From: dhardin@bbn.com (Dawn Hardin)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Re: the care & feedig f staves
Date: 20 Nov 1992 22:03:39 GMT
NNTP-Posting-Host: bbn.com

In article <Bxzro6.8LF@world.std.com>, marty@world.std.com (Marty M HaleEvans) writes:
> While we're at it, can we have a little basic seminar on wands? How 
> would one best go about getting and/or making one, what steps should one
> (I know that's a loaded word -- how about "would you") use? What are some
> of the traditional woods and their attributes? Wands vs. staves: pros and
> cons? And what, generally, do you use yours for (if you have one) and why
> don't you use one (if you don't)?
> Thanks 
> (wow, a non-political discussion here about pagan practice!)

I agree, it would be a huge relief to talk about something other than
gun control for a while.

I have two wands, a male and a female.  The male wand is one that I found
on the ground after a storm and is almost certainly oak.  I took the bark
off (I think with a knife but I can't remember now) and rubbed it down
with patchouli oil.  Then I tied a nice, large, testicle-resembling
walnut on the end.  Until recently, when I handed it to my sweetie and
he said, "it's nuts are cracked, I'm not touching it."  I had a carnelian
on hand that looks something like a penis if you have a lot of imagination
and see penises everywhere.  I put it on with some femo clay
and baked it a little bit and it looks pretty impressive.  I can't remember
where I heard about using a wand for the male principle, but they called
it a Priapic Wand, and they recommended using oak with an acorn tip for
it.  

(I really wish I could remember where I read about the different types of
wands.  This was when I lived in Nebraska and I was tearing through about
20-30 books a week because there was nothing else to do.  A lot of them
were those silly Llewellyn books, and I was left with this big mental
correspondence table and no idea where it had come from.  Graves originally,
I guess.)

My second one is my fairie wand, made out of Hawthorn.  In fairy tales,
Oak, Ash, and Thorn are sacred to fairies, and especially thorn, which
is usually considered to be hawthorn.  It's a really gorgeous white
wood with lots of little crooks and wiggles -- you're not going to be
able to find a straight wand.  My unknown source that I might be completely
making up recommended tying offerings in the branches to give to the fairies
so they'll be nice to you and give you good luck, and making wands out of
the wood to make wishes on, and sleeping underneath the tree For A Good Time.
The thorns are really more like spurs, and they're supposed to have uses 
as well.  I broke mine off the branch that I picked for my wand and saved
them.  My unknown source said to keep them in a jar to catch any bad 
feelings that people have about you, so you can bury them.  The only thing
I've wished for on it so far was a great job, and I did get one.  Two
years later.  So don't hold your breath.

I've also seen some beautiful crystal wands in the New Agey stores in
Salem.  They had some wonderful foot long crystal points with amethysts
and other stones bound onto them with silver wire.  Really beautiful
things to look at, but they wanted $100-$500 for them and I feel sheepish
about buying crystals period, even when they're cheap.  I think they'd
be decorative only, but other people may disagree.

(And Marty -- we live on the same street.  You can walk down and see mine 
anytime you like.)

Dawn

Joseph Campbell gave me hope and now I have been saved.
"Folk Song" by Bongwater
Newsgroups: alt.pagan