Most people have heard of magick wands and crystal balls, and associate Witches with brooms and cauldrons. Here is a list of magickal tools that occultists have used in the past, and sometimes still use today. Not all magickians use all tools -- some may only use a couple of those listed below, or none at all!

Altar: The focal point of the ritual space, where ritual tools are often laid out for use. It can be anything from a cleared space on the ground with one or two tools laid out, or a grand table with cloths, candles, flowers and all the paraphernalia of a magickal ritual.

Athame (also spelled Athalme): This is the ritual knife used by a Witch or magickian in ritual and spellwork. It is usually double-edged with a black handle. In ancient times it would likely be used for performing sacrifices or in rites involving cutting (such as circumcision or scarification rites.) Few modern practitioners perform any sort of ritual bloodletting -- some traditions such as the Fellowship of Isis actually forbid sacrifice in any form, actual or symbolic. Modern practitioners often use the ritual knife as an elemental symbol representing the element Air or Fire, depending on their philosophy. The Athame is used in ritual to direct magickal energies.

Cup (also called a Chalice): A goblet used to hold ritual drink (water, wine, fruit juice, or milk.) It is used to represent the element of Water. The Cup can be made of any material, and plain or decorated according to the user's preferences or tradition.

Wand: The wand can be anything from a simple twig to a massive rod of metal studded with gems and crystals. If a wand is large enough to use as a walking-stick, it is usually called a Staff. It is used to trace magickal symbols and perform ritual gestures. It is often used as an elemental symbol representing Air or Fire, depending on the practitioner's philosophy.

Pentacle (also spelled Pantacle): The elemental symbol for Earth, the Pentacle is often a metal disk engraved or painted with a five-pointed star. It is sometimes as large as a platter, and used to hold ritual cakes or bread, or as small as a coin such as a silver dollar. It is sometimes replaced by a shallow bowl to more easily hold substances such as sand, small stones, grain or salt. It is sometimes made of earthenware, and in rare instances, wood.

Sword: Some traditions employ a ritual sword to represent the element of Air or Fire in place of using the Athame, especially during group rituals. It is usually wielded by the High Priestess or High Priest during rituals. It is less commonly used by individual practitioners than the Athame, which is more portable and personal.

Broom: The broom is used by some Witches as a traditional way of spiritually cleaning a space in preparation for starting a ritual. It is not commonly used by other types of magickians.

Cauldron (also spelled Caldron): The cauldron is used by some Witches to represent the element of Water in group rituals instead of using the smaller, more individual Cup. In other instances, it can be used as a place to kindle a small ritual fire for specific spells and thus can also represent the element of Fire. Few magickians other than Witches use the cauldron today.

Lamps of Art: These are candleholders (usually a pair, but sometimes only one) reserved for magickal use and placed on the altar during a ritual. The candleholders may have magickal symbols or words engraved on them. Other candleholders might be used during ritual to mark the edges of the working space, but the candles on the Altar are usually referred to as the Lamps of Art. The Lamps of Art may be substituted with oil lamps according to the tradition or preference of the practitioner.

Censer: Many Witches and magickians burn incense during rituals and spells, so have ritual incense-burners for this purpose. Like most of the tools, they may have magickal symbols engraved on them. The Censer usually represents the element of Air.

Bell: A bell or small gong is sometimes sounded at the beginning and ending of specific phases of a ritual. It is usually rung a specific number of times, depending on the ritual. Like all magickal tools, it is usually kept apart and used only in ritual.

The Cord (also know as a Cingulum): The Cord is used by many Witches as a mark of initiation, and is usually worn around the waist. It can be taken off and used during counting spells similar to saying the Rosary in Catholic tradition. It may be made with specific colors to mark specific grades according to the magickal tradition.

Scourge: The scourge is a small ritual whip used to lightly strike practitioners on the back in order to stimulate the flow of blood to the skin, and induce a feeling of purity. The scourge is used in some traditions, but is not common today. It has also known to be used for penitence within some Christian sects -- like all magickal tools, it is not strictly a Pagan implement.

Stang: A staff with a fork at the upper end and usually tipped in metal at the lower end. The stang is used in some traditions of Witchcraft, but is not very common today.

Tools for Divination

A wide variety of tools for attempting to see the future or communicate with spirits have been used over the centuries. As with any ritual tools, most practitioners will pick only one or perhaps a few to learn, and rarely employ the others depending on personal preference and the dictates of their particular tradition.

Crystal Ball or Speculum: Any reflective surface that allows the eye to focus into its depths has been used to help calm the mind in order to hear the "quiet voices" inside or to contact spirits. The crystal ball can be expensive crystal, common glass, polished rock, or substituted with something as simple as a bowl of water. A variety of mirror-like surfaces have also been used in the same manner as crystal balls, and are usually called a speculum. These days it is more common to see Ouija boards used for this purpose than crystal balls or magick mirrors.

Tarot cards: This is a deck of usually eventy-eight cards, with twenty-two cards in the Major Arcana and fifty-six cards in the Minor Arcana. The Minor Arcana evolved into what we know of as the standard deck of playing cards. A variety of systems have been developed (with the Celtic Cross probably the most commonly used) to interpret the random sequence of cards and predict the future.

Runes: Runes are a form of alphabetic divination, usually employing the Germanic or Norse alphabet, with each letter marked on a separate item and then drawn from a pile for interpretation. Runes can be purchased or made in the form of cards, tiles (similar to dominos) or small stones. Each letter in the Runic alphabet has specific meanings and associations. Alphabets other than the Germanic or Norse ones are sometimes used as runes.

Pendulum: Any hand-held weight on a cord allowed to swing freely can be used to attempt to answer yes-or-no questions. Dowsing (attempting to locate items using magickal means) often involves using a pendulum or pendulum-like tool.

Divining Sticks (also sometimes called Witching Sticks, or Dowsing Rods): Sticks or wire rods that are held in the hands and allowed to swing or move freely, which can be used to indicate yes-or-no answers. They are used most extensively in Dowsing, the attempt to locate items such as water or minerals by magickal means.

Dice: Like any method for obtaining random responses, dice have been used in the past for determining answers to questions. For yes-or-no questions, odd numbers would usually indicate a no while even numbers indicate a yes.