This will be a brief overview and description of the most common tools used in Craft rituals, and you may want to collect at least some of these tools for your own practice. It is not, however, necessary to have any or all of these tools. If you choose to collect tools for your practice, it is necessary to charge them with your own power and attune them to your own energy before use.

        When choosing your own magickal tools, choose the ones that appeal to your senses and which you can comfortably afford. The best tools are those which you find or that "come to you" or, when possible, you create yourself (such as a wand, pentacle, aspurger or broom).

        This is important to remember: Tools are accessories, not necessities. Tools have no powers except that which we lend them through working with them and "charging" them. They are simply help-mates. Craft practitioners realize that magick comes from within, not from any tool. Tools do, however, makes things easier at times as they give your conscious mind something solid on which to focus your will and attention, freeing up your intuitive nature.

Tools generally fall into two categories:
feminine/Goddess-related and masculine/God-related. The cup, the pentacle, bell, and crystal sphere are considered feminine and are usually placed on the left side of the altar, while the wand, athame (magick knife) and white-handled knife are considered masculine and are placed on the right side of the altar. Both the broom and cauldron are feminine emblems and they are usually placed to the left of the altar.

Aspurger:

A stem or bundle of herbs used to sprinkle purifying water around the circle. Ideally, the herb used is significant to the rite or ceremony which you are performing.

Athame:

A traditionally black-handled, two-edged knife or sword which represents the two-edged nature of power and the balance we must maintain to wield magick for the greatest good. The athame can help direct power from the practitioner outward toward its goal. Some practitioners use their athame to harvest herbs for use in rituals, while others keep it separate for purely ceremonial use and use the white-handled blade for gathering herbs, etc., for magickal use. the choice is yours as to which you prefer to do.

Bell:

The bell is a ritual instrument of incredible antiquity. Ringing it unleashes vibrations which have powerful effects according to its volume, tone and material of construction. It is often used to invoke the Goddess and to ward off evil spirits. Some practitioners ring the bell to signal the beginning and ending of a spell.

Broom:

Used to sweep away negativity and to clear the sacred space. It should be round rather than flat. If you wish to make your own magick broom, an Ash staff, birch twigs and a willow binding are traditional. However, any branch from any tree or bush may be used in place of a broom. A tiny broom of pine needles may also be used for this purpose. Be creative and feel free to use whatever works for you.

Cauldron:

Fairly self-evident. A cauldron is a three-legged vessel, traditionally cast-iron, which is used for cooking and brew making. It is the container in which magickal transformations occur. Its three legs symbolize the three aspects of the Goddess: Maiden , Mother, and Crone, as well as the corresponding male aspects of Son, Father and Grandfather. It can also be used as an instrument for scrying when filled with water.

Censor:

This is basically just an incense burner which can be either elaborate or basic, depending on your needs and finances. It can either be attached to a chain for aspurging the sacred space (available in religious supply stores) or it can be as simple as a bowl of sand in which you place a self-igniting charcoal disc on which to burn your incense. My own incense burner is a marble ashtray my husband brought home from Mexico.

Cup:

Simply speaking, a small cauldron on a stem. Ceremonial beverages may be sipped from it, or libations to the Earth and the Divine may be poured from it onto the ground. It can be made of almost any substance: silver, brass, gold, earthenware, soapstone, alabaster, crystal, or glass.

Crystal Sphere:

This is the classic crystal ball used for divination or collecting and storing energy. It is also often used to represent the Goddess on the left side of the altar. It can be as small as a golf ball or as large as a cantaloupe, depending on how much money you wish to invest. It should be made of genuine quartz crystal.

Pentacle:

The five-pointed star. It is usually round and flat, made from brass, gold, silver, wood, wax or clay, and sometimes inscribed with certain symbols such as runes or other signs. Sometimes amulets, charms, or other objects are placed upon it to be ritually consecrated. It is an instrument of protection and a tool used to evoke spirits.

Smudge Stick:

A bundle of herbs, usually sage or cedar, which is burned and used to purify sacred space in place of a censor. For safety's sake, you should have a bowl of water handy with which to douse the burning herbs when you are finished. They can be obtained from Native American or New Age supply stores. If you wish to make your own, cut 6 to 8 inch long strands of sage or cedar and bind them tightly together at one end, then crisscross thread down the entire length of the bundle, tying a knot at each cross section to keep the gathering very dense. Hang this on the wall between uses to keep it dry.

Wand:

Can be used to direct energy in place of the athame. It is an instrument of invocation. It is also used to draw magickal symbols on the ground or in the air, or for casting and releasing a magick circle. Traditionally wands were made from willow, elder, oak, apple, peach, hazel, and cherry wood, but any straight piece of wood may be used to create a wand. Some practitioners believe the wand should be the length from the crook of your arm to the tip of your forefinger, but it's not necessary to be that precise. Even a dowel purchased from a hardware store will suffice. The best way to obtain a wand, however, is to make it from a fallen tree branch. You can attach crystals in the knots of the branch to bind their energies into the wood or attaching a crystal point to the tip of the branch to direct power. You can even carve symbols on it if you wish. It can be as plain or as elaborate as you choose.

White-Handled Knife:

Sometimes called a bolline, this is a practitioner's working, practical knife. It is two-edged just like the athame, but its handle is traditionally white as opposed to the black-handled ceremonial knife. It is used for cutting wands, gathering herbs, inscribing symbols onto candles or wood, clay or wax, and in cutting cords for use in magick.