An athame is usually a double-edged
blade with a
black or
dark handle. It looks a bit like a miniature
sword. (Swords are sometimes used too, for the same purposes as an athame, but they are not as common and are usually used by a
leader of a gathering.) The athame is aligned with the
male energy (the
God) and the element of
Fire (which is aligned with the
south), except in some traditions when it is aligned with the
Air and the
east. This
knife is not used to cut anything, except sometimes a magickal door out of the
circle and in really special situations a few other things, some will say. Rather, it's used as a way to
focus energy and make it go where you choose. Most people hold it in the
projective hand (the
right for most people; often the dominant hand) and visualize this tool conducting
power or
energy (or anything) to its desired place. Some use it for invoking purposes but I like the
wand better for that.
Magickal tools