In this weeks article I commented on magickal tools/artefacts that seem to take on a life of their own. What sort of experiences have other Pagans had of this?

I'm not a pagan, per se, although I definitely embrace a lot of pagan beliefs.

When I trained with a tarot teacher, she told us that she lets each of her decks choose its holder by asking, "Do you like this one? How about this one?"

I thought she was loo-loo because while I understand that certain spirits can opt to embody physical items, I thought of tools as tools that were guided by spirit and the ALL, the cosmic energy that makes up everything (God).

I didn't want my decks to have personalities and spirits of their own. Imagine the horror of having to say good-bye or oops, I'm so sorry I accidentally ruined or lost you.

My decks are tools. But for others, their tools become personality-infused friends with spirit. I'm not ready for that kind of commitment!

That seems reasonable

I do leave most of my important magickal tools at home, although I have two travelling Tarot decks- Rider-Waite and Thoth- that I do keep especially for travel. They seem to like it, to the extent that the RW kept trying to leave me for adventures of its' own last week! So I have left it in my draw at work with instructions to my managers that if they want to use them they can.

Strangely phrase "How would I know? I don't have a crystal ball!". Once so popular on that floor seems to never be mentioned - or at least not when I'm around!

I have also made several sets of Runes of Njord so am in the process of finding out if any of those want to become travelling tools too.

I should admit that I *do* use "traveling tools" in my own way. As a water element, I purify water and often use it to aid spiritual communication wherever I go.

And I do carry water with me always.

Water is one of the most useful and powerful tools in magick, and much overlooked by many practitioners. With my moon in Scorpio I find it useful in all its' forms - especially thunderstorms and sea fog.

Sea fog. How amazing is that? I never thought about water in all of its different forms. I'll have to remember that.

I live by the sea, so fog is common at some times of the year. We had a nice one roll in the other day while I was out walking the dog. I used the I charged it and used the energy to help empower our wealth frogs' intern.