Athame Crafting Update

After finishing the blade blank for my athame that I am working on I turned my attention towards two things. What to do for the handle and the cross-guard? The Cross-guard answer came easily, but that blog will be later, when I actually get around to working on that portion. The handle on the other hand was a bit more difficult. I spent a lot of time mulling over what I wanted to do, let alone how that would be accomplished.

As a Traditionalist, a large portion of my being really wanted to craft a handle that was both black and has the Tradition’s symbols upon it. I thought of many different ways of doing this. The one that I kept returning to was the idea of buying an ebony dowel, cutting and shaping it, burning the sigils in place, and filling the grooves with gold based paint. I probably thought of a dozen or so other different ideas. However, every time I thought I had decided on what I would do, my mind would picture the athame with an antler handle, not black with sigils in any form what so ever. I finally decided to entertain the idea of an antler handle and now I know that the handle will be antler. I will not forgo the sigils completely, whereas I will not carve or otherwise mark them onto the athame, there is a magickal technique for transferring the essence of a magickal sigil into something without actually marking it. I’ll be doing that.

The next big question to answer was where to get a good piece of antler? I decided to look all over the internet. Alas it was not to be. Either all the pieces of antler that I found looked like crap, like they wouldn’t work for my idea, or were very very expensive. I had almost given up on the idea for using antler when I decided that I knew two people who might have some. One was a hunter and the not. I asked the other first.

I have a friend that is a Rootworker, Witch, and Eternal Harvest Initatie, whom amongst other things is good naturally called the ‘Pagan Picker.’ Why? Cause he goes picking but not for anitiques, but Pagan stuff. Needless to say, he is pretty good at it. Anyway I decided to ask him if he happened to have a piece of crown antler, and furthermore if he would be willing to barter for it. I received a resounding yes. He had a dozen or so specimens; sent me picks, and was more than willing to accept a trade of sorts.

Another friend, and Brother in the Arte, makes use of Master Candles in the conjure work he does. He first told me about this practice, I dunno, maybe a little over a year ago. Anyway, I now utilize Master Candles in my Crafting. Now, I never bothered to ask his methods for creating. I just came up with my own process of blessing, dressing, and making based on a combination of Hoodoo and Ceremonial Magick. Long story short, I developed a means of linking planetary powers to the materia with a conditionary trigger, so that the power flows whenever the flame is lit. No invoking involved, and the power will transfer anytime something it lit from that candle. I offered to barter one such Master Candle for the antler. The Pagan Picker was more than willing to oblige.

At least now I know what the handle will be made from. Since blogger has not been agreeing with my adding pictures for some reason, here are some links to outside hosted pictures:

Jupiter Master Candle that was requested in barter.

Antler picture.

Boidh se!

-Spanish Moss

"Lost in a thicket bare-footed upon a thorned path."