The Pentacle represents the universe and our place in it, it is a five pointed star encased in a circle. It shows that when we have the ability to bring their spirit to the earth, we then become a complete organism. The five points of the pentacle depict the five factors we need to sustain us, Life, Fire, Earth, Water and the Spirit, the circle around the outside represents the Goddess and reflects the light, bringing intelligence, wisdom and protection. The elements and their placement on the pentacle are as follows:-
FIRE ..Located on the lower right angle of the pentacle this represents the element of fire and also represents courage and daring.
WATER...This element is associated with the element of water, it is located on the upper right angle of the symbol, and it also represents emotion and intuition.
AIR... This is located on the upper left angle of the pentacle and it represents the element of air, it also represents intelligence and the arts.
EARTH ...The earth is located on the left lower angle of the pentacle and represents the element of earth, stability and physical endurance.
SPIRIT... The spirit is located at the top point of an upright pentacle. Spirit receives pole position because it is the most important factor in sustaining life, it represents the All and the Divine, and rules over the other four elements.
I have a small pentacle given to me by a friend, since that time I find myself holding it and experiencing its energy, I hold it when I am in a meditation and when sending healing blessings, it is a very special feel now that I have joined this path, it brings me comfort and understanding and most of all love and warmth.
The Besom or broom is of major importance to the witch, it is also a sacred item to both the Goddess and the God, for different reasons, for the God it is symbolic by the fact of its phallic shape, for the Goddess it represents her triform aspect because it has a three part make up, consisting of, The Shaft, The Bristles and the Binding Cord.
The brush of the Besom is made up of twigs and round in shape, whereas the brush is made from straw and is flatter in shape. The earliest recognition of the besom I could find were these references in the bible
In Isaiah 14:23 "I will sweep it with the besom of destruction,”
saith the LORD of hosts.
Besom is also the rendering of a Hebrew word meaning sweeper, only occurs in Isa. 14:23, Of the sweeping away, the utter ruin, of Babylon.
There are also references of the Besom and its link to Egypt, it was said to be linked with the Egyptian/Nubian Cat –Related God called Bes who’s headdress resembles the Besom Broom, Bes was a popular household God and a guardian of the doorway called a ‘Porta Alchemica’ which belonged to a 17th century alchemist. The origins associated with its protective qualities are the presence of an upward pointing besom near or over the door are associated with Bes.
There also has to be evidence of the fact that paganism is older than the bible hence the fact that paganism was pre Christian too.
The Chalice in the Wiccan belief represents the feminine energy, the womb; it also holds the element of water. It has been described as a smaller version of the Cauldron. The Chalice is to remind us that it is a pure representation of the Divine Feminine the Goddess, and holds the element of water, and serves to remind us of the Goddess during the great rite, with the Athame representing the God. ( The Great Rite symbolizes creation in the union of the Maiden Goddess with the Lover God, and thus is also known as a fertility rite)
In a solitary form the chalice is used to contain wine, juice or other liquid which is ritualistically sipped, it can also be used in the cakes and ale ceremony to celebrate and ground at the end of the ritual.
The cauldron is used as a common tool and holds great history as to its existence, there are many cauldrons listed throughout history and take many shapes, the most famous references to cauldrons go back to approximately the first century BCE. And was known as the Gundestrup cauldron found in Denmark, it is believed that it may have been used in a sacrificial role at that time. A more modern example may be the cauldron in which the Olympic flame burns during the Olympic Games, this was an ancient practice and was revived in the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin.
Wiccans see the cauldron as a powerful; tool it is a symbol of the Goddess and is a manifestation of fertility and femininity, it is associated with the element of water and the west, it also has connections with reincarnation and rebirth. The cauldron is the vessel where magickal transformations occur, such as brewing and cooking, along with much more mystical purposes. It is also sometimes used to light a fire at certain ceremonies.
The AthameAn Athame is a double edged dagger that is used in ceremonial work. The Athame is an extension of yourself that you use to focus your energy through. Athames in general have a black handle and don’t need to be very long.
