Witching on the Cheap: A Witch’s “First-Year” Supply List, Redux
Quite some time ago I wrote a post on a basic “supply list” for a starting witch - that list, though a decent jumping off point, was definitely not written with cost in mind. In retrospect, I figure it’d be much more helpful to compile a cost-effective (read: free) list of essential witch’s starter supplies, which one can embark on collecting pretty much right away! You might recognize some of these from the old list:
TOOLS
Wand - The best wands (and trust me, I’m a huge fan of the gorgeous, bespoke, hand-turned wands you can buy), I think, are just wood rods that speak to you on a personal level. Go outside, find a length of wood of thickness, pliability, and feel that you like, try and determine the type of tree it fell from, and consecrate as needed. You’ll find the best way to build a rapport with your wand is going out and feeling it out! If a branch doesn’t grab you, try something different that does, like a long candle for a witch with a fiery affinity, or a wooden spoon for the kitchen-witch inclined.
Altar Cloth / Altar - For an altar cloth, pick out a cloth napkin, tablecloth, or even scarf or shawl that’s in a color you feel is powerful. Crates turned on their sides, or boxes (avoid cardboard - you might want to use candles in the future), make great bases for altars, and you can even keep all your witching supplies
Salt - The indispensable witch’s tool! Kept in a small bowl, bottle, or pouch, salt is used to protect, purify, consecrate, and represent the element Earth in many rituals and spells. Table salt is absolutely fine, kosher or sea salt is fantastic. A sprinkle of salt is often sufficient enough (for this witch, anyway!) to cleanse or purify any items or tools on the go.
Athame / Ritual Knife - For cutting herbs, directing power, or in ritual, many witches find need of an athame, bolline, or ritual knife. A plain table knife or butter knife may be used, and the handle can even be wrapped in string or twine to the correspondent color for your tool (black if you’re making a “100% accurate Wiccan” athame, for instance, or white for a loose Green Witch interpretation of a working knife, as another example).
Cauldron - Trust me on this one - use a mug. Find a heat-proof mug, or perhaps an oil warmer, that you like. If you’ve got an oil warmer, you can use the space for oil as a traditional (albeit tiny) cauldron working space, heated by the candle below.
Book of Shadows - Keeping a record of your practice is a super helpful (and super common!) tradition. A Book of Shadows need not be fancy, and having a plain notebook, or even loose leaf paper, to start your book on, is all you need. Later on, you can copy the pages into your “fancier” Book of Shadows, if you wish!
SPELL SUPPLIES
Herbs - Check around your kitchen or garden for herbs, spices, and ingredients to use in green magic! Take the time to look up which wild plants and weeds grow native to your region, and check to see if there are any to collect in your own yard, or sidewalk.
All-Purpose Oil - For candle dressing, spellwork, and anointing, use olive oil or vegetable oil (greasy, but functional!). You can even infuse your bottle of all-purpose oil to your personal preference by adding in correspondent herbs and spices, then straining.
Bottles - For spell jars, oils, and other Craft-y crafts: collect (and clean & rinse out!) pickle jars, syrup bottles, free-sample perfume bottles, or anything else that comes in a glass vessel with a removable lid! They come in handy as spell reagents, spell containers, candle holders, and other miscellania!
