The athame can be a dagger, knife, or even a small sword. Since the work it does is symbolic, it does need to be sharpened. Like most Wiccan tools, it is reserved for rituals only and will not be found in the kitchen drawer with the steak knives and other cutlery. The symbolic use of the athame is to “cut the veil” that separates the material plane with the other planes. It is also used at the end of the ritual to symbolically “cut loose” or release the elements and directions that were invoked at the start of the ritual. This is done by passing the athame through the air in the four directions while speaking words of gratitude and thanks to the elements and directions.

The altar is an object with a flat surface on top where ceremonial objects are placed. An alter can be a permanent one, or a temporary one erected just for the ceremony. The altar is usually located in the center of the circle, but can sometimes be on the side. Permanent alters are used to store items of great import and significance to the practitioner, such as stones, feathers, crystals, seashells and gifts from other Wiccans or beloved people in their lives.

The wand is sometimes used instead of the athame. The wand is used for the focusing energy during the ritual and directing in a specific direction. Wands can be made out of anything that the practitioner feels harmonious with. Many wands are made of wood from trees that have special significance to the practitioner. Sometimes wands are inscribed, or decorated with crystals and stones. Sometimes wands are simply plain-looking sticks that have been anointed.

The chalice is most often a cup or goblet, but can also be a seashell, or any other vessel that can hold a liquid. It is usually placed on the altar, and symbolizes the Goddess that contains the “waters of life.” It is usually filled with water, juice, herbal tea, or wine, but anything can be used. Some practitioners pour the contents on the ground as an offering. Others pass the chalice around the circle and all present sip from it as a way to symbolically share the waters of life and the energy that flows in the Goddess with each other.

Ceremonial candles can be scented or unscented, in any size, shape and color. They are most often placed on the altar and in the circle, one in each of the four directions. Symbolically, they are to provide a beacon to the good energies that one wishes to have attend the ritual, and to provide light.

The rest of the tools mentioned, stones, shells, leaves, feathers, are again objects of focusing, to remind the practitioner of a time, place, event, person, whatever is needed to help keep the focus and motivation in mind. Some Wiccans find that certain stones help them to feel calm, or powerful. Others focus on the feelings of freedom invoked by bird feathers. When searching for the right tools for you, keep it personal. Pick items that inspire you and make you feel strong, calm, happy, or connected to the Goddess and your fellow Gaians.

One of the tools most commonly associated with witches by the mainstream is the broom. The witches broom is also referred to as a “besom.” It is used for ritual cleansing of ceremonial circle and is also laid across the entrance to the circle to symbolically cleanse the practitioners as they enter the sacred space. Brooms are also jumped over during handfasting ceremonies to symbolize the sweeping away of past negativity in order to give the couple a clean start in their new union.

What to wear? In an ideal world, most ceremonies would be performed while “sky clad” or in the nude. Often though, this is simply not feasible; sometimes the ritual might be spied upon by some conservative and judgmental person, and sometimes because it is simply not practical due to the ambient temperature. At these times Wiccans can wear a variety of colors of ceremonial robes. The most common colors for ceremonial robes are white and black. White, because it is a pure color, and black because it is a “receptive” color, able to absorb the energy in the circle. Sometimes, other colors are worn that correspond to the energy that is being evoked in the ceremony, either in the form of colored robes, colored belts, or even colored stones sewn down the center of the robe.