Making A Gandr
Making A Gandr
Making A Gandr
10) After carving them, the next step is to redden the runes.
Traditionally,
"Tiver" extracted from the madder plant, is used. As an
interesting
side note, the word tiver means "magic," and the color red
symbolizes
magic and active energy. Red runes stimulate the circulation of
the
blood and the senses. You can also use red ocher, minium (red
lead),
dragon's-blood resin, or another reddening substance. These
reddening
pigments are ground with linseed oil, in a sacred manner, while
you
are chanting, "Laukaz, Laukaz, Laukaz," before you begin. Laukaz
invokes the fertility of nature. To apply the red dye to the runes,
a special tool called a "galdrstaf" is customarily used. Inscribed
with the appropriate runes, it is a small veneer-thin piece of
wood
cut into the shape of an isosceles triangle that can easily be held
in your hand. Chant or sing the runes as you redden them.
11) Use consecrated oil or beeswax to seal your wand. Match the
magical
qualities of the oil to the intended purpose of your wand. For
example,
a wand sealed with honeysuckle oil would give it qualities of
protection,
abundance, and strength.
12) Complete your runic wand with natural materials like silk
ribbon, feathers,
and shells, or mount a quartz crystal in the tip. The hinder
(bottom)
end of the gandr is rounded or blunted.
Wand or Staff-Called a gandr in the Northern Tradition,
the magical wand or staff is considered the most ancient
of tools. It is used to move energy from one place to a-
nother, to create magical states of consciousness, and to
set up sacred areas. It also bridges energies, tying them
together in specific patterns.
The wand or staff is painted or carved with all 24 runes
or with specific runic formulas. Often made from wood of
a fruit-bearing tree, the gandr can also be made from yew
or ash. Associated with Odin, the earth element, and the
north direction, staffs measure about as tall as you are,
and are larger in diameter than wands. Wands are usually
no longer than the length of your arm (fingertip to elbow),
and represent the powers of the mind. Because you make them
from wood that still contains the vital essence of the tree,
gandrs are excellent for use in magic, healing, protection,
and power over the elements. They are used to draw runes in
the air.