Course Three: Practice 117
Lesson 8: A Wizard’s Jewelry
Magickal jewelry is very important to a Wizard
(or a Witch!). Each piece is chosen with great care,
and such jewelry always has deep personal signifi-
cance to the wearer. Pieces of magickal jewelry are
usually inscribed with or cast in the form of penta-
grams, hexagrams, ankhs, udjats (“Eye of Horus”),
scarabs, caduceus, Thor’s Hammer, Celtic knotwork,
astrological symbols, God or Goddess symbols, drag-
ons, and many other mystical designs. Once you learn
some of these, you will always be able to spot other
magickal people by their jewelry—even when we are
otherwise cleverly disguised as mundanes! In fact,
this is the main way we recognize each other.Many pieces of jewelry may also be charms,
amulets, talismans, and other magickally charged
items worn for protection, luck, or healing (see
3.VII.7: “Amulets & Talismans”). Keep in mind, how-
ever, that if you are going to wear magickal jewelry
in public, you should be prepared to explain it at any
time—because people will ask about it. You might
want to consider keeping a pendant hidden inside your
shirt, for instance, and only show it to those whom
you know will understand.Necklaces: Necklaces of all kinds are very popular
among magickal folks—especially Witches. These
may be strung with special magickal stones, such as
turquoise or amber, or items such as acorns, beans, or
wooden beads, or contain charms in the form of mys-
tical symbols or totem animals. To mundanes, these
may appear to be just ordinary necklaces, but if you
look carefully, you’ll the difference in the symbols
represented. The most famous magickal necklace of
legend was Brisingamon, worn by the Norse goddess
Freya.Torques: Torques
are circlets of three
thick metal wires or
rods twisted tightly
around each other into a spring-
like spiral, with the ends open and capped, often with
animal heads. They were worn by the Celts and Norse
to signify leadership and a connection with the Gods.Pendants: Pendants worn by magickal folk are of-
ten in the form of disks, pentacles, or amulets with
special sigils to promote protection, luck, health, or
other benefits. As such pendants may be of any size,the possibilities for designs
are endless. The other
most popular pendants
are crystals of various
sizes and types
(most commonly
quartz), often with a
beautiful silver set-
ting. Such crystal
pendants may also
serve as pendulums
for divination (see 5.II:
“Divination”). Other
kinds of pendants may be figures of dragons, faeries,
unicorns, God or Goddess images, Ankhs, Thor’s
Hammers, or anything else the wearer fancies. In fact,
I have personally designed a number of such pendants,
which are worn by many people. My own favorite,
which I always wear with my Wizard’s robe, is a large
working astrolabe (shown here).Rings: Magickal rings have been worn by Wizards
throughout history. Some of these, such as King
Solomon’s famous ring, have become renowned in
legend for the powers attributed to them. It would be
very rare to find a magickal person without at least
one ring, and some wear rings on every finger! Often
at least one ring will have a pentagram design—the
essential symbol of Magick. Others will contain spe-
cial magickal stones (see 3.VII.7.8: “Magickal Min-
erals”), often in ornate settings. Signet rings, with the
wearer’s personal sigil, are another popular design;
these can be used to make an impression in sealing
wax as an identifying seal (see 3.VII.7.5: “Design your
Personal Sigil”).Armbands: Though nowhere near as universal as
pendants and rings, armbands, and wristbands are also
worn by many magickal people. Often the designs for
these are adapted from Celtic or Norse originals. Spi-
raling snakes are also popular, especially with women.
Priestesses in some traditions wear a wide silver bracelet
with certain inscriptions; priests wear a torque-like
gold or brass bracelet with special symbols.Earrings: Earrings are worn by practically all fe-
male Witches. Indeed, getting their ears pierced is an
essential rite of passage for many girls. Pendant ear-
rings with magickal designs—especially pentagrams
and ankhs—are very popular among girls and women.
This custom is also becoming more common among
magickal menfolk, who tend to wear simpler designs,
such as rings or posts.- Practice.p65 117 1/14/2004, 4:20 PM