Many tools are used in the practice of ritual magic. The tool necessary for performing a magical ceremony change depending on the tradition of magic being practice, the intention of the ritual and the preference of the individual magician. There are, however, four main ritual tools that have become common in many form of western ritual magic. Sometimes called Elemental Weapons or Working Tools, these four ritual implements are commonly used by those practicing Wicca, Ceremonial Magic, Solomonic Magic, Enochian Magic, Thelema and Traditional Witchcraft among others. They are associated the four elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth also relate to the four suites of the Tarot. All four ritual weapons can be seen in the Magician tarot card of the Rider-Waite and other decks. In wielding these ceremonial weapons, the Ritual Magician effectively manipulates the earthly elements with which they are associated. The Four Elemental Tools are:
The Dagger: Associated with either the Air or Fire Element and masculine energy, the dagger (also called an Athame) is used to direct and control magical energy, to protect one’s self spiritually, to cast out negative energies and to control and command spirits. A ritual sword is used similarly, although a dagger is more suited to solitary and indoor work. Daggers and swords play an important part many mystical traditions including Freemasonry, Martinism, Witchcraft and types of magic attributed to King Solomon. In some traditions, the handle of the dagger is inscribed with magical symbols.
The Wand: The Wand corresponds to either to the Element of Fire or Air and masculine energy. It is used to direct magical energy, to invoke spirits or deities, for casting magical circles and drawing energetic sigils in the air. Being a smaller version of a staff and traditionally made out of wood, the wand can represent the world tree or tree of life. In the Solomonic tradition, the Wand is to be made from nut or hazel wood and cut from a virgin tree at sunrise on the day of Mercury . The Wand or Staff is known to be of particular importance in Norse Shamanism in which the female magicians were called Völva or "wand bearers."
The Cup: Also called a Chalice, the Cup corresponds to the Element of Water and feminine energy. It is used to hold libations for ritual use, as a offering cup and to combine with the dagger in male-female conjoining rites. In Wiccan and neo-pagan traditions, the cup represents the Goddess and can be emblematic of a woman’s womb. The Chalice can be associated with the Grail of Arthurian legend, the Cup of Jesus Christ, the Cauldron of Kerridewn, the Cup of Jamshid of Persian mythology and the Elixir of Immortality.
The Pentacle: This is a round disk or plate usually inscribed with a pentagram, hexagram or other magical symbol. Also called a paten, it is associated with the Element of Earth and with feminine energy. It can be used to consecrate cakes, bread or other objects for ritual use, to invoke elemental or earthly spirits or call heavenly spirits into the earthly plane. In the Golden Dawn tradition of magic, the Pentacle is inscribed with a hexagram, a six pointed star, and decorated in the colors of the four elements. Because of it's correspondence to the Earth Element and it's relation to the coin symbolism of the Tarot, the Pentacle is often used in prosperity and money magic.
