Blessed be to all!
I am Kaz
I have always felt a strong connection to the Wiccan way of life…I am drawn to to the moon especially
My desire is to learn and be taught by others who can guide me on this journey to find true enlightenment.
I have many questions…and have started the self-initiation process.
First question…where is the best source for buying/finding the best craft tools/supplies?
I want to make sure I get the these tools from a pure source.
Thank you in advance for guidance 
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Welcome @Kaz66, if you would like you can change your username to Kaz, it may have to have another word or number(s) added to it, so if you think of a couple of them it can definitely be changed to reflect that name.
I’m Siofra from Cape Cod I’m happy to hear that you have started the initiation process, is it through the Wicca Self Initiation Course?
As for the tools, at first, I used what I had on hand until I found something that said, “Pick Me!” which happened to be a dark purple/maroon hand towel, birthday candles, and things I found around my home. Normally I repurpose things like pouches, bags, small boxes, jars, and bottles…
I think at first if you have something to represent each element you are on the right track. Incense is used, I make my own fresh incense & use charcoal discs, but the incense cones or sticks are just as good. White & black candles are ones that are used quite a bit & of course, a white candle can be substituted for any other color candle if you don’t have them.
You’d be amazed at what you can find at the Dollar Stores & Thrift Stores, Walmart, and Michael’s. Amazon & Etsy… I’m more partial to Etsy for some things. I try to grow some herbs of my own or purchase them from places that get them ethically sourced or from that particular area. (We have a lot of cultural shops on the Cape because of the diversity of people from around the world that live here) Honestly my first BoS was a 3-ring binder & I used the printables from Spells8 with a 3-hole punch to get them in the binder (I did wind up with 5 binders when I got so excited I thought I need ALL the THINGS. By the way, you do not. You only need what works for you.
For general things though:
- Rosemary can be substituted for any herb
- Tobacco can be substituted for any toxic herb/ingredient
- White candles can be substituted for any color candle (the type of candle also doesn’t matter just remember to use Candle Safety
(Candle Safety PDF)
- a cup or small bowl or votive holder can be used for holding liquids
I’m trying to think of some other things that I used to use when I first began. I saved herb & spice jars, and mason jars, my husband & son find me bottles & jars on job sites sometimes when they are doing demolition or digging for a foundation or other landscaping. My daughter used to find me treasures.
I’m sure others will have some ideas for you also.
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Welcome Kaz. It’s great to have you here! 
The best place to get your candles, jars and tools are usually thrift stores. If you have a dollar store near you, try there. Local spirituality bookshops will have the type of books and decks to inspire you. Antique and stationary stores can provide you with the rest.
Unless you have a big budget, don’t look too much at Etsy because you’ll want to buy everything you see. For herbs, plants, rocks, go for a walk in your area (or to the river/mountain/sea) and explore until you find what you need. It’s harvest season right now so I think you’ll be lucky if you go to farmer’s markets too.
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I can verify this statement. I would wait until you have a better understanding of where your path takes you & definitely keep in mind they can be a bit pricier for different items.
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Merry meet and welcome home 
@Kaz66
It’s nice to meet you Kaz, I’m Marsha, an eclectic witch from Colorado. I have always believed that when the student is ready the teacher will appear!
I found some interesting teachers over the years!!! I called mine a Spiritual Quest but we all walk a different path, with an ultimate goal of enlightenment.
I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.
With love and magick 
always
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Hi there! I’m Amethyst from Southern West Virginia. Welcome to the forum.
The thing I would focus on buying most at first is books. Do your research and figure out what type of magic you are interested in and then start your buying.
The lovely and talented @Meganb has a great video on what she wished she knew when she was starting out on you tube. I’d like but I’m not at home.
But I hope my opinion helps! I look forward to getting to know you.
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Books! 
Yes! I think theres a few of us that could start our own small pagan libraries 
Scott Cunningham has quite a few great publications, Pagan Portals including works by Morgan Daimler, Courtney Weber & others are great for all things pagan information. 
I am a more Celtic 
Pagan so I also enjoy Kristoffer Hughes, Stephanie Woodfield & Danu Forest.
This is where Kindle Unlimited & Good Reads come in handy. I’m still partial to books that I can actually hold, turn the pages, use bookmarks… I just love having an actual book to curl up with & no blue light filters!
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Hi Karen, and welcome here.
I am on a budget so I often go to thrift stores or flee markets. You’ll be amazed what you can find. I’s also a fun way of shopping because you never know what to encounter. So it is adventurous! I buy candles for just a few cents, I found a couldron, a statue of quan yin, a few altar bells, books , magazines, bottles, jars , witches 
this witch was 50 cent
I also have a subscription to an ebook version of the library. This is in the Netherlands, I don t know what s possible in other countries but I do find books about witchcraft and other interesting spiritual information.
And also the dollar shops @Susurrus and @Francisco talked about in my case euros can have good stuff.
Of what I hear and also believe is that it s not the tools that count and make the difference, it s your own spirit and focused mind that does.
I wish you a beautiful yourney
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Welcome!! My name is Amaris (Jessica). I’m an eclectic pagan green witch that has been practicing for around 2 years.
I second @Francisco about Etsy and wanting to buy everything, lol. Every time I log on, I’m adding several things to my wishlist! I also recommend dollar stores and Walmart for basics like candles and common dried herbs. You can even find some live herb plants at Walmart like mint, basil, or rosemary! I love to wildcraft and see what I can find in nature around me.
For your altar, you can find a lot of the needed items at Goodwill/resale stores. I found my chalice (vintage wine glass) and several candle holders at a goodwill. Repurpose things in your home as well. I use some of my passed mother-in-law’s china for several items to honor her spirit. I found my altar cloths on Amazon but you can easily buy a solid color fabric at any craft store. I made my wand from an oak limb that I found during a walk and my athame/sword is a bayonet from WWII I don’t at a gun show. I have a smaller athame and a boline that I purchased locally.
Elemental items for the altar:
- Earth: bowl of salt or sand, crystals, potted plants, flowers, Gnomes/leprechauns/elves/dwarves, Earth Goddess statue/picture, animal totems
- Air: incense, a bell, feathers, Faires/Angels/Unicorns, birds/bats/bees/other flying creatures, wind chimes, rattle
- Fire: candles, dried peppers, cinnamon sticks, dragons/phoenixes/salamanders, images of the sun
- Water: cup/bowl of water, blessed water, sea shells, sea animals, mermaids, ocean/river images, lotus flower
I live in an RV full time so my altar table is a small table I found at Earthbound Trading Co. (it’s 1 foot square). My mom uses the top of her dresser as her main altar, the top of a small stackable storage bin for her ancestor altar, and another small round table for her crystals. I have a meditation cushion and several their pillows in my saved space to make it comfortable to sit while working.
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@martje oh I love 
a good flea market! We have or had one that was a good piece of land that we would actually spend the weekend at because it took that long to go through the whole thing & my family (Aunt, Uncle, Father, & Mom) had a couple of “booth” areas there too. It was in Brimfield, MA, USA. I think that was the name of the town.
So many awesome memories, adventures, & treasures to be found!
I also like to repurpose things or make them with things around my yard or home, as @Amaris_Bane suggested.
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Welcome to the forum, Kaz!
I’m glad you made your way to Spells8 
My name is Megan and I live in Florida. I’m one of the moderators here! 
I’ve also always been drawn to the moon, though I don’t work enough magic as I feel I should lol the moon has always been there for me. I think the self-initiation process is a good way to go, especially if you’re a solitary practitioner.
As for your question about buying craft tools and supplies → I agree with a lot of what has been said already!
It’s more economical to use the things you already have around your house. Towels and tablecloths can substitute for altar cloths. Birthday candles can be spell candles. A kitchen plate can be a spell plate or candle holder. Your kitchen herbs can double as herbs for a spell. 
Tools and supplies that we can find at metaphysical shops are beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but a lot of new witches fall into the trap of buying every single tool they find because they think they need it. But no, you don’t need it. In my experience, when you buy everything you think you need before you know you need it, you end up with a lot of cool looking things that you never use 
@Amethyst mentioned one of my videos but I also have another one that you might find useful. I’ll link them both here if you ever feel like watching them
→ 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Witch [CC] - YouTube
→ Witchy Tools I Can't Live Without || My Essential Witchcraft Tools - YouTube
Overall, I would suggest collecting your tools and supplies as you need them. Buy candles where it’s convenient for you. Buy herbs at the grocery store. Collect rocks and crystals when you go on walks. And if you’re going to buy from a shop, try and support local business. If you can’t do that, we also have a thread here on the forum of shops that are owned by our coven members! 
You can check that link for crystals, crochet, herbs, handmade oils, and more.
I wish you the best of luck on your path and I look forward to getting to know you more!
Megan
(also, as @Susurrus said, we can change your username for you if you’d like!)
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I didn’t know we had this thread! Thank you @MeganB for sharing. I now have it bookmarked.
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Ohh you’re welcome! It should be pinned but depending on your personal settings, sometimes pins go away. I’m glad you’ve got it bookmarked now!
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