barks, if untreated, will eventually fall off the branch.
• If you decide to make a wand with bark on it, I would experiment first. My line of thinking would be...
  • Have a piece untouched, another wired, and other bits coated with something natural, like cedar oil, or shellac. Then wait for several months. If no change to the bark, I might venture forward, if I notice any bark cracking, etc, I would be fairly sure it will soon break away from the branch.
  • The trouble with all this, is the question of ...who dry/seasoned is the branch when it was obtained. The other problem, is that the bark is going to dry quicker than the branch wood, forcing the bark to crack.

Originally Posted by Dee47

Question number two. How do I find out about carving. I love your carvings, Visitor, and I think I'd like to try something like that.

• For a beginner, I would recommend reading about it first via Internet search.
  • However, this type of carving is small, and only requires a small cutting edge, as found with a craft knife - with a pointed triangular tip.
  • I would not use a retractable blade type knife, the tip is too square, and clumsy to handle.
  • Carving a small circular branch requires delicate but firm cutting actions. A craft knife is good for that.
  • For small deep sections, where the knife tip gets too wide for the job, I use a drill bit.
• THIS IS IMPORTANT...
  • Always cut away from your self.
  • Never have the branch on your lap.
  • Always have a table top between the piece you are working with and the table.
  • As a boy, I was once carving a block of wood with a Stanely knife, on my lap. The blade slipped off the block of wood and carved myself instead. Not a good practice!
• Again, experiment on an off-cut piece first. You might find the wood too hard for a lengthy carving project.
• Carving with a craft knife, regardless of how soft the wood is, will take lots of time (just what I wanted for developing good Intention).
• Always carve/cut in small bits and in small doses. If you are becoming impatient during your carving, STOP, before you either cut yourself, ruin your carving, or get too disheartened to carry on. Have a tea break.
• Oh, have an oil-stone, oil, and a rag handy for sharpening your knife edge. Or just replace the blades, when it gets too hard to cut with them.
• How to sharpen a knife edge? Check the web.

Question number three. What did you do to your wands to make them the color they are?

• The Traditional Wicca wand, not knowing any better, I used linseed oil. For many years it had a slight tacky feel to it.
• The Elemental wand, in Wand Making - advanced part 2, I used shellac. A much better choice, since it soaks better into the wood (which was fairly dry when I found it). And shellac dries hard.
• Both the linseed oil, and the shellac, have a yellowish tint to them.

Thanks Dee47 for asking those questions. I am sure some others may have had the same questions.
It is good to read about your progress. Lol.

Hi Visitor,

After reading through this thread I was so inspired I rushed out and got myself a smokey tourmaline crystal wand.

Oddly enough, in the shop I wasn't too keen on the wand to begin with. It was chipped and deeply scarred, with some internal shattering. The shop lady tried to ensure me it was a very nice piece, but I thought I should do some research first on it's crystal properties, and decided not to purchase the stone.

That night I dreamed about the wand, (in the dream it was flawless, and shaped like Cleopatra's needle - which I'm sure has something to do with the photos in this thread), so that the next day I went back to the shop. But of course the crystal was still the same as it was, rough and chunky. Anyway, I decided to take it home.

I had intended on taking a long walk through some woods (I can see from my window about three miles away) in the hope of finding an appropriate branch. I'd gone and left it too late and the evening was waning before I could reach the woods. Instead, I discovered a great wood pile someone had made after pruning a tree. Spoiled for choice I took home two branches, both as straight as ruler.

I've made a start and already the wand is revealing it's purpose and it's motif.
I would have posted pictures but my camera batteries are flat.



I'd would like to ask your thoughts about:
Do you approve of chipped and cracked crystal, even when the energy field is very strong ?
For what purpose would you make a wand using smokey tourmaline ?
And does it matter where the wood is found ? (I'm wondering if a pruned tree differs in any way from a naturally fallen branch!)

Thanks

t.

[Visitor]

Hello thistle.

Thank you for your post.

Originally Posted by thistle

.... I'd would like to ask your thoughts about:
Do you approve of chipped and cracked crystal, even when the energy field is very strong ?
For what purpose would you make a wand using smokey tourmaline ?
And does it matter where the wood is found ? (I'm wondering if a pruned tree differs in any way from a naturally fallen branch!)....

About the condition of a crystal. This is really up to you. It is your Intention which is of most importance.
If the crystal appeals to you and it provides the necessary Intent for you to use it, then it is so.
I have even used a glass rod for drawing out false energies/beliefs. Others use wands with gemstones, or without anything.
I have also used a laser crystal that has self-healed at its base.

About smokey tourmaline. I am not familiar with this stone. I do not know its metaphysical properties. Though I am sure you have researched into it.
However, from your post, it seems you are attracted to it. So whatever the information you can find on smokey tourmaline, coupled with what attracts you to it, will be its personal properties for you.

About the wood. Only you can know if the branches that have come your way was meant to be, or not.
However, I would connect with my heart, to both tree and branch, for the gift.
Remember, the wood is/was a live limb, a limb you wish to use for yourself.

Great to read you are about to make yourself a wand.
Please do not hesitate to ask any further questions.