Athames ... I have two of them now.
Before it became my first Athame, the first one was a boot knife I used to carry strapped inside my cowboy boots when I lived in AZ (I wore boots and jeans ALL THE DAMN TIME ... even in the summer). My dad bought that knife for me and I always had it on me no matter where I was. I don't talk much about the life I lived as a teen and then young adult. I'm not sure anyone would believe me other than those who witnessed it first hand and spent time with my family. Suffice it to say growing up on the ranch in the deserts of south-central Arizona could sometimes be dangerous but always challenging.
The knife itself isn't very large, it's only a 3 in. dual blade with a walnut wooden grip. One of the first lessons my Daddy taught me when he gave me my first blade was to always keep it sharp, and boy was this one honed to perfection! It was one of the few things I gathered up when we threw what could fit into my tiny little Hyundai Accent to move across the country from AZ to MD. I still have that knife, it sits in a place of honor on the top shelf of my altar and is a symbolic reminder of where I've come from. Perhaps one day I'll hand it down to our youngest Witchling ... when she's ready and tell her the story of her cowboy great grand Papaw.I've also had a beautiful engraved Athame that was also painted with the image of Brighid. Jimmy bought that one for me and I treasured it almost as much as the knife from my daddy. That athame was the one I used for all magical workings. I've lost that blade and think it was left in Michigan with much of our other worldly possessions.
I also had Eliora custom design and make an Athame honoring Persephone. I had just come to grips with my darker side, learned to walk in both dark and light to balance the energy inside me in order to do the work the Gods had in store for me. That blade was gorgeous! Every bit of detail was to honor Persephone. Again, that blade has been lost as well. I somehow think an ex-roommate decided it would be better in her possession because it came up missing just about the time she moved out of the house we all shared. Oh well, Persephone knows ... she always knows.
Then just a little over two years ago on February 15, 2015, Eliora had a giveaway to celebrate a milestone anniversary of magical crafting (15 years!!) and having her Etsy shop open for 4 years. She had made a beautiful miniature dragon athame and I wanted that athame SO badly! My name wasn't chosen in the first drawing, and that person did not respond in the allotted time given, so a second name was given ... and it wasn't mine. BUT! That person also didn't respond in the allotted timeframe, so Lorelei drew the third name AND IT WAS MINE!! WOOT! You better believe I made sure to respond! I won the Dragon Athame and I was over the moon excited!THIS is the athame I use in all my magical workings now, it has never failed me. It also sits in a place of honor on my main altar in easy reach whenever I need it. The blade on this one is also small and double sided, and the embellishments are more than gorgeous. There's a Dragon, an amethyst point and amethyst nuggets, rose quartz, silver charms and Czech glass beads. The handle is leather wrapped and yes, it IS sharp!
So, there you have my story on Athames. And please make sure you check out EnchantingEliora on Etsy, you will find everything a Witch needs or wants. I promise you won't be disappointed!!!
