The Value of Tools, Part 2
Brother B.h.D.A. linked me to a few of his posts ( here and here ) on the subject of magical tools which have raised some additional thoughts. The one I'd like to focus on here is the idea of giving life to an implement. It's not simply employed as eye-candy or a focus-aid, but as a living entity in and of itself, with the power to open and close ceremonies, purify or consecrate initiations, frighten away phantoms, invoke or banish energy, among a myriad of other vitally important tasks. Of course, all of this relies on the magician, but there's no denying that a tool that has seen use by a seasoned magician can easily bring wonders to a ceremony that may otherwise be lacking in a magical spark. The power that can be invested in a tool can be astronomical, and to demonstrate this I'd like to highlight the Opening or Closing by Sceptre than can be employed by a hasty Hierophant. Z1 states: "[The Sceptre] represents [the Hierophant] as touching thereby the Divine ...