Thread: Wand or staff?

Hi shaolin, my greatgdad was from macau. And im portuguese I know that in macau there is a mix of chinese with portuguese, but he looked very chinese. Im currently researching about the culture of this area, and its past (before it was macau). Do you know much about macau? I expect that from looking at your nick you are chinese? Thank you

I am not Chinese (in this incarnation, anyway), but I am part of a Daoist lineage. I know that Mazu, the Goddess of the Sea, has special significance for Guangdong province and Macau. If your grandfather was from Macau, maybe doing something relating to Mazu as a deity could be helpful? If you have any other questions, I might be able to help with some of them.

Permission to quote, dear Iza?

Originally Posted by Iza

a tool is not simply a tool, true we use our energy to charge the wand or staff, but when we work, i shall use the Golden dawn as an example the charge is also being charged by the Deities or Gods/Goddesses , and their energy is also in the wand or staff. now having said that, this is a good way to start, but as one progresses, you will not need all the wands and staffs, as you progress. however the wand or staff can be a powerful weapon in more ways than one. they can also be a magickian's protection as a flack jacket, and you never know, when the wand or staff needs to be used as protection. the Gods/Goddesses appreciate such as respect for them and do not look kindly on others who think of these "so called tools as sex toys." they are not as forgiving, but i digress. the wand or staff is a good protection, too much energy of an overload can literally bloat you, so these tools, send the energy out, and keeps you from being bowled over and is a protection in more ways than one.

Yes, this is true. I probably should have clarified my point. At certain levels and depending upon the purpose, wands; athames; etc. are not necessary. For most everyday things, for example, I usually don't use external sources, but I may use hand seals and such. For other purposes, however, more energy and protective measures are required, so I will use talismans, ritual swords, etc. for these things.

Hi! I think Mazu is ideal, i will follow your suggestion! :-)

Thank you all for your replies. Very helpfull everyone

Great. Glad to hear it. Mazu is a patron goddess, and if you're looking for a link to your grandfather's home in Macau, then that would be a good way to go.

Originally Posted by Aradia

Well, personally, I don't think I would use a sex toy as a wand. I feel THAT would be highly disrepectful to the God and the Goddess. Not to mention rather gross, but, to each his own.

Why would it be disrespectful? Is there something wrong with sex? Calling it 'gross' indicates that it's dirty somehow...

And given the wand/chalice intersection in Wiccan ritual, it seems odd to think that the God and Goddess would have a problem with sex.

What about other deities? Aphrodite, for instance? Bacchus? All the particularly sex-positive ones? Sex toys make very apt wands for some of them.
(Volvic was talking about using a sex toy as a wand, btw, not a wand as a sex toy. Bit of a difference- although the latter might well be relevant in sex magic, but that's a topic for the 18+ board.)

its not necessarily want or the way one wants to do something as it is observing cause and effect.

a lot of times what happens is one with come up with there own way and in the end ether have something that is in essence the same or go back to the original.

in the beginning we are rebels and tear apart system after system and also the universe itself for what are these systems but representations of the universe micro macro.

I do agree there is a point that tool are not necessary for they are but aids to represent principles and/or ideas.

Originally Posted by zero

its not necessarily want or the way one wants to do something as it is observing cause and effect.

a lot of times what happens is one with come up with there own way and in the end ether have something that is in essence the same or go back to the original.

in the beginning we are rebels and tear apart system after system and also the universe itself for what are these systems but representations of the universe micro macro.

I do agree there is a point that tool are not necessary for they are but aids to represent principles and/or ideas.

I agree that after experimentation and trial-and-error one can reach the conclusion that "There's a reason it's a classic". And finding that out for oneself is better for personal understanding and development than a slavish devotion to a text or teacher. But there is no one single 'original' version or concept. There are traditions, which are always worth looking at, but they aren't the be-all and end-all of magical practice.

In the case of wands, what one's wand is physically is generally informed by what one considers it to be metaphysically. If it's the Wiccan conception of it as being symbolic of the Male, then a traditionally masculine wood like oak is often preferred to a more feminine birch.
If the wand's main role is to channel energy, then copper is a modern but logical option.

Also, I don't see how one can separate the practitioner from the practice.
"Do what feels right for you" can seem rather fluffy and vague, but "Do what feels wrong for you" is far worse, surely?
If magical kit is there to help the practitioner achieve their goals, they need the kit to be right for them. The best crash-helmet in the world won't be much good if it doesn't fit properly, and the most elaborate, crystal-encrusted silver birch wand, cut at the full moon, etc, etc, is unlikely to work well for someone who thinks it looks tacky.....

Wands, like the rest of the magical kit, get their power from the practitioner, so if the practitioner can power something up in a way that makes it act as a wand, it's a wand.

Originally Posted by Iza

not interested. but you answered yourself, already. operative words VIEW and FLAWED. think about it.

That's not a very helpful or informative response.


Volvic, I can't see any inherant flaw in your views. I think I can see why some might disagree- not everyone is big on experimentation and/or they like the gravitas that historicity brings- but every extant tradition was a radical departure from the norm at some point...