The staff and the wand are to common and important
tools of several crafts, including shamanism, Wicca,
Witchcraft, Oriental religious practices, and most
native magick from around the world. The staff is a
representation of the world tree, a symbol used in ALL
religion - including (believe it or not) biblical
religions. When you meditate, or go into trance,
having your staff to lean on can enhance your journey
by connecting the wood in the staff to the universal
spirit of the world tree. For the Wiccans and
Witches, the wand is a miniature version of the
world-tree staff - it is commonly used to assist in
casting circle and directing energy. Some use crystal
wands, or wands made of different metals - these work
and feel much different, since they are not connected
to the world tree. The non-wooden wands connect to
the mineral world, and are used for people who connect
more to the lower world and work with earth spirits,
such as the fairy, sprites, and nymphs.
There are unlimited variations on staffs and wands - I
will describe here just one way that I happen to like
very much and found to be very powerful when working
in the shamanic context. This is by no means the
'only' way - always use a way that is comfortable for
you. Use any ideas you wish and combine them with
what works for you - everyone works differently.
The technique used here may be especially good for
those running a coven or a group - it can be used as
an achievement system to visually and magically show a
persons experience level.
The Staff:
You will need to collect a few things together before
starting this project - they are: a wooden staff of a
comfortable length, some leather scraps, some leather
or sinew straps (or heavy string or twine), some epoxy
or other durable and water-proof glue, some lacquer or
wood finish, some pretty feathers, and wood working
tools such as chisels or Dremel tools. You don't need
to be a gifted wood carver to make your staff unique -
if you don't feel comfortable carving wood, you can
either cut designs into the staff or you can epoxy a
finial-type decoration on the top of your staff. If
you are going to use a finial, skip step number two.
Step 1. Prepare your staff for a long time of use and
honor the wood.
The staff you choose should ideally be some sort of
hard wood, or cedar (pine tends to leak sap and rot
after just a few months) - you can get a piece of wood
for a staff from any renaissance festival, a
construction site where new housing is going up (find
a cut down sapling), or even a hardware store (closet
poles can work just fine). If you go scouting in the
woods for a fallen tree, be careful that the wood is
not starting to rot - if you get a tree branch, the
tree should be newly fallen. When you find your
piece, clean it of all the branches and bring it home.
Light some incense and and seal the aura of the wood
- clutch it tightly and and empower it with your
essence. Give a ritual to the wood, and make it a
place of honor in your heart - this wood will be your
companion for a long time.
You can cut down a sapling for your staff, but there
is a process to it that is very important to follow.
Many people do not like to cut down saplings that are
alive, since we already have a hard enough time
keeping the forests safe - though there is a good
method for this that the Native Americans of the East
coast tribes used (according to several books anyway).
First, go into the forest and take a full day looking
for the perfect sapling - it should stand about ten
feet high, be very straight, and have few branches on
it. Go to the tree, and meditate with it - let it
know that it has been selected for an Earth
empowering and sacred task. Give the tree an offering
- usually tobacco. Remember were the tree is, and
leave. Over the next several weeks, come into the
forest and visit the tree - get to really know it
while it is still alive and growing. Become familiar
with the section of forest that it calls home. Visit
during the day and night, during the sun and rain,
during the heat and the cold - each time you visit,
leave another offering for it. Also, pay respects to
the trees surrounding your tree - also let them know
that you will be taking their companion soon, and that
it will be for a sacred and honored task. After a
while, you will know when the time is right to
actually take the tree. Go into the forest, and cut
the sapling as quickly and
painlessly as possible - a hand axe should fell the
sapling in two or three blows. Take the sapling and
remove the branches - cut a section that you will be
using for the actual staff (usually a good part is
from a foot above the stump spanning 5 feet up). Take
the remaining and unused parts of the sapling and
arrange them around the freshly cut stump. Give
offerings to the stump, and to the surrounding trees -
give an oath so that the forest knows that this is for
a good and sacred cause. You should leave with the
blessings from the forest.
Step 2. Carve the staff and mark it with your energy
If you are not good at carving, or can't for some
reason, you can drill a hole in the top and put a
finial on it (a finial is the decorative piece used
for the ends of curtain rods). Otherwise, get either
some chisels, a pocket knife, or a Dremel tool and
carve the top into a symbol or icon that represents
you. I personally like the Dremel tool best, and can
carve easily with it. Carve whatever you wish - a
goddess head, a dragon, a wolf, a rabbit, whatever.
If you don't want to carve a 3D sculpture, symbols
will work fine as well - such as Ogham, Runic, Witches
Runic, English, or just random symbols. So long as it
represents you, it is fine - in case of a horrible
mistake, I usually make the staff extra long so I can
chop the top off
and start over. If you get it right the first time,
chop the bottom off to make the height correct.
Whatever you do, make sure to sand it thoroughly after
you are done - this will help the wood to stay more
durable.
Step 3. Treat the wood
Take the lacquer that you purchased and give the staff
several thin coats. Many people do not like the shiny
look on their staff and don't coat it - I have to
recommend against this, since it will prevent
long-term outdoor use. If you have a camp out, and
bring your staff, the morning dew will start to rot
your staff. If you don't want the shiny look, get a
matte finish. Outdoor porch and patio finish (Water
Seal®, Thompsons®, Sears®, etc.) work very well. If
you used a light color wood, you may even want to
stain it first - you can be creative with your
staining, using green or red, or using multiple wood
type stains together (giving a natural tie-dye
effect).
Step 4. Decorate the staff.
Next, take the scraps of leather you collected and
wrap them anywhere you see fit on the staff - like to
just wrap a section towards the top of the staff -
some like making runners and fringes on the staff.
Take the leather or twine straps and let at least
twelve of them hang off the staff - these will be used
to collect totems over the years, so you will need a
few. Using different color pieces of leather can make
a nice effect. Below are some examples you can use
for ideas.
Step 5. Add your first totems
The straps hanging from the staff are to hold major
totems and gifts that signify achievements. These
totems should not be arbitrary - they should have deep
meaning to you and represent major developments
in your craft. When you first make the staff, take an
item that shows your experience up to this point - if
you wear a pagan symbol for a necklace, and have been
wearing it for several months, this would be a
great start. Some people change their necklace about
every 6 months to a year, and these make great
stepping stones - when you see them, you can easily
remember your state of mind from the time you took it
off and put it on the staff. The necklaces are also
something that has constant intimate contact with you,
and journeys through life with you at all times while
you wear it. Other things that would be appropriate
are: anything you find you get as a gift during major
rituals, things you find from your animal guides,
gifts from friends and spiritual group members
(especially teachers).
FOR COVENS: This can be a great achievement systems
for group members - as they reach various 'levels',
they can receive items for their staff - when a coven
member sees a fellow coven member with a very full
staff, they know that the person has a good amount of
experience (similar to the medals that generals wear,
or even merit badges in the scouts).
Your staff is now your magical companion, and should
always go with you to all magical functions. As time
goes on, it will keep collecting your magical essence,
and become a very powerful tool for you. As many
years go by, and the staff becomes old and worn, it
will be like an old friend - you can also go through
the collection of medallions on it and keep past
experiences alive and in the present.
~Author Unknown~
From Blind Owls personal collection