Does the matter of the object matter?

neamhni · 11 Oct 2012 18:52

I read the" item or idea" thread and this is a similar question, but for my own purposes I need clarification.

Do things like a cauldron being made of iron matter? It seems like it would make a difference because of the element of iron as opposed to some other type of metal and if some other metal is used maybe it could change or mess with the spell? What about a steel letter opener for a dagger?

If I wash my items with sage soap, will that consecrate as well as a smudge? Sorry if this is all newb stuff; I just don't want to jumble things that may be important.

Thanks for reading.

**Tylluan Penry** · 12 Oct 2012 00:14

In my own experience, no, none of it matters. Some people will disagree. And that's the wonderful thing - you can really hold whatever opinion you want provided you have some understahnding why you're doing it. It's the will and the intention that matter most, not the objects. Objects are just.... well, things. Whatever. But the will, the intention, that comes from within you and you cannot - must not - fake that. Hope this helps!

**Ophidia** · 12 Oct 2012 01:03

If I'm playing with fire (literally), I've found it best to go with non-manipulated materials. Iron pots, stone tiles, abalone shells, clean sand, that kind of thing. I've burnt and broken 'cultured' marble tiles while burning incenses and candles, but none of my cast iron stuff ever had issues. I also wear pure cotton garments when using incenses, smudges, etc. because of the plain fact that cotton tends to burn away from your body, while poly blends stick to your skin while melting like plastic (which is why cotton, linen or wool also makes a better choice of clothing to wear on planes). For working with the other elements, as long as whatever I'm using is waterproof or can hold some dirt, I don't care what it's made from.

If I'm working with certain deities or spirits who have preferred materials (Vodou spirits don't like salt, fey and devas don't care for iron, smithing-gods usually like forged metals, that kind of thing) then I try to use something in Their sphere of influence.

I used to think that 'man-made' automatically meant 'un-natural', but my philosophy changed over the years. Humans are just as much a part of the natural world as ants and rivers. We create and change things, which is perfectly natural for us to do. But, sometimes, 'man-made' can't measure up to nature's own ingenuity.

**MaskedOne** · 12 Oct 2012 09:35

There are practical issues that Perze has mentioned. I'll also second the premise of using things appropriate to who/what you work with. Past that, there's a significant number of cultures and their approaches to magic differ. Long as what you're doing makes sense within your paradigm and the internal requirements are met, the material side of the ritual is flexible.