St Elijah the Thunderous

St Elijah is the Old Testament Bible prophet and Saint , whose name , when translated is indicative of his strong faith in One True Lord/God, God of Abraham and Israelites. He was born in city Thisbe, hence sometime  called St. Ejijah Thisbite, and he had lived in Syria 850 years BC .

St Elijah, shown being
fed by Ravens

He had lived in time of reign of king Ahab and his dominant, evil  worshiping/er wife Jezebel, and was the one to  deliver a message  to king Ahab about  his wicked ways and the consequence they will have upon his people and lands. He had warn them that for the three and a half years, their lands  shall be arid, that the “Heavens will close”  and  no rain drop, nor even dewdrop shall be present on their grounds. And it had been so, the trees and plants were scorched and dry, and they  starve d.  He then, led by    Divine providence went to reside  at  brook Cherith nearside Jordan, where he had been fed by ravens, miraculously, and had drunk  from the brook . Once the brook dried up , due to the dry weather.

Here is how the good book describes these events (1Ki 17:1 ): 

“Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe^[a] in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”

² Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: ³ “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. ⁴ You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”

 ⁵so he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. ⁶ The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.” [1]

God sent him certain widow of Zarephath, who  brought him meals and drinks, and fed him. In gratitude he miraculously replenished meat and oil in her store, and had resurrected her deceased son. He had then , with help of one of the solider of king Ahab, requested king’s acquaintance, and Ahab had  arrived at Elijah’s residing place, referring to him as “ troubler of Israel” , and they agreed to  organize a public sacrificing, in order to demonstrate what faith is true, Elijah’s or Ahab’s.  King’s priests  had officered  sacrifices to their profane deities, including the demonic Baal that Jezebel worshiped, and Elijah offered the miracle to his Lord. Miraculously, as soon as Elijah had finished his praying, the thunder , in form of radiant blue fire  descended from the Heaven and enveloped the sacrifice of Elijah, proving therefore that his faith was the  true way. 

“Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench” [2]

He was forced to fled into wilderness, due to Jezebel’s threatening she would make sure to take his life. He slept in cave and was miraculously fed by Lord’s Angel by cake and water.  On his way to Horeb he took residence at cave where G’d in his mercy, spoke to him, giving him insight in questions he asked the Lord.

About six years afterwards he warns Ahab and Jezebel of their violent deaths, and how Jezebel would be eaten by dogs, and he had also warned his successor   Ahaziah that he will die  due to illness, and all those prophecies came to be.

As the time of his departure drew closer, Elijah had went to  Gilgals, to visit his anointed prophet successor Elisha, who refused to be parted from his teacher and went alongside Elijah. Witnessing wondrous miracle of ascendance of St Elijah into Heaven  in a fiery chariot, he  requested a double partition  of his teachers spirit.  Ascending into Heavens, St Elijah said  that his request will be granted and his mantle, falling from chariots felt into Elisha’s hand, thus being symbolically indicative of such.

“You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

¹¹ As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. “ [3]

The “cult” of St. Elijah in folk magick

Throughout the Europe, St Elijah had been  identified with  all sort of spirits, despite the fact that he had  been a living person at certain point, like with Helios (???)  in Central Europe for example .In Russia and Eastern Europe, St Elijah is  highly venerated as folk saint, and often referred as “Thunderous” or “Thunderer” , due to belief  that he posses power over thunders, lightning and storms. On his feast day 20^th of July ( according to Julian calendar, celebrated to 2^nd of Auust according to Gregorian calendar, in Eastern Orthodox churches communities ) , and on this day folk people will not saw, harvest or do any sort  of field , or cattle work, due to the fear that this fiery Saint shall punish them and destroy their harvests , and lands.

In some remote parts of Balkan peninsula animal sacrifices are even today offered to this Saint, to “appease” him, associated either with agricultural goals ( in which case, the sacrifice, usually pig, is eaten by community, using bare hands to rip the  meat off the bones :S ) or health of the specific family member ( in which case the animal would be leaft to rot naturally outdoors and be eaten by scavengers ), so we can see how the first type of sacrificing, is more  a community ritual, whereas the latter is more a inside-family ritual.

Folk people in Europe, gladly  transfer orally legend of how St. Elijah was born, indicating how he is fiery and Thunderous. They say  how his Father saw Elijah as baby being surrounded by Angels that fed him with fire.  In Hungary they have even more weird legends about St Elijah. Some ethnologists think how he was ( in a way ) syncretized with Perun,  the Thunderous chief deity of Slavic pantheon , or more likely simply took it’s place in folk magickal traditions of Russia and Eastern Europe. In association with this is the belief explained bellow in text.

Folk people of Balkan petition Elijah against Ale ( demonic chthonic spirits, plural of “Ala”, they bring the bad weather ) and believe that he banishes them away and whirls  lightning at them, much like Slavic deity was believed to  Perun once had. Eastern Europeans believe that Ale are so nasty and devouring, that If it was not for St Elijah  and some other Saints and few spirits that fight them, they’d eat the Moon itself. Which according to folk belief would draw to Sun  fading from sorrow for his mate. Luckily St Elijah can get Ale , even If they hide in hollow trees.

If the thunders are heard on his feast day folk people of Eastern Europe have a habit to say: “That’s Elijah , drivin’ in his fiery chariot, across the sky, throwing ‘em devils down, whit lightning”  Indeed, folk people also believe that he vanquishes demons and evil spirits , with lightning, and furthermore that lightning - struck  places created on his feast days are indicative of where the demons stood , doing their mischief on this day. In connection to that is the ritual of collection of St Elijah’s  water, described latter in the text.

Cunning folk, and  folk likewise, in Eastern Europe had known  to invoke and petition Elijah  for many other things as well, such as to bring rain, or justice even. I remember reading a story of an old lady , when I was a little kid, in local newspaper. Her son was killed by neighbor and buried  somewhere on their land, but no one had believed her and the neighbor had mocked her, telling her how she would never encounter the body of her child, also being the key evidence of  this neighbors guilt. The old lady then, devastated, cried to St Elijah , “not to allow that the earth devours the evil secret" and asked   for justice. As the article then said, the skies opened on old lady’s cries and  a terrible storm started all of a sudden,   a storm that was not forecasted nor expected ( was a very dry , long summer ) and the rain started falling so intensively , followed with  an terrifying thunderstorm. In the morning, the body of the old lady’s son was found in mud , on the neighbors land, from which a great amount of soil was washed away by the rain. The justice was done.

Suggestions for  Hoodoo style working with St. Elijah

Ah, dang it, another one not on the list :S ( there are Saint’s we “do not work” with in Hoodoo because they are not on the “lists” of commonly petitioned  Saints in Hoodoo ) and If You want to know what I meant by that, I’ve addressed this issue in one of my previous posts, so to evade sounding like a broken record, perhaps You can read my article on St.Cosma and Damian

Colors we may associate with St Elijah are colors of Thunder and fire, therefore red and electric blue, latter in my humble opinion being somewhat finer , both corresponding to colors of the clothes and mantle he is usually wearing on religious depictions of this saint. He is said to be patron  Saint of sleep and sometimes transportation, but we could address Elijah for justice and mastery over adverse conditions ( such as torments by evil spirits as well ).  As we said above, in folk tradition he is petitioned against bad weather. I see no reason why he could not be petitioned for such as well.His feast day is 20^th of July , even though of course he could  be petitioned at any time. He could be given thanks in form of lightning a candle from him, or offering him a piece of cake and glass of water ( as he had found such in desert, when an Angel in his  dream told him to wake up and eat )   or even by  donation to Churches dedicated to him. He is also considered to be  patron Saint of the St. Elijah Church, Aliquippa PA [4]

Here is my suggestion for composing   St. Elijah oil

·         Base oil , Olive oil would make good choice

      ·         Juniper berries or Juniper essential oil

      ·         Piece of Lightning struck wood

Preferably made on his Feast day,  or under stormy skies during summer. Optional  ingredient may be an Raven’s feather.

And another thing that could be  used in working with this Saint is St Elijah water, used in magick as demonifuge, and uncrossing agent , also for empowerment, banishment and mastery over adverse conditions. As a very good substitute use Lightning oil

St Elijah's tarditional, Greek Orthodox
Icon , depiction

 St Elijah (  the Thunderous ) water

Simply :

·         Rainwater collected in a vessel on  St Elijah feast day

Use as in florwashes, baths or as a sprinkle

Following Orthodox Christian hymn can be used in work with St Elijah, preceding or following, a heartfelt prayer :

“An angel in the flesh and the cornerstone of the prophets,

the second forerunner of the coming of Christ,

Glorious Elijah sent grace from on high to Elisha,

to dispel diseases and to cleanse lepers.

Therefore, he pours forth healings on those who honor him”[5]

  

Hope You find this informative and useful, many Blessings
Shadow  :D

NOTES: This article was written and composed by myself , therfore If You wish to use any part of it eslwhere on line, feel free but add  credits, Shadow of Shadows magick place,   or  Shadow-333@hotmail.com or a direct link to this post.
CREDITS AND REFERENCES:

[1] quoted from: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1Ki%2017:1-17:7&version=NIV

[2] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1Ki%2018:38&version=NIV
[3] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2Ki%202:10-11&version=NIV
[4] according to  http://stelijahserbianorthodoxchurchaliquippa.com/the%20holy%20prophet%20elijah.htm
[5]http://orthodoxwiki.org/Elijah
IMAGE CREDITS: The image depicting Prophet  Elijah siting on mountain stone is a traditional ,  orthodox Greek  Ikon, and comes from  www.wikipedia.com , and the other , showing Raven's feeding St Elijah is from www.St-Takla.org used here with no ill will, for illustrative and explanatory purposes only :)

 

Magick of Thunder and Lightning

Thunder and/or lightning is a fierce natural phenomenon, appearing as a result of electric discharge in/from   atmosphere.   But how can the lighting  , so dangerous and intangible to human, be used in magick? What does this powerful symbol stands for in occultism ?  This is so very neglected topic, unfortunately , which has led to plenty of misinformation and misconception among newcomers to world of occult and esotery.

The Bible says : “The LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground.” Exodus 9:23, which basically supports even primordial beliefs regarding this phenomenon. For humans,  it was always seen as an act of Divine will, before the scientific explanation of the same, and even after that,  for many. Even pagan deities, and usually that/those  who were  ruling pantheons had power to throw lightning on people and other beings, creatures, entities. In Christianity , lightning is a symbol of G’d will, power, anger and punishment, regardless of what some fanatics, conspiracy theory supporter, self proclaiming Christians ( of they can even be called that ) post over and over, piteously on the world wide web, claiming how anything with a lightning symbol must be employed by the fiend ( Dev*l ) in some way. The Bible speaks of befall of an Angel , like lightning, but  not being the lightning (Luk 10:18 ) , it’s simply a comparison, a metaphor describing swift and ferocious free fall , not identification of the two motives.

In occultism Thunder is of Fire element. According to some ( newer source s ) with a dash of air as well , no pun intended lol  It symbolizes  Divine interdiction, acceleration , ferocious power and magick and sorcery in general. As opposed to  common every day reaction of evading in wide perimeter  places struck by lightning ( which is btw, highly irrational ), spiritual workers and cunning folk always seen lightning struck places, objects as prominent sources of power,  that should be employed however possible, to tap onto ancient powers. Certain trees , such as Oak, when hit by lightning were considered to be picked by Higher authorities ( mostly by Tiranis in Celts ) as even more special among these “Holly” trees. Cunning folk   and folk magick practitioners have also had high respect for lightning struck wood, Oak in particular. It could have been that this belief was ( somehow ) imported in magick from Slavic pagan religions, for Perun, Slavic pantheon chief  deity, had been said to  rule over the thunder and Oak, among other things. Slavic people have seen Oak as sanctity, and is so even today in Slavic countries, where  often  protective inscriptions are  inscribed in Oak, even nowadays, though being that  now commonly Crosses  are  inscribed,  it is most likely a latter input , coming from  Christianization.

 Beliefs and folklore  about lightning

 African people believe how Thunder and Lighting can be conjured, pretty much as other elements, in terms of weather making magick, Sotho-Tswana people also   believe in a deity called Modimo[1]  that manifests ( among other means ) through thunder and lightning. Black people also say  that when Rain, Sun and Thunder ( so called Sunwash )  are present together De*il is beating his wife ( ??? ) and  also that one should never talk on phone or be near Tv when  there are Lightning about. [2]  

There is another deity among Africans, Umpundulo being  the lightning bird-god of the Bantu tribesmen in Africa. Even today their medicine men  will go out in storms  in order to bid the lightning to strike far away.

Also, The Navajo Indians hold that lightning has great power in their healing rituals. And they associate it with wind, rain, and good crop growing. [3]
In  New Orlans Voodoo Hoodoo system of magick , with these particular elements Loa Chango ( or Xango sometimes  ) is associated and he is believed to manipulates them , to an extent. They are therefore symbolic of raw , masculine  power and energy, among other.

St Barbara, a venerated  Christian Saint, is often called Patroness of Thunder and Lightning, and is Voodoo Hoodoo syncretism , her image is sometimes used   to represent Chango. I have written about St Barbara before

In Orthodox Christian church, another Saint, St Elijah the Prophet  has the epithet  or being “Thunderous” or “thunderer” , meaning one that brings thunder, and is said to ride the skies in  fiery chariot.  Eastern European orthodox Christians say that If it thunders on his feast day, there will be no figs , nor hazels that year, meaning the reaping of the same will be poor, or insignificant. I  heard this superstition repeated over and over , as I grew up, ever since child, my granny used to mention it a lot.  On few occasions I bothered to check  how much  merit is there to this belief, it had seemed  to be very accurately ominous indeed.

Herbs and Minerals  that call or repel lightning

Throughout centuries herbs and minerals were associated with Thunder and used accordingly to repel it or even attract it. Hawthorn, Birch, Wood Betony and particularly Houseleek were used to protect from Lightning and electric storms. Out of the listed Houseleek was considered to have most protective power, against electric storms and  lightning, furthermore when strategically deployed around the house,  usually in four corners of the house, or yard.  Pilot weed burned during electric storms is belived to avert lightning  [4 ]  Feverfew protects from acciednts involving electric energy, so the  Hoodoo herbalism says , and closely looking up on it, it makes much sense to believe it's protective against lightning strike as well.

On the Other hand, Obeah Wood, Ebony, Nut tree (  Jugulans sp. ) were considered to attract the lightning. Oak was also believed to attract   lightning  , and  was associated with all sort of “thunderous deities” ( Zeus, Perun etc. ) . Pieces of  lighting struck wood resonate with spiritual power, and have been used to conjure and invoke lightning and electric storms* ,  and also  in   weather magick. In Hoodoo, they are used to empower or honor Loa like Chango .

Fulgurite or "Lightning glass"

Fulgurite is a naturally occurring mineral formed when Lightning  strikes in sand beaches. The heat from the lightning fuses nearby sand particles together, in a form of glass-y material, which is often listed and sold under mineral s used in crystal-therapy , and magick.  Fulgorite is believed to  be great adjunct to power,

As well as powerful tool in fire magick and defensive magick.  Amber, which is , as we know, not really mineral, but fossilized resin, has natural tendency to create static electricity and is therefore  often associated with  protection from Lightning and manipulation of electric energies, in “psionic “ type energy  work. Crystals that have photoelectric effect  can also be used the same manner .

Catching the lightning’s or Thunder’s “ashe”

As with anything else, Lightning is believed to have it’s “ashe” in  Hoodoo, which can be rather useful in empowerment and defense against evil. Mojo bags can be created outdoors when   thunders cut the sky, and are kept  raised  toward s the skies, open,    to “catch” the energy, the “ashe” of the lighting. A suggestion made about how to make Fulgurite onself, has some very magical methodology behind it, incidentally or not, and is a nice form to catch Thunder's energy and "ashe"  , perhaps even literatily lol . If You'd like to try here's how to make Your own Fulgurite

Lightning oil

Oil and lightning both correspond to same element, fire. So I was thinking, and came up with this simple Lightning oil formulation :

·         Base oil
·         Piece of Lightning struck wood
·         Optional: Piece of Fulgurite, Amber or Lodestone
If possible, combine all in an open vessel during the thunderstorm and raise above head , so that the oil may absorb some  of the lightning energy.
Could be used in weather witchery, empowerment or defense against evil, to strike fear or banish evil spirits, casting them  away. Could also make great adjunct to Uncrossing rituals  and formulas. Maybe also as devotional l oil to “thunderous” deities ( such as St. Barbara, Chango,   St. Elijah the prophet etc )

Same could be made into mojo bag, minus the oil and plus Obeah wood , for example. Such could be used for empowerment, mastery over adverse conditions and weather spells*

A little bit of Langikappe :

I suggest this grea scrap from London times, If You wish to know more on folk magick protection against lightning

NOTES: This article was written and composed by myself , should You wish to use any part of it elswhere online, add credits, Shadow of Shadow's magick place, Shadow-333@hotmail.com or a direct link to this post. Oil formula is my own personal "invention" so You may only post it elswehere online with giving credits and if You make no profit out of such.
CREDITS AND REFRENCES :

[1] http://books.google.me/books?id=8rGpO_TzeCsC&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35&dq=african+beliefs+about+thunder+and+lightning&source=bl&ots=mmzoKhitkc&sig=3DWrp9MyQAa5F6bdHE2UK7DkPFg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=WvP8T96AOYfGtAal87TwBQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=african%20beliefs%20about%20thunder%20and%20lightning&f=false

[2] As mentioned on here http://community.essence.com/forum/topics/20-superstitions-black-people
[3] according to http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_info/myths.html
[4] According to Cunningham  Scott

*Why’d someone used weather spells and magick , or conjure thunderstorm ? Looking back on history of Persia, Egypt, Rome, Greece, and medieval Europe to destroy someone else’s lands or crops, or even harm people, like  opposing army forces , for example. Sometimes, practitioner may summon Lightning or Storms , as instructed by spirits, to  express their will    or attitude towards something. Mamzelle Leveaux was said to had once conjured up a thunderstorm , and that way  had interrupted that public execution that was believed to be unfair.

IMAGE CREDITS: The thunder image is from www.science.howstuffworks.com and is used here WITH NO ILL WILL, for illustrative purposes.  Same goes for fulgurite image that is from    www.nature.com and is used here for illustrative and explanatory purposes only

Wands and Staffs

Melin, with Staff,
artistic depiction

According to Sir Franz Bardon,  wand is one of the most efficient tools , ever present  among the serious magi. From where,  the magick wand, as spiritual tool originates ( or had originated ) , and when it came to be used as such,  is  very hard to tell.  As a physical tool, they are among the oldest tools that  humans as species had used,  at least in form of the staff. However , when and how it became used in spiritual work seems unclear. The wand  as spiritual tool , can be traced to proto-European times, apparently, however it’s more than likely that it was used in such fashion even earlier.

Bible speaks of Moses using his staff to perform miracles as instructed by the Lord Himself. Could be one of the reasons why Moses  is the “ultimate conjurer”   in the eyes of  Hoodoists.  Bible speaks of Mosses using  the wand to make water flow from rocks, turning it into a snake or dividing   sea. Agrippa  mentions those events in ,   a prayer given in his Three Books of occult philosophy, that  is used to consecrate/bless/empower the wand or staff.  We also see staffs used in some kind of  divination, when Mosses carries them in the Tabernacle  so he could get answer  on who shall be the High Priest. As a result he founds Aaron’s rod to have blossomed , thus indicated him as High Priest.

Characters in Hebrew, to be inscribed upon wand ,  as given in "Magus" by Francis Barret

Wands appear as symbol ( “color” ) in Tarot, scepters are symbols or Royal and Spiritual power, and even certain  pagan deities are depicted holding them,  Ra, Toth or even Hermes with his caduceus.  Sekhem-scepter was an ritual scepter in Ancient Egypt,  that stood for control, power and domination.

Magickal wand Is a sophisticated an d powerful  commanding tool for a practitioner, not merely a “channeling extension equivalent to  index finger” as nowadays usually referred to, on large/er online occult web  communities.  Other than simply being a conductor of energy, wand can even change the nature  of very energy being manipulated, draw energies from outer source ( not only  from practitioner themselves ) , repel energy, control and strike fear into various entities, and enable more precise manipulation and direction of energy.  So no,  index finger can not really do exactly the same :S   . The wand is under the reign of the Fire element, and is therefore fiery , dominant and  strong,  and can receive other qualities and properties depending on material used to fashion it. Wands and staffs should always be made  by practitioners themselves, for  it show s devotion and imprints energy into this, strictly personal tool.  It can be fashioned from various materials ( even bones ) but the most popular and warmly suggested is wood.  

Different traditions do have different, varying,  rules, or rather guidelines on how to construct   and consecrate wand. We shall discuss some of the  here, but I  think that  regardless of the tone in which these guidelines tend to be presented (  “follow the instructions to the letter” type of tone lol ) , it safe  to say some things are optional. If we were to cross reference guidelines  from  many traditions and systems ( even familiar ones )

It Would result in little things in common.

Wand in Higher magick

If we consult Agrippa’s, Solomon’s and Eliphas Levi’s work  ( some others as well ) we may find certain things in common regarding the very procedure of obtaining and consecrating a wand or staff. Furthermore, the mentioned authors make no important difference   ( regarding  it’s use in magick ) other than in appearance perhaps. The characters that are to be written/ inscribed on it according to Clavicula Solomonis are even same ones.

However the tree used as material differs  depending on author, from Solomon to Franz Bardon, but somehow the most popular include ( ones that repeatedly  appear be it just as substitute to an original choice ) :

·         Hazel

·         Almond

·         Walnut

·         Oak

·         Chesnutt ( note the recurance of the trees bearing typical nut as form  of fruit , also associated with Jupiter, except the Oak )

·         Cedarwood

·         Elderwood

·         Ash

Now Hazel is certainly the first choice of many classic texts ( Grand Grimoire, Clavicula Solomonis,   Eliphas Levi’s  writings etc ) , and Solomon’s key mentions Cane, Elderwood or Rosewood[1] as  possible choices of staff material. The fact different material that that intented for wand is suggested may simply have to do with durability of the material, and it’s  size and firmness . 

Regarding the  magickal timing and  ritual of making and consecration, we’ll stick to traditional instructions here, as those are most accepted ones. That means, we’ll just go through what Solomon’s key ( Clavicula Solomonis ) teaches us.

So, according to ancient great magus  Solomon, wand or staff is to be cut as the sun rises, on Wednesday, and the tree must be virginal ( ! )** , and cut in one “slice”, so that one may not cause suffer to the tree or shrub.   Such cut is supposed to be made with boiline or consecrated sickle ( knife ), hence I ‘d give me best to imprint some force into process, some braches are tough  to cut.

                                     Wand  and staff inscription ( character/s) according to "Clavicula Solomonis"
The wands and/or staffs are consecrated in the day and hour of Mercury, by means of speaking words of power,  censing the wand and sprinkling. As for the incense, not being précised, any fire related incense, Mercury’s planetary  incense or even simple Frankincense shall suffice fine. The wand is then sprinkled with Holy water and wrapped in  new white fabric when not used.

These are the words Clavicula Solomonis suggests for consecrating the wand

“ADONAI, most holy, [EL, most strong],¹³ deign to bless and to consecrate this wand, and this staff, that they may obtain the necessary virtue, through thee, O most holy ADONAI, whose kingdom endureth unto the ages of the ages. Amen.” [2]

And here is something I ‘d add , few soothing words in  addition to the  orison above:

“Dear Lord, have mercy upon us, and aid us in  our quests. May the  tools we  create, be in Your name,  and to serve me according to Your will. Bless therefore, Most Supreme,  any  items we manufacture, for we are Your creations, and we humbly ask You for such aid. May they serve us well and  with Your Blessings. Look upon this wand/staff therefore Lord , and give unto this Wand/staff as much  virtue, force and power, as You gave unto those of Moses, Aaron, and of Elijah,  and of the other prophets  whose name is infinite! Glory be Yours eternally +Amen +Amen +Amen ! “ [3]

Wand in Wiccan tradition

Wands in Wiccan tradition, reflect their duality beliefs, and focus on male, female  principles and fertility.  Which is why they are (  traditionally )  made , so that the top is shaped   to resemble male reproductive organs, whereas the base is caved to resemble  female reproductive organs.

Wiccan people will traditionally make them on some of the Wheel of the year  holiday and shall consecrate them ( again traditionally , as done in Alexandrian and Gardnerian tradition )  by simple rubbing them with fresh  plants in the twilight and morning.   The day the made it, at sunset, Wiccans rub the wand with fresh Mint leaves and Lavender  braches or flowers.  It is then left outside until the morning when it’s traditionally rubbed with leaves  of both Black Mulberry and Haze. This makes it easy to conclude (  If You have botany knowledge ) that the wand would be made in late spring according to Wiccan tradition

As fare as the material ( specific Tree or bush used ) Wiccans make no specific mention of rules regarding   it, other than  they are fond of Hazel, Oak ( especially in Celtic and some Slavic countries ) and Rosewood. Many modern Wiccans  state that one should “ask for permission” from a tree,  some even  going so far to tell how this is part of older traditions ( ? )*   That’s normally done by offering the tree with something ( water works fine ) few days prior and then  asking it to give You it’s permission and blessing to take one  branch.  Tree ( spirit ) is then petitioned to  grant us a sign that we have it’s blessing such as gust of the wind, appearance of animal etc. Once denoting such sign, practitioner is suggested  to cut the branch possibly in one sole cut, and then proceed with peeling the bark, drying, embellishing, possibly dying and then consecrating as explained above in the text.

 No further kind or  consecration may be needed, though If one likes, could address to wiccan deities to bless the wand.

Wand in Balkan peninsula traditional witchcraft

In Balkan peninsula witchcraft , a wand or a staff is not a mandatory tool, least we talk of the dragon-men* , although even dragon men may use non material wand or staff, or sometimes even go without it.  Cunning folk are sometimes  prone  to most practical methods of obtaining one, such as simply cutting the branch as the need arises, with no   distinct ritual about it. With certainty, we can only speak of preference of certain wood as wand or staff material

·         Yew is used in protection and exorcism rituals and spells, as well as in those associated with the dead. Elderberry wand or staff, similarly would be of use for raising the spirits of the dead and work with Faeries. However, obtaining a branch must be approached with utmost respect and care, for the tree is guarded by fae and sometimes  all sort of ghosts

·         Hazel is universal, controlling, protective, healing and most often used

·         Birch is popular among descendants of Russian people, and has powerful healing and health boosting properties

·         Golden glory tree wands are believed to be great healing tool, inferior only to knife consecrated in times  of Lunar and Solar eclipses for such

·         Hawtorn wand is used in exorcism and banishment of evil spirits, and offensive magick

·         Oak tree wand is rarely used for it’s believed  to call for lightings sometimes also unwanted ones and is thereby believed to be extremely dangerous and hard to use

In modern days, people approach with some more respect to cutting branches for wand, and leave and offering bellow the tree/bush, and sometimes also ask for permission , much like in Wiccan tradition.  Watering the tree or the bush is very common also.

Examples of wand

Making a wand is chance for a practitioner to express it’s creativity, individualism, art skills. Whatmore,  give wand more power, and specific use even.  We may conclude from above said , wand can do more than just  simply channel energy and this may depend  on material, inscriptions and additions to the wand.  Here, this is one way I could make a wand:

·         Hawthorn wood as material ( protection, exorcism, evil  spirit repellent,  fire magick, fairy magick )

·         Lapis Lazuli and Heliotrope stones attached  (  both protective of negative  energy,  Lapis Lazuli also reflective, Heliotrope protects from evil spirits as well )

·         Piece of consecrated red yarn, that was soaked in Hoy water  , wrapped around  base of the wand

·         OPTIONAL addition : Iron ring

Example of wand , drawn by myself, imagined to have two crystal braceltes wrapped around base, and some snake sheeded skin between the two bracelets, also wrapped around the wood. Symbols are Solomonic Wand characters as given above in the text

Such wand would make a brilliant exorcism and banishment tool , and tool to use in Mars oriented magick, great tool for commanding spirits, and defining from evil entities and even mischievous fae.

Or a staff example:

·         Material Linden tree

·         Minerals : Petrified wood and or Amber

·         Piece of Snake’s shed wrapped around the Staff

·         Optional : Embellishment ( rings or  tags with symbols )  of gold

Such staff would be great for endurance, longevity, and Solar magick, perhaps also healing. You could carve it’s top to resemble snake’s head , If  crafty. On it one may carve Uroboros, Solar symbols, and/or other .

Many Blessings , Shadow :)

NOTES: This article was written/composed by myself, so, If You want to use any part of it elswehere, feel free but give credits: Shadow of Shadow's magick place , Shadow-333@homail.com or a direc t link to this post.
CREDITS AND REFRENCES:

[1] Elderwood mostly for staffs,  as  stated here  http://www.esotericarchives.com/wands/index.html  

[2] according to : http://www.esotericarchives.com/solomon/ksol2.htm#chap8

[3]  Inspired by Agrippa’s suggestion/s ,in his work Three books of occult phylosophy,

IMAGE CREDITS:  Charcaters for the wand inscription, as shown in Matter's "Clavicula Solomonis", were written  and then photographed by myself,  wand's depiction is drawn , andnphotographed by myself. Image of Merlin with a wand, I've taken ( photographed ) from "Fantasy Encyclopedia" by Judy Allen, for I considerd it to be very decorative and explanatory, and is used here for such, with no ill will . The Hebrew characters for the wand are from "Magus"  by Francis Barret, as given on www.esothericarchives.com site, used for explanatory purposes here,  and without any ill will