The Story of the Reluctant Wand Maker ...

Once upon a time there was a man; a simple, quiet man who lived with his dear wife in the woods on a peaceful little hill nestled in the lovely foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Making wands was never something this man set out to do. Woodworking was not one of his hobbies nor had he ever participated in "ritual" work that required the use of a wand.

But none of that mattered ... a wand-maker he was to become. I know this story well because … I am that simple, quiet man. Several years ago, quite unexpected and out of the blue, the idea presented itself to me that I should make wands. Now all things considered, this was a rather crazy idea. Therefore, almost as quickly as the idea had occurred, I easily dismissed it. But it was not to be that easy ...

Since I am writing this story and you are quite likely looking at a wand I made, it's obvious I wasn't able to totally dismiss the idea of making wands. No, over the next few months, like that tune that sticks in your head, the idea came back again and again. Each time, I'd dismiss it. After all, who would want a wand I made and what in the world did I know about making wands?

I guess for you to understand this story fully, you have to know that while woodworking wasn't a hobby of mine, what was a hobby ...no, even more than a hobby ... as it was an important part of my life for over thirty years, was the study of arcane knowledge. Part of what I've learned is that everything happens for a purpose. God, the All, the Universe, whatever you name it, doesn't make accidents. We may not always understand the purpose for something but it is there. So as this thought of wands persisted, I started to investigate this drive I was feeling.

I did not make the connection for months but about this same time, my daily meditations were asking for guidance. I asked to be drawn to whatever I could be doing to add to the greater good. How might I be of service to the divine light? But I digress; let me get back to the story …

So I started to read about wands ...
Thinking that perhaps I was supposed to learn more about wands, I started reading all I could find on the subject. I read about wands and their uses throughout the ages. I read of fantasy wands and legendary wands. I read of wizards and mages, witches and druids. I read many things but none seemed to resonate. Then I ran across a book called "Wanding" by Evan Twede. This book approached the use of a wand different than other books. This book brought to my attention that a wand can be used to focus one's efforts and energies in ways that very much agreed with my metaphysical teachings. With this bridge I could better understand the workings beneath many "schools" of magic. Yet, this information alone was not the source of the drive to make wands.

So I bought wands ...
After the reading phase I wondered if perhaps this fixation on wands was indicating I needed to own a wand. Yes, yes I thought … that was much more likely than the idea of actually making wands. This led me to seek out the work of other wand makers. Over a period of several months I purchased a number of wands. One was made by a Wiccan wand-maker; another by a third generation woodworker and several others from different sources. All doubtless made by skilled wand makers but none were right for me. So what was left but to actually make a wand?

My first tries ....
As the universal prodding persisted, I often found myself with a stick in my hand when I sat down to watch TV. While my father was a skilled whittler, my experience shaping wood was pretty much limited to scraping the bark off a limb to make my wife a walking stick. The results of my first efforts didn't seem to fulfill the ever growing drive I was feeling to make wands for strangers.

My first true wands ...
Feeling that the only way to be rid of this persistent urge was to let it play out, I picked up cheap wood lathe at eBay. This turned out both bad and good. Bad because the lathe was basically junk. Having worked on industrial equipment (including metal lathes) for years, I know junk when I see it. Yet ... despite the shortcomings of the machine, I found that right from the start, I was actually making wands ... and it felt right!

Now, as I had never used a wood lathe before, this came as quite a surprise. The machinist in me (from my younger years) fought the imprecision of the wood lathe when compared to its metal working cousin, still ... it felt right. So I pushed ahead finding the ability to work the wood coming from a source unknown to my conscious mind. I just seemed to feel what was right to do and what wasn't and if I kept my mind out of the way, my hands did what was needed for the task at hand.

The wood, the machine and I together all fashion the wand but its real creator is something greater. I often wonder if the wands are created by those seeking a wand; each with their own concepts of what is a proper wand. Myself, I consider a wand good and proper if I keep myself out of the way of its coming to life.

While I have upgraded to a much better lathe, my approach to wand making has not changed. I still don't know why I was chosen to become a wand maker. What I do know is that making wands feels right for me at this time.

So there you have it, the story of how a simple man became Frater RJ the maker of magic wands. At this point I have no idea how long I'll be making wands. When I no longer feel compelled to make them, I'll stop. I'll know my work with them is done. Until then, I'll keep allowing that universal force that shapes all things to use me to release the wands hidden within the wood.