Making Your Own Wands

Midsummer is an excellant time to make your own wand. Please keep in mind, whenever taking a branch from a live tree or bush, you must always connect with it first, as it is a living being, and ASK FOR PERMISSION. Generally the answer will be a direct 'yes' or 'no' in your mind....

Please respect that answer.....and always
leave the tree a gift in
return....generally something that will fertilize the soil is best:)

The following is taken directly from the book: Magical Celebrations
MidSummer
of the Summer Solstice
by
Anna Franklin

You should go out before dawn on Midsummer Day and seek your chosen tree as the sun rises.

The wood should be virgin--that is, one of one year's growth only--and the wand should be cut from the tree at a single stroke. It should measure from elbow to fingertip. If you wish, you can smooth and polish the wand with glass-paper, but do not varnish it. Make a small hollow in the end that you will hold in your hand, and insert a piece of cotton thread with a drop of your own blood into it, before sealing it
with wax.

Consecrating the Wand

The wand is consecrated with incense of:
Bay
Cedar
Frankincense
Hazel
Pine

With the following words:
"God and Goddess, deign to bless this wand, which I would consecrate and set aside.
Let it obtain the necessary virtues for acts of beauty and love in the names of the Lord & Lady."
Pass it through the elements in the following manner. Push the tip into the earth, throught the candle flame, into the dish of water, and through the air in the sign of the pentacle and say:
"God and Goddess, I call upon you to bless this instrument, which I have prepared in your honor."
Hold it high in the air and say:
"Let blessing be!"
Woods for Wands

The function of the wand largely depends on the wood from which it is made.

The following is adapted from the same book.

Alder- Support, Magical Beginnings
Apple- Love magick, establishing contact with the Otherworlds, inicitation and fertility.
Ash- Is a powerful conductor of magickal force, and connects the magician to all 3 realms, and when using the wand, acts within all three
Aspen- used to invoke magical sheilds, for protection, and for healing
Bay- associated with the Sun God, and his powers of protection, healing, and divination
Beech- Used in spells and ritual concerning written knowledge
Birch- Fertility, purification, and banishment of negativity
Blackthorn- Can be used for great good, or great ill, powerful magical protection
Bramble- Healing
Buckthorn- Healing
Cypress- Rites for the dead, crossing the gate of the Underworld
Elder- Rites of the Crone Goddess, Samhain, and winter, fairy contact, healing and summoning spirits
Elm- Rites of the Goddess, feminine magick
Hawthorn- Protection, invoking a physical sheild, fairy contact, the rite of Beltaine, and
Goddess magick
Hazel- General purpose wand
Holly- Male magick, warrior magick, protection from negative forces
Ivy- Binding magick, protection, from psychic attack
Juniper- Wards off the evil eye, exorcism
Linden- Feminine power, & rites of the Goddess
Maple- Handfastings, rituals of celebration
Mistletoe- Healing, luck, & good fortune
Oak- Protection, general purpose, Midsummer, divination, fairy contact, Otherworld Magick
Pine- Gaining knowledge, fire magick, illumination Poplar- Divination
Rowan- Protection, divination
Service Tree- Protection, all-purpose
Spindle Tree- Weaving & Creating magick, Goddess Magick
Whitebeam- Earth Magick
Willow- Bardic Magick, healing, Goddess magick, rebirth
Yew- Inititation, funeral rites

One last note, sometimes, if you are paying attention, the "perfect" wand will come to you.... Just pay attention, while walking in the woods, and keep your eyes and heart open, for one
may just appear! :)

~Tala