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Something more than just a fun question.

I think all beginners buy some stuff that they never use later or even curse how in the world they could ever buy such §(")=.
But now my question is: Do you have any tools, that you actually used or still use... which you would not want to use in a group working or otherwise "in public"?

This coming from a guy who scryed with Magic: The Gathering cards (yeah, tarot bores me );
my current top 1 is
The Harry Potter Replica Wand *yikes*
Yes, I have one and I actually use it as a ... wand. I do not even like HP, nor read those book or watch those movies (exception could be when nothing better is on TV...and given German TV this is hardly anything difficult; but then those kids annoy me after 5 minutes).
Case is it was not so expensive and I like the look of it (besides me being unable to make a cool looking wand myself ).
But I would not want to use it "in public"... the thought of me waving around with it outside my personal 4 walls is just eeeeeeeeek.

Now that I outed myself: What is/are your "tool(s) of embarrassment"?

I use things from fiction in my work. I use a set of symbols from the RPG Mage the Ascencion for various purposes in my work. I also have a set of W.i.t.c.h comic Tarot cards but I have not used them. And Yes I do use Magic the Gathering cards to scry with, however I am not embarrassed by these tools. I think fiction have allot to offer real magick, and I do not that much care what others think of me. But if it was inportant that another occultist took me seriously there are some tools in my posession that I would not bring to a meeting.

I can't say I am embarresed of any of my tools. Most are very practical. I made my wands...I simply whittled on 2 sections of the same branch from a Live Oak. One is longer than the other..neither over 8 inches...and I made them..just wood..lol. I really don't use them. I was gifted a chakra wand...that I use.

Only thing I have I never have used...not even once...is the Rider-Waite Tarot cards. I feel absolutely nothing from them at all..simply no connection. I use the Native American cards.

My first Tarot deck was a Rider-White deck. I never really got a feel for it either. I know many like it, but for me the pictures are mostly un inspiering, full of good symbols, but to me not very inspiering.

Hmm, I don't really use a lot of tools, but my first athame always seemed to garner a giggle. It was a letter opener with a "mask of Tutankhamun" hilt. hehehe

Mind you, I'm not sure the fantasy-weapon style daggers I replaced it with would get any less of a laugh

As for cards, I started using something called "Soul Cards" a while ago, they're very rich in imagery, but there's no arcana, no suits, not a single bit of writing on them. I find them very nice for plain old-fashioned visual interpretation, but I suspect that if I ever did a reading for someone else with them, it'd be met with "So.. not tarot then?".. "Well, it's like tarot..."

All downhill from there

LOL....my athame is a double edged hunting knife. It pulls duty in my car as a weapon if needed along with late husband's brass knuckles...

I made a wand years ago that I never use, a sword I have would be illegial in public. I was gifted with the Legend- Arthurian tarot deck, and have always gotten fantastic results.

mostly I use my body, my hands, eyes, mind to manipulate energy, dousing with my hands, drawing 3D patterns in space assigning emotion and feeling to the shapes(a literal "spell").

I would have to admit I have worn some rediculous clothing, some would call embarrasing
-Keld Ra

there's a saying "its hard to soar like an eagle when you're surrounded by turkeys"... which really is kinda egotistical and off topic.

however, if we modify it slightly to read "Its hard to soar like an eagle if you're concerned about what the turkeys around you will think"... then I think it becomes relevant (albeit still egotistical).

My point is, if you're embarrassed of your tools, then you are, on a preconscious level, 'dis-empowering' them. You'll run into similar problems doing your magic in front of a large audience of skeptics. I'm not sure how much the onlookers' skepticism functions as anti-magic, or how much of it is psychological, as you (being a social creature) pick up on their skepticism and it undermines your own sense of confidence (in much the same way that 'fear' spreads through people). And other people don't have to actually be present for you to psychologically feel the burden of what they would think, undermining your magic. But whether it's psychological, empathic, or a more direct anti-magic, I think most would agree that its disempowering.

So I guess what I'm saying is: should you allow yourself to feel embarrassed about any of your tools?
I'd lean towards no.

To answer the question though... hmmm. When i was a child I made a talisman out of a hotwheel. and I have been known to skry in television 'snow'. that's about all I can think of which would get a giggle out of an onlooker. I don't really use tools all that much.

"The Right Tool for The Job, Time, & Place!"

On my hip sits a black-handled folding knife.
In my backpack is a tin, enameled cup.
I have a star around my neck.
In this wooded city, wands grow from every tree.

I'm all set!

...and that being said,...

I have this big, silly 440 stainless-steel sword I would never part with!
My first athame is rusted from a VERY bad consecration ritual (Don't trust everything you read, folks).
How's that?

I think the only things I'd be embarassed to show to anyone else would be my many failed attempts at making nice looking talismans and daemon seals out of clay, embroidery, and engravings.
But of course I couldn't have learned to do those things without trying and failing miserably in the first place. So I suppose that's not too bad.

I wouldn't use a Radionics Helmet in front of anyone either, now that would be embarassing...Not that I have any (at the moment)

radionics helmet?? lol.

i used to have an ugly ritual robe, handmade. those were the days!

Kath wrote:My point is, if you're embarrassed of your tools, then you are, on a preconscious level, 'dis-empowering' them

Exactly. tools aren't just for show, they should be functional, too.

I can't picture you in an ugly robe.
but then i'm one of those artsy types who never really sets eyes on anything 'ugly'

i kinda think an ugly robe would be cute though. I mostly do ritual magic in my pajamas. but then i'll go to a coffee shop in my pajamas too.

When I was starting out, I had a set of plastic pink 'yes, no, maybe, etc.' dice. I still have them stored away in a box somewhere, can't quite let go of them...

I was given one of those electric bread makers once as a present. It came with a few pouches of pre- prepared mixes that you combined with water and/or something else or "make it yourself" with the handy bread recipes in the generic glossy handout "Making your Own Bread by Grammy Num-Nums and Papa "paps" Pappy"- you know the type. Do I use it? no, I had Juan Jaminez the Houseman (and occasional leisure footstool) throw it in the trash but I know he took it home and had his wife sell it at a garage sale while three bawling kids yelled in her ear. Oh well, I don't blame him, I'm a cheap bastard especially when it comes to spics. While we are on the subject of illegal immigration in the U.S., who is the sick Mofo that suggested a modern "forest of the impaled"?

"When I was a kid back in Iowa, we would see a yearly trend of squirrels tearin up the barn roof durin the hot months, when we decided we had enuf we'd shoot one and nail'em to it, strange enough the squirrels wouldn't come near it- pure magic. Now crows is the same, you give em' an inch and they'll take a damn mile an a half! you gotta keep them suckers in check from the get go because iff'n you don't before you know it all you see is crows. Shoot one when you see em' start ta move in, it won't take long for them to see a brother crow down, sure they'll line up against ya and squak a whole bunch for a while but they'll be damned to set foot again on that property for a while until one gets brave enuf to try it, then it starts all over."
-Regional Congressman Gregory Tutenhoff (1857-1956)

And just think, I always aspired to be the next sexually transmitted disease.

Honest_John wrote:I was given one of those electric bread makers once as a present. It came with a few pouches of pre- prepared mixes that you combined with water and/or something else or "make it yourself" with the handy bread recipes in the generic glossy handout "Making your Own Bread by Grammy Num-Nums and Papa "paps" Pappy"- you know the type. Do I use it? no, I had Juan Jaminez the Houseman (and occasional leisure footstool) throw it in the trash but I know he took it home and had his wife sell it at a garage sale while three bawling kids yelled in her ear. Oh well, I don't blame him, I'm a cheap bastard especially when it comes to spics. While we are on the subject of illegal immigration in the U.S., who is the sick Mofo that suggested a modern "forest of the impaled"?

"When I was a kid back in Iowa, we would see a yearly trend of squirrels tearin up the barn roof durin the hot months, when we decided we had enuf we'd shoot one and nail'em to it, strange enough the squirrels wouldn't come near it- pure magic. Now crows is the same, you give em' an inch and they'll take a damn mile an a half! you gotta keep them suckers in check from the get go because iff'n you don't before you know it all you see is crows. Shoot one when you see em' start ta move in, it won't take long for them to see a brother crow down, sure they'll line up against ya and squak a whole bunch for a while but they'll be damned to set foot again on that property for a while until one gets brave enuf to try it, then it starts all over."
-Regional Congressman Gregory Tutenhoff (1857-1956)

And just think, I always aspired to be the next sexually transmitted disease.

John, that post breeches clauses 2A and 2B of the terms & conditions, namely: No discrimination, and your post must be related to the topic at hand.

If you continue to post wildly off-topic messages on threads, or if I see one single racist term from you again, you will be banned.

Behave, or begone. Your call.

Behave, or begone. Your call.

I will try

Thank you ^_^

so you play MTG... I don't think it's boring, some cards have good simbolysm that can be used easily like a tarot deck. I don't actually use objcets that could embarass me to death while using rituals because I need to concentrate and an idiot object would distract me stopping my ascending to the gnostic state so I don't have anything to reply to this post.