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