Athame

Athame

The athame is one of the traditional tools used by Wiccans, witches, and various other practitioners of witchcraft or paganism as part of their rituals. Typically a short knife with a black handle, it has various symbolic meanings depending on the belief system or ceremony it is part of.

These knives are traditionally seen as one of the four elemental tools of occultism alongside the pentacle, the chalice, and the wand. Each of these items themselves represent different items in older belief systems, most notably Celtic religious ceremonies where they take the place of the sword, the shield, the cauldron, and the spear. In terms of classical elements, this kind of knife is typically representative of the element of fire when used by witches, though ceremonial magicians typically use it to represent wind.

The athame, as a ceremonial and symbolic item, does not need to have any specific appearance. Though they are typically seen as a double-edged knife around 9 or 10 inches in length with a black handle (sometimes with a black blade, as well), superficial characteristics do not matter as much as the tool's purpose in a ritual. Depending on the belief system and the person who uses it, the handle of the knife may also be inscribed or painted with different symbols or colors that play a part in a ritual.

The purpose of these daggers can vary from person to person. As one of the four elemental items, they may simply be held or displayed during a ceremony and not used for anything beyond that. Others may perform symbolic actions with them as part of a ceremony, such as "cutting" through the air or spiritual forces. However, one thing most do not use an athame for is physically cutting an object, a belief stemming from the practices of English Wiccan Gerald Brosseau Gardner who declared it to be the most important tool in witchcraft.

The materials that go into making these knives can vary. Many of them are made entirely from dark pewter (a tin, copper, and antimony alloy), while others might have steel blades with wooden, ivory, or metal handles. Some might be constructed of animal bone. In the same vein as their appearance, the material these knives are made from is less important than what they symbolize to believers.