Everything Under the Moon

Every person will have a different opinion on this I am sure . I have an athame, or I guess you could call it that. I don't use or care for wands and don't have any. I use my knife for all ritual and spell work. I don't cast circles so I don't use him for that. I cuts herbs for spells, cords and engrave my candles. I keep it sharp and sleep with him when I need advice. I named mine as is common for weapons in the Heathen tradition. We are partners and I feel the energy boost when I hold him. Since I don't share all my spell/magic work he really is the one thing always present and knowing about what I do. I feel a deep connection with my blade. I see no reason for a second knife or wand.

To be quite honest.. Who cares who came up with what. Some witches use their finger.Others use a "sickle"
What do YOU WANT TO USE?
Use that. Don't worry about propaganda.. Worry about what feels comfy for you.
Either way, anything that Is in the shape if long and straight, is the symbol of masculine. Anything curved is the symbol of feminine. It's SYMBOLISM. Not who thought it up.

MOTHERofDRAGONS

I used to use a wand...which I still may, but my own energy from hands seems to do the trick

I often use my finger, and I also like using a crystal depending on the type of spell.

The athame feels comfortable for me when I'm working with Isis, don't know why, it just does.
I also like it when working with dark power herbs and crone energy.

I agree use what feels right, play around

Blessings
DarkMoon

Old post, but some interesting points have been pooled. My 2cents...

In my understanding, both athame and wand will channel/direct energy, as will pointing your finger. It's rude to point, right? You could be casting. Holding a tool in the hand serves to focus the mind to effectively direct the power.

A blade is a weapon. It commands and defends. It's a no-nonsense attitude reinforcer, so makes a servicable tool for laying down a protective circle. Double-edges cuts both ways. You dont have to flip your wrist when drawing wards and symbols. It is forged from earthy-metal with fire, and shaped by intent, force and strength so it knows these things. It cuts etheric energy, like attachments to the aura, or soul-sucking, energy draining, negative thought forms.

A wand is a gentler tool but no less effective. It both sends out and draws in energy, which flows both ways. It is used for inviting, not commanding. It works in a companionable, two-way relationship with the land & life-shaping energies. Therefore, it knows these things. As a branch off a tree, it is a living thing, and part of the same overall organism to which we also belong - the Earth. All Nature is part of the same single massive organism. The wand "knows" this for us and we can link through it to the source of power.

Holding something in your hands makes you aware of what the heck you are doing! This gives you more control of the energies. When I physically see the blue misty smoke rolling off my bare hands when im circle casting, it waffles around and eventually goes where i meant it to go. When I hold a blade or wand, I see that blue smoke like a laser beam that instantly obeys my desire.

I currently have a wand, but I would like to find a nice athame, too. Something like this would be awesome...

It's sure got a lot of firey bling Maybe you could find a plain one and leather wrap and bead it yourself.

It looks very Phoenix. It just occurred to me, that the Claymore I carry in the astral is an athame. A very large athame.

Snow

I use a wand for all magickal applications. The Athame brings back bad memories of my years on the killing fields of Vietnam and Laos. Cut a few throats with a knife and for me any knife is a weapon not welcome on my altar.

(Personal ideas / practice only)

I can understand that, the blade as a physical symbol is just one coorespondance however, yet it sounds as your personal symbols dominate here, so you are wise for not using it, for it is indeed a weapon, its part of its symbolism.

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Without coyness, I believe that the knife as a symbol of air (thought) symbolically alludes to the "sacrificial knife" which pentrates the body to release the "air" of thr spirit. It represents the destructive aspect of *masculine nature (limitation). Ideas >Decision. The Sword also carries many of these aspects being a symbol of authority that may be used to harm or protect. Yet the scabbard is a swords feminine counterpart. The mythic Arthur had a magical sword and sheath, the sheathed sword had powerful protective magics ...

Sacrifice may give some undue rise for concern. It is an important aspect of any endevour though I am glad to say the majority of people moved beyond "blood sacrifice", even in ancient times it evolved into a symbolic act (the sacrificial king lost popularity ... especially among kings). You may not like the word but all types of sacrifice happen every day - effort, time, promise etc.

The blade draws the line between inside and out, the blade divides and seperates. The blade cuts (energy). The blade is precise and deliberate, coming down to a point. The blade tells rather then asks. It is WILL but if you think about it the internal expression of WILL, your decision on yourself. Every decision is sacrificing or dividing what you choose and what you don't choose, making it an item of limitation.

But expanding in these aspects it is a weapon in witchcraft, a decider, a creater of bounderies and limitation. Perhaps a poem says it better ... herein called sword (I use tarot related coorespondances).



The Sword

Sword, divider, to slay or save?
Wield the provider.

With a severed line; live or die?
A sweeping cut; day or night?
The blades edge cries;
Decide! Decide!
Split open the sky!
Defend or rend?
I care not to what end,
Just make me wrong
or make me right …
but make me more than fancies flight.

Balance these words on the Swords point;
where choice lies in its sacrifice.

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While the wand as a tool of fire is the expansive, creative aspect of the *masculine and yes, is representative of the phallus. It is the external expression of will, desire, passion and power. It too has both positive and negative aspects for power can be well used or misused, power can inspire or command, be a wise ruler or a tyrant. But it has drive, passion ... fire ... spirit becoming flesh (in potential; this, greatest of magical acts occurs when the masculine and feminine symbols cojoin).



The Stave
Stave, the Sovereign,
Wand of Will,
Sceptre of Power,
thrust at the sky with every step,
thrust to the earth with every stamp,
betwixt those powers entwined in hand,
brandished bold; its sweep aglow,
behold its fire; its makers brand.

Sap rising; a flame of a different seeming?
… a rod perhaps of a different meaning?

Passion drawn, solar blush,
turning, burning, ever churning,
white spirit rising, red blood wed,
power, purpose - the blaze within,
that fosters life; it’s needle’s thread.

Aroused once stoked, its heat belied,
in the makers hand, aflame,
The stave.
never still ... never defied.



I would use the stave to brandish and announce (make statements with authority, not command) but being solitary with little ritual need to do so, I use it to store, draw forth and gather energy.

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*In case it really needs to be said, masculine and feminine does not mean male or female, it is simply another correspondence, like yang and yin. Never take anything literally, literalism is the death of esoteric thought. Everything and everyone has masculine and feminine energies, wisdom lies in finding a balance, rather then having them as rulers, finding the divine marriage between them all.