The Western Gate

The Witches Oracle.|
The Wand.

Foreword: Example of Interpretation to random card of personal “Witchcraft Oracle” deck as introduced here.

The Wand is an extension of the will, the pointing finger that desires to manifest or direct. It is the announcement of determination, the expression of creation. She begins, she is Spring awakening, the sounds of life restoring from hibernation. It is the professors pointing stick, the accusers blasting rod, The skewer and the ‘stay’ .

The wand is one of the four ‘primal hearth’ tools. The other three being the Pantacle, The Chalice and the Dagger. These are the four implements at the root of the witches ‘natural’ table. viz;- A cup, A plate, a knife and a fork/skewer.

The wand card denotes all the aspects of determined will, “You are about to create”, indeed Brigid is the spirit of creativity in tandem with life arising, ideas sprouting, song beginning.
Her skin is ‘fair’ ~ untouched as yet by the sun, and her hair flows with the remnant colours of autumn. All about her on a rolling hillside are the flowers of the break of winter and the dawn spring,
Snowdrops peek where frost once lay,
Aconites bring the sun’s first ray.
Coltsfoot and Celandine,
Dandelions bright and fine,
Violets, Crocus, wake the day.
Her skin is fair, the sun’s to kiss,
Her hair as autumn’s falling drift.
she sings, and blesses,
salutes and praise,
Arise Awake!
Behold this day.

In the theatre of the witches dance, the wand is reflective of Brigid, the wand IS Brigid, to refer to workings we need not talk of the wand, but can merely state ‘Brigid’ as a pseudonym. “Brigid assist me in this endeavour”.

The wand should be of length, elbow to tip of index finger, or the Cubit. This cubit is the scale by which the architect builds. The cubit should not be that as defined elsewhere, but directly measured of the self.
The material used for the wand should be reflective to the person, what season best suits the holder, this should be objective, but subjective if so be, – for example;- In general, the evergreen trees are for those of winter, the flowering trees~ rich with blossom for the spring, fruit trees for the summer and deciduous for the autumn.
Elsewise, Yew is for predominantly, ancestral working that it be common in the graveyard, Elder for the liminal, that it be commonly heralded by the Fae, Blackthorn for the ‘blasting rod’ its power used in the main to banish, cease and quiet &c.
Research will provide many other attributes, e.g;- Ash- for the tree of Yggdrasil, Ebony for authority and dominion, Cherry for sensuality, the Holly ~ for the winter King, Birch for purification and so on.
Alternatively, It may well be a trek within the woods, the mind set with the idea of nature to offer the traveller a wand of size required, a windfall gift.
It may also be the traveller at the first hint of dawn cuts from the living tree the wand of the tree they have so deemed appropriate.

Before Use !
It should be first cleaned in running water, of a winding stream is best, of a spring outlet even better, in the flow of a waterfall is suitable and indeed, by any flow of water where the holder sings that the water will cleanse.

It should be smoked in an incense equal to the attribute of the wood, even better if it is incense that the tree yields. Elsewise, Frankincense and Myrrh provide the cleansing and Sandalwood and Cedar to strengthen.
Clover, Heather, Vervain, Bay and Chamomile are all herbs especial to Brigid, and serve equally as well.

The wand should be marked by ‘firebrand’, the markings reflect the user, sigils or ambigrams. A heated iron suffices, the wand may be cut with the ‘boline’ or craft knife to provide a template for the markings (wicca say white handled, it is really to denote the knife is a practical and working knife, an operative instrument).

The wand can then be decorated or coloured, and better if coloured from natural pigments. Tied with rope equal in length especial to the witch for use as a handle. It would be better to avoid metals for bindings upon the wand, but if in equal measure silver metal is complimented by a golden, then this would be acceptable.

The base of the wand should be drilled into at least one inch depth a thumbs width at the base of the nail , the width of the hole should not be more than half the width of the wand at its base. Into this hole, your identity- blood, hair, a particle of well worn clothing etc. This is then sealed with wax or wooden plug of the same material as the wand.

Brief Outline of card interpretation.

For the purposes of illustration I have used the five card plus cross spread
(See illustration below)

If the wand is revealed as a significator card, the wand introduces the plan, the desire. I will create ! I will bring into being. An idea thus is being manifested by the querent.

If the wand is revealed as a negator, it shows there as been a lack of foundation and certainly the will is lacking, there is no structure or reasoning behind a queries significator.

If the wand is revealed as a positive influence, it shows a character of faith to succeed in the plan.The motivation is there, the determination at a potential to succeed.

If the wand is revealed as a Crown influence, an influence upon which you have no charge, it denotes a plan that will affect you, of which you cannot control or undermine. It shows the will of another is hampering your plans, it maybe laws or rules, or even ethics.

If the wand is revealed as a base influence, it shows the idea has already been formulated, and all else is based on its continuation. It is an idea based, usually, on the past and yet still structured.

And in a five card spread, to cross the significant, it suggests a plan to cede the objective as shown by the significant card. The will of the witch is then to surpass the image of the significator.

1. Significator; 2. Negator; 3. Positive; 4; Crown Influence; 5; Base influence; 6, Polarity/Deflector
   

—
The next card discussed, will be The Staff (of Demeter) or, The long Wand.