What kind of Tools / Foci do you use?

[Haelos]

I've been in a very curious mood lately.. And I'll just say it; I'm behaving curiously.

I'm quite interested in the kinds of tools you guys have collected over your travels. I know you're bound to have at least a few cool toys.

Due to the sensitive nature of these objects, you do not need to describe in detail how they look or how they're used. A simple explanation of what it is and what it does is enough.


I, myself, have three wands. One is still being built. One is being used. One has been decommissioned, and is mostly a decorative piece.

I, of course, have my books.
I have, I think, 4 or 5 blank books, all black-covered. Used for various things. I have only three of those that I frequent, and the others' have specific purposes (such as a dream-book.)
Some of the books are lined, and some are simply white, painting-style paper.

I have a small pouch. Super wizardy. I've seriously had it longer than I can remember, and I have no idea how or why it is I still have it.
I keep a book, pen, and a few foci in it.
It ties together with to braided strings, and I sometimes keep it bound under my belt, when I plan to get into it a lot.

In that pouch I have a small lighter, used for focusing my attention to the qualities of heat. I'm not very good at collecting/projecting the elements from my body. I rarely have used the lighter itself, and it belongs to someone else, though they misplaced it and simply don't care about it in the long-term.
It's a neat lighter. Refillable.

I keep a small iron ball in the pouch as well. I use this as a focus for the qualities of heaviness and coldness, or, earth and water. It only lasts as long as my own body heat doesn't warm it up, and being that it's quite small, that isn't very long. I want to get something bigger and heavier, that stays cold longer.

Also in the pouch is a small pendulum. It's made out of some cute rock, like a turquoise color, with black cut-like accents in it. It's attached to a metal chain of sorts.

I have a deck of regular playing cards. I use them to test my abilities in displacing my consciousness. Trying to read the top card, you know the gimmick.
I've gotten quite good at calling the color, but my brain fights my gut a lot, causing me to second-guess and make mistakes.

I have a pen that should have run out of ink years ago, and for a short while actually did. He's done me wonders.


I also have a lot of the more basic, less personal things one would come across. Lot's of jars, bits of cloth and sewing equipment, herbs and seasoning mixes, places to keep these things (a wooden box), candles and other fetishes and baubles. You know.


I'm really looking to make a mirror for scrying, as I've been using a black computer screen most often. That has it's own specific purpose though.
I'd like to make it out of Electrum Magicum (sp?) as a thread on these forums depicts, but I don't have the material or skill to do so.
I'd also like to make/purchase a set of aura goggles, but as anyone who reads around here knows, that's an issue.


Anyway, now that I've shared and talked about myself, I'd like you to do the same. I'm curious to hear what things you've created that are truly something special to you.
It's strange, being a magician. We lose our ego, only to gain a small portion of it back in attachment to our tools. Our friends and companions. When I lose a tool, I do feel like a small piece of me is lost. Not an irreplaceable piece, but it's as though a really dear friend has passed on, and you were on less-than-good terms when you last spoke. You're not quite sure if it's on to better things, or not.

I'm excited! Post!

[cyberdemon]

My tools remain simple. Consciousness itself, meditation, and for serious emergencies I'll take up pen and paper. Honestly though I'm also looking into getting a mirror for scrying. I use a very generic set of tarot cards (I've named it the Disappearing Deck because it has its own personality and tries to disappear and go missing) for whenever I need to draw "random" numbers from the universe for clairvoyant needs.

[Desecrated]

I think there is a difference between ritual tools and ordinary tools that we need to use for our workings.
Like, I have a pen that I use for writing, but it's not a ritual pen. And since I work with herbs I have boxes of tools that I use, but I wouldn't consider them to be sacred or ritual in anyway. I have a plastic funnel I use to pour liquids from one container to another. Plastic doesn't feel very ritually, But I do need it.

Then I would also separate between foci and ritual tools. Stones, bags, bones, natural stuff is great for focusing, but they tend to be more amulets. A wand is more like a talisman in that it is a created object that might contain many smaller amulets. Unless of course you are using a very simple wand.
For a while I used a stick my dogs brought in, but it didn't feel very powerful, so I gave it back to them.

[cyberdemon]

I think there is a difference between ritual tools and ordinary tools that we need to use for our workings.
Like, I have a pen that I use for writing, but it's not a ritual pen.

Yeah, there's this. I don't personally care much about what I'm using, I don't keep special tools either. What's helping me get through daily life is adequate to help me do a little more, is how I see it. But I'm not going to deny that special tools should obviously have their special features..

[Haelos]

I have a couple used tools that also go on my Altar. For instance, my wands. They're used to project intent, but they're also used as focus pieces for the element of Air.

Some of my tools are very expendable. In fact, my pen in particular is something I hadn't intended to use this long, but it became special.

I forgot to mention, I do have a Lord of the Rings Tarot deck, but it belongs to my mate, and I've never but skimmed the images on the cards. I don't do a lot of divination.


Once you guys spend upwards of three years building a single tool, at every step putting your will and energy into the final product, you'll understand a bit more what I mean. As I mentioned, it isn't every tool that gains this type of attention, but the tools that do always serve as reliable companions.


Also, you should record all of the information about your workings. I don't, but should.


Finally, I forgot to mention my laptop and phone as options under this, and being that I work a lot of magick in the digital realms, they're worth mention. I also have a small digital picture frame that carries a sigil image.
These devices have a servitor attached to them (the same one), who helps me work various magicks without any effort on my part. The picture frame holds her sigil for easier visualization, and so I don't need to carry her physical bodies with me all the time (think, a la enchanted sword).

I try to keep my digital and traditional tools separated as best I can, and don't always carry my charms as needed.

I've had a lot more useful objects over the years, but some have been lost, some served their purpose, and some simply broke or got stolen.

[Nahemah]

I have all manner of pretty, strange and useful things.

I like to use tools sometimes, as a bit of theatre can be fun and I simply enjoy the experience.

I like scrying crystal by candle light and suchlike.

I think I posted some pics before, somewhere here on the forum, I'll check later.

[Khazargo]

I have just about everything you said Haelos.

I also have a couple of talismans I carry around per need(like a clarivoyance one when I'm looking for something)

[ErebusNamtar]

I grab pretty much anything that resonates with me within the given ritual. My best tool is my imagination and my mind is a place I can wander around in for all eternity. So many corners still undiscovered!
I have however one baphomet statue that always has a prominent place on my altar whatever the ritual. It's not so much that I needhim but I've come to rely on the little guy. Like an old friend that is always there. Guess that he has turned into something much more than a tool as it's been subjected to so much energy in his short lifespan. I even say him and he rather than it.

[Nahemah]

I have a wee Baphomet too, snap. [thumbup]

I'm a bit of a magpie and I like candlelight and shiny things. I do a lot of trancework, can you tell, lol?

I have Ash, Rowan and Birch branches atm, dried now,waiting for me to work on them and I also like to gather up bits and bobs for my magickal and other practices, I use and dry my own, gathered myself over the seasons, locally.

Some pics:



Feldspar on a lightbox, My wee Bastet watching. Very soothing.



C'tuthberhth says HI!





Shiney.

[ErebusNamtar]

Great pics, love the shiny stuff! We have the exact same Baphomet too I believe. I altered mine by putting knife and file to it and added some of my own, personal symbols. I really need to take pics of my occult stuff to post on here but I always forget to do so. *makes mental note*