Your Intention Isn’t Enough: The Case for Tools and Materia
In an age of endless convenience and digital overload, we as modern magicians face a unique paradox: we’re surrounded by more information than ever before (much of it not great information—quantity does not, unfortunately, equal quality), more connection; and yet, authentic practice can feel more distant than ever. One area where this is especially apparent is in the misunderstanding of how magickal implements and materia work within magickal systems and the importance that they have.
There are several factors, I believe, that contribute to this misunderstanding and devaluing of tools and materia. First, people think that “authentic” tools are out of their reach. I can’t be the only noob who was enchanted by the grimoires but was, at the same time, overwhelmed by the craftsmanship and time needed to create the tools and obtain the materia.
The second factor is closely related to the first. To resolve the anxiety of what is perceived as out-of-reach tools, some practitioners become more susceptible to intention-only thinking or “manifestation” techniques that are all mental and require no tools or materia. This too is erroneous since it does not stand against a comparison to our recorded magick history. I also personally feel that it is a smack in the face to our magickal ancestors who painstakingly handed down and preserved the traditions that we practice. It is like saying, “That’s great, I know you recorded all of these things in books, I know you handed it down in family lines, and protected it within initiatory traditions, but we’re modern people, we know better… I can manifest the world I want through my mental prowess.”
If I have learned anything from my magickal practice, it is this—you want those ancestors as allies and intermediaries, and dismissing everything that they held to be important is probably not getting off on the right foot.
Too Many Skills, Too Little Time (Or Is It?)
Most people entering a magickal path today are already juggling careers, relationships, health, and modern distractions. We’ve also lost a lot of the craftsman skills that were once part of the day-to-day lives of ancient practitioners. The truth is, we don’t all have time to be woodworkers, seamstresses, metalworkers, engravers, or artists. This can lead to—especially for beginners—hesitation and procrastination. Instead of stepping into practice, they wait—often indefinitely—for the “perfect tools” or the “right” stuff.
I used to be one of these people, but I’ve learned that working with what you have works—just work with something—don’t throw it all away because you think something is out of your reach. If you want a black-handled knife, buy a cheap knife, paint it the best of your ability, engrave it the best of your ability.
My most prized tool is a white-handled Solomonic knife that I painted and carved myself. I had never tried engraving before. The blade has a place where I made a mistake and had to grind it out, but it means more to me than the items I have commissioned to be made.
This brings me to my next point. Remember, these implements are out of your reach “right now.” Don’t forget you’re a practicing magician. Continue to learn, grow, practice, and work with your spirits, and you’ll learn that these things may not be as out of reach as you initially thought. It’s going to take work, but it’s worth it. Magick is the most rewarding aspect of my life. Don’t give up; keep pushing yourself.
Now, let’s return to the trap of intention-only thinking and “manifestation.” Manifestation is like the mental buzzword equivalent of “as long as it’s in your heart, that’s all that matters” speak of the Evangelical and Pentecostal Christian movements. This makes mental manifestation and intention-only thinking that much more ick for me.
To back myself up a little bit, I’ll quote Jason Miller on the subject, who argues in The Elements of Spellcrafting (a book I cannot recommend highly enough), that intention alone is insufficient. He writes:
“Intention without technique is like wanting to play a symphony without ever learning an instrument.”
He goes on to say:
“This kind of thinking is crap. People all over the world did not painstakingly record formulas, spirit catalogues, and ritual procedures because ‘intention is all you need.’”
In Magick, everything matters—timing, actions, words—it all matters. The tools matter! Make your tools. Use your tools. Get the materia that you can. Who cares if they aren’t WitchTok-ready or if you used a thoughtful substitute? You can upgrade them later if you want—with the aid of magick. I think many spirits are sympathetic to this.
I know I circled back a little bit, which is probably not the best writing approach, but also as my mother would say, “Repetition is the best of teachers.” Before we conclude things, let’s move on to an older authority to get some more grounding on why materiality is important.
Iamblichus and the Roots of Ritual Materiality
The idea that magickal tools and materia do matter is not modern—its philosophical underpinnings and practice are ancient. Let’s take a quick look at Iamblichus to provide an example.
Iamblichus was a 3rd-century Neoplatonist philosopher and theurgical visionary. He synthesized a vast array of esoteric traditions—from Middle and Late Platonism to Egyptian and Hellenistic theurgy, Pythagorean discipline, the Chaldean Oracles, and the mystery cults of the ancient world—all of which have contributed to our modern practice of magick. One of his core teachings was that the soul could not ascend through contemplation alone—it must engage ritually with the divine through materia, tools, hymns, and actions.
To Iamblichus, ritual implements were necessary because they were vehicles through which the divine and human could interact. The materia was necessary for the efficacy of ritual, relationship, and communion. Iamblichus states:
“The ineffable causes must be approached not by thought alone, but by means of acts that are themselves divine.”
And that the divine energies are present “even in the lowest of matter” (like your crappy black-handled knife and my crappy white-handled knife).
Iamblichus criticized earlier philosophers by saying that “the soul does not possess the power to unite itself to the gods.”
He did not see matter as evil. It was not a prison—it was a medium.
To quote John the Damascene, an Eastern Christian saint:
“Matter is pregnant with power to communicate what is most radically beyond matter.”
I know that not everyone thinks that theurgy is magick. In my opinion, it is—but hopefully we can all at least agree on the idea that theurgical practices can assist in training a practitioner to acquire skills to perform magick effectively to obtain practical results. But back to the divine energies and matter.
A World Full of Gods and Spirits
Just as the divine energies are in all things, so are the gods, goddesses, and spirits. Stay with me for a second. I consider myself a monotheist, polytheist, panentheist, and animist—all at the same time—with no contradiction. I’m just a BOTH/AND person rather than an EITHER/OR person I guess. You should probably be too. As a magician I can say it is helpful. As a therapist, I can say that your mental health will also thank you if you embrace a more BOTH/AND way of sorting reality.
My point is though, which I think is the most important point I can make about tools and materia, is that these “things” we use are alive with and/or are connected to SPIRITS! You cannot willpower your way into magickal success without the aid of spirits who are a part of this world.
BJ Swain, in his Living Spirits: A Guide to Magick in a World of Spirits, says this:
“In modern Magick there is a tendency to get very tingly about the idea of operating in a ‘time outside of time and a place outside of space.’ But the reality is that magic traditionally is very tied to time and space.”
I think we can safely conclude that time and space includes materiality—tools and materia.
Conclusion
At the end of all this, the lesson is that tools matter, materia matters, and the physical world is not an obstacle to magick. Our ancestors knew this, the grimoires know this, Iamblichus definitely knew this, and honestly, most of us know it too once we get past the intimidation and resist the “intention is everything” and “manifestation” nonsense. You don’t need perfect tools to start, you just need tools. You don’t need to master every craft, you just need to make something and use it. Magick is a relationship with spirits encapsulated with time, with space, with matter — not a mindset hack. And if the divine energies permeate all things, then yes, even your imperfect knife or handmade wand is part of that. Start where you are, work with what you have, honor the spirits and the lineage that got you here, and trust that the tools you make will grow with you. Besides, once you get some financial sorcery under your belt, you’ll be able to buy something really fancy from Frater Ashen Chassan or the Ciceros.
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Frater Henosis
Sources & Further Reading
Jason Miller, The Elements of Spellcrafting: 21 Keys to Successful Sorcery, Red Wheel/Weiser, 2018.
B. J. Swain, Living Spirits: A Guide to Magic in a World of Spirits, 2018.
Iamblichus, De Mysteriis (On the Mysteries), trans. Emma C. Clarke, John M. Dillon, and Jackson P. Hershbell, Society of Biblical Literature, 2003.
St. John of Damascus, On the Divine Images, trans. David Anderson, St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1980.