Art of Wandmaking

 One of the great pleasures of the art of wandmaking is to let the self become open to the voices of Nature, entering a trance like state while crafting. At such times guidance from the inner self or Higher Powers can move through the artist emotionally, and a wand design can seem to create itself. It is in fact a communion with the Divine, and such creative acts are seen by some to be a call to service such as is the priesthood or a nunnery of the Christian faith. As artists we cannot be certain if creativity calls us to wand making or if wand making calls forth the creative Muse; The answer matters little for we do the job we are compelled to do with joy!

How I Make Hand Carved Wooden Wands: Each wand and talking stick by artist Tree Pruitt is as individual as the trees that grow from the Earth. No two can ever be the same in color, grain, or Spirit, when the individual character is allowed to emerge. No power tools are used to make wands, except for the electric wood burner for pyrography details. All of the work I do is by hand using knives, files, or stones to cut and shape the wood. The spiritual ritual tools that I craft are always only worked on in a positive environment with a ritual mind-set using the highest quality materials possible for heirloom quality authenticity.

My Do's & Don'ts

I Do...

• craft serious tools for serious use in magic and religious ceremony
• make wands of wood with other natural materials
• follow spiritual guidance tempered with knowledge when crafting
• work with hand tools, some are primitive rocks and stones
• craft ritual tools during the Constructive phase of the Moon and only in a positive mind set
• make each wand as its own special creation, a unique work of art never duplicated
• use re-claimed materials; some animal fur may come from vintage or antique clothing, some wand branches may have fallen from the mother tree by wind or rain
• use environmentally friendly varnish on some creations
• clean and heat sterilize away bacteria and insects
• use modern adhesives; my works are inspired by ancient cultures but not intended to represent actual historic "reproductions" (unless otherwise stated in an individual item description) therefore I feel that modern adhesives are fine and very practical to use. 

I Don't....

• harm trees or animals when harvesting materials, (bacteria and small insects are removed when I sterilize the wood)
• make wands as toys or home decor
• use plastic
• craft altar tools when in a negative mood
• mass-produce
• make wands of copper pipes, prefabricated tubes, or hardware store dowel rods
• use machines or turn on a lathe
• take custom orders though special symbols or characters may be added to a wand by request for personalisation (a finished wand must call to an owner as stated in a now Pop Culture phrase ... "the wand chooses the wizard")
• sell used wands... all of my wands are new and have not been previously used
• show in contests, display physically, or let others handle wands... my husband and myself may wave them about to test balance, heft, and energy but we feel that testing them out in actual magick practice would open the bonding process with the wand as if it were our own to keep 

The Thirteen Steps to Making These Ceremonial Magic Wands

1. Felled branches gathered.
2. Branches cut into lengths and cleaned of small out branches. This must be done very carefully to avoid cuttings oneself when working with hand tools. Cleaning was done with a ceremonial bowline knife that is only used for ritual crafting.
3. The new "naked" wands get spread out on a tray and low temp baked in an old oven to remove bacteria; sterilize.
4. Then smoothed down with various grades of sandpaper and/or natural stones.
5. After examining the wand, inspiration and Spirit takes over. A gem stone crystal that matches the form of the end of the wood is selected. It needs to not only fit the physical shape but also the function of the wand.
6. The wood is carved out by hand using eye measurement to allow the stone to fit as tightly as possible.
7. Once the shapes are right a strong glue is added before the pieces joined together. Making sure the fit is tight, the wand is allowed to dry.
8. After several days drying the glue, I swell the wood around the crystal. Small amounts of water are carefully allowed to soak into the grain of the wood, causing it to swell. I check the stone to test tightness and go on to another heat drying. This causes the wood grains to tighten up more than before; like tempering.
9. The next step is to add decoration to the body of the wand.
10. The pommel end is finished. A magic core or tassel may be added.
11. The piece is varnished with environmentally friendly varnish.
12. At the next Full Moon after varnishing the wand is given a welcoming ceremony to mark its finish and cleanse any unwanted energy accumulated during crafting. (see Ritual Tool Cleansing Brew)
13. Step thirteen, sacred number, is for the wand to find a home.

Also click "About" for more information on wands by Tree.

(copyright Tree Pruitt)