The Avalonian Water Witch has many tools, ranging everywhere from Ritual Knives to Cobalt Antique Jars. Below is a list of tools for the Avalonia Water Witch or any Water or Avalonian based Witch. These are by no means all the tools I work with or that everyone would work with. We witches have habit of collecting magical tools and objects. However these tools are pretty common among witches in these genera. They will get any witch started on the path, and are found in many paths other than just Avalonian and Water Witch paths.
These are not all inclusive either, not using one of these tools does not mean you are missing something important, and it is not necessary to have ALL these tools in the prescribed manner especially if you are a solitary witch. Of course covens and traditions require one to work with particular tools to tie in with their egregore and flow with their magical systems. While I am in a way presenting a magical system, there is no prescribed lineage one must be attached to, though there are several Avalonian groups that do value their lineage and are initiatory paths. We are all different and practice differently and pull our power from different places and methods. Yes we are all different, but we often have things in common too. Magical tools are one of them!
Magical tools are pretty useful for every witch, with the exception of witches that exclusively work energy and psychic work and who usually don’t use tools. So if you are an Avalonian, water loving, tool loving witch this is a guide for you!
Ritual tools range in size shape and usefulness. Some are used in a ritual setting only, while others are used in a more relaxed sense useful to gathering materials used in rituals or in spell work. Tools are important as they hold our own egregore and energy with in them, each time they are used from the moment of consecration until the ritual tool is no longer usable and even then it can become a very powerful talisman.
Ritual Knives
Many witches work with 1 or 2 ritual knives. Certain traditions set rules on what type of blade and handle each knife can have based on the tradition. Solitary witches tend to have more freedom in picking their blade. In my case, I have one for coven work that matches the rest of Rambling and Triskele Rose blades and then I have my own personal one for solitary work. Same goes for wands; I tend to have a few for different practices and reasons. The black handled knife, also called an athame, and a white handled knife, also called a bolene or sickle, is two popular ritual knives many modern witches in and out of Wicca use.
Within Avalonian and Water Witch practices both of these knives can be very useful. Many witches tend to buy their knife and then to personalize it with sigils and stones while others try to make theirs from scratch. I personally made one from mostly scratch as a baby witch. It was a tough project that turned out rustic and beautiful.
The Athame or black handled knife for the water or Avalonian water witch can be decorated with shells, small river agates, or symbols such as the Vesica Pisces, triskele or apple. In fact you may choose to have the handle made from apple or drift wood. This knife can be used to direct energy, cast circles and work protection magic.
The White Handled knife is sometimes shaped in the form of a sickle. This is more of a utility knife, and is used for harvesting plant materials and other natural substances found in nature and used by the witch. If you don’t have a sickle shaped blade, that is ok! You can use a regular knife and paint the handle white if you like. The other thing to keep in mind is that if you happen to find the perfect knife but it isn’t these colors that is ok too. Just because most witches use it, doesn’t mean that all do! Your practice is just that! Yours.
The Apple Branch
The Apple Branch is used by many that follow a Brythonic, Druidic, or Avalonian path. Again it is not a requirement but many use it. The Apple is sacred to Avalon and the use of its branch comes from Cormac’s Adventures in the Land of Promise and also mentioned in the Voyage of Bran Both which connect this silvery branch to crossing into the realm of faery and annwn. The Silver Bough or Silver branch comes to us from the Irish tales Manannán Mac Lir. He is a Sea Deity with strong ties to Tíra na nÓg. He is connected with Emain Ablach or Emain of the Apples, loosely translated Place of the Apples, a direct connection to the Welsh Isle of Apples, Avalon, and the other world, Annwn. In “Three Calls to Cormac”, Manannán Mac Lir appears as a warrior from Tíra na nÓg and gifts the king with a silver branch that holds 3 apples. When shaken it would play a beautiful music that could lull the wounded to sleep. It was also a passport to the other world and would be needed to cross the barrier between this world and Avalon. In many Avalonian traditions, the silver branch is used to summon the barge, which is the vessel you ride to part the mists.
I recommend making your own. You can use your white handled knife to harvest the right branch from a willing apple tree and then prepare the wood so that it is smooth and wand like. Once the shape is right you can cover it with a silver colored mineral pigment and seal it. Little silver bells are often added as well around the handle or tip depending on how you want it laid out and which story you are connecting it to.
The Blue Vessel
I have several blue vessels, some of them are blue bowls and some of them are blue chalices. While I tend to prefer the cobalt blue color I have a few light and teal blue vessels as well. I have written in-depth about working with sacred vessels here (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/waterwitch/2017/06/working-sacred-bowl.html) but for this post I am specifically focusing on a blue vessel for the connection to the water, Avalon and the Glastonbury blue bowl (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/waterwitch/2013/02/glastonbury-blue-bowl-2.html) These vessels are a major part of my practice, this is where I make flower essences and gem elixirs. In addition I often use a blue or cobalt chalice. Sometimes this is used in personal work, but mostly through my work with Triskele and Ramblig Rose. While a blue chalice is not required, it is my choice as it deeply connects me with Morgan le Fae and water fae/goddess energy in general.
The Copper or Brass Cauldron
Many witches use cauldrons! But for the Avalonian Witch and any witch that might be working with the realm of Fae, it is best to avoid a cast iron cauldron as the Fae have an adverse reaction to Iron and will often reject your work with them if you have iron or a cast iron cauldron in your circle or compass. While I do have many cauldrons, and a good portion of them are cast iron, I don’t use these for any work associated with the faery realm. Instead I have beautiful copper and brass cauldrons that work well! The copper or brass cauldron can be used like your regular cauldron, it can hold liquid, sand, ash, a bunch of resin smoldering on a coal, lit incense or even a small flame. This is one tool that I use in almost every ritual.
The Harvest Basket
I thought it would be fun to add the Harvest Basket here. While a harvest basket might not seem like something super Avalonian or water witch related, it can be! Plants rely on water, in fact they often rely on the witch to water them, especially if they are in a magical garden! If you are a witch and are making teas, flower essences or gemstone essences chances are you are also out in nature gathering these items. Flowers picked fresh in the morning and made into a flower essence is a great base potion for a water witch, and the sea or water witch may use the basket on the seashore to gather sea weed, sea glass, fisher floats, sharks teeth and of course our favorite shells! The Avalonain Witch may be roaming the country side with a basket filled with apple, hawthorn, and prim rose blossoms! It may also be used to carry blessed water to a location where you may be wild harvesting or scavenging the shore and where this holy water is then given as an offering before the gathering begins.
Antique Jars
Jars are needed by many witches, but Water Witches tend to have quite a few more! They might be a blue or cobalt blue in color and many of them are storying different types of water and elixirs made or collected by the witch. Many of these jars and bottles may be displayed by the witch or tucked away in a secret dark cupboard. They often vary in size and shape, often being in the form of a woman, magical creature or a shape that brings magic to mind. Some bottles are used to store things, others are spells or contain spells. Either way if you are a Witch, Avalonian, Water or other, chances are you have a bunch of bottles and jars already. Spell Jars, Witches Bottles and Warding are other ways a witch may use these tools!
These are just some of the tools of the Avalonian Water Witch and these are just brief descriptions of each tool with a few ideas on how to use them in magic and ritual. It is important to remember that there are more witch tools out there, there are more ways to use these tools than what I have talked about and there are many tools that I did not mention. The important thing is that you connect with your tools, you use them, and they work well for you!
Learn more about Annwyn Avalon and Water Witchcraft by clicking here
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