Welcome to Gaia! ::

ok i'm gonna throw in my two cents because this in my opinion is a really important thing to know.

first keep in mind that wands, staves, and athames are just tools. they have no magick in and of themselves. they are used to direct energy and allow you to focus where you want to send it.

second, more important than whether you buy it or make it is that it must come to you. what i mean by that is you cant go outside and look for it. you have to just let your intuition and deity show you it. now taking a walk through the woods with the intention of finding a wand is good or going to an occult store with the same intention works.

third, the wood you use is really a personal preference or determined by your path. but i suggest not worrying about it. for instance, i wanted an elder or oak wand because those are very powerful woods in both druidry and wicca(the two paths i've followed). then i thought of getting a wand made of crepe myrtle(not sure about spelling) because i liked the way the tree looked and felt(i'm connected to trees). but i went to an occult store and began picking up wands just to get their feel. after picking up fifty or so in the course of two or three trips i finally found one that felt perfect. it was made from cocobolo wood. i had never heard of it and its not in my books on herbs. but i bought it because it was the wand that called me.

so in conclusion, you'll find alot of opinion but if you ask me the only opinion that matters is your own.and that goes for every single magickal or ritual object you'll ever get.

Definitely, Elf. Tools are just what they are. Tools. The power is within. It's hard to think of them as inanimate objects when they seem to give off an energy signal. I have that notion when lighting candles, and it's hard to see myself as one with power if I'm staring at a glowing object I've handled.

a good point. now let me clarify something. objects have energy signitures of their own. and things like herbs and stones have power within themsleves. they vibrate at certain frequencies and that can do stuff. but the real magick happens when your intentions and your inner power amplifies those vibrations and causes change in the world around you.