As with most religions, Wiccans use certain objects for ritual purposes. These tools invoke Deities, banish negativity, and direct energy through our touch and intention. Some of these tools have gained firm places in contemporary myth, such as the broom, cauldron, and magic wand. To practice Wicca, you may want to collect at least a couple of these tools. However, they are not necessary. The tools have no powers except those which we lend to them.

Witches use brooms in magick and ritual. It is a tool sacred to both the Goddess and the God. This is nothing new; pre-Columbian Mexico saw the worship of a type of Witch deity, Tlazelteotl, who was pictured riding naked on a broom. Then, too because of it's phallic shape, the broom became a powerful tool against curses and the practitioners of evil magick.

The broom is used in Wicca today to purify an area before a ritual, to clear out all the astral buildup that collects where humans live, making the space pure and sacred, assuring a smoother ritual. Since it purifies, it is connected to the element of Water. A broom is often used in all types of water spells.

If you wish to make your magic broom, you might try the old magickal formula of an ash staff, birch twigs, and a willow binding. The ash is protective, the birch purifying, and the willow is sacred to the Goddess. Of course, a branch from any tree or bush can be used in place of the broom. While cutting the branch, always remember to thank the tree for its sacrifice. A tiny broom of pine needles can also be used.

The broom is a purifying and protecting tool, used to ritually cleanse the area for magick or to guard a home by laying it across the threshold, under the bed, in windowsills and doors.

The wand is one of the prime magickal tools. People have been using it for thousand years in religious and magickal rites. It is a tool of invocation, as the Goddess and the God may be called with a few words and an uplifted wand. It is sometimes used to direct energy, to draw magickal symbols, or a circle on the ground. It is connected to the element of Air, and is sacred to the Gods. There are some traditional woods used to make wands, which include willow, elder, oak, apple, peach, hazel, cherry, and so on. Some Wiccans say it must be cut the length from the crook of your elbow, to the tip of your forefinger, but it can be any length. Any fairly straight piece of wood should do. Even dowels from the hardware store will work, I've seen some really beautifully decorated wands from these. However, any stick you use will be infused with your energy and power, so it isn't really important what your wand is made of, only that you feel comfortable using it.

The censer is an incense burner. It can be a complex, swinging metal censer like in the Catholic church, or a simple seashell. The censer holds the smoldering incense during Wiccan rites. If you cannot find a suitable censer, make one. Any bowl half filled with sand or salt will do. The salt or sand will absorb the heat and keep the bowl from cracking.

Incense use in ritual magick is an art in itself. If it doesn't say what kind of incense to use, use whatever blend you want. You can use stick, cone, or block incense, but most Wiccan use raw or granulated incense, which must be burned on self-igniting charcoal briquettes. But any is fine. Wiccan rituals performed indoors isn't complete without incense. Outdoors a fire usually replaces the incense, or you can use stick incense pushed into the ground. The censer often represents the element of Air.

The cauldron is the Witch's tool par excellence. It is an ancient vessel of cooking and brew making, steeped in magickal tradition and mystery. The cauldron is the container in which magickal transformations occur. The Wicca see the cauldron as a symbol of the Goddess, the manifested essence of fertility and femininity. It is also connected to the element of Water. Celtic legends concerning Cerridwen's cauldron have had a strong impact on contemporary Wicca. Cauldrons are often hard to find, but worth getting. Persevere and one will materialize. It also couldn't hurt to ask the Goddess and the God to send one your way.

The athame has an ancient history. It isn't used to cut, but to direct the energy raised during rites and spells. It is seldom used to invoke or call upon the Deities because it is a tool of commanding and power manipulation. The knife is often dull, usually double-bladed with a black or dark handle. Black absorbs power. When the knife is used in ritual to direct energy, some of this power is absorbed into the handle to be called upon later. Some Wiccans use swords, but they are often big and cumbersome, especially for indoor rites. Because of the symbolism of the knife, which is a tool that causes change, it is commonly linked with the element of Fire. Its phallic nature links it with the God.

The white-handled knife, sometmes called a bolline, is simply a practical, working knife as opposed to the purely ritualistic magick knife. It is used to cut herbs, and inscribe candles, and cutting cords, etc. It is usually white-handled so as not to be confused with the athame.

The cup is simply a cauldron on a stem. It symbolizes the Goddess and is connected to the element of Water. It is often used to hold water which is ususally present on the altar. It can be made out of nearly anything.

The pentacle is usually a flat object that is insribed with certain symbols. The most common is the pentagram. The pentacle is often a tool of protection. In Wicca, the pentacle represents the element Earth, and is a convenient tool upon which to place amulets, charms, or other object to be ritually consecrated. It is sometimes used to summon the Gods and Goddesses.

The Book of Shadows is a Wiccan workbook containing invocations, ritual patterns, spells, runes, rules governing magick, and so on. In today's society, many Wiccans have computerized their Book of Shadows, and as some have called it, "The Floppy Disk of Shadows." To make your own, begin with any blank book. Basically any book that you feel comfortable with will do. Then simply write any spells, rituals, invocations, and magickal information that you have found or written yourself, that you feel you would like to preserve.

Remember - all Books of Shadows are suggestions as to ritual, not "holy writ." Never feel tied down to these words. In fact, many Witches use three-ring binders, shuffling around pages, adding or subtracting information from their Book of Shadows as needed. It is also a good idea to write things in by hand. This ensures that you've read the work completely, it also allows you easier reading by candlelight. But you can type them if needed. Ideally, all rites are memorized, or made up spontaneouesly, but if would read your rites, be sure your copies are legible by flickering firelight.

These are some of the tools used in Wiccan ritual. Working with them, familiarizing yourself with their powers, and infusing them with your own energy, you may find their use second nature. Gathering them is tough, but this can be seen as a test of how serious are you about studying Wicca.