Illustration © Kristin Heldt
It’s unclear when wands first came into use; they may well be one of the oldest ceremonial tools, with roots in prehistory. Birth tusks or apotropaic wands were used in the Middle Kingdom of Egypt during birth ceremonies, while wands, or rods, first appear in Homer’s The Oddssey; Circe was one ancient witch to use a wand and, with it, turned Odysseus’ men into pigs. Wands cropped up again in medieval to early modern grimoires and fairytales, wielded by sorcerers or fairies. Vivianne Crowley shares a ritual to create an earth wand, or work with one you have made already.
In the occult and Wicca, a wand is understood as a an instrument for directing energy. Magically, it symbolises our will. We can use a wand to direct our personal energy into another object—a crystal, for example, to draw a magic circle, or we can use it to focus on meditation when we want to strengthen our will.
By day, find a piece of earth to sit on. It may be in your garden, a local park, meadow, or wood. Take a blanket to sit on, a trowel or spoon to dig up some earth, a bowl to place it in, bags to take it and other found objects home, and a sharp blade to cut or carve your wand. Optional: take beer, mead, wine, or juice for a libation, plus cakes, biscuits, or bread. Have a notebook to record what you notice.
In your chosen location, place your hand on the ground and attune yourself to earth. Beneath the surface, soil teems with life – worms, insects, moles, rabbits, descending roots, and upward thrusting shoots. Think of its colours–brown, black, red, yellow. Dig up a small bowlful. Take a stone in your hand. It might be cold to the touch or warmed by the sun. Feel its strength, longevity, endurance, resistance.
What else can you find? There may be autumn leaves to make a covering for your earth shrine and, for decoration, chestnuts or acorns. There may be hazelnuts to eat or blackberries. Take only a few, leaving the rest for nature.
Different woods are associated with different elements or planets. This rite focuses on enhancing the qualities of earth in our lives, so find a tree associated with the element of earth. “Earthy trees” are slow-growing and long-lived, such as oak, yew, or horse chestnut. Select a small branch or large twig. You may find one newly fallen. If not, cut the wood respectfully. Medieval grimoires recommend a length from the tip of your middle finger to the inside of your elbow. My preference is for something shorter. See what feels right for you.
[In my practice], I seek the rough direction of East, South, West, and North, working these out by the sun’s position, or you can use your phone’s compass. Lay down your blanket to sit on and arrange your found items so you can meditate on them.
Take some time to work with your wand. Using your blade, you could strip the bark or carve into it some symbols.
Now sit quietly, absorbing what is around you. What can you smell, see, hear, touch? Crumble the earth in your bowl between your fingers. Smell its richness. If it has rained recently, you may get a strong scent of petrichor, a heady combination of plant oils and geosmin.
Write down what you notice–thoughts and feelings about earth and its qualities. Where do you manifest these qualities in your life? Where might you need to be more earthy? A poem, invocation, or other creative idea may come to you. If so, note it down.
Starting in the North, use your wand to draw a circle around you, either on the ground or in the air, saying quietly or in your mind, whatever invocation, poem, or thread of words comes to you.
In my practice, I speak my invocation aloud, then I turn East and ask for the blessing of air, turn South and ask for the blessing of fire, to the West for the blessing of water, and to the North for the blessing of earth. Then I draw an earth-invoking pentagram, starting at the topmost point and drawing down to the left, the point of earth, and then all the way around and back to earth again.
You may wish to say a blessing over any food or drink you have brought, thanking the Earth for what she has given us and bidding the four directions farewell. Leave a few discrete crumbs and pour a small libation of your drink on the earth to symbolise that you will give back for what you have been given. It reminds us of sacred reciprocity, our true relationship with our planet.
Depart, leaving nothing behind except your libations.
At home, clear a shelf or small table for an earth shrine. Place your found objects there with your wand. Add anything earthy that you have in your home–some pottery perhaps, or a cloth of earthy colours. Leave the shrine in place for a while to remind you of earth and its qualities and your need for them in your life.
Vivianne Crowley is the author of several books, including most recently, Wild Once: Awaken the magic within. Unleash true power. You can find an interview with her in the Air issue of Cunning Folk.