Mental or Physical?

[Antoninus]

Do you think its better to have tools to work with in worship that are mental or physical? I have more tools than I can count, I could create a temple if I wanted, but these exist only in my mind. My own physical tools are very few in number. My rituals and magic is played out all in my mind.

Do you think worship and magic is even possible with tools of the mind?

[mucgwyrt]

My question is, how different are they, really?

I mean, you have a physical athame, therefore you have a spiritual athame, too. I imgaine it makes life a lot easier for people who have a hard time visualising stuff :)

I think worshipping with spiritual tools is perfectly possible, but they have to be 100% real to you, in the way that a real, solid tool would be. Thats not acheivable for a lot of people, especially beginners.

[morrigan]

I have very few physical tools..I find that while they are nice to have I dont find them a nessesity..as far as tools etc go, i really only use my tarot cards, pendulum, bos and a few crystals.. anything else i have is pretty much just because i like how it looks..
if a person becomes too reliant on physical tools it can limit what they can do imo.. i think a person should be able to work with and without physical tools.. there are times when a person isnt in a position to set up an altar for something that may need to be done so being able to work using visualisations etc is important

[Bix]

Do you think its better to have tools to work with in worship that are mental or physical? I have more tools than I can count, I could create a temple if I wanted, but these exist only in my mind. My own physical tools are very few in number. My rituals and magic is played out all in my mind.

Do you think worship and magic is even possible with tools of the mind?
I think it's possible, it just seems to me it would be a bit more difficult. I need something physical to latch onto. But if you can visualize everything, more power to ya! :bigblue:

[semi]

I think it can all be done mentally. The physical tools just help people use their mental counterparts.

[Antoninus]

Rock on :) Im not crazy

[Maverynthia]

Living in a dorm all of my tools are mental, I can't bring in candles, incense or large knives.

[semi]

Well, nobody said you're not crazy. Heh.

[KEishin]

That's a very Crowley-ish/Ceremonial concept - having an astral temple where your mental tools are just as strong as your physical ones. Their goal was to eventually get rid of the physical tools totally and use only the astral.

I'm experimenting with that right now, but it's not easy to do at first. I'm pluggin along though. I found that sitting down to draw out what my tools 'looked like' seemed to make them that much clearer to my inner sight.

[KaliGiri5]

when I was in my teens..the tools looked cool
but I always knew I was able to do things without them.
I use very little to no physical tools..that theatric stuff isn't me.
i wear no special clothing and don't even chant anything.
although I collect rocks and gems..I don't use their energy..it's too low
a human has the highest energy on earth.
and the mind rules it.
the mind also connects you to the higher spirits/energy.
you can heal yourself or will yourself to die
all with your mind without the use of medicine or doctors.
even the "physical" tools..their only power is within your mind.
I would say the mind itself is the most important tool you could use.

[~SeaWitch~]

Tools can be fun, but they are not necessary. For me, the real connection is mental and emotional. :broomride

[Luciferish]

Tools, physical or spiritual are identical. What I have found over the years is that a physical tool, used properly for extended periods of time can help greatly in times of extream distress. When you find it hard to focus you Will, you pick up your athame for a few moments.. hold it in your hand, feel it, speak to it. Your will focuses.. Wield the Tool you wield your will. When you are not in distress you may easily do without the tool, but like any tool it must be used on occasion to keep the rust off and keep the connection to your spiritual variation strong. After 20+ years of craft practice I still use tools regularly.

In covens its a visual key, allowing others to SEE the intent in motion, it unifies intent and visual processes. So for lack of better terms a spritual prop. Are they required? no. Are they useful, most certainly. I encourage every practicing witch to have the basics, Athame, Wand, Chalice and Patten (Pentagram). If for no other reason than to use these tools to speak to other pagans if needed and to allow you to have a repository for energies in the future needs that may arise in distress.

[Lupercus]

Do you think its better to have tools to work with in worship that are mental or physical? I have more tools than I can count, I could create a temple if I wanted, but these exist only in my mind. My own physical tools are very few in number. My rituals and magic is played out all in my mind.
Do you think worship and magic is even possible with tools of the mind?

Tools, in the final result, are not necessary for the effectual purpose of the raising and focusing of power. However, that said, tools are a powerful stimulant for the focusing of energy and the shift in consciousness required. Our tools, properly infused with the power of the Divine Ones, and our own power, help us transcend the mundane nature of the material earthbound plane, and help to create the doorway to that "Space between the Worlds" where we are in communion with the energy of the spiritual entities. Yes, i still use my tools. Not because i have to but because i choose to do so. I believe that within the Astral, there are counterparts to the tools we wield in the Temporal plane. I have seen them, and believe the use of one effects the use of the other. _wiz_

[Ron]

Tools, physical or spiritual are identical. What I have found over the years is that a physical tool, used properly for extended periods of time can help greatly in times of extream distress. When you find it hard to focus you Will, you pick up your athame for a few moments.. hold it in your hand, feel it, speak to it. Your will focuses.. Wield the Tool you wield your will. When you are not in distress you may easily do without the tool, but like any tool it must be used on occasion to keep the rust off and keep the connection to your spiritual variation strong. After 20+ years of craft practice I still use tools regularly.

In covens its a visual key, allowing others to SEE the intent in motion, it unifies intent and visual processes. So for lack of better terms a spritual prop. Are they required? no. Are they useful, most certainly. I encourage every practicing witch to have the basics, Athame, Wand, Chalice and Patten (Pentagram). If for no other reason than to use these tools to speak to other pagans if needed and to allow you to have a repository for energies in the future needs that may arise in distress.
Hear, hear! :cheers:

Physical tools are not a major part of my practise. I find that in my sacred space I have some objects, which I just happened to find there - nothing special - that I seem to have been using as statuettes and power objects. I used to have a wooden staff, but I got rid of it, when I found that it was tainting my mind and a little too much power for me. (I was unable to focus my intent perfectly at the time.)

For now, I pretty much use nothing but spiritual tools. I used physical tools, like stones etc, to help make sacred my space and sometimes I still use them to keep me close to the spiritual and far from the mundane. Yes, I sometimes carry my pebbles around, when I'm feeling blue.....

:aburst: But yeash, Luciferish really took my breath away there.