PBP: Buy or Make Tools?

Prompt: Who Makes Your Tools?

credit: daillywicca.com

A lot of Pagans perform rituals. Even those who do not, still have at least one tool that belongs to their practice, whether it be a Book of Shadows or a candle....

When it come to the tools of your practice, does it matter who made them or where they come from?
Does something you made yourself have more power? Or can you simply purchase what you need, then cleanse and charge it for your use?

Remember, what works best for you may not be for everyone, so please don't get too 'preachy' on this subject...

~Magickal Graphics~  

I definitely believe the more energy you put into the tool the better that tool will work for you. That doesn't mean you have to craft every single tool you use. It can be as simple as buying a statue that isn't painted, and doing the painting yourself. It doesn't need to be perfectly painted! As a matter of fact, imperfect art is absolutely perfect for my craft. Which is why I set out to make clay art to sell. I've been a bit lax in making more art. That's because I'm a busy homeschooling momma with a toddler. You can see my imperfect art in my Pagan Creation Etsy store. The Isis statue you see in my store is a apart of my current altar. I also have a Cernunnos statue I use on my altar that I made.

My Cernunnos statue. Pic taken while he was still in the mold and drying.

There are some things that you may not be able to craft or just feel like you don't have the talent to do. That's OK too! That's what cleansing and charging is for.

My Book of Shadows is just a simple notebook. Your tools do not have to be fancy or expensive. We are the craft of the wise. It's not wise to spend all your money on an expensive item when it's not necessary. Often the most simplest of tools is what you feel most connected with.

Our BOS & Isis!

Sorry I've been a little quiet lately. I assure you I'm not sitting on my bum doing nothing. OK I am sitting on my bum but it's for a good cause. After making my Cernunnos out of clay I realized, I really like sculpting! I may not be very good at human features but I do pretty good for my purposes. After all it doesn't have to be perfect, but the energy I put into making it just gives my clay figurines that much more power. I think it's better than going out and buying a Cernunnos and Isis statue. Now I just have to think about what I want to make next. hmm. Suggestions?

Clay Isis. By SalemWitchChild

Here is Isis. Overall I like her, though there are a few things I wish I'd have smoothed over before I allowed her to dry out too much to fix. I made her with an offering cup at the bottom, which as you can see I've yet to take her out of the molded cup because I just finished her today. I'll do that in a couple of days and here's hoping it comes out smoothly! Otherwise I think I owe my MIL some Tupperware. How do you like her?

I've thought about going back and adding the same cup, or maybe one slightly larger, to Cernunnos. We'll see how Isis comes out of the mold first before I go messing around with his design.

I've also been doing my research on Cernunnos. I think most witches and Wiccans have a Book of Shadows. Or at least a journal. I don't specifically call mine a BOS. Instead it's titled "Thoughts, Feelings, and Dreams." I also have poems and other Pagan related information written in here. Yes, a couple spells as well. I'm not a good little witch when it comes to documenting all my witchy stuff. I usually end up writing out rituals on loose paper and burning that paper at the end of the ritual. So for one to make it into my BOS is rare. I also think it's rare for today's modern Pagan to not have his or her rituals on the computer. I guess I'm old fashioned in that I want it on real paper. It doesn't have to be fancy. Mine is just in a normal half sized journal type booklet. I feel more comfortable with a tangible item than typing it all out and saving it on my PC. Probably because like the other day, when my laptop screen bit the dust. I'm using my daughters Netbook for the time being.

Do you keep a written BOS, a computerized BOS, or a little of both? Do you like your own crafted tools better than bought ones?