Witchy Wednesdays - Athame
Witchy Wednesdays - Athame An athame is a ceremonial blade, generally with a black handle. It is the main ritual implement or magical tool among several used in ceremonial magick traditions, and by other neopagans, witchcraft, as well as satanic traditions. An athame can take many forms. Contrary to popular belief, athames are not required to have double-edged blades. Contemporary magical practitioners often choose a double-edged blade since this carries symbolic meaning. In eclectic forms of Witchcraft the handle decorations range from astrological glyphs to runes, the symbols being chosen by the owner. The term “Athame” comes from the Grimoire: The Key Of Solomon The King The athame's primary use is to channel and direct psychic energy, generally conceived as etheric fire. Some modern day magical practitioners believe that if things such as herbs or cords need to be cut, another knife called a "boline" is used. The ritual drawing of the boundary of the magic circle – also known as "casting the circle" – is usually done with either a ritual sword or an athame, in traditional coven practice. After the casting, the athame is the tool traditionally used to invoke the elemental guardians of the four directions (also termed "calling the quarters"), typically by drawing invoking pentagrams at each quarter. This important traditional practice is one of the reasons often given for the false requirement that the athame must be double-edged; because attempting to trace a pentagram in the air with a single-edged blade will require some awkward twisting of the hand and wrist, in order to keep the single cutting edge in the direction of motion. Practitioners unfortunately get caught up on this logistic and may be unaware that the elemental are more concerned with the threat the magical blade represents than how one twists their wrist. My Athame pictured here was acquired from the Museum of Witchcraft and Magick in Boscastle, Cornwall and has been involved in all of my rituals and practice. It is a plain blade with a simple design and is a two edged knife.
