Matrika #2 @7314
Wed Apr 18 15:27:07 1990
One neat way to make a wand that is very popular is to get a piece of copper 
tubing and a crystal that fits in the end of it or even one for both ends of 
it.  Then you can decorate the tube in various ways.  SOME people solder small 
chips of gemstones on it, while others wrap it in black leather (crazy glue 
keeps this on the pipe!) and then braid various colors of embroidery thread 
about this or attach feathers to it or whatever.  You can fill the tubes with 
herbs sacred to your purpose/goal in life too.

Some folks have more than one of these wands for various purposes in their 
lives.

You can solder the crystal/s in the end/s or you can fashion prongs out of the 
end of the tubing and stick it in in much the same way a jeweler sets a 
diamond in a ring.  Again, if you do this, you may find a touch of crazy glue 
keeps it in better.

Of course a wand doesn't have to be this complicated.  Another nice wand is 
the ceremonial Magick - type "lotus wand" that some witches have adopted as 
their own.  Take a branch from a tree that is fairly straight and the right 
length for a wand.  Preferably this should be one you find, but it can also be 
taken from a living tree if you psychically "ask the tree's permission" - if 
you get a strong feeling this is wrong and that you shouldn't cut that tree, 
don't do it.   THIS SHOULD BE DONE ON THE WAXING MOON.  All ritual tools you 
make should be made and/or consecrated ONLY on the Waxing moon.  The waxing 
moon is the time from one day after the new moon up to and including the night 
of the full - moon.

Either way, leave an offering of thanks afterwards.  If you are into the 
Native American traditions, a ounce or so of tobacco (PURE - the kind used in 
the sacred pipe) or cornmeal is appropriate.  If you are in Wicca / 
NeoPaganims, a libation of apple juice is most fitting - as is some home-baked 
cakes (unfrosted plain cupcakes, some corn muffins, oatmeals or cornmeal 
cookies or cornbread, a loaf of home-made or all-natural whole wheat bread, 
etc - NATURAL stuff, please NO TWINKIES AND JUNKFOOD) or even a few small 
charged crystals can be implanted in the ground for the trees growth.  In 
Santeria it was traditional when taking anything from nature to leave a 
specific number of copper coins, perhaps with specific foods, depending upon 
the Deities/Orishas or other entities being invoked according to a very strict 
tradition of what Beings ruled what places. (for example, 5 is the number of a 
river or fresh water, 7 is the number for the ocean, 4 or 6 for a mountain, 2 
for the forest, etc.)

Then you strip the bark, sand it down, mark it in 7 segments and paint them 
each in these colors of the rainbow from top to bottom.  Red, Orange, Yellow, 
Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.  

Some celtic traditions put a steel rod through the middle of any wooden wand - 
a tricky business, but effective to make it a channel of the energy.  To do 
this you MUST be sure your branch is of a certain thickness or it will split 
as you try to do this.  This channels the energy in a simillar way to the 
copper tubing in the crystal wand.  They also wrap a coil of thick steel wire 
around it's handle, like a snake, for 4-5 times which makes a grip and is also 
said to contribute to the energy flow.

Another way to paint a wooden wand is half black and half white or half gold 
and half silver, to express the balance of the polarities.   If you are into 
Kabbalah, some folks also use Red and Blue as these are the colors usually 
associated with Chesed and Geburah in magick which are the central spheres on 
the masculine and feminine pillars of the tree of life, respectively.

And some people leave the wooden rod plain, allowing the natural beauty of the 
wood to come through.  

ALSO, some people make their wands out of a wooden dowel rod bought at a local 
lumber supply house.

I do, however, suggest that if at all possible, you still go into nature and 
make a small offering to mother earth for the materials used.  Even a 
purchased dowel or a crystal bought from a rock shop or a copper tubes are all 
gifts from Mother Earth and Father Sky and it is important to show our 
gratitude for what they have given us.

Ultimately, you should make the wand be what you FEEL.   a simple stick 
wrapped with embroidery thread that has some feathers tied to the ends of the 
thread works well for one friend of mine in MASS.
T