Tools of a Pagan

So what are some of the tools a pagan uses? There are heaps. Different people think of them to represent different thing - e.g. some assosiate the wand with air, others with water.

This is an altar. It's where we perform pagan worship. You can often find wands, candles, athames, chalices, incense, book of shadows, effigies, bells, and gems here.
The altar can be anything from a bedside table to a table. It is treated with respect and care. It is a sacred thing, not to be messed with.

Effigies are just two small statues that sit on your altar. One of the God, one of the Goddess. They are symbolic and represent higher beings.
They can be big or small, it doens't much matter.

The B.O.S. (Book of Shadows) is a book where you record rituals you have done and their result, rituals you want to perform, any notes you want to take, store information on beliefs, ect.
You generally don't share this with anyone; it is private and personal. Unless it is a coven B.O.S., that is open for the whole coven.

A chalice is a special cup used for holding cerimonial drink. It is a feminin tool, and represents the element water.
It's normally a tall, odd wine glass style. Many are engraved with designs, where as others are just an actual wine glass.

The wand is mostly a symbolic tool, used to direct energy. It is a representative of the element air. It can be made from many different woods. It might be one you bought online, or a stick you picked up on a bush walk. The different woods represent different things - e.g. a willow wand is for dreaming, deep emotions, and intuition; where as an oak wand represents strength, stamina and wisdom.


Athame. Associated with fire and used for circles, it is a masculine tool.
An athame is traditionally a black handled cerimonial double edged dagger, however this is not neccisary. The handle could be wood, or the blade could be one sided.
The pronounciation is often confused. Many say "a-thame"(like 'fame'), however it is actually "ath-a-may." It is not used for cutting physical objects and is sometimes replaced with a sword.

Alright, this is where we normally lose people. This is called a besom - not a broom stick - and we do NOT 'fly' on them. This tool is used for cleansing (not cleaning, cleanSing) - e.g. sweep out a space before casting a circle. It's not for sweeping dust however, it's for sweeping away negative energies and the sort.

Another badly imaged tool, the cauldron. It's NOT for boiling up sacrifices or little kids, okay, so stop right there.
This is used in different ways for differnt pagans. Some use it for cooking actual meals, others use it for burning the yule log.
It is of the Goddess, and represents the womb.

The bell is often used to signify the completion of a ritual or to attract spirits.
An actual bell is not actually neccissary though, it is the sound a bell makes that calls it to use.

The Boline. Traditionaly a white handled knife, its used for cutting food. It is also used for carving sigils into candles or shaping your wand.
Many confuse it with the Athame, but they should be two seperate things.

Many think it is neccissary to have a special robe worn only during rituals - if you're not 'skyclad' (naked) -, this is so you're not wearing something that has obsorbed negative energies that come from worry and stress in our day to day lives.
Others, don't find it so important, and then there are those who perform rituals skyclad.
Either way is fine, it's about what suits you.


Incense can serve many purposes. For some, it helps them meditate, for others, it's an offering. Different fragrances have different meaning, for example, frankincense is used for cleansing.
Incense represents the element air, and is generally connected with the censer.

I would say that candles, are probably the most significant tool. They serves almost every purpose and are a huge part of spells. They can represent the Gods, or they can be a symbol of love, or they could just be lighting. They are of fire and are a masculine tool.


D.R.