How to Make a Wand

I’m a big fan of making your own tools.  I believe it really creates a connection with the tool and gives you a greater appreciation for it.  Not that buying tools is bad or wrong in any way!  I have to buy tools still because unfortunately I have no idea how to work metal to make an athame, for example, or cast iron for a cauldron.  But a wand is fairly easy to make.  Here are my steps.

A rowan wood wand (Image from Google search)

Step 1: Gather the wood
First, you need wood.  I’ve seen some wands made of metal, but if you’re looking for a very simple wand, go with wood.  When gathering the wood you’d like to use, pay attention to what kind of tree you are getting it from.  I recommend looking for a fallen stick or small limb that you can easily lift and shape as necessary.  You don’t want something terribly long, but if you can only find a long stick, then you can cut it down to size.  You also don’t want something too thick.  Hold the prospective stick in your hand and see how easy it is to hold and wield.

If you’re gathering the wood from your backyard or nearby woods, it’s easier to learn what kind of tree the stick is coming from.  Become familiar with the associations/meanings of trees before going on a search!  It makes things a little bit easier, and if you take an already-fallen stick, you can generally assume that the stick fell from a tree nearby.  If you should decide to cut or snap living wood from a tree, be sure to ask permission first and thank the tree for its gift.

Step 2: Shape the wood
Next comes the shaping of the wood.  Whittle off the bark from the stick and use sandpaper to create a smooth surface.  Once you’re sure you won’t get splinters, you can rub your hands over the surface.  The oils in our skin can help to smooth the wood.

If you found a good piece but it’s too long to easily use, then find a handsaw of some kind or some other cutting tool and carefully and with reverence cut the wood down to a proper size (which is whatever length feels best to you).  If you have not already charged the stick and begun to connect with it, then return the stub to nature.  If you’re doing this after you’ve completed the wand and connected with it and such (like me), then I recommend holding on to the piece until you can safely burn it.

Step 3: Carve
This step involves blades and carving and is entirely optional.  If you want to dress the wand up a little, you can add shallow carvings.  Examples are magickal symbols, symbols that have meaning to you, etc.  You can also carve a grip on the end.  To do this, simply carve a number of even lines at the end of the wood.  Evenly space them along the length until you have enough that would equal roughly the width of your palm.

Step 4: Add stone
I like to add a small stone point to the end of the wand.  This stone should be something that ends in a point on one end and a roughly flat end on the other, like this:

Quartz pillars. (Image from Google search)

Choose a stone that is an appropriate size for the wand.  You won’t want a stone that’s too huge and weighs the wand down!  I like to use stones that are pointed because part of the principle of the wand is that it guides and focuses energy and the will, and the point is a part of that guiding and sending out.

You can choose any kind of stone, as long as it is appropriate for how you intend to use the wand.  I chose clear quartz for mine because of the meanings and attachment I have for that particular stone.  Other types of stones I would recommend are amethyst, lapis lazuli, hematite, sapphire, tiger’s eye, and carnelian.

Step 5: Use
You’re done!  All that’s left is to clear and charge the wand and start using it how you see fit.

Stone Series: Amethyst

Amethyst (Image from Google search)

Rarity: Common
Color: light violet to dark purple

Associations
Birthstone: February
Zodiac sign(s): Capricorn, Virgo, Pisces, Aquarius, Sagittarius
Chakra(s): Third Eye, Crown
Planet(s): Jupiter
Element(s): Air

About Amethyst
Amethyst is a fairly common and easily-accessible stone, and is popular for jewellery.  The most common color is a variety of purple, ranging from a light purple that may appear tinged with pink, to a deep purple.  Amethyst is actually a variety of quartz.  Scientists think that the purple color comes from iron in the stone.  The abundance of iron is what associates amethyst with blood and its uses in regulating blood flow and blood purity.

This stone is associated with the gods Bacchus and Dionysus and is associated with sobriety rather than drunkenness.  Diana and Artemis are linked to amethyst as well.  These four deities are linked with amethyst because of a myth.  According to Greek legend, Dionysus was angry one day and decided he would take out his anger on the next mortal to pass by. He created several tigers, gave them a mission to attack the next mortal, and left. A young girl named Amethyst was the next mortal to come by on her way to pay homage to Artemis. The tigers attacked and Amethyst, in her fear and panic, called to the goddess. Artemis changed the girl into a statue of clear quartz before the tigers could attack. When Dionysus returned, he saw the statue and was overcome with remorse.  In one version, he wept tears of purple wine, which then covered the statue and stained it permanently.  In another version, Dionysus, in his remorse, poured a libation of wine over the statue, which stained it purple.

This stone is also linked with Archangel Zadkiel because of its color and properties.  Amethyst’s color and properties also link it to spirituality, and often this stone is associated with spiritual wisdom and enlightenment.

The chakras related to amethyst are the third eye and crown chakras.  Not only does this association come from amethyst’s color, which matches the colors of the chakras, but this stone also relates to some of these chakras’ main functions.  The third eye chakra is the chakra most connected to psychic development and clarity, and amethyst is an excellent stone for promoting psychic gifts and clarity.  The crown chakra is the chakra of consciousness, connectivity, and clarity, as well as the pineal and pituitary glands, which deal with secretion of hormones.  Both the stone and the chakra are connected to the hormones.

Amethyst geode (Image from Google search)

Uses
This is a strong and powerful stone.  It can have a lot of beneficial effects on the mind and body.  This is the kind of stone that is very versatile and can be used for many different things.  It is also one that, if you have to choose only one stone to carry around, I would recommend carrying because of its protective properties and its versatility.

Something about the color purple is good for restful sleep.  Like the herb lavender, amethyst can be used to promote peaceful, restful sleep.  Because of its associations with sleep, it is also useful in remembering, interpreting, and guarding dreams.  It is a very good stone for aiding relaxation, and thus is great for aid in meditation.  Amethyst is a natural tranquilizer that can also bring peace and clarity, and is good for aiding development of intuition and psychic gifts.

Physically, amethyst can regulate hormones, calm nerves, cleanse the blood, regulate blood pressure, protect the heart, and reduce swelling or bruising.  Because of these associations and the stone’s ability to help relax the body and mind, it tends to be a good stone for healers and for working with healing blood issues, stress-induced maladies, and nervousness or anxiety.

Other Resources:
Charms of Light: http://www.charmsoflight.com/amethyst-healing-properties.html
Emily Gems: http://www.crystal-cure.com/crystal-amethyst-points.html
Sunny Ray: http://www.sunnyray.org/Amethyst.htm

I’m Off!

Hello all my lovely readers!  Today I leave for a much-deserved and long overdue vacation, and my first trip overseas in 7 years.  I’ll be traveling to the land of my ancestors–England!  I’ll also stop in Wales and Scotland.  All very magical, old places, and I can’t wait to see it all!

I’ve set up some articles to automatically post while I’m away, but I won’t have continual Internet access.  If you want to leave a comment or send me an email, I encourage you to do so, but know that I may not respond in a timely fashion.  It’s not that I don’t want to respond–I’ll just be hiking my little heart out in the UK!  Until my return, enjoy the posts, and I’ll stop in as I can!

Review: ‘The Celestine Prophecy’, by James Redfield

The Celestine Prophecy, by James Redfield
published 1997 by Warner Books, Inc.
IBSN 9780446671002
246 pages
Author information here
Buy at Amazon
GoodReads
Shelfari
Copy is borrowed
Rating: 1 out of 5
________________________________________________________ About the Book: (from Amazon) In the rain forests of Peru, an ancient manuscript has been discovered. Within its pages are 9 key insights into life itself — insights each human being is predicted to grasp sequentially; one insight, then another, as we move toward a completely spiritual culture on Earth. Drawing on ancient wisdom, it tells you how to make connections among the events happening in your life right now and lets you see what is going to happen to you in the years to come. The story it tells is a gripping one of adventure and discovery, but it is also a guidebook that has the power to crystallize your perceptions of why you are where you are in life and to direct your steps with a new energy and optimism as you head into tomorrow.

My Thoughts: While I found some parts of the book interesting, and some kernels of truth in its pages, I can’t say I would recommend this as a book for spiritual learning or as a book with great literary merit.  The plot is contrived at times, and while I have no trouble believing that the Church would go to extremes to protect its power (hello, look at history), or that a government would attempt to suppress empowering knowledge, I still find it hard to believe that a manuscript with spiritual wisdom could be so threatening to both.  Perhaps that is my own naivete, but I struggled with the premise that the Peruvian government would really care all that much about a manuscript.  The Church, I could believe would be that threatened.

Much of the plot is based on coincidence–which, as many authors knows, is a very wrong move when structuring a story.  Even though Redfield sets it up at the very beginning that coincidences are significant moments (this isn’t a spoiler or anything, I promise, it comes up very early on) meant to guide a person on their path and present opportunities; these coincidences are also the result, in part, of getting what you’ve asked for.  Redfield uses this premise to move the story along throughout the book.

I understand that the plot isn’t necessarily the main point of the novel, but you also can’t get away from the fact that it is a novel.  It’s a work of fiction interlaced with spiritual ideas.  It’s compelling because it presents compelling ideas, not because its plot or its characters are unusual or different or intriguing.

The main character (I don’t think he’s ever named) proceeds to learn about and unearth nine insights via various people, including scientists, priests/monks, beautiful women, and explorers.  All of this builds up to a stunning ninth insight that is so revolutionary it scared the church and the government into action.

I don’t want to tell you what the insights are–if you decide to read it, then telling that much would basically give you the entire book.  If you’re interested in finding out, there are other reviews that detail the entire book.  All I’ll say about the insights and the ninth insight is that while I do find some of these insights applicable and even sensible or wise, I very much doubt the ninth insight Redfield reports.  It describes the next stage of human evolution, but in such a way that I am highly skeptical and, frankly, it was something of a let-down.

The book depends on the reader buying into the insights and the adventure to find them all.  Aside from one or two kernels of truth and actual insight, such as being aware of one’s own actions and realizing we are all connected, the book has no literary value.  It is entertaining, but beyond that, I don’t find much value in it.  The insights presented are the kind of insights we would all be aware of if we stopped to actually think rather than just exist–the insights aren’t really revolutionary insights at all.

Overall, I give it a rating of 2 stars out of 5–it was entertaining, after all.

You Only Have One Life

Reincarnation is a popular belief among Pagans, and seems to be growing every day.  The majority of monotheists reject the idea of reincarnation because they believe there is only one life which we all live, and then our souls go on to some kind of Heaven or afterlife (depending on the belief system in question).

Many times I have rejected the notion of having only one life.  I very much believe in reincarnation.  However, after giving the matter a good deal of reflection, I find that I can agree with both points.  The two ideas seem incompatible–how can a person have only one life yet still reincarnate–but they may not be so incompatible after all.

In the concept of reincarnation, the idea is that a soul lives many lifetimes as different people, but the soul is always the same.  A soul may do this in order to learn and grow and advance itself to a higher wisdom.

In the concept of one life, a person lives only once and then the soul moves on at death to Heaven or some kind of afterlife, where the soul remains for all eternity.  The soul is not reincarnated, and may not move across levels at all, but remain in one afterlife.

How I now view these two is that I do live one life.  I, as the person I am right now, will never exist again.  The person who writes as Sita will not come around again.  The soul that powers me, the soul within, will be reincarnated as a new person, but the person I am in this life will not be seen again after I’ve died.  I do only have one life to live as the person I am right now.  My soul, on the other hand, has been many different people with many different names, and those individual people have only lived individual lives.  Never again will the women who were hanged live again.  Never again will the priestess from an ancient culture live again.  My soul, however, could live a life in which it is a priestess or in which its body is hanged, but the soul is not the same as the individual who is aware and talking and walking.

[This post would be easier to write if I could use my own name.  To make this a bit easier, I will use my pseudonym, so please forgive me for using Sita as my personal/real name.  I do it only for the convenience of this post, not from arrogance.]  Never again will my soul be Sita.  As Sita, I will only live this one life.  My soul, however, has lived as Judy, or Gwen, or Amy, and will live again as Sasha or Amanda or Skylar.  But Sita is one life that will not be repeated and cannot be changed once passed.  The chances of my soul living another life with the name Sita, in the exact same circumstances, with the exact same choices, is really very low.  Not impossible, but so small as to be almost impossible.

I hope that made sense.  Because of this, I personally don’t find the two ideas completely incompatible.  You can incorporate the two with a little creativity.  So when someone says that there is only this one life, I end up agreeing, because I will not have this particular life again.  My soul will have another life, but I as this person right now will not.