Read an Excerpt
The Witch's Guide to Wands
A Complete Botanical, Magical, and Elemental Guide to Making, Choosing, and Using the Right Wand
By Gypsey Elaine Teague Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC
Copyright © 2015 Gypsey Elaine Teague
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-60925-967-9
CHAPTER 1
Part One
Organic Wands–Woods
People love chopping wood. In this activity one immediately sees results.
—Albert Einstein
Wood. It's the generic term that we all use to denote anything from trees to shrubs to building materials. It's the fallback when we can't think of what else to call something large, green, vascular, and organic. We go to the woods. We build our houses with wood. In golf, even though now they are made of alloys, the fairway clubs are called woods. We create plywood from other pieces of wood. However, how many of us actually think of the kinds of wood that are lumped together to create plywood?
When we go to the lumberyard, do we consider that the framing wood we purchase for home projects are usually No. 2 or No. 3 pine? Do most of us even know the difference between yellow and white pine? Do we realize that the ponderosa or western yellow pine is larger and slower growing than its cousin the white pine?
And what about the oaks, another multiple species? Do we realize that red and white oaks are both specific types and generalizations of groupings? There are over six hundred different oaks, but when we go to the craft stores, there is only one sign for red oak. And without looking at the leaves and/or bark, it's impossible to tell the difference between the types. Even stores that stock specialty woods call their oak Quercus rubra or red oak. Nothing more—just red oak.
As witches, we are very specific about our spells and our rituals. We demand the finest tinctures and oils, the purest herbs, and if possible, we grow everything ourselves. We fill our bookshelves with tomes that explain in detail each and every ingredient that will go into our brazier or cauldron, but when it comes to wands, the books usually say, "walk among the trees and find a piece of wood that suits you." Really? "Suits you?" Would you dress for ritual in whatever suits you without some research or discussion? I think not, although I have been wrong in that thought before.
Order
When we begin looking at wood we must identify what is usually referred to as some form of vascular plant. The highest classification, or taxonomy, that we will work from in this book is the order. The order of a large number of the vascular plants is Fagales. This order encompasses many of the best-known trees that we derive our working stock from to create our wands.
Family
In the case of oak the family is Fagaceae, which is the beech family. Some of the other families that we will work with are Betulaceae, the birch family; Casuarinaceae, the she-oak family; Juglandaceae, the walnut family; Myricaceae, the bayberry family; and Nothofagaceae, the southern beech family. We will also look at subfamilies such as the Caesalpinioideae, which has as one of its members the heart tree.
Genus
Now back to the red and white oak. The next level under family is genus. The genus of oak is Quercus. All oaks will start with Quercus and then differentiate by species.
Species
Earlier I talked about red and white oaks and how there were a number of different types of each. That is an example of species. The species will give the type of oak, so a Quercus nigra, or water oak, which is a white oak will be different than a Quercus marilandica, or blackjack oak, which is a red oak.
What does this mean to a witch who is looking for a white or red oak? It means that there are specific differences between the two, and there are easy ways to tell those differences in the wild.
The last area in preparation to beginning your reading is how the trees and shrubs are listed in groupings. For this I am deferring to Carl E. Whitcomb's Know It and Grow It II: A Guide to the Identification and Use of Landscape Plants, which as far as I am concerned is the definitive book on trees and shrubs. Although not as widely used as Michael A. Dirr's Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Lives, I find that it is a better guide. Therefore, I shall break the organic part of this book into the following sections: Deciduous Trees; Deciduous Shrubs, Vines, Grasses, and Roots; Broadleaf Evergreens; and Coniferous Trees.
Format of Individual Choices
There must be some commonalities and structure to any book, and this book is no different. Each entry will begin with the common name of the tree in English. Beneath that will be the order, family, genus, and species. Next comes the Janka hardness scale rating, if available (more on this in a moment), followed by the metaphysical properties of the wood or metal—the energy (masculine or feminine), corresponding elements (earth, air, wind, and fire), the corresponding Celtic ogham (if applicable), and finally any Gods or Goddesses attributed to the wood.
A brief discussion of the general characteristics of each plant will follow, and I will explain its benefits, locales, reasons for use, and reasons for caution.
A note on the Janka scale for those who are unfamiliar: The Janka hardness scale is performed by pressing a .444-inch steel ball into a sample of wood until one half of the ball is embedded. Using a specific formula, a rating number is derived from 0 to approximately 5,000. The higher the number, the harder the wood. This rating is usually in relation to flooring and how well a wood will hold up to dents, scratches, and general wear and tear. Another good reason to look at the Janka is because most wands will be turned on a lathe and the hardness of the wood is important to the tools and finishings necessary.
Most of the wooden wands are turned from a piece of stock 16 inches long and ¾-inch square. The wands that cannot be turned can be hand-fashioned. There shall be no attempt to standardize the shape of the wand other than making it be thicker at the base and tapering the head; the wood will call out its own ultimate shape, however, the tools shall be consistent and the sandings will range from 40 grit to 220 grit dry sandpaper. Each wand will then get a light coating of Scott's Liquid Gold Wood Cleaner and Preservative to maintain the moisture of the wood and keep it from drying out. No other oils or lacquers will be applied to the wand.
The metal wands will be made in the same manner and roughly the same length, although they will probably be thinner.
In the text you will find the history of the tree, common areas it is found, characteristics specific to the tree, commercial use or value of the tree, and any myths or legends associated with the species. After that will be the reason the wood is important. Rituals and spells will be mentioned, and any magical preparation of the wand will be included, such as turning your ebony wand at the darkest hour of the new moon. There will be no popular culture references of phoenixes, unicorns, or dragons. This is a reference book of actual materials and characteristics.
Tools Make the Difference
The tools make the difference. Hand tools and power tools are both just tools of your own two hands and help you realize what you see in your mind. The tools I use on my wands today are the same tools that I grew up using. I like the Rikon 70-100 12×16-inch mini-lathe. My shop is very small, just half of a two-car garage, so I must condense everything. Also, if you try to turn anything the size of a wand in a tool much longer than 16 inches, it will bow in the middle and you will get bounce and wobble. As it is, the softer woods bounce now, so I have to be extremely cautious not to gouge or snap them.
I had a bench-mounted belt sander for a short time, but it kept burning out. I may have had a bad batch of them from the store, but in any event I went back to my standby. I have a Craftsman belt sander that I flip upside down and put in a vise on my bench. Therefore I have a portable belt sander. My drill press is bench-mounted, as are my chop saw, band saw, and jointer. When I have to mill my wood from rough cut or when I mill tree pieces, I have a table saw, and if I need to plane anything, I mount my 13-inch planer on that.
Unlike my larger power tools, which are ten years old or newer, my hand power tools have been with me for twenty-five-plus years. I have two Craftsman 3/8-inch variable speed drills that I've had forever (well, it seems that way). Many of my hand planes and other small tools were from my father and grandfather, so they have been in one family over seventy-five years, either handed down or bought new for less than you can get something discounted now.
Respect Your Source Material
I try very hard not to cut a tree. I will take cuttings from tree trimmers when I know where the wood has come from, and we have some amazing people on the campus of Clemson who always keep me in mind when they trim trees. I also acquire many of my woods from specialty wood suppliers that go out of their way to avoid protected or endangered woods. However, there are times when a tree must be trimmed personally. At that time I look carefully at the tree. I speak to the tree, explain what I am looking for, and why I want it (to teach others about the magnificence of the tree), and then I feel each branch that might be eventually damaging to the growth of the tree and might need to be trimmed.
I have been fortunate that many of the trees on the periphery of the golf course I play regularly are in dire need of trimming. The owner has given me permission to trim them as I see fit, so I usually golf with clippers and duct tape in my bag for trimming and marking genus and species. It's always amusing to disappear into the woods or wander off the fairway and return a few minutes later with a tree limb sticking out of my golf bag. Those who don't know me always ask what in the world I'm doing, so that gives me a chance to talk about trees and my particular religion and life path. Most accept it, and those who don't have never said anything.
I was in Mazatlán playing golf over Thanksgiving and saw a tree that had been cut by the fairway. I had my playing partner, a Mexican businessman, stop the cart and I jumped out and ran over to the pile. I looked at the leaves, the bark, and then back to the leaves. Grabbing a piece about eighteen inches long and two inches in diameter, I threw it in my golf cart, and we played on. Eventually, my playing partner asked what I was doing, and I said I work with wood. He pronounced the wood in Spanish and I in English, and we agreed it was an example of mountain laurel probably planted as a specimen tree by the course's past owners. I declared it through customs and brought it back to work with. As I said, I pick up wood wherever I go.
The most interesting conversation I had was with a woman about my own age that I met playing golf one day. It was the day I was harvesting poison ivy vines for wands. I mentioned I would play ahead on the sixth hole and meet her on the seventh tee. At the tee I came out of the woods dressed in latex gloves, latex sleeves, and a face mask, and carrying a plastic trash bag. We had a wonderful conversation for the next eleven holes on what the heck you do with a poison ivy wand and why anyone would want one.
Deciduous Trees
Deciduous trees are those that lose or drop their leaves during some time in the calendar year. In cold climates in the fall, the trees are ablaze with the colors of oaks and maples as the leaves turn and then fall to the ground to eventually create mulch. The trees are shutting down for the winter and going into hibernation. In arid or hot climates, the leaves of deciduous trees fall to conserve moisture. For either extreme, the leaves fall and the tree goes dormant. As we will see later in the Broadleaf Evergreens section, not all leafy plants or trees are deciduous. Many of the broadleaf evergreen trees and shrubs such as holly or magnolia retain their leaves year-round.
It's interesting to note that the word deciduous does not just apply to trees or leafy shrubs. Baby teeth, as we are so fond of calling our first set, are referred to as deciduous teeth. Also, some deer and other antlered animals have deciduous horns that they drop before their adult horns come through.
The majority of the deciduous varieties also coincide with woods that are considered "hard." The hardwoods such as oak, maple, and the birches are sought out for furniture and other trim and specialty projects. In contrast to the evergreen trees, which are considered softwood and are used for framing houses and other construction projects, the hardwoods are slower growing, with tighter grains and cleaner lines. The harder woods conduct energy well because of their tight grain and density. However, the lighter cone-bearing woods conduct energy well because of their amount of pitch and the energy of that substance. Therefore, to think of one group of trees as being superior to another would be to do a disservice to both groups. As we shall see, each tree has its own unique characteristic and place in your repertoire.
Acacia
ORDER: Fabales
FAMILY: Fabaceae
GENUS: Mimosoideae
SPECIES: acacia
JANKA: 1750
ENERGY: Masculine
ELEMENT: Air
GOD(S) REPRESENTED: Ishtar, Osiris, Ra
GODDESS(ES) REPRESENTED: Astarte, Diana
Acacia, also called the shittah tree, is an ancient tree with historic roots going back to pre-Christian times. The acacia is identified by its distinctive thorns on the branches and trunk as well as leaves that are similar to the mimosa, a tree most are familiar with.
Uses of the acacia are varied. The gum of the tree yields gum arabic, which is used in chemicals and medicines as well as in a binding agent used in the printing industry. The seedpods of the acacia produce a seed about the size of a quarter that is either cooked or served raw, oftentimes with guacamole in Mexico. The acacia is also used as a flavoring in many international soft drinks. Medicinally the tree has been used as a tincture to cure rabies, and the tannins of the tree are used in the tanning industry as well as in many chemical components of the current age.
Historically the acacia is one of the symbols of the ancient order of Freemasons for its purity and connection to the architects of King Solomon's Temple. The tree is also associated with the tree of life in Egyptian myth, and rituals of that time used the bark and resin for mind-altering incenses, although other ingredients lost in time were also probably added. Many biblical scholars believe the burning bush was the acacia, and supposedly the one true Ark of the Covenant was constructed of acacia.
Magically a wand of acacia will give its user great power over thirst and water usage. The wand draws its magical powers from the heart of the tree and the roots that penetrate deep into the earth in search of water. Therefore, this is an excellent wand for water dowsing. Another use for the wand is historic research. The wood of the acacia has a long memory, and the genetics of the tree from seed to tree to seed to tree go back as far as before the pharaohs. Egyptian magic is another area where this wand is very powerful, and those using the acacia wand to derive powers from the Gods of Egypt and the Fertile Crescent will have greater success than any others.
Alder
ORDER: Fagales
FAMILY: Betulaceae
GENUS: Alnus
SPECIES: rubra
JANKA: 590
ENERGY: Feminine
ELEMENT(S): Air, Fire, and Water
CELTIC OGHAM: Fern
GOD(S) REPRESENTED: Bran
GODDESS(ES) REPRESENTED: Freya
The alder is a smaller tree, almost at times falling into the shrub category that is found throughout most of the northern temperate zones. In North America your best chance is to find a red alder. Interestingly enough, the alder is also a very important product of not only wood but survival. The catkins, the downy part of the tree flower, although not tasty, will keep a lost hiker fed if necessary. Also, the bark may be used as an anti-inflammatory, similar to white willow, and the wood is used for smoking seafood and fish.
Alder wood is used for guitars, and Fender has sought it out for the necks and bodies of many guitars and basses. The wood is easy to work but hard enough to give a good polish with fine sandpaper. Unlike guitars, alder wands are not coated in polyurethane or other paints, but still come out often feeling as though they have a clear coat on them.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Witch's Guide to Wands by Gypsey Elaine Teague. Copyright © 2015 Gypsey Elaine Teague. Excerpted by permission of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
