The Athame

The Athame, or magical knife, is a ritual tool common to most, if not all, pagan traditions. In the Wolf and Raven Path, this magical knife is used in almost every spell or ritual. Each initiate is expected to create their own Athame. There are several steps in creating this tool

• Find or create the knife that will become your ritual tool
• Personalize the knife to make it uniquely your own.
• Cleanse the knife of any left over energies
• Consecrate the knife for use in magic and ritual

The Wolf and Raven Path requires that every use of the athame be with magical or spiritual intent. If you choose to use a wooden or unsharpened knife, you should also consecrate a Boline for use as a cutting tool.

Making or Choosing Your Magical Knife

Various Designs Suitable for use as Ritual Tools

The magical knife is traditionally double edged. This is a reminder that magic can cut both ways. This is true regardless of the material that the knife is made of. Some believe that the handle of a magical knife should be white. Some believe it should be black. There is symbolism to both colors, but I also know Pagans whose ritual knife handles are undyed leather, wood, metal or bone.

It is also a relatively common practice to create an Athame made entirely of wood. My wife and I have done so. One, made of Ebony, actually held an edge nearly as sharp and as well as some steel knives I have owned! To make a wooden knife, you simple shape your chosen wood (using whatever tools you are most comfortable with) into a double edged blade with a handle.

The most important thing about choosing a magical knife is that it be one you are comfortable using. It should be light enough for you to carry and gesture with for a fairly long time without becoming fatigued. The handle should be small enough to wrap your hand around, and large enough to comfortably fill your closed hand. There should not be decorative touches that interfere with its use - I had to give up a wonderful bat themed knife because the tips of the bat's wings were constantly scraping across the back of my hand when I held it. Maybe it really is just a "guy thing", but in this case, size does matter (at least a little bit).

Personalizing, Cleansing & Consecrating your Athame

Personalizing your Athame can be as simple as drawing a single symbol on the blade, or as complex as replacing the handle with one of your own. Naturally, if you have created your own magical knife, it is already personalized. If you have purchased one, there are several things you can do to personalize it. Some ideas are:

• Carve or paint your magical name into the handle or blade
• Use leather to cover or re-cover the handle of the knife
• Strip and repaint the handle of the knife
• Replace or alter the pommel (decorative bottom of the handle) or guard (decorative top of the handle) of the knife
• Add symbolic embellishments to the handle or base of the blade (ex pewter pentacles, feathers, ribbons, or goddess symbols)

Naturally, you do not have to do all (or even any) of these things. It is most important that your magical knife (and all your ritual tools, for that matter) reflect your magical personality and that you are comfortable using it. Once you have finished personalizing your magical knife, you should cleanse and consecrate it. You can find a simple consecration ritual on the Personalize, Cleanse and Consecrate Ritual Tools page.

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