Wand History & Use
Human beings have practiced magick from the very beginning. There is evidence that Paleolithic communities made representations of animals they planned to hunt that they would pierce with arrows or spears in a form of sympathetic magick. In such communities, there would have been four essential weapons for survival: the dagger, the club, the shield, and the hunting horn. As time went on, these weapons also acquired symbolic meanings. The club became the sceptre or staff of office carried by monarchs to show that they possessed the divine authority of their kingdoms’ deities as their representatives on Earth.
Ancient Egypt
Wands made from the ivory canine teeth of the hippopotamus, carved with the names of protective deities such as Weret-hekau or Wadjet, were used to protect women during childbirth, to protect children, and placed in tombs to protect the deceased when they are reborn.
Ancient Persia
Zoroastrian priests used a sacred bundle of twigs called the barsom as a link between the material world and the spiritual realm.
Biblical references
Jannes, Jambres, and Aaron had rods that turned into snakes. Moses’ staff also turned into a snake, produced water from a rock, and parted the Red Sea.
Ancient Greece and Rome
Ancient Greek literature is full of deities wielding rods or wands to get things done. Athena used a rod to disguise Odysseus as an old man. Circe turned Odysseus’ crew into swine with her wand. Hermes’ (Mercury’s) staff, known as the caduceus, awakened the sleeping, put to sleep those who were awake, brought a gentle death, and could bring the dead back to life. Then there was the healing Rod of Asclepius. Fun fact: The caduceus features two entwined serpents, sometimes crowned with a pair of wings, while the Rod of Asclepius has one serpent coiled around it. This has caused some confusion over the millennia. As a result, quite a few modern medical organizations – especially in the United States – use the caduceus as a symbol when the Rod of Asclepius would be more fitting.
The Roman lituus was a crooked wand that looked a little bit like the top portion of a bishop’s staff of office. It was used to delineate a templum – a ritual space – in the sky. How birds flew through this templum would determine whether or not an undertaking would be successful.
The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation: Including the Demotic Spells contains several spells that require the use of a staff or a wand. Magickal practices using wands, rods, or staffs were also mentioned by Apuleius, Iamblichus, and Pliny the Elder.
The Middle Ages and Renaissance
Despite the fact that the Church really didn’t like magick (except for the magick they were using, of course), and were killing people (mostly women) for even being accused of using it, this was the era in which many grimoires were translated, written (and passed off as ancient), and discovered. Wands, rods, and staffs figure prominently in these texts, and include detailed instructions on how to make them. The purpose of these wands were primarily to create seals, and to direct and control various demons, spirits, and other entities.
Early Modern Era-Present
In the 18th and 19th centuries, scholars such as Jacob Grimm (of the fairytales) and Johann Gottfried Herder published studies on European folk culture and customs, which created a greater interest in such subjects, as well as an overall increase in individual cultural awareness. During this time, known as the Romantic era, Old Gaelic and Old Norse literature and poetry were rediscovered, and the subsequent Viking revival sparked increased interest in old Germanic paganism. The Celtic revival did the same for Celtic culture. First published in 1890, Sir James George Frazer’s The Golden Bough, a comparative and speculative study of mythology and religion, would have a tremendous influence on subsequent European literature and thought.
In such an atmosphere, it’s no surprise that fascination with the occult was also heightened during this period, which saw the formation of several secret societies, the most influential of which was the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Founded in 1897 and dissolved in 1903, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn espoused an esoteric philosophy based on the Hermetic Qabalah, emphasized personal development, and taught alchemy, astral travel, astrology, geomancy, scrying, and tarot. Despite its short duration, this ceremonial magick order was the one of biggest single influences on Western magickal thought and practice, inspiring groups such as Thelema and Wicca.
One of the Golden Dawn’s founders, Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, translated grimoires such as The Book of Abramelin, The Key of Solomon, and The Lesser Key of Solomon into English, making it possible for non-academics to read them. There is much wand lore and instruction in their pages.
Which Element, and what’s it all for?
Magickal practitioners who follow traditions that are very influenced by the Golden Dawn tend to associate the wand with the Element of Fire. This is because they associate the wand with will and associate will with intensity. Also, if they attach importance to traditional gender associations, they consider the wand’s shape to be phallic, and thus they view it as representative of the Masculine sexual will/passion. They also hold that, since wands are usually made out of wood and wood can burn, that means that Fire resides in wands.
Magickal practitioners whose traditions are less influenced by the Golden Dawn, or don’t agree with some of its precepts, tend to associate the wand with the Element of Air. This is because they associate the wand with communication and wisdom. They also don’t think that wands, which are usually made of wood, should represent an Element that can destroy them. Finally, trees inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen – which is a pretty powerful symbol for Air, the breath of life!
The good news is that, since wands are primarily for the focusing and channeling of energy, it doesn’t matter whether the person using it is thinking Air or Fire. Most of magick comes down to the intent, focus, and energy of the practitioner, which is why it’s very important to know what works for you.