How to Consecrate an Object for Magical or Ritual Use

Consecration is the intentional devotion of an object to a particular purpose. To consecrate something means to make it sacred through a small ritual or blessing.

Anything can be consecrated. You can consecrate everything you use in your rituals, like jewelry, amulets, and clothing, as well as the ground on which you do your rituals.

However, once an object has been consecrated, it can no longer be used for daily, mundane purposes. In fact, those items shouldn’t even be stored near other common, ordinary objects. Since they are now sacred, you must treat them as such.

The tools we use in rituals are important parts of what we do. They are devices that guide our will and energy to achieve whatever task we are working on. The longer we use these kinds of tools and put more effort into them, the better they work.

In many paths of magick and modern paganism, magical tools are consecrated before they are used. But keep in mind that for many others, this is not a requirement. In short, if you think it’s important to consecrate your ritual objects, it is. Some witches might use it in some spells but not in others. Like so many other parts of the craft, it differs from person to person.

Cleansing and charging your equipment and ingredients may appear to be a chore at times. However, it is always worthwhile to take the time to complete these processes. Not only is the energy of the objects much better, but when you focus on your practice in this way, powerful changes happen to your own energy as well. (Related reading: How to Cleanse an Object for Magical or Ritual Use – Opens in new tab)

Why Consecrate an object before Ritual use?

Following the consecration process, the subconscious will regard the object as sacred and hence of special significance. That is to say, whatever ceremony or procedure you now perform with that object will have special significance, increasing the likelihood of success.

Your magic practice will work much better if the tools and objects you use are sacred to your subconscious mind.

Related reading: How to Speak to Your Subconscious Mind – Opens in new tab

Consecration Methods for Magical Objects

Calling on the God and Goddess as well as the elements is a common part of consecration. This connects the ritual items directly to the divine.

This might be an easy or complicated operation, depending on your path. Casting a circle and engaging in a ritual of banishment is optional. Some people charge new objects as part of a larger ritual.

A simple way to do it is to use your imagination.

Imagine white light coming from the ground up through your feet, legs, chest, down your arm, through your hand, and into the object till it glows.

Or a white light flowing from the top of your head down your arm, through your hand, and into the object while you say a prayer and declare that the object is now consecrated and holy.

You want that object to glow with light, and the best place to do this is at your altar in your sacred space.

Using Holy Water

All you need is holy water (you can also use moon water) and a piece of fabric.

After you’ve cleansed the object, hold it in your hands and tell it what it’s supposed to do. Simply tell it that its life as a mundane thing has ended and its existence as a magical object is about to begin. Wrap the fabric around the item.

The fabric represents a funeral shroud; you are “burying” the old object. Declare that the object’s previous life has ended.

Unwrap the object and use holy water to sprinkle or mark it. Declare that you brought it back to life and that it is now a magical item in your possession.

If you want, you can spend more time explaining what you expect from the object; otherwise, set it aside.

Using the Four Elements

If you frequently work with the four elements, you might want to consecrate an object in a ritual involving Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. By presenting the object to the four elemental powers, it is consecrated and bestowed with blessings from every direction.

The following is a simple ritual for the consecration of magical objects, like clothes or jewelry, or even the altar itself.

Keep in mind that, like with anything else in magick, there is rarely a correct or incorrect method to perform a task. This is only one example of how you might conduct things; many traditions have their own unique way of consecration.

Let’s start

Place symbols of the four elements on an altar. It is common practice to place

• Earth in the North, symbolized by a bowl of salt
• Air in the East, symbolized usually by incense
• Fire in the South, symbolized by a candle
• Water in the West, symbolized by a bowl of water

Make your representational decisions based on what seems correct to you. This is entirely up to you and your typical working style.

If it’s part of your tradition, cast a circle now. Light up the candle and the incense. Take your tool, put all of your energy into it, and think for a few minutes about what you want to do with it.

• Take the tool or item you want to consecrate (let’s say an athame) in your hands and face north. As you pass it over the salt, say:

“Guardians of the North, Powers of the Earth; I consecrate this athame and charge it with your powers so that it may be used for sacred purposes”

• Turn to the east and say these words while holding the athame in the incense smoke:

“Guardians of the East, Powers of the Air; I consecrate this athame and charge it with your powers so that it may be used for sacred purposes”

• Next, turn to the south and say these words while passing the athame over the candle’s flame—be cautious if it’s made of flammable material:

“Guardians of South, Powers of the Fire; I consecrate this athame and charge it with your powers so that it may be used for sacred purposes”

• Lastly, face west and say these words while passing your athame over the cup of water.

“Guardians of West, Powers of the Water; I consecrate this athame and charge it with your powers so that it may be used for sacred purposes”

After that, offer the tool your energy by placing it on your heart and experiencing the energy pass between you and the tool.

At the end of the ritual, put the tool on your altar, do your regular work, and let it get used to the energy of your altar. After a night, you can start carrying it with you and using it like you would any other tool you already use.

Some branches of Wicca and other Pagan traditions believe that using an object right after it has been consecrated helps to solidify the consecration and boost the tool’s energy.

If you’re new to magick, it’s a good idea to experiment with a few different practices before settling on one that seems right for you.

Use our “Spellcaster” app and explore the magical world of spellcasting. Try it now!

More Tips on Consecration

• You can use knot magic to seal the consecration by tying a string or ribbon around your item and carving a sigil that means something to you on it.
• Traditionally, altar tools are consecrated on a pentacle. However, a pentacle can also be drawn over the object in the middle of the altar using a wand or an athame.
• Consecrations are often performed within the circle on full moons, although they can be performed at your altar at any time.
• If you can make a magical tool by yourself, that’s even better.
• You are not required to find a tool right away. Take your time, and keep in mind that these are tools you will use for a long time.
• When you’ve found the perfect tool, don’t try to get it for less. If the price is fair, you should pay what the seller wants.
• This is fine as long as you can trade something in exchange for the tool. You’re still paying a reasonable price.

Do you want to learn more about Magick? Check out our recommendations at “Magick Bookshelf” and many free resources at our “Free Magick Library“

Featured photo by RODNAE Productions from pexels.com