Today I read chapter 3 in the new book and found it fascinating. It discusses tools used in Druid magic and tries to talk about the origins of the tools, some newer and some ancient from what can be told from history.
A Druid Wand
The Druids have something called Dragon Wands. A dragon wand, difficult to come by, are wands discovered and created from a branch naturally wrapped in vine. For example, if the wood is hazel, it would be called the Hazel Dragon, Oak would be the Oak Dragon. Kinda cool but the book points out that it can take years to find one of these if one is found at all. For example, to find one in Western Washington, you would probably need to plant an ivy near a tree to grow yourself and see what happens.
You can also use any other type of wand though a natural one that is hand made is preferred. My wand below is a piece of root that literally jumped out and tripped me - twice. I was walking in the small forest of Dash Point State Park a beautiful tropical like forest in Federal Way, WA when this lovely root jumped up and tripped me, It wasn't attached to anything though it had not been detached long, it was still very green. I picked it up out of the trail and moved it off to the side so someone else wasn't going to trip on it. So, I continued me walk with Ziggi, my dog, down to the beach. On the way back, there it was, again in the trail tripping me up. So, it went home with me. It sat on my shelves for 6 months before I decided what to do with it, before it spoke to me again. It then became this wand. Since these pics were taken, I lost the amethyst in the point which has been replaced with another using wire wrapping as in the picture far below.
Rod
The rod also sometimes a staff, is used to map out or measure out the sacred space, the protect circle used for any particular ritual. It's planted firmly in the ground and the circle, square, or area is measured at specific times of the day using the sun to draw an exact circle or shape. The measurements are taken at the high point of each direction to create perfect measurements of right angles. It is also said that this was done in conjunction with the Druid Cord, described below, for accurate measurements. This rob brought protection to the sacred area.
I searched but could not find a picture of this. Will add one when I finish mine. My apple wood is currently drying so that it doesn't split when I start to decorate it.
The rod also sometimes a staff, is used to map out or measure out the sacred space, the protect circle used for any particular ritual. It's planted firmly in the ground and the circle, square, or area is measured at specific times of the day using the sun to draw an exact circle or shape. The measurements are taken at the high point of each direction to create perfect measurements of right angles. It is also said that this was done in conjunction with the Druid Cord, described below, for accurate measurements. This rob brought protection to the sacred area.
I searched but could not find a picture of this. Will add one when I finish mine. My apple wood is currently drying so that it doesn't split when I start to decorate it.
Cord
The Druid Cord is a cord made of some sacred strong, un-stretching, naturally sacred material, divided into 12 sections by colors, knots, or beads, used to measure also. Said to sometime be used in conjunction with the rod. It is also said that these could be the cords worn around the waist in the old drawings of Druids passed down through history.
Druid Egg
The Druid Egg is a stone or piece of glass kept close to help with focus. I would compare it most closely to a worry stone. It's round or egg shapes, small enough to keep with you in your crane bag (to be discussed in a few) or your pocket or purse and is held and focus on to help when you are feeling anxious or when there is a decision that needs to be made and great focus is needed.
Druid Sickle
Some places you may read that the Druids used sickles to harvest mistletoe from the trees, that it was held sacred and used in ritual. Archaeologists have found that mistletoe did not enter Ireland until recent times and that unless put there purposely, mistletoe is not generally found in Britain even now.
However the, sickle has been used since ancient times to harvest grains and herbs. It is said that a gold sickle may have been used as it was thought to be pure and holy and that it did not need cleaned. However, a pure gold sickle would not have been usable as the metal is to soft. It would have maybe been gold plated over brass or just been brass shined to resemble gold.
Using a sickle to cut herbs and grains can help to be connected with the ancients. I would say that this is not a necessarily important tool unless you feel connected to it.
Incidentally, i do carry the last one in my store... ;-)
Druid Robe
Robes worn by the ancients were probably made from wool or leather. The book talks about colors and such of the tartans in Ireland and Scotland, how the different colors represent families and such. While interesting, i really didn't see it's importance here.
The wearing of a robe for ceremonial purposes is a popular but from this text, didn't seem to be absolutely necessary. If you do decide that it's something you would like to do, it would be appropriate to make it from wool directly from the sheep or leather directly from the animal, thanks given or course for the gift. More often then not in these modern times, this is not possible so whatever you can get works, just make sure you stay natural and give thanks to whatever plant or animal has given for your robe.
Crane Bag
I little additional info about the crane bag...
According to the book "The Bardic Handbook', by Kevin Manwaring:
"Fionn Mac Cumhail, that great culture hero of Erin, was given a bag made from crane-skin - the crane, or heron, being a divinatory bird sacted to the Druids - it's legs in flight were said to have suggested teh Ogham alphabet. Fionn obtained it from his father by 'skill and cunning'. As a child Fionn was saved from death by his grandmother, who, in the form of a crane (heron) carried him off to a great tree, where he remained protected. The crane bag was said to have been made from the skin of the enchantress Aoife, who had been transformed into a crane for two hundred years as punishment by Bov the Red, King of the Tuatha de Danann. She was the childless second wife of Lir (father of the sea-god Manannan) and filled with jealousy for his first wifes four children, planned to slay them, but instead turned them into white swans (the Children of LIr). When her crime was discovered, she herself was enchanted inot a 'witch of the air', in the form of a crane."
From what I gather in the book, the term 'crane bag' has become more of an expression than a literal interpretation (cranes/herons may even be protected, and not available for 'bagging', pardon the pun!). It seems that it is merely the term for any bag which contains the 'trinkets' that help you do your bardic arts.
"Fionn Mac Cumhail, that great culture hero of Erin, was given a bag made from crane-skin - the crane, or heron, being a divinatory bird sacted to the Druids - it's legs in flight were said to have suggested teh Ogham alphabet. Fionn obtained it from his father by 'skill and cunning'. As a child Fionn was saved from death by his grandmother, who, in the form of a crane (heron) carried him off to a great tree, where he remained protected. The crane bag was said to have been made from the skin of the enchantress Aoife, who had been transformed into a crane for two hundred years as punishment by Bov the Red, King of the Tuatha de Danann. She was the childless second wife of Lir (father of the sea-god Manannan) and filled with jealousy for his first wifes four children, planned to slay them, but instead turned them into white swans (the Children of LIr). When her crime was discovered, she herself was enchanted inot a 'witch of the air', in the form of a crane."
From what I gather in the book, the term 'crane bag' has become more of an expression than a literal interpretation (cranes/herons may even be protected, and not available for 'bagging', pardon the pun!). It seems that it is merely the term for any bag which contains the 'trinkets' that help you do your bardic arts.
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