Victor taught this arrangement of the wands: green/growth, healing; white/poetry, art, etc.; and black/sorcery to several of us in the coven including Anaar, Jim and myself, and Michele.

This system isn't intended to signify rank, but specialities. Is a healer lower than an artist? Some Witches may naturally be white wands who are poets, artists or writers. Just as some are inclined to the healing arts/professions including herbalists.

However, I think this system also works well in terms of stages of development: green for new growth, new initiates; white for the flowering; and black for accumulative knowledge and power attributed to elders.

These are two different ways of thinking about the wands: specialities vs. levels of proficiency. IMHO, one has to decide which way to work with the wands personally.

B*B

I was just curious about the feeling of having a wand for the individual. I know Feri witches are *usually* not hierarchical, but then I know mileages out there vary.

I totally understand it's a more Goddess-individual relationship that the wand represents, and that's what I wanted to hear more about. For example, you said, "I am an artist and (...) my Feri practice usually expresses itself that way through me". It's precisely this 'that way' that I'd be interested in.

I meant Storm's *vision* of the Goddess giving him a wand reminded me of my dream. :-) Not his dream of a vision. ;D

Hello there, Tim! :)

I'm not exactly sure how it can be antithetical to Feri to specialize in something. Specialization just seems to be human nature and Feri is not separate from that. Doing all things well is not the same as excelling in all things. I think that in our training it is ideal to expose everyone to everything, but not everyone is going to be talented at say, divination, preferring instead perhaps healing work. I can do healing OK, but wouldn't call myself a healer. I leave that for those whom it is their calling. *My* particular calling is to be an artist and a priest, but I don't expect all Feries to share that particular bent.

I take it by your example that you feel (at least symbolically in terms of this conversation) that you possess all three wands. Right on. Depending on how we look at it, I might not feel that I possess the Green, as I am not an herbalist, gardener, or healer. (Some say that the Green is possessed by every Feri initiate, though, so who knows.) I find it to be an interesting piece of lore and I support people's right to acknowledge them as they see fit. I can certainly see them as representing different schools of specialization, but when I do then I do not feel it is appropriate to stop at just the previously discussed three. For me it's sort of like this... Feri training is your general college education... the wands can then represent your major, and then even post-grad school, offering an opportunity for those of like mind to rally around that particular symbol/practice in order to perfect their skills. I realize that's probably not anywhere close to how others see the wands, but that's just me.

It’s good to see you on here! How have you been? It’s been a long time!