Making a Magickal Staff

I just finished reading the book Celtic Lore & Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess, Invoking The Morrigan by Stephanie Woodfield, and she had a great section on making your own magickal staff. The book itself, by the way, is amazing and anyone who has any interest in The Morrigan should definitely check it out. I loved every second of it!

According to Woodfield, the Celt's viewed trees as "living beings, and their wood being endowed with magickal powers". They also viewed them as "doorways to the Otherworld". So any magical item made from part of a sacred tree was even that much more powerful. The staff symbolizes a connection to the earth and is a great tool to use during earth energy rituals. I made a staff, (pictured to the right) from a branch I found that must have fallen from the big tree that stands right out front of our house. I actually found it right before reading that particular chapter in the book, and something told me to keep it. So once I read the Earth Mother chapter in this book, I knew what I needed it for.

Your staff doesnt have to be real big either. And you can decorate it with feathers, crystals, leather or suede strapping, etc. I decorated mine with black feathers, a jet crystal on top, and little black, red and white stick on crystals around the staff. Along with black suede wrapped around the top and the bottom. You can see in the close up picture of the top of the staff, the decorations I chose a little more clearly. Once you have your staff and it's decorated. Stephanie Woodfield gives you a staff blessings ritual to do with The Morrigan.

What you will need:

*Staff
*Smudge stick
*Dragons blood oil

Ritual:

Find a place outside (if you can) where you feel connected to the earths energies. Burn the sage and pass the staff through the smoke saying:

I banish all negative energies from this staff,
that it may be a tool of positive magick

Now take your staff in your power hand, and raise it up toward the sky to honor the realm of the Gods, then hold it at chest level to honor the Middleworld, then tap the staff on the ground to honor the Underworld. Visualize the bottom of the staff sprouting roots that dig deep into the earth, then from the top of the staff, visualize branches reaching towards the sky. See a golden light spiraling up from the ground and filling the staff to where your hand is holding it. Now visualize a spiral of light flowing down from the sky into the top of the staff and meets where your hand holds it. Recite:

I bless this staff in the name of The Morrigan,
Symbol of my connection to the wisdom
and strength of the earth, and the three worlds.

Now anoint the top, middle and bottom of your staff with dragons blood oil. Leave a small offering outside of milk.

Now of course if you don't honor The Morrigan, you can just replace the word "The Morrigan" in your blessing to the Goddess of your choosing, and then you would change your offering as well.

I hope you all enjoy making your very own magickal staff! And if you get the chance, check out Stephanie's book, its truly a masterpiece!