To me, any magical "rules" - that go beyond basic common sense - are instant red flags that point to made-up BS or modern magical re-creation. Historically, magic was the tool of the poor and the oppressed, certainly not people who could afford to have separate knives - one for cutting, one for herb harvesting, and one for directing energy and miscellany magical uses. All this "thou shall nots" are thanks largely in part to the modern Neo-Pagan movements and are historically innacurate.
When you think of it, it's really your own energy field doing the work anyway when you use a ritual knife. A knife is just a fancy witchy little prop, although yes, i know, magical tools hold a "charge" after time, get you in the mood, develop a "life of their own," blah, blah, etc, etc. Of course, my bias shines right through. Others' mileage most definitely varies.
Ummm the poor and oppressed usually used kitchen magic.
The rich would go to having tools that were seperate. They would be able to afford grimoires and books and the like. Those tools come from the ceremonial origins of Wicca.
My life contradicts your words, Moon.
I do not use an athame because my finger works just fine.
My finger is also easier to keep track of,
so I don't have to worry about losing or misplacing it. :)
In that regard,
I believe I would go so far
as to say that my finger works better for me
then any athame could.
You didn't,
nor did I say anything about only using my finger for that.
"You can not use just anything for an athame. Generally it's a double bladed black handled knife that has known no blood. Mine is a hunting knife."
That gave me the impretion that you were saying
a finger would not work as an athame.
If I was wrong then I'm sorry,
but so far my finger has not failed in anything
that an athame would be used for.
That means my finger has successfully accomplished
every task that I have used it for
in which other people would use an athame.
Although my finger,
not being a ceremonial knife,
may not be called an athame,
it still does every job of one just fine.
