by Wyn Summerhawk L.C.W. PhD. & Talisman Winterhawk L.C.W. U.L.C. PhD.
The Athame is the Black Handled Knife use to cut the necessary things for the
circle such as the pentagrams in the quarters and the circle. It should be
mentioned herein that the Athame need not be a black handled knife. It is the
opinion of the authors that it suit the person who uses it. It is also used to invoke
and banish things that are unwanted or needed in the circle. It is considered to
be an extension of the users "self". This includes will, spirit, thought, emotion
and manifestation as well. It should be mentioned here that the Athame is never
used for cutting things like meat, thread, plants or anything else considered a solid object on this plane. (Use of this blade for self defense will make it null and
void for any magical use again.)
 
The written history of the Athame as a magical tool comes to us from the
Lansdowne Manuscript dated 1202 and the Sloane Manuscript dated 1307.
Before we go further it must be stated that the manuscripts above were great
magical works and this information was evidently known and practiced well
before these manuscripts were written. These are considered to be the only survivors of the book and Witch burnings of the inquisitions. The material
contained in these manuscripts is Quabalistic in nature. In the book The Key
Of Solomon, L.W.deLaurence's 1914 translation of the manuscripts states that
the Black Handled Knife,"...is for making the Circle wherewith to strike terror
and fear into the Spirits. It should be made on the day of Mercury, the Hour of
Saturn, tempered "thrice" by fire and dipped into the blood of a black cat and
juice of hemlock." Not something I want to do with my Athame today.
 
In Israel Regardie's book, "The Golden Dawn", 1984 the method of "making"
the Air Dagger is a very long ceremonial ritual. The Air Dagger is considered
to be the equivalent of the Wiccan Athame. This is where so many get confused
as to what direction the Athame should correspond to. The Athame my be used
as an Air Dagger but it is NOT an Air Dagger. Considering the age of the
manuscripts that deLaurence translated and the initial printing of "The Golden
Dawn" in 1937 there was a change of attitude as to the Athame, i.e., no more
blood used in consecration. Further history shows a Greek vases with women
commanding Spirits with a short bladed knife. "The Clavicle Of Solomon"
published 1572, mentions the knife as a "Arthana" which Athame may be a
subverted form of the word. For more information on the history of the Athame
I would suggest reading The A.B.C.'s of Witchcraft by Doreen Valiente.
 
The Athame is nothing like it used to be . It is the considered opinion that the
Athame is of the Center and of the other four quarters as well, not just the East.
It is the controlling factor and extension of Self in magic that leads us to that
conclusion. We consider the Athame to be a tool of center, of self, of evocation
and banishing. The Athame is the tool wielded of one's own will, thoughts,
emotions, and intuition, over all of the Elements and over ALL. We use it to
command, even, the spirits that we evoke, invoke, and banish. The moment one
strikes a relationship with the blade is the beginning of it's consecration. The purpose of consecration is to embedd in one's own mind and in the very metal
of the blade, the focus of it's purpose. Cleansing a clearing is the symbolic
refinement of the blade. Binding makes the blade truly one's own, and extension
of self in the center of the Universe. Charging is the energy from within the self
projected through the blade and outward in the direction of ones intent.
 
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The Consecration of the Athame...

Required for the ritual:
The intended blade wrapped in a black cloth (symbolically still unmined metal) Juice of pimpernell (in lieu of sacrifice) in a cup of water A basin of water large enough to wash the blade with salt Solomon's Seal incense A feather A needle and candle to sterilize, to take a drop of own blood (optional) Container of earth large enough to bury the blade Brazier, Hibachi, or a torch and fuel to temper the blade (preferably a flame) Lodestone or magnet
Beginning in the center of the consecrated alter in the center of a sacred space
(In the center of the Universe) three days beforethe new Moon;
1. Take the intended blade out of the black cloth as if mining the metal. Wash
the blade as if washing new metal from the Earth (optional brushing as well).
Thank the Earth for the metal.
2. Carry the blade to the East and smudge with smoke of incense and the feather.
Meditate upon the blade's purpose-extension of self with fine tuned intellectual
process behind it's use, consciously driven. Anoint the blade with oils from the
skin rubbing it from haft to point, visualizing it being formed into the shape it
should be in idea or design.
3. Carry the blade to the South. Heat in the brazier and temper in the cup with
juice of pimpernell three times. Meditating on the forging of the metal as per
the design, thinking it made as "mine" (A drop of blood from one's own finger
intensifies this concept at this time) then chant:
Blade of steel I conjure thee, To ban all things as named by me, And as my words, SO MOTE IT BE.
Say it until it sticks.
4. Carry the blade to the West. Bathe the blade lovingly in the basin of water
and anoint with own bodily fluids such as a tear, or saliva. Meditate upon the
emotional bond one chooses to build with the blade.
5. Carry to the North. Rub the blade gently from the point to haft with the magnet
or lodestone chanting:
Blade of steel I conjure thee, To attract all things as named by me, And as my words, SO MOTE IT BE.
Say it until it sticks.
Ceremoniously bury the blade in the earth filled basin to rest as dead to be reborn
seven days later. Speaking over the new grave something like (it is suggested
it be one's own poem):
Thee of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth Made as mine, My will through thee, Mastering all Elements, My Servant
6. Seven days later recast the circle around the undisturbed blade in it's basin
of earth. This would be a good time to have a name ready for the 'newborn'
Athame.
7. Carry the Athame to each quarter. Introduce it to the Guardians by the name
that has been chosen.
8. The name of the blade, one's own name, and/or words of power in secret symbols
of one's own choice can now be embedded, painted, or engraved upon blade and
handle as one chooses.

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Making Your Athame
Written By Raymond Buckland from his book, Complete Book of Witchcraft

If you can't buy a suitable piece of steel, use an old file or chisel and work with that. Whatever steel you have, it is going to be hard so your first job will be to soften it for working. Heat the steel till it is a dull red. If you have no other way of doing it, lay it on the burner of a gas or electric stove. You may have to leave it there, with the control turned fully on, for several hours but it will eventually heat up to a dull red. Once it has reached that color, turn off the heat and let it cool down naturally. That's all there is to it. It will now be softened and easier to work.
 
Figure 3.1 Mark on the metal, with a pencil, the shape you want it to be (see figure 3.1). With a power handsaw (if you have one), or a simple hacksaw, cut out the profile and file off any rough edges Then start shaping the blade for sharpness. A grinding wheel could come in handy here, though you can work with rough and smooth files. The blade is going to be double-edged, so you are aiming for a diamond shaped cross-section (see figure 3.2). Finish off the blade with 2 grades of wet and dry paper.
Now your blade will need to be hardened and tempered. Heat it up again, this time until it is red hot. Then take hold of it with a pair of pliers and plunge it into a bowl of tepid (not cold, or the blade will crack) water or oil. Allow it to cool off then clean it with wet and dry paper.
Figure 3.1
Figure 3.2 Figure 3.3 and 3.4
 
Next, to temper it, reheat the blade to a dull red. Again, plunge it, point downwards, into tepid water or oil, moving it up and down in the liquid. Clean it with wet and dry paper, then heat it again. Watch the blade carefully this time as it changes color. It will go to a bright, light, straw color, then to a medium straw color. Immediately plunge the blade into the water and let it cool off (don't let it get past the straw color; it would go to blue, then purple and green.) Watch the point as that will change color first, At the first sign of "blueing" on the point, plunge the blade into the water. NOTE: The colors appear quickly. Keep the point the farthest from the heat.

Once the blade is cold take it outside and plunge it into the ground a couple of times. Now you have moved the blade through the Air, Heated it with Fire, Plunged it into Water, and Showed it to the Earth.

For the handle, take 2 pieces of wood. Draw around the tang (the handle part of the blade) on each of the pieces of wood. (see figure 3.3 and 3.4). Then chisel out the marked sections, each one to ~21 the thickness of the tang. When finished, the 2 pieces of wood should lay together perfectly with the tang inserted between them. When you are satisfied they fit well, slightly roughen the inside wood and then spread a good epoxy resin glue all over. Put the tang in place, press the 2 wooden handle halves together and clamp. When clamping, put on the pressure slowly so as to give a better "spread" to the glue. Leave clamped for at least 3 days.

When removed from the clamp, draw a profile of the handle you want on the wood and start cutting/carving it to shape.

Some traditions call for certain signs to be carved on the handle. Even if your does not, you may wish to add some decoration. I would certainly recommend at least putting your Craft Name or monogram on it. You might also like to etch something on the blade, this isn't difficult to do.
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