118 Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard
Headbands, tiaras, and circlets: Although
you will seldom see them on the street, magickal
people—especially women—often wear beauti-
ful headbands, tiaras, circlets, and crowns when
we are among our own kind, or in rituals. You
will see many of these if you go to Renaissance
Faires or magickal gatherings. Some may be very
simple, such as a thin band with a pentagram,
moon, or little horns on the front; these are often
worn by priestesses and priests. Others may be
of elaborate filigree or have large horns, antlers,
or bird wings attached.Lesson 9: The Wizard’s Staff
A Wizard’s staff is called a verendum. It is his
most personal and important possession, and the
one into which he puts the greatest part of his
energy. It serves to contain, direct, and focus his
personal mojo; it’s practically a part of his body!
Such a staff is traditionally of exactly the same
height as the Wizard himself. Often it has a metal
tip and is set atop with a large crystal. The crystal
may be rigged to illuminate, as was Gandalf’s.
Mine is so designed. As with a magickal wand,
athamé, or sword, a Wizard’s staff is given a name
of its own. Mine is called “Pathfinder,” and it is
known and recognized throughout the magickal
community. Here is what it looks like:
Because a true Wizard’s staff is invested with
so much energy in its creation and its use, a Wiz-
ard will tend to have only one in his lifetime—
unless something happens to it and he has to re-
place it. I have had my only staff since 1972. I
even made a special shipping tube for it to go on
airplanes, and I have carried it all over the world
in my travels.
However, such a staff is no more suitable for
an Apprentice Wizard than is a sword. There are
several reasons for this. This first and most obvi-
ous is the matter of height. As long as you are still
growing, any staff made to your exact height now
will be outgrown in a few years and will have to
be replaced. It is bad magick to put that kind of
energy into a deeply personal magickal implement
that will shortly become obsolete and have to be
abandoned! Secondly, the degree of commitment
and energy required to create a true Wizard’s staff
cannot be expected at the Apprentice stage of your
training—any more than you can be expected to
get married and have children at this stage in your
life! Therefore, I will not be providing instructions
in this Grimoire. However, if you wish to make
and carry a simple walking staff, there is certainly
nothing to stop you from doing so; just don’t con-
sider it to be a true Wizard’s staff!The Besom
Although much is made of Harry Potter’s
Nimbus 2000 magick broom, in reality, such en-
chanted brooms (called besoms) are not flown
by Wizards, but only by Witches, who tradi-
tionally ride them in magickal flight and as-
tral travel. The besom is basically the sym-
bol for a female Witch, and it is her mystic
vehicle for travelling in The Dreaming or
between the dimensions.
As a phallic symbol, the besom is con-
nected with a number of fertility rites. Jump-
ing into the air while riding broomsticks used
to be an old Magick ritual to encourage the
crops to grow as tall as the broom riders
could jump. The most popular use of the
besom today is in the custom of “jump-
ing the broomstick” at the conclusion
of a handfasting (marriage) ceremony.
Afterwards, the couple will hang the
besom—decorated with ribbons and
flowers—over their marriage bed or over
the family altar. Such decorated besoms
are favorite wedding gifts among
magickal folk.
The best time to make or acquire a
new broom is Ostara, or Spring Equi-
nox (March 21). It is traditional for
Witches to give their besom a name, just
as Wizards do with their staffs. The
besom should be ritually consecrated,
and may be used to sweep clean a Magick
Circle.
Here is some folklore concerning
brooms: A broomstick laid across the
threshold of a house, or set just inside the
door, will keep bad luck or evil spirits
from coming in. Placing a broom under
the bed protects the sleepers in The
Dreaming. Never sweep after sunset, or
wandering spirits may be disturbed and
happiness will be swept away. An old
broom sweeps misfortune into a new
home. Always sweep the inside of the
house first, sweeping away from the
door so that luck won’t leave. Dust
balls swept into the middle of a room
will protect against bad luck. Wishes
made while using a new broom for
the first time will come true, as will
wishes made if a broom is acciden-
tally dropped while sweeping.
But never use a new broom to
sweep the outside of a house,
or luck will be swept away
with the dirt!- Practice.p65 118 1/14/2004, 4:20 PM