Athames are ancient and powerful tools long used within ritual magic. Usually taking the form of a ritual knife or sword, most modern tradition holds that the Athame should never be used to cut, or otherwise perform mundane work; it is only used to direct energy within your ritual magic, such as when the circle is cast. However, less commonly held practice sometimes dictates that an athame should be born of nature, and perhaps be crafted from wood or bone. Some also hold that if the ritual practitioner uses it as his or her favorite tool, using it to even cut their food and otherwise go about everyday life, more of their energy and power can be directed through the blade during ritual practice.