Making Copper Wands

I explained making stick wands last time; today I'm going to teach you how to make copper wands.  Unlike wooden wands, which (to me) feel as though they supply a steady flow of energy, copper wands have a more crackly electric feel to them.  Because I use copper and sea water, mine have a very venereal feel to them, and are great for healing and love magic.  Remember, at every step of the construction, you should be pouring energy into the wand.  I pre-consecrate the crystal and the water before I use them.

I make mine with 3/4 inch copper pipe. If you have big hands, you might like 1 inch pipe better.  Any hardware store will cut pipe to length for you.  Be sure to examine the pipe to make sure you get a part without marks on it.  Personally, I like my wands to be just long enough to go from my elbow to my finger tips, but experiment with different lengths to find what feels right to you.  Many people think mine are "too long".  After you get your pipe cut, you'll also want an end cap, a coupling and some two-part epoxy.  If you want the copper to look green and aged, you'll also want steel wool and muriatic acid.

You'll also want a quartz (or other crystal of your choice) point.  I like plain clear quartz, but rose quart is also nice, and adds to the Venus energy.  I am also fond of amethyst in copper wands.  Try to find a stone that just barely fits inside the pipe, without "wiggle room".  We'll epoxy it in, so it doesn't need to fit perfectly, but the closer it fits, the better it will look.  Finally, this project will require some salt, some water and a funnel.  I use sea water, but you can use any kind.  Take everything home and get started.

Mix a small amount of epoxy and glue the cap onto the end of your pipe.  If you are going to antique your wand, scratch up the pipe with steel wool.  Mix the acid half and half with water and spray the wand with it (do this outside).  Coat it in salt, and let it sit outside in the sun for at least one full day (or until the look you want is achieved.) Remember to antique the coupling at the same time.  If desired, you can coat it in spray varnish.  (You can also antique your wand after it is complete, but be careful not to get acid on the epoxy that holds the crystal in.

Carefully, epoxy the crystal into the coupling.  The crystal should extend no more than halfway into the pipe, but enough to be stable.  Make sure the epoxy forms a solid wall around the crystal; it needs to be water tight.  Be sure to clean off any epoxy that gets onto the outside of the coupling.  Let the epoxy dry.

The next step is easier if you can get someone to help you by holding the wand still while you pour.  Mix some heavily salted water in a cup, ideally one with a pouring spout. You may want to use sea water or other water that is special to you.  Even if you use sea water, you'll want to add extra salt.  Natural sea salt with lots of stuff in it is best, but any salt will do. The salt acts to increase the conductivity of the water and also to prevent things from growing in it.  We're going to enclose the water in a dark place for a long time; fresh water can get nasty.  You can add any magical extracts, salts, or oils you want to the water, but I avoid adding particulate matter like whole herbs.  I usually make mine with water from a local body of water (nowadays, that means the Long Island Sound).

Mix a small amount of epoxy, and coat the inside of the coupling.  Carefully pour the water into the pipe, getting it as full as possible.  Slide on the coupling, it should fit tightly.  If it does not, apply a small amount some epoxy to the joint seam. Carefully wipe away any epoxy that oozes out.  Allow the epoxy to completely dry.  Once you think it's all dry, shake it around to make sure no water comes out.

Some people object to the epoxy around the crystal, claiming that the artificial plastic nature of it "impedes the flow" of energy.  That has not been my experience.  Even if you think plastic wands can't work (and you are wrong), in this case, the crystal makes direct contact with the pipe on the edges and with the salt water inside, forming a complete circuit from hand to pipe to water to crystal to air.