This first one is just plain and unembellished, but the grain of the wood is so pretty I can't bear to cover it up. It is made from Box Elder wood which according to multiple sources has no magical properties, but I really find that hard to believe. Knowing where these trees grow and how much they have to overcome to grow there, I feel that the magic of this wood is strength and perseverance. The marbled coloring on the wood is created when the wood is somehow damaged, on a branch this size the damage was most likely done by one of our fierce prairie winds.
In the case of this second wand, I added the very simple embellishment by wrapping the handle with a length of raw wool yarn. With this wand, we are looking at another "non-magical" wood: Cottonwood. One source I found went as far to say that Cottonwood was "junk" wood. As you can imagine, I was indignant. Cottonwoods are by far the most common tree here on the prairie. They grow in stands along the creek bottoms and are often hauntingly twisted in form from being pushed and molded by the wind. To me, the magic of the Cottonwood is resilience and adaptability. Cotton wood buds are also used to make a healing salve and the pollen is used in gypsy magic to bring rain.
Finally, my fancy wand. This wand is made from pine and wrapped in a strip of torn coral cotton embellished with a mid-frequency river rock, a barred feather, and re-purposed wooden beads. Pine is known magically for the qualities of protection, prosperity, and fertility.
