Witches' tools

Because it didn't find me, it found you, protected you. A witch's talisman is a powerful tool. Don't be givin' that back to anybody.

SHEILA TO BONNIE IN 162 CANDLES

There are many tools used by witches in witchcraft to increase their energy and strength. Most of them are provided by Nature like herbs and minerals, while other are artifacts such as Grimoires. Some witches have shown an aptitude in using objects more than others. Some specialize in specific branches of magic which require particular items, while others resort to objects of the most varied depending on the circumstances.

Altar and Shrines

Although rarely used, altars serve to witches by providing a platform in which to readily perform their craft. They are simple shelves to lay objects on that are used for the ritual. In The Originals, Jane-Anne was seen using an altar to hold a multitude of ingredients to be used in a complex spell to link her sister Sophie and the werewolf Hayley Marshall.

A similar stone altar was used by Sophie as a basis to consecrate the bones of Céleste Dubois, though with little success. Within the Lafayette Cemetery, there lies a stone altar which was used as a surface to sacrifice the newborn Hope Mikaelson by the Harvest Witches, Monique and Abigail led by Genevieve.

Candles and Fire

Witches commonly use candles in their spells to aid them by channeling the flames. Channeling is when a witch siphons power of an element, celestial event or even another witch. This enhances their magic as they draw energy from the flames. Fire is a strong component in witchcraft as it is one of the main offensive tool witches used against their enemies. Among others, fire has also been used to form barriers and destroy objects. A more functional use of fire was seen in The Dinner Party, when Bonnie created fire in her hand, as well as on candles and light them up again.

Cauldron

Cauldrons are objects used for witches in order to concoct spells, potions and counter-curses. One of them was used by Greta Martin during the sacrifice ritual. Cauldrons can be seen in the Lycée used by the French Quarter Coven and were used by Lenore and Finn Mikaelson (while possessing Vincent Griffith) to perform complex rituals of Sacrificial Magic. More recently, the ancient witch Dahlia was shown to create potent sage by mixing the herb with a cauldron of serpent's blood which allowed her to create a mystical storm surrounding New Orleans in an attempt to find Hope Mikaelson.

Daggers

Blades are used in various areas of Witchcraft, especially those requiring sacrifices or the drawing of blood. The name used to indicate magical knives is

athame

, especially in Wicca, where, however, are not used to cut or remove blood but only to direct energy. Daggers in Sacrificial Magic, such as Papa Tunde's Blade, are being used to kill the victim and absorb its power. The most powerful daggers of the entire series are the silver daggers who have the power to desiccate an Original causing sleep until the blade is removed from the heart.

Enchanted Objects

Enchanted Objects are seemingly ordinary objects created by witches to carry out a specific task. This is done by binding a certain spell with a particular function to the object, whether it be jewelry, stones and minerals, or something else. They can be imbued with a variety of supernatural properties that can either be used to harm or help. Enchanted objects will contain that spell from the moment it is created and only expires when it is destroyed or a witch removes the spell. Enchanted objects spelled with dangerous and dark magic, known as Kemiya, are coined dark objects. Some types of enchantment include Daylight rings worn by vampires to protect them from the sun and Talismans imbued with various properties and used by witches. Some notable examples of enchanted objects include, the Gilbert Device, compass, and ring, the moon and Phoenix Stones, the White Oak ash daggers. Other two examples include the enchanted bracelet that was given to Landon Kirby by Hope and the Twin Moths - both of which have very similar functions.

Dark Objects

Dark Objects are a particular kind of enchanted objects created through an Arabian form of magic known as Kemiya to infuse them with supernatural properties. The first known dark objects were created by Kol Mikaelson with the help of his witch followers, Astrid Malchance and Mary-Alice Claire. Dark objects can also be created by transferring the magic of an existing dark object onto an ordinary item such as in the case of Hope's Bracelet. Known Dark Objects include The Rosary of Madness, The Needle of Sorrows, The Cursed Shackles and the Devil's Star, a special throwing star that causes countless injuries from a simple cut.

Elixirs, Potions and Tonics

Potions are a liquid or mixture of herbs concocted with supernatural properties with effects similar to those obtained from spells. Unlike spells, however, the potions are difficult to prepare depending on the rarity of the ingredients and accuracy of dosages. Potions can be used to cure, such as elixirs and tonics as well as to damage, such as poisons.

Grimoires

Grimoires are spellbooks where a witch records all knowledge of their spells, hexes, rituals, recipes, and magical knowledge. Most known witches in the modern age archive their spells by writing them down be it in small portable notebooks or large tomes. For a time, Bonnie used her ancestor's Grimoire to learn her craft. Jonas Martin had an obsession with Grimoires and collected them. After Jonas and Luka died, Bonnie packed up their grimoires and presumably kept them in order to kill Klaus.

Herbs and Stones

Witches often use a variety of stones and herbs in their magic as many of them contain magical properties. Amber crystal protects a witch from evil, Vervain protects them from vampires and Wolfsbane protects them from Werewolves. The later two have the same effect but are for vampires and werewolves, respectively. They cause the victim to be weak and feverish when ingested similar to poisoning. When in contact with it, it will burn them. Sage is the most common herb used by witches and often seen integrated with their spell. Lapis Lazuli, when enchanted, will protected Vampires from sunlight. Paragon diamonds are shown to be used by witches practicing Kemiya as conduits for power. Thereby allowing them to focus and increase the potency of their spells.

Magic Symbols

The magic seals are powerful tools used primarily in Ancestral Magic practiced by witches in New Orleans. Seals can be drawn with chalk or another dusk, sometimes with salt. They generally have a circular shape, inside which occur from time to time, signs and intersecting lines. A common symbol used in the series is the pentagram, a five-pointed star in a circle, and was first seen used by Esther in All My Children where it is described as the symbol of magic.

Talismans

Witches sometimes infuse personal artifacts of significance with magic that act as talismans. They are usually in the form of jewellery with varying materials such as a crystal or stone. It is used to increase their powers by incorporating external energy and help them to channel magic. When a talisman is full of magic, it can greatly increase the power of their spells and rituals. The material of a talisman may hold some signification as many consists of unique substances (e.g. Qetsiyah's bone talisman, Emily's amber talisman, Freya's blue jeweled talisman etc.). Bonnie Bennett used the Bennett Crystal as a talisman for a time before she destroyed it while possessed in History Repeating.

Totems and Dolls

Totems are largely used in Representational Magic, where objects of significance such as animals parts, symbolic figures etc., are utilized as physical manifestations of a concept such as an aspect of a person's nature or intangible spells. They allow one to link the person with the will of the witch. Totems worth mentioning are the Sanguinum Knot, Willow Hoop, hanging totem and protection totem, used by Davina (originally Esther), Genevieve (then again by Van and Vincent), the Moroccan Witch, and the Hollow (and Dahlia), respectively. Each totem has a wide range of magical and useful affects.

The Sanginum knot was originally developed in conjunction with an unlinking spell by 'The Original Witch' Esther. The knot is a physical manifestation of a linking spell and though the use is practical, the spell itself is complex and requires power to perform properly. Davina, unbeknownst to her, used this spell at Elijah's request to unlink Sophie and Hayley.

Willow hoops are crafted from willow wood and twisted with tread with interwoven stones, bones and other unknown items to amplify their power. These special dreamcatchers are spelled by the witches of New Orleans to spy on private conversations, using two twin dreamcatchers acting like the ends of a wire. Most notably, the willow hoop was used by Van Nguyen and Vincent Griffith in order to have the current Regent, Davina Claire, to unknowingly confess her involvement in the Ninth Ward coven massacre.

The Moroccan totem appeared to be handcrafted 'lock' made from wood with protrusions stemming from behind and to be ordained with crystals and twine. The accompanying spell that the Moroccan witch used was powerful enough to trap both Rebekah and Freya Mikaelson, an Original vampire and powerful witch, respectively. Not only was the spell meant to create a boundary with the three other surrounding totems, it was also meant to nullify magic from other witches besides the caster's.

Totems can be created by any witch for various purposes. The Protection Totem was a particularly useful totem to the resurrected witch, the Hollow. She used it to augment her power, protect her from death, and to bind several spells, such as illusion and boundary, to it, rendering the spell impossible to break while the totem was intact. Once Klaus shattered the crystalline orb, the Hollow was vulnerable to death. Freya also mentions that the her aunt, Dahlia, used such totems whenever she was up to anything particularly awful.

Dolls are a specific category of totems identified as small human-like figurines, such as poppets, golems, and the Figure Veritas, with vast variations to represent a human victim for a variety of purposes. They have notably been used by the witches of New Orleans, i.e. Céleste, Esther, Finn, Monique, Vincent and Davina, to harm or locate their victims.

A poppet is the most general kind of doll in the shape of a person used in magic rituals specifically those cast on those to whom the poppet has been created to represent. Poppets may be made of wax, stuffed, cloth, porcelain, clay, or wood although virtually any material will do. To create a poppet a doll must first be crafted then blessed by rituals that generally require an item from the person who is the target of the spell. Once this is done the figurine can then be used to directly affect the intended individual whether that is to heal or harm

Golems are dolls made of clay and shaped to be human-like. Kol, who at the time was possessing the witch Kaleb, attempted to use one such doll to transfer a particularly strong curse from himself on to the poppet. The curse however was too powerful and the transfer could not be completed. The same golem would later be used by witches, Davina and Rebekah, the latter possessing Eva Sinclair's body, in an attempt to draw out the witch Dahlia. They successfully used the doll to craft the illusion of Hope Mikaelson's presence and replicated her power source.

The Figure Veritas is a doll made of straw resembling an Asian porcelain doll. The Ninth Ward witch, Van Nguyen attempted to use one such doll to spell the then Regent, Davina Claire to confess her truth. They are crafted to take on the likeness of the victim such as having similar clothes. When bewitched with the necessary procedures and stabbed in the "heart", the doll forces the person that which it represents to reveal their darkest truths. More recently, Davina attempted to use it against Lucien Castle however, he destroyed it before it could be used and opted to freely tell Davina what she wanted to hear. Despite the use of Figure Veritas doll in conjunction with a spell, there is also a Truth Spell that does not require the use of a doll to perform. Ironically, the incantation of the spell is Figure Veritas which causes the target that it's cast upon to illicit truthful answers. The spell, however, wears off after an unknown amount of time and the effects of the spell can be blocked by using an anti-charm potion, as demonstrated by Alyssa Chang in What Cupid Problem?.