A witchcraft knife, also known as an athame, is a ceremonial tool used in various pagan and witchcraft traditions. It is a double-edged knife with a black handle, often made of wood or bone, and a blade that is unsharpened. The athame is seen as a symbol of personal power and is used by witches and practitioners of magick in ritual and spell work. The origins of the athame can be traced back to ancient times, where it was believed to be a sacred object imbued with spiritual energy. In modern witchcraft, the athame is used to cast and direct energy, to create a sacred circle, and to cut energetic ties. It is a tool of focus and intention, helping the practitioner to channel their energy and will into their magickal workings.

Day 217: The Athame

As we all know, the athame (pronounced as either ah-THAH-may or ah-THAY-may) is the Witch’s ceremonial blade. Its traditional physical form among many British Traditional Witchcraft lines is that of a cross-shaped, double-edged, black-handled dagger. This means that the guard extends perpendicularly and in a straight line from the knife’s handle and blade. The blade is typically made of a ferrous metal, and the handle is often a wood which has been stained or painted black. This traditional athame also has a sharp point and sharp edges, and it is inscribed–either physically or energetically–with magical sigils that can denote the blade’s energies as well as its name and its weilder’s magical name. In oath-bound traditions, the particular sigils of the tradition are often imparted after initiation. The traditional athame does vary in size, but it will often be between 8 and 12 inches long from tip to tip. According to lore, an individual’s traditional athame should be as long as the distance from the crook of one’s elbow to the bottom of one’s palm (incidentally, this is also the size of one’s foot).

Pretty close to what a traditional athame looks like, though this is actually a knife for Solomonic magic. Athames typically do not have engraving on the blade.

Note that I was very careful to say “the traditional athame” above. In practice, I’m starting to think any knife can be called an athame. You’ll see hilts of every color and material, single-edge blades, blades made from any metal and containing more twists and turns than a Hula dancer, knives made entirely of wood or ivory or bone, and hardly anyone physically inscribes anything upon their athame these days. And you know what? I think that’s great. It is such a personal tool that I find it difficult to believe that every athame would physically conform to a rigid guideline of what a particular knife might look like. In this sense, I am all about tossing traditional restrictions to the wind and finding the knife that feels right to you for use in your own personal practice. As for myself, just about the only tradition I insisted upon was a dark handle. “Candle” is just 8.25″ long (my elbow to palm distance is 10.5″), has a wavy copper blade that is technically single-edged, that edge is dull and the point blunted, and the guard doesn’t extend beyond the handle. I also have no intention to physically inscribe anything upon my beautiful athame. And you know what? My athame works perfectly for me.

My new athame: “Candle” from Brewan at The Metal Craft

As Roderick points out, some traditions hold that the athame is the only tool essential for witchcraft. I strongly disagree–witchcraft is the union of all elements into spirit, not the privilege of any one over the rest. I think the privilege given to the athame by many traditions may have some historical connection with Gardner, though. Old Gardner was very fond of his blades: a full set would entail not only the athame, but also a sword, a boline, and a white-handled knife. The blade fetish carried over into his fiction, too. In Gardner’s novel High Magic’s Aid, the magus Thur can literally do no magical work until he secures the white- and black-handled knives of the witch Vada. Nothing else has magical value without these blades (which alarmingly implies that the blades–not the weilder–is the source of the magic). Even coven practice implicitly reinforces the idea that the athame is the most important tool. For example, it is the one personal magical tool everyone in Hartwood Grove must bring to our group rituals and the only tool our leaders ask that we acquire before initiation. (To be fair, though, each of us also keeps a secondary chalice of our own at the covenstead for use in group Cakes and Wine, so that counts for something.) With a culture such as this, I can see why some practitioners do not view the athame as having equivalent power to the wand, pentacle, and chalice.

I do think, though, that the athame’s physical presence plays a role in commanding this idea of ‘most important tool.’ The other tools basically amount to dinnerware and a stick. The athame, however, is a dagger. You could use it to hurt or kill a person. It is a Scary Thing with capital letters, and as such it immediately commands attention on a mundane level. I find it a little sad that we allow our first cultural/psychological association with the item to give it so much eminence in our tool chests.

Similarly, I find it heart-breaking that some people allow that mundane association of Scary Thing to keep them from using the tool at all. Yes, the dagger carries associations of male dominance, warfare, and aggression…but, as any good cook can tell you, it’s also the tool that makes a good dinner possible. (Think it’s the stove and a pan? Take a look inside a raw foods kitchen. Knives and cutting implements out the wazoo.) In this light, the knife is step one in hearth tending…even if it could also lead to domestic destruction. That being said, I do get a little nervous when a fellow practitioner’s athame looks like a hunting or warring blade or is such a fantasy piece it’s points have points. These look like pure destructive weapons to me, or something without a shred of spiritual purpose. I can definitely understand why some people would feel this way towards all blades.

Magical practitioners who can’t quite get around their mental blocks for using a knife (or who circle with young children) have used plenty of other items to direct energy. I used my right index and middle fingers for years. I’ve also used a quartz crystal, feathers, wands, candles…they all directed energy. In fact, I thought they worked so well that I practically had to be drawn kicking and screaming into using my ‘big girl’ athame instead of my own fingers every time I did magical work. But when I did…I learned I’d been using a paring knife to do the job of a chef’s knife. The knife allowed something to click in my brain that let me direct that energy much more cleanly and efficiently. And now that I’ve gone black, I don’t think I can go back. I would definitely encourage other practitioners to work through their blade blocks, too.

Athame

An example of an Athame, a ceremonial double-edged dagger.

Athame or athamé is what some practitioners of knives . In some traditions, the athame is a knife with a double edged blade and short (often black) handle; other traditions require that the blade be dull, curved, wavy, or a variety of other specifications.

The athame is usually used for boline or white-handled knife is used. Exceptions include "kitchen witchcraft", which actively encourages the use of magical tools for mundane purposes to increase the witch's familiarity with it.

Many traditions associate the athame with the element of Sidhe , to whom iron is supposedly harmful.

There are cleansing rituals to "break in" a newly acquired Athame, be it new, or acquired from another person.

There is no proven etymology for this word as it does not appear in any European Language. In the book Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft, Prof. Ronald Hutton looks into the possible sources that Gerald Gardner may have used to obtain the word 'athame', but he does not pinpoint any clear single source. Some sources, however, (including Robert Graves) suggest that it is derived from Arabic Al Thame (or Adh-dhame), The Arrow.

Description Use this on pages which directly use Wikipedia content. Syntax Type wikipedia| page name >> as the last item of the page text. Note that " page name " should be the title of the page on Wikipedia.

Text above can be found here (edit)
Editors can experiment in this template's sandbox (edit | diff) and testcases (edit) pages.
Please add categories to the /doc subpage. Subpages of this template.

Witch's Black Handled Folding Ritual Knife Athame Boline for Herbalist, Altar Tools, Cutting, Candle Carving

This compact ritual knife has a curved blade and black horn handle with brass and silver-toned accents. It features a sharpened edge that makes quick work of harvesting herbs, flowers, and other leafy plants with ease, and can also be used for inscribing candles, breaking up resin for incense, cutting of ritual offerings, and more.

Please note that the ethically harvested horn handle of this ritual knife may have naturally occurring gentle streaks of white, cream, or beige captured within the black. These beautiful markings add unique beauty to each one of our knives and should not be considered damage or a manufacturing defect.

Size: 2.25" blade and 2.75" closed

Additional Details

It is a tool of focus and intention, helping the practitioner to channel their energy and will into their magickal workings. The athame is considered a masculine tool, often representing the element of air in the traditional Wiccan elemental tools. It is typically associated with the energy of the God or the Sun, and is used in rituals and ceremonies that honor these masculine energies.

1 Review

Great knive for intended purpose

In some traditions, the athame is also used to invoke or banish spirits, to consecrate or purify objects, and as a general tool for magickal workings. When working with a witchcraft knife, it is important to treat it with respect and reverence. Many practitioners believe that the athame should never be used for mundane purposes, as it is seen as a sacred object devoted to magickal use only. It is often kept on the practitioner's altar or in a special case or sheath when not in use. While the athame is a powerful tool in witchcraft and magick, its true power lies within the practitioner themselves. It is the intention and energy directed through the athame that creates the magick, rather than the tool itself. Therefore, it is important for the practitioner to develop a strong connection with their athame and to use it with focused intention and respect. In conclusion, the witchcraft knife, or athame, is a symbolic tool used in pagan and witchcraft traditions for casting spells, directing energy, and performing rituals. It is a tool of focus and intention, helping the practitioner to channel their energy and will into their magickal workings. When used with reverence and respect, the athame can be a powerful tool for practitioners of magick..

Reviews for "Witchcraft Knives in Modern Wiccan Traditions: Innovations and Adaptations"

1. John - 2/5 - I was really excited to get my hands on the Witchcraft knife, but I was highly disappointed with its performance. The blade is not as sharp as advertised and I had a hard time using it for basic tasks like cutting vegetables. Additionally, the handle felt flimsy and uncomfortable to grip. I ended up returning it and investing in a different brand that provided better quality and functionality.

2. Sarah - 1/5 - I have to say, the Witchcraft knife was a complete waste of my money. Right from the start, I could tell that the materials used were cheap and poorly made. The blade quickly dulled after just a few uses, rendering it useless in the kitchen. The design of the knife also lacked innovation, and there were no special features that made it stand out. I would not recommend this knife to anyone looking for a reliable and durable kitchen tool.

3. Emily - 2/5 - I had high hopes for the Witchcraft knife, but unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations. The blade broke after just a few weeks of light use, which was very disappointing. The knife also felt unbalanced in my hand and was not comfortable to hold for extended periods. The overall quality and durability were lacking, and I would not purchase this knife again in the future.

4. David - 2/5 - Although the Witchcraft knife looked stylish, I found it to be impractical for everyday use. The blade struggled to maintain its sharpness, and I had to constantly sharpen it to achieve decent cutting performance. The handle also felt slippery and unsafe during use, which was a major concern. For the price, I expected a much higher quality product, and I regretted purchasing this knife.

The Witchcraft Knife as a Tool of Transformation and Empowerment