Do you make your own magical crafts?
Photo by OakleyOriginals
Lately I’ve been getting a slew of crafting books and proposals. Slated for publication in 2011, I’m currently working on books on crafting your own magical candles (winter release), your own wands (summer release), and lots of other fun projects for magical home décor and beauty (fall release). Plus, there are more proposals on their way for 2012…a book on making your own ritual tools, a book on making your own incense, and more. It looks like we’ll have a very nice selection of new magical crafting books for you in the upcoming years. (I’ll keep you posted as they come out!) If you’re itching to get started, there is a nice section on easy, inexpensive crafts in Witchcraft on a Shoestring by Deborah Blake, coming out this fall, or check out the tried and true Spell Crafts by Cunningham and Harrington.
Photo by ~Brenda-Starr~
Some magical orders require the student or initiate to make their own magical tools, but I’m a solitary, so I was never required to do so. So while I’ve certainly made my own incense blends, bath potions, sachets, charms and that kind of thing, I must confess I’ve never tried my hand at the harder projects. You know, the ones that require manual dexterity and actual tools!
How about you? Have you ever made your own wand? Or your own athame? Did you sew your own robes? Do you have a pentacle on your altar that you created out of pottery, wood or clay? A hand-thrown chalice? Your own set of tarot cards? Or do you use other craft techniques to make magical objects, such as knitting, painting, scrapbooking, mosaics, weaving, papier-mâché, brewing, screen printing, jewelry making, baking, canning? How do you express yourself magically through these mediums? How did they turn out, what did you learn, and do they work better than store-bought items? Please share your experiences with us!
(Note: photos are for blog bling only. They do not represent the actual books Llewellyn will be publishing, or the authors’ work.)
Making something with your own hands personalizes it and usualy is an enjoyable process. I like to chochet drawstring bags for my Tarot cards and miniature bags 1″ lenght as spell bags. Long time ago I made my own runes, wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world. I cut a wooden meter ruler into squares, polished it and painted the runes with a marker. My curent idea fiw is to make my onw bath bombs with a magickas purpose like for romance, money, health, cleansing, intuition. Till now I fail miserably.
i’ve made my own wands and some incense. i’ve also done some embroidery on handkerchiefs for the sabbats. my next project is the besom for my handfasting.
I’ve been wanting to try my hand at candles, oils, bath blends and salts, and things like that. Thus far, I’ve made some tarot bags (drawstring crocheted) and some “mini mojo” bags, as well as some incenses for my own work. I’ve made other things, Pagan-centered, as gifts for friends, like crocheted bookmarks and boxes. I’m working on some other things for the future as well, such as headwear, altar cloths, etc. My favorite project, though, would have to be the plushie star goddess I crocheted.
I have a few handcrafted items on my altar as well, not made by me. My favorite, thus far, being my altar pentagram, made of solid wood and hand-drawn and burned design. It was made for me by my coven-sister. I also have a small box that was painted and given to me by my high priestess.
I love making, receiving and using hand-made tools!
I have made my own wands for a long time. Recently I’ve been inspired to start my own business making wands, staves, and other woodcrafted items. I’ve always felt that something hand made with genuine materials is 100% better than store bought product made with unnatural or substandard materials. It brings you closer to the Lady in alot of ways as well. I craft my wands at my altar and it’s more of a meditative experience than a work one. BB
In the past I have made my own wooden Pentacle and more recently made my own wand. I also make magickal jewelry.
I remember years ago reading something that said that a tool you made was far more powerful than one you bought. While I don’t quite agree with that, I have to admit that the act of making something allows you to become aware of its particular energies in a deep way that you might never achieve with a bought item. You can also weave intent and power into its creation too. The best pagan crafters out there do so with everything they make for sale and it shows in the glowing reviews they recieve.
While I craft a lot, it’s only recently that I have developed enough pride in my workmanship to sell what I make – mainly jewellery, with a few items of clay or glass as well. But in my personal life I craft as much as possible – sewing and embroidery, pyrography, engraving, weaving, knitting and crochet… the list is endless. And yet, my wand was made by a crafter in Scotland who specialises in wands. Despite having made several over the years, I ended up giving them all away within a year to others who worked with them better, but my Gemini Aspect wand has always stayed true to me.
Some pagans I know never craft. Others never buy. Most find a happy middle ground. And that means that we can have the joy of making our own as well as appreciating the efforts of others. Isn’t that wonderful? 🙂
-Elariel
Nothing for myself, but I bound my sister’s book of shadows and knapped her athame from black glass with an apricot handle. She wouldn’t put the knife down for over an hour because it tickled when she touched it…Hand-crafting anything, whether for yourself or for others, imbues the item with your care, your love—in a real sense your blood, sweat, and tears. This enhances the feel of and your connection to these tools that nothing mass produced can match.
I have made most of my ritual tools. Now I am trying to get into making my own candles. I have made my own incense blends, and made my own wand. I just love how it gives your personal touch on everything that you create.
My friend and i have made many candles and soap teas and bath salts and oils its great to pass the time with another solitar making the things u can use all year and gives us some time to just stop and enjoy the crafty side of the craft
I make my own at home spa treatments. Did you ever receive the printout I mailed to you after Convocation? It contained all the recipes I talked about during the workshop. If you have not received it let me know and I will print them off again and snail mail to you or email your choice. (I snail mailed them last time.)
I also make my own culinary vinegars and tinctures as well. Nothing like combining the mundane with the magical!
i originally trained as an aromatherapist and continue to use essential oils for all manner of things both magical and mundane! Something I love making are strings of scented meditation beads – you can either use simple wooden beads, make some out of papier mache or even use dried, rolled rose petals. You then infuse them with your essential oil(s) by sealing them tightly in a box or bag along with a cotton ball soaked in your chosen oil. I tend to use sandalwood, frankincense or rose for meditation but you can choose an oil (or blend) to match your meditational ‘goal’ i.e for focus use rosemary; for memory use sage; to invoke calm use vetivert or clary sage.
Voila! It makes your meditation or pathworking a very sensual and pleasant experience.