Making a Staff

Tools are only as required as you believe them to be. A staff will only grant you as much power as you believe it will grant you, thus even then the power is actually coming from you and going back to you(kind of a waste of energy in my opinion). However, a staff is helpful for other reasons and does represent many things. So, here's how to do it.

First you will need the proper branch of the proper length, usually that length should be measured by your own height. If you are five feet even, for example, you would probably want a staff that is somewhere between four feet and eight inches to five feet and four inches, but the exact height is entirely up to you and what you feel comfortable with. For width, it should be as wide as feels comfortable in your hand.

Once you have found the proper branch you'll have to treat it. Cleaning it is a definite must, you have to get the dirt off it, but whether or not you remove the bark is up to you. I normally leave the bark on(it looks nicer) and just burn some symbols or designs into the wood with a wood burner which you can get at Walmart or any other crafts store near you.

If you do use a wood burner be very careful; keep a large bowl of water that is at least one fourth of the way filled with ice as well as a container of burn cream next to you. Burns from a wood burner hurt like hell and I speak from experience; blisters will form quickly and if it is not treated in time the burn will remain for at least a week. Another option you could take would be to use a knife and just carve the symbols or designs into the bark. What I did was both; first I carved the designs and symbols and then I went over it with the wood burner. The reason for that is that the groove I made with the knife helped keep the wood burner from slipping.

Once you are done a cheap and highly effective wood finish is the commonly used cooking ingredient; vegetable or olive oil. Vegetable oil is usually cheaper, but either one will give your staff a very nice gloss and prevent the wood from rotting over time. It locks in moisture and extends the wood's lifespan significantly, however for the first two months the finish will have to be redone every two weeks and after that it will have to be redone once every year. The reason for it being done every two weeks at first is because the wood will quickly soak up the oil evenly throughout it's length, causing every square centimeter to be securely preserved and protected.

After the finish has been soaked up and is securely set your staff may still be a little bit oily. This will go away with use, just be sure to wash your hands when you're done with it and don't mind it to much. If it bothers you anyway you can take a wash cloth over it and scrub it off, but I do not recommend doing so roughly or with water. What many Native Americans used to do for their walking sticks involved fire, but many of them did not use a type of oil for a finish first. Instead what the Native Americans did was a simple scorching in which the wood would darken although they did not have it over the fire long enough for it to burn. Another option is what I am about to explain; adding additional accessories. Everything I am about to mention with the exception of the last mentioned accessory is, for the most part, optional.

You can add a grip using leather strips, cloth, or just about anything comfortable around the area you will be holding on to. You may use glue, string, etc, to hold it in place. A grip will keep the oily feel off your hands and add some comfort to the part you hold. I use leather from a buffalo hide.

You can also add some bags, as many Native Americans did, to hold precious items. Some would hold souvenirs from adventures such as nice rocks, wood carvings, something from a special someone, shells, some would hold more important things such as medical herbs, food, etc. These would most likely be placed between the top and the grip. I have four bags on mine and each are specified for different things; one for personal treasures, one for souvenirs, one for medical herbs, and one for food(trail mix, usually, or berries).

At the top you may place feathers, strings, you could place a crystal there, some charms, or you could top off your staff with a wood carving fitted specifically for the top of that staff. The choice for the top is yours to make, but normally the top is used to represent something. For my staff I used that stringy thing I got from graduating at the military academy, the blue and gold thing that has the year I graduated mentioned and I can never remember the proper name for. I also have a couple of eagle feathers that were rewarded to me for educational and warrior achievements by the tribe I was with at one point as well as a buffalo horn that was gifted to me due to the words of their medicine man comparing me to the buffalo, but that is placed a little lower since it is heavier, it is just beneath the feathers and just above the bags.

Finally, there is the matter of the base. The bottom. The part that will touch the ground more often then any other part should. For this, I suggest you make a cap. Whether you bind it in leather or cap it with metal, you will need something to keep the wood from splintering off at this part. A cap can also be placed on the top, I did, but it is only really necessary for the base. For the base of my staff I at first used leather, but eventually I melted down some old soda cans and shaped a cap out of that. It needed to be polished up, but it works.

I forgot to mention, you can bless as you see fit. You could bless each item before putting it all together as a staff, bless the staff after it's made, or both which is what many people seem to do including myself. The blessing should be done as you feel it would be appropriate, but generally it would be done with a prayer to your deity or a chant for whatever and sea salt to purify.

The first staff I ever made I had symbols carved in it but also my magick name, I had ribbons on it and blessed it with sage, Patchouli oil and Olive Oil. I didn't know you were supposed to coat it every 2 weeks then every year; thanks for letting me know that.

Your welcome. The coating isn't really an extremely big deal so long as you keep the staff safe. It just helps keep the wood from drying out to much or rotting away.

Posted by honeydew2 (December 16, 2010) :

HOW TO MAKE MAGICK STAFF

find a large willow tree. It can be the American white willow or for a more ''witchy'' effect you an use the corkscrew or crooked willow. Cut strong branches about 1''-2 1/2'' in diameter about 6' long. Use the best of the branch and cut off the ends and all the little branches throughout. If you want a clean, light-wooded staff strip bark off immediately. A bark spud works but I prefer a small knife. I personally like the darker look, plus it is much more practical for using in the woods. After cutting off excess little branches sand areas flat. Then use sander to smooth the whole staff. Wear a mask and goggles for safety. Take fine sand paper (120 or higher) and make as smooth as you want.



Coat with polyurethane, let dry, then coat again. I put down a cheap plastic table cloth, use old canning racks to lay across, then coat them. You can use the table cloth many times for this same project so don't throw away.


Use the Dremel to drill out a hole about 1/2'' deep and a little larger than the diameter of the crystal point. To hold the point, put in a very good glue like 527 Multi-Purpose glue that can be found in Walmart or any craft store. Don't be stingy...it dried clear so even if it runs over it won't show. Let dry for 24 hours. Then drill a small hole all the way through the staff about 1 1/2'' from top. Run wire (color is your choice) through and wrap around base several times of point and secure near hole. Use material, leather, or suede to cover wire on staff. Wrap more wire.



If you are using a 50mm crystal sphere, use the Dremel to cut out just enough out of top of staff to set in sphere perfectly. Then add plenty of glue to hold and let set for 24 hours. Drill small holes all the way through so that there are four holes. Then wrap wire and cross over top of sphere but first I use a tiny crystal stone that is used in making jewelry because it has a hole in it for stringing then use it for securing the wires as they criss-cross the top. Then wrap with material of choice and add wire. You can be creative with the wiring.



Make sure bottom of staff is flat. Add material of choice wrapping over bottom also. Sometimes I use leather to wrap bottom. Then screw on anti-skid pad to protect bottom of staff.


Read more: How to Make a Magick Willow Staff | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5428493_make-magick-willow-staff .html#ixzz18IJi23kf

Posted by honeydew2 (December 16, 2010) :

i forgot to mention that a staff is supposebly used to store then direct the magick