Herald's Athame Dagger. The Herald in this case is the metaphysical or spiritual representation of the first step of the Hero's Journey, as a catalyst and messenger who brings change to the Protagonist's life, and is often seen on modern Tarot cards. This specific athame features an elaborate engraved cross guard, a pommel shaped as a knight’s helmet, and a decorative sheath. Words "Stainless China" on the blade. 

Condition: Commensurate with age. 

Size: 13 1/2 x 1 in. 

#7278 . 

An athame or athamé is a ceremonial blade, generally with a black handle. It is the main ritual implement or magical tool among several used in ceremonial magic traditions by neopagan practitioners. Its origins are not entirely certain, but a black-handled knife called an “arthame” appears in certain versions of the Key of Solomon, a grimoire dating to the Renaissance. The contemporary use of it as a ceremonial tool was started by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in the early 20th century, for the use of banishing rituals. The tool was later adopted by Wiccans, Thelemites, and Satanists. The athame is also mentioned in the writings of Gerald Gardner in the 1950s, who claimed to have been initiated into a surviving tradition of Witchcraft, the New Forest Coven. The athame was their most important ritual tool, with many uses, but was not to be used for actual physical cutting. There has been speculation that Gardner’s interest and expertise in antique swords and knives, and in particular the kris knives of Malaysia and Indonesia, may have contributed to the tool’s central importance in modern Wicca. The athame represents one of the four elemental tools in modern occultism, traditionally standing for fire for witches and air for ceremonial magicians. The other three elemental tools are the wand, the pentacle (the element of earth), and the cup or chalice (the element of water). These four magical tools correspond to four significant “weapons” or talismans in Celtic myth: The sword, the spear, the shield, and the cauldron (and/or “grail”). These same four ritual tools also appear in the magical practices of the western hermetic tradition who pioneered the modern occult tradition and new age spirituality, and they appear in tarot decks as the four card suits: swords, cups, wands, and pentacles. Athames are not required to have double-edged blades or specially-colored handles, although these are most popular. The handle may be inscribed with particular symbols dictated by the tradition. In eclectic forms of Witchcraft the handle decorations range from astrological glyphs to runes, the symbols being chosen by the owner. Many fantasy-themed athames are also available from medieval and neopagan supply shops. The athame’s primary use is to channel and direct psychic energy, generally conceived as etheric fire, and almost never is intended to harm or draw blood. The ritual drawing (or “casting”) of the boundary of the magic circle is usually done with either a ritual sword or an athame in traditional coven practice. For open rituals in public places, this is sometimes done with a ritual wand or staff instead, since there may be legal complications involved with swords and daggers in public places, even when the edges have been dulled. The athame is the most important ritual tool in Wicca, and like other ritual tools it is generally purified and consecrated to the gods before being used for ritual and magical purposes. Possible ancestors to the concept of the athames (a corruption of an archaic Latin word meaning “small dagger”) include the Roman secespita ritual knife and the Tibetan phurba, a three-sided magical ceremonial knife also known as kīla.

Commensurate with age.