When you start practicing witchcraft, you may hear that you need to buy every tool out there. That’s not always true, as there are many times you could improvise with what you have on hand. There are also many symbols in your surroundings which you use daily that you can involve in your practice. However, it is important to know what you can use and how.
Basic shapes
Let’s start with the basic shapes you can always have access to. Or you could just draw them anywhere, even in air to invoke their power whenever you need to.
Circle
No beginning nor end, circles represent eternity. It's a sign associated with creation and destruction. Ouroboros, depicted as a circle, is a well known creature from the Western mythology. This snake holds her own tail, eating it while she keeps growing. If you need your rituals to remain in time, draw a circle anticlockwise. Now, if there’s a spell to undo, you would draw it clockwise to release the energies.
Circles also represent binding. That’s why rings are usually for promises and engagement. You could draw a circle around a written promise to make sure someone follows their own vow. If you want someone to keep their promise, then you would want to involve rings or chains.
Circles also depict cycles and fluctuation. When feeling stuck, drawing circles would help you untangle all your thoughts. Therefore, it is helpful to integrate circles during active meditation sessions. If you need to cast a spell to free yourself from someone or something, you could draw a continuous loop as chanting a simple incantation as:
The chains which hold me back would crack // I set free my thoughts and mind // My will would grow strong // I’m free and untied.
Triangle
Triangle’s shape is the base shape for the Triquetra and Triskel. Both of these symbols come from celtic culture and are used to represent balance and fluctuation. You may recognize the Triquetra sign as it's widely used in modern culture. It represents human foundation according to Celtic culture: body, mind and spirit. Otherwise, the Triskel is also a known symbol from Celtic culture. It represents expansion because it depicts three spirals growing from a single point.
Triangles are also linked to the number three. In numerology, this is the number associated with communication, partnership and creativity. You could carry any triangle based shape to work. And it’s well known in magic to represent the Holy Triad. So you could use it to represent some well known triads such as:
Odin (knowledge and wisdom), Frey (healing and prosperity) and Thor (strength). Which are the most known deities.
Osiris, Isis and Horus. These are Egyptian deities that happen to be father, mother and son.
Zeus, Athena and Apollo. Most known to represent strength, justice/strategy, and culture.
This shape is also related to balance and harmony. The way energy mingles in triangles makes it great for rituals. You can use a triangular shape to set up your candles and place a piece of paper with your incantation written on it inside the triangle. This is frequently used when you are planning a complex ritual. Triangles symbolize terrestrial and divine forces coming together. You could use it when in need to call for deities to intercede for you.
Pentagon
The pentagram –five point star image– takes its structure from the pentagon. Pentagrams are the most popular sign in witchcraft as it has many applications. The most common symbol in witchcraft is the pentagram. It holds the four elements in nature (Earth, Air, Water and Fire) and the fifth element, Spirit, also known as Light. Many witches use pentagrams to enhance their rituals with elemental forces. A pentagram is useful in a ton of situations, which we’ll explain in a future article.
The pentagram is a very strong sign for some people, and may even be taken as an evil sign. Remember it’s important not to expose yourself when you’re in a potentially dangerous social environment. Whether you don't feel comfortable enough, or need to improvise a spell, a pentagon would replace the pentagram.
This might look as a complex sign to use because it’s hard to find in your daily life. Yet, don’t forget that you can draw it. It doesn't really matter if it looks lopsided or if it isn’t the tidiest Pentagram in the world, it would work anyways. As long as you can trace it, you would be able to make use of it.
Essential Witchcraft Tools
There are some common tools you usually should have access to. It’s important to take a good look at their meaning, and include them in your daily practice. Some of them can hold a strong message you could interpret if you happen to bump into them. They could be a sign from your spirit guides.
On top of that, these are all totally free! Sometimes you may feel like you want the best, brightest, newest tools but that may not be the case. Nevertheless, you can get yourself a good looking tool without spending much.
Feathers
In elemental magic, feathers are related to air. You can use them to call for inspiration, creativity and to enhance daily meditations. There are no restrictions when it comes to which feathers you can use. For witches who are living in a city, pigeons' feathers are a great treasure. However, take advantage if you ever go on a field trip to pick up a great variety of them. Always be aware when picking things from nature to be respectful and not to hurt nature. Back to feathers. The ones which belong to specific birds might help to strengthen your intentions. For example, you could use Crows’ feathers for wisdom related spells. You could use Eagles’ feathers for protection spells. And Swans’ feathers are a great ingredient for beauty spells.
Has a feather ever fallen on your palm or into your apartment near your altar? Well, feathers are also associated with angels and bear a strong message from them. Just from the feather color you could get a hint about which angel is trying to reach you. Some correspondences for angels and nuances are:
Metatron, the one who protects children. It’s associated with clear thoughts and strategy. The color associated with them is a brownish-red.
Raphael, who is called when in need of healing. Whether you are in physical, mental or emotional pain, call on this angel for assistance. You can use any blue, turquoise or orange feathers.
Gabriel is a high-ranked angel, and Gabriel is known as one who carries messages. It’s great when you need to rely on your communication skills. Gabriel’s tones are white and yellow.
Coins
Coins are related to earth magic. They’re a powerful charm used in many wealth spells. You could always have some coins in any of your pockets to attract money. There are many other usages for coins such as grounding and protection spells. You can even use them as a beauty charm.
If you ever find yourself in the company of these troublesome creatures, place some coins as a peace offering. This must not be taken as a gift to the Fae, so please say out loud your intention when leaving the coins. However, as coins are also a great offering for Charon, you could place them on your passing rituals.
Which shapes are you drawn to? Which shape or symbol do you use when casting a spell? Tell us about them in the comments.
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