The Key & its Symbolic Power

The key is symbolic of the power to open and the power to lock.

This concept is displayed in the symbol of the dove and the key, signifying the spirit that opens the gates of heaven.

In Roman mythology, Janus, the god of doors and new beginnings, was generally represented by a doorkeeper’s staff and key.

The goddess Hecate was the keeper of the key that unlocked the door to the underworld, which opened the way to the mysteries and secrets of knowledge found in the afterlife.

In symbolic language, a key often signifies initiation and the knowledge the owner of the key will soon possess.

The colour of the key is important as well.

The silver key represents psychological understanding, the gold key signifies philosophical wisdom, and the key made of diamond confers the power to act.

To find a key signifies the stage prior to the actual discovery of the treasure, found only after great difficulties.

There is also a relationship between the key and the Egyptian ankh (sign of eternal life).

We often see engravings of Egyptian gods and goddesses holding the ankh by the top as if it were a key, especially in ceremonies concerning the dead.

As an archetypal symbol, the key represents the knowledge
or ability to open up the gates of death to immortality.

The Wand & Witchcraft

As with all magical tools, it is not the wand that causes magical transformation, but the Witch, who energetically charges the wand with magical intention.

As a shape, it takes the form of a line, and so is used to direct energy.

It is often used in Witches’ rituals to invoke theGoddess and God and may be used to draw magical symbols in the air or on the ground.

It can also be used to draw the circle within which the ritual or spellwork is performed.

The wand is associated with the element of Air and is considered sacred to the God.

The wand can be a fairly simple affair, simply cut from a slight branch or twig from a tree (with an attitude of reverence and respect for the tree making the sacrifice).

Generally, the wand isn’t much longer than the forearm and can be shorter.

Woods traditionally used to make the wand include oak, willow, elder, and hazel.

Witches without access to these or other trees might purchase a wooden dowel from a craft or hardware store to decorate and consecrate as a wand.

There are also a number of very fancy glass or pewter-based wands decorated with engravings and crystals available at many New Age stores.

However wood is the traditional material for Witches wands.

It is generally thought that a wand made by the Witch who uses it is more effective.

Witch’s Broom

The besom is the traditional witch’s broom. It’s associated with all kinds of legend and folklore, including the popular notion that witches fly around in the night on a broomstick.

In addition to being good for playing Quidditch, the besom is a great addition to your collection of magical tools.

The besom is used for sweeping a ceremonial area out before ritual.

A light sweeping not only cleans the physical space, but it also clears out negative energies that may have accumulated in the area since the last cleaning.

The broom is a purifier, so it is connected to the element of Water.

It is not uncommon to meet witches who have broom collections, and it is fairly easy to make your own besom if you don’t wish to buy one.

The traditional magical formula includes a bundle of birch twigs, a staff of ash or oak, and a binding made from willow wands.

Along with the popularity of handfasting ceremonies, there has been a resurgence in interest among Pagans and Witches in the idea of a “besom wedding”.

This is a ceremony also referred to as “jumping the broom.”

Although typically this is seen as a ceremony derived from the slave culture of the American south, there is also evidence that besom weddings took place in some parts of the British Isles.

“The first official documentation that records a person flying on a broomstick is from 1453, from a confession by witch Guillaume Edelin.

There were earlier recordings of witches flying on different sticks – walking sticks, tree limbs, etc.

This probably came from agrarian fertility rites when pagans were riding their besoms (hobby horse style) and jumping with them, to show how high the crops would grow.

Ancient besoms have been discovered with hidden compartments in the handle, to hold herbs, oils, and feathers (items for rituals/spells).

Some people say the handles of the besoms were coated with flying ointment.”

Witches Garters

Ornaments with magical properties, and in contemporary Witchcraft, are sometimes worn in various rituals and as badges of rank.

Garters may have been used in rituals in Paleolithic times: an ancient cave painting in northeastern Spain portrays nine women, wearing pointed headdresses, and dancing in a circle around a naked man, who wears a cord or garter tied under each knee.

Garters are prominent in folklore and folk magic. The color of a garter carries a special meaning.

Green, for example, is the color of fairies and Robin Hood. Garters are worn by Morris dancers, and “Green Garters” is the name of an old tune used in Morris dancing.

Red is protection against bewitchment.

Silver is associated with the Moon.

In witch trials, garter, or “points,” were associated with the Devil.

Accused witches often described the Devil’s clothing as being tied with garters, as in this description by Margaret Johnson of Lancashire in 1633.

“. a spirit or devil in the similitude and proportion of a man, apparelled in a suit of black, tied about with silk points.”

Margaret A. Murray, a British anthropologist, said that the garter was a secret symbol of identification among medieval witches. However, no evidence exists that witches were widely or uniformly organized.

In Wicca, the garter is the emblem of the high priestess of the Craft.

Some garters are made of green snakeskin or leather, or green or blue velvet, and decorated with a silver buckle.