How to consecrate tools?

[Tristram Shandy]

I'd like to practise rituals. I can't find rituals specific to my own belief system, so I am creating my own. I have made a couple of sketches. But I have a problem that prevents me writing them out in detail, and doing them in practice. You need tools, and you need to consecrate them. And each system of tools has its own conscration methods, so you have to choose one. The system shouldn't force me to adopt a conflicting worldview. For instance, I can't take advise from some Wicca 101 book, and appeal to God, Goddess, and other forces derived from the Wiccan deities' existence, since I don't consider nature sacred. I don't know where to turn. I either have to read a lot about many different systems, or ask people's opinions. I choose latter.

Of course, it is useful for you to know what I am planning to do in my rituals. I will praise figures like Lucifer, Seth, the so-called Invisible Father that existed before the beginning, and ask for sensibility to perceive more about them. I am still in such a phase that I feel tempted to read some annoying doctrinal texts backwards, and thank Sophia+Logos = Lucifer for helping me to let myself disagree with the texts.

I own currently two possible tools: a candlestick and a cup. They both are of clay and I got them from my relatives. The candlestick definitely needs consecration because I suspect that it used to hold candles in front of icons. A light is a positive thing in Gnosticism, and the Sethian Gnostics had an interest in water, since they were a baptismal sect. There are four lightbringers in Gnostic mythology, who could somehow be identified with the "watchers" in each cardinal point.

There seems to be lots of masculinity-femininity polarity mystification in occult and esoteric theory. People define which element is masculine, which feminine, compare Sun and Moon etc. Such fixation annoys me a great deal. It repeats the popular misunderstanding that there are only two genders, which have polar opposite characteristics. I think my gender is a Frog, or a Linux User; which side am I in? But I'm afraid I can't avoid masculine vs. feminine terminology when I read esoteric literature.

[Anibis]

Well, my guess is that you do not need a recipe for consecration so much as just to perform an inspired act that will make the object special. Mabye take them up a mountain, or bury them for a week or, whatever. I am of the mind that really, the best thing to do is just fuse them with a potent memory/meaning. This is how a thing becomes magickal. Then again, I've never been great at your classic consecrations... recipe books are for getting your bearings, but, ultimately, they fail to transmit the spirit of a magickal act. Hope this is food for thought though. Magick is, in my opinion greatly enriched by the sort of attitude one might take to painting, or poetry. Just leap, and keep your dignity.
-Ibisis

[fr.novumorganum]

Both traditional hermetic and golden dawn style consecration rituals can be found with a good google search. For example Levi's consecration rituals (which I used after a bit of modification) can be found in the .pdf's of his work.

Basically, consecrating hermetic tools involves creating a magickal link (see Magick in Theory and Practice for a good explanation of that) between the tool and the element (basic) or the symbolic intent (advanced) that has significance to you AND channels the proper energy.

IMHO one needs to be able to honestly invoke or contact the said element/energy for consecration rituals to work.

[Ci Celli Ddu]

Personally I just make it up with whatever resources are at hand. You can present it to the four directions and blow cigar smoke on the tool whilst reciting a maeningful verse, or just hold them in your hands and sing a symbolic song. Improvisation is the best tool in magick.

[Radiant Star]

I don't want to presume too much here, but it almost sounds like you have read a lot of about various systems and nothing has really grabbed you, I mean REALLY got your attention. It may be simply that you are a direct magick person and no amount of tools will do it for you. Or it may be that you believe you need to follow one system completely and no one system on its own does it for you, so you feel frustrated, or so it sounds.

Bah, I would just centre yourself and consecrate whatever with yourself directly. Sometimes in a working, an entity will come along and present you with a tool or two or a ritual or a system; it will then mean a lot to you and that discomfort I think I see will dissipate.

Just some thoughts on first reading.

[m1thr0s]

Basically, consecrating hermetic tools involves creating a magickal link (see Magick in Theory and Practice for a good explanation of that) between the tool and the element (basic) or the symbolic intent (advanced) that has significance to you AND channels the proper energy.That's exactly correct from my perspective. And really, common sense is allowed to be a part of this process, despite what some source materials might lead you to believe. If a tool is being consecrated to a very specific character or purpose then naturally you'll want to embue it with as much energy or as many variables as you can find but in the end it's more about what actually works for you...

m1thr0s