In my last post I addressed the idea of making your magic personal. There are those little things that you connect to that have personal meaning to you, and those are the most powerful. It could be a tool that you have, a picture or representation that resonates with you, an herb that conjures a childhood memory. These things tap directly into your emotions, your subconscious, and your direct connection to your magic.

On my altar, I have a beautiful compass. It is a lovely brass compass in a leather case. Aesthetically, it is beautiful and was a gift from my husband. Yes, it has a mundane use as a tool in determining the four directions, but it is there more for the metaphysical meanings. Inside the lid, it is engraved with “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. It is a beautiful poem that reminds us that we have miles to go before we sleep. The compass keeps me going in the right direction, in more than one sense.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.   

His house is in the village though;   

He will not see me stopping here   

To watch his woods fill up with snow.   

My little horse must think it queer   

To stop without a farmhouse near   

Between the woods and frozen lake   

The darkest evening of the year.   

He gives his harness bells a shake   

To ask if there is some mistake.   

The only other sound’s the sweep   

Of easy wind and downy flake.   

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.

BY ROBERT FROST

I have several things like that. Some are trinkets that I have picked up over the years, some were gifts, and some were tools that resonated deep inside me that this was the one. I know that new witches often want all of the things, but waiting to find the right tool is a better acknowledgement of your personal magic.

Do you have a favorite tool, or altar piece, or gift that you use in your magic? What is it? Why is it special to you?