a more complex process than I think it necessary to go
into here. For detailed instructions on making such a
dagger, see Ray Buckland’s Complete Book of Witch-
craft, pp. 29-31.Consecrating Your Athamé
On a Tuesday (the day of Mars) when the Moon
is waning, compound an incense of Martial herbs,
such as dragon’s blood resin, powdered rue,
ground peppercorns, ginger, and sulfur. Prick your
finger or the heel of your hand with the point of
your blade, and mix in a few drops of your own
blood. Set half of this mixture aside, and burn the
rest in your thurible (see following). Purify the
blade by sprinkling it with distilled water from
your chalice, and then pass it through the in-
cense smoke.
Now take the remainder of your Martial herb
compound and stir it into your chalice. Heat the
blade of your athamé on the thurible coals until
it gets as hot as possible. When it is good and
hot, plunge it into the mixture in the chalice,
chanting these words:Blade of steel I conjure thee
To ban such things as named by me.
Cut cleanly through adversity,
As I do will, so mote it me!Do this three times to temper the steel, and visual-
ize the blade glowing with power after each im-
mersion.
In ancient times, such blades were always
magnetized, giving them a truly magickal power.
To magnetize your athamé, stroke the blade re-
peatedly with a lodestone or bar magnet. Hold your
athamé in your dominant hand, the magnet in your
other, and beginning at the handle end, draw the mag-
net down the whole length of the blade to the very
point. Do this over and over again for at least five
minutes, always stroking in the same direction, while
chanting these words:Blade of steel I conjure thee
Attract such things as named by me.
Draw tight the circle ‘round the tree,
As I do will, so mote it be!After you have finished, wrap your athamé in linen or
silk, declaring: “So mote it be!”Engraving the Athamé Runes
On the next Tuesday of the waning Moon, un-
wrap your athamé and paint or engrave the appropri-
ate runes along the handle or the blade. If painting,
use a new fine brush and black enamel paint. A Dremel
or engraving tool may also be used for this. As youinscribe each rune, chant: “Blessed be thou Blade of
Fire.” If you prefer, rather than the traditional runes
just inscribe your magickal name in Theban runes. If
you decide to give a special name to your athamé, you
should also inscribe that name into the blade on the
other side.
By far the most magickal way to inscribe runes on
a steel blade is by acid etching. To do this, first draw
the runes you’ve decided to use onto the blade or
your athamé with a black felt-tip pen. Then melt a
batch of beeswax or white candle ends in a dispos-
able pot. Next, heat the blade enough so that the
wax will stick to it, but not enough to damage its
magnetic field. Then cover the blade with melted
wax and let it harden. Do several layers to make
sure the metal is completely sealed, but make sure
you can still see the runes clearly through the wax.
Then use a sharp inscribing tool (a sharp nail will
do) to trace the runes. Be sure to cut all the way
through the wax to expose the metal be-
neath. Then carefully pour on sulfuric or
hydrochloric (battery) acid, iodine, vinegar,
or other etching agent. The acid will eat into
the metal, etching it, where you have inscribed
it, but the wax will protect the rest of the blade.
After awhile, wash off the acid, clean off the wax, and
you will have a beautifully etched athamé.TIP: Practice this technique first on a cheap
kitchen knife so you will know how long to leave
the acid on before flushing it away. A simpler ap-
proach is to just purchase an etching kit or pen at
your local hardware or crafts store. These look
like ballpoint pens, but contain acid instead of
ink. Be very careful in using acid, as it can burn!When not in use, your athamé should be laid at
the South (front) of your altar. It may be sheathed or
unsheathed. When in use, it should be hung in its
sheath from your belt.Lesson 6: Other Altar Implements
In addition to the four major tools listed above, you
will also want to acquire several other magickal items
for your altar and magickal workings. These are also
associated with the Elements—and less symbolically!Candlesticks (Fire)
Nothing sets the magickal scene like flickering
candlelight in an otherwise darkened room, and no
other Element has been so significant to the evolu-
tion of humanity as Fire. Fire represents the divine
spark of creative Energy, provides light and warmth,108 Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard
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