For the Neophytes reading, here's a basic primer as I learned it. The four tools of the magician are: the Sword, the Wand, the Chalice and the Paten (a small plate used for offerings).
These items align with the four elements of the world. Swords = Air, Wands = Fire, Chalices = Water, Patens = Earth. You can use that as a starting point - go find a book and learn the rest of the correspondences - that's not what this post is about.
These tools are meant to align you with the energies and power of the elements they represent. For example, a Sword is the power of Air. Air is thinking, communicating, engaging in verbal exchanges. Wands are the power of Fire. Fire represents excitement, animation, uplifting and engaging acts of creativity and inspiration. Chalices are the power of Water, so intuition, psychic abilities, mental stimulation, dreamwork and visualization all fall under this category. And finally, Patens are the energy of Earth. Use them to grounding yourself, center and balance your body; it also means stabilization, solidity, solidarity.
A sword is not a device to communicate - unless you want someone to really pay attention. But our language belies our meaning - "He has a rapier wit..."; "Life is a two edged sword"; "My mind is as sharp as a sword..". Get it? When you hold a sword in hand during a magical rite, you call all the powers of your mind into play.
A chalice is not intuitive. But filled with water and used for scrying it becomes a fulcrum for your mind; beset between today, tomorrow and the past. And again, language gives us the inner meaning - "My heart was filled to overflowing..." "My cup runneth over.." All those sayings that link to emotions are embedded within the symbology of the chalice. Think about the stories of the Holy Grail and you'll get the bigger picture.
Those are just two examples. So first off, all magical tools are just focus points for power you carry within yourself. Your wand is an extension of your body of light; your chalice is an extension of your heart; your paten is the place you stand in the world; your sword is an extension of your willpower. I said in the previous post, it all extends from yourself. The greatest magicians use only a couple of tools to help power themselves, and those are really simple foci to bring it into mainfestation.
Think about this for a moment. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? I am not talking about how you adorn yourself in ritual. I am asking what do you reach for time and again? A ring? A necklace or pendant? That object, whatever it may be, is the most powerful piece of magical equipment you own.
Why? Because its you. It says something about you to yourself. That piece may be an expensive item -- or it can be a CrackerJack box ring. It doesn't matter. What matters is how you FEEL about it when you wear it. That connection is what makes it special. And making it special makes it powerful. But it all begins with YOU.
Gather all the fancy adornments you can afford. Build a huge temple and stuff it full of things. In the end, the only real power a Magician owns is what s/he carries inside. And that's the really important stuff. Everything else is an exterior sign of an inner blessings.
Or in other words, Naked Magic. Tomorrow we'll talk a little about evocation and it's efficacy.
3 comments:
This is sounding like what I say sometimes :) ok Alot of times :)
I do love your voice & what's behind it. I might not agree with all that you say.... I have to test it myself. Even after that, I might hold absolute statements lightly. I mostly do...whatever-this-thing-is.... on the fly. If I'm not in a dream, that means I have a small piece of meteorite in my pocket (functions as a ritual dagger) and my small ancient dorjie (functions as a wand). That's all. And.... I love spirit art. Like it, me... Mambo, I love your voice. Wanna hear more!
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