#phoenix core

Wood: Chestnut

It has been said that chestnut wood has the least distinct characteristics; instead it tends to take over the character of its owner and the wand core. Most of the time, however, it will be inclined to choose an owner who is fair and honest, while also being somewhat adaptable to different circumstances. Neither the chestnut wand, nor its owner need to be stuck in one place. There lies a certain freedom in owning a chestnut wand, to be whoever you want to be and to possibly reinvent yourself tomorrow. A benefit of a chestnut wand is that it doesn’t take long to attune to it, you can pretty much take it and go. It doesn’t have specific requirements for its owner to unfold its full potential, and it won’t give you grief over changing your mind or not meeting a certain standard. However, a possible downside to a chestnut wand is that it might be passed on, taken over, or accidentally swapped. There are certain woods that bond very strongly to their owner and refuse to work for anyone else - chestnut is not one of them.

Core: Phoenix feather

A phoenix core, even with an open wood like chestnut, always adds a certain ambiguity and reservation to a wand. I would imagine that a chestnut-phoenix combination is the least likely to accidentally be mixed up or attune to a new owner. Phoenix often brings a certain introspection to a wand, and I imagine it makes this particular combination particularly trustworthy. It is said that chestnut wands favour people who have a knack for handling magical creatures, and I feel like this might be accentuated through a phoenix core.

Length: 12 3/4 inches

This wand is a bit longer than average which emphasizes the wood over the core. Since a long wand usually means more distinct characteristics, I imagine that this wand is even more adaptable and open-minded for you to do whatever the heck you want with it.

Flexibility: unyielding

Wood: Apple

I like apple wood because it usually makes for pleasantly well-rounded wands. Someone with an apple wand is often somewhat of a social butterfly: charming, positive, and respected in their peer group. There is always a moral aspect to an apple wood owner - they might show a strong interest in social justice and generally the ‘greater good’. Apple itself strongly despises the Dark Arts and will probably refuse to perform certain magic if there is a malicious intent behind it. There’s a general positivity linked with apple wood. The magic it produces is energetic and dynamic, well suited for someone with an active lifestyle and a somewhat optimistic view on the world. Apple wood is difficult to process, but once a wand is crafted for it, it’s remarkably resilient and long-lasting. This detail might also be true for the apple wood owner. When choosing its owner an apple wand might also seek out a person with a talent for language, be it the gift of the gab, or a knack for foreignt languages.

Core: Phoenix feather

A phoenix core is always versatile and enables a broad range of use for the apple wood, which will only really object to dark magic and strong curses. However, phoenix is also the most reserved of the cores, reigning in the open-minded apple wood. I feel like the owner of an apple-phoenix wand is most likely to listen first, talk second. There’s a certain implication of listening to both sides in an argument before choosing one, and I imagine that the wielder of this wand might act as a mediator or diplomat in certain situations. Phoenix being the most ‘head-heavy’ of the cores, this is certainly a wand for someone who likes to be informed, who educates themselves on different issues, and who shows interest in the world and people around them, while also not naively trusting everyone, but rather gathering all the information before making a decision.

Length: 11 3/4 inches

With typical wand length ranging between 9 and 14 inches, this is a very average-length wand which indicates a nice balance between wood and core. I feel like it furthers the idea of being open-minded and interested in the world around while also making a point of forming your own, informed opinion.

Flexibility: supple

Wood: Ash

This is the first ash wand on this blog, because you know, why not. I knew early on I wanted a wood for you that’s somehow demanding, since you mentioned you’d like to work on your laziness, therefore I was looking for a wood that needs a little bit of constant work. Ash wood is, quite frankly, a little asshole. It is one hundred percent not pickable. Like, sure, the wand will always pick the magician, but some wands will settle for an owner quicker than others. An ash wand will not be picked. It will pick you, but only if you meet its standards, and if you touch it without being chosen first, it will absolutely not do anything for you. So you see, the ash wand already asks quite a bit of its owner before it’s even matched. It will most likely pick creative, determined, innovative people who don’t easily sway. An ash owner can be stubborn, can be bold, can be picky themselves, and maybe a bit quirky - but they can never be arrogant or consciously rude. A well-matched ash wand loves to perform innovative and highly advanced magic, but it will also want you to prove constantly that you’re up to the challenge of wielding it (I will elaborate on this in the core section).

In my notes on the woods, I wrote a sentence that I like a lot and that might also fit for you: An ash owner is not necessarily a person who knows exactly what they want, but always a person who knows exactly what they don’t want. This is, I believe, also true for the wood itself: it will absolutely show you if it doesn’t like what you’re doing, and if you want a perfectly functioning wand you better work it well, or else it might start refusing things.

Core: Phoenix feather

An ash wand with any core is incredibly picky, but an ash wand with a phoenix core even more so. Phoenix can be kind of a complicated core in that it creates very strong bonds to its owner, but only very slowly and only after the person has proven they’re worthy. I like the idea of the ash-phoenix combination for you because it requires an intelligent, conscious use of magic, which you would be absolutely capable of, but it would also take any laziness somehow personal. Being productive and working with your wand would be rewarded with some exceptional magic, but being lazy and letting things slide would result in the wand being huffy, losing momentum, performing subpar. On a side note: an ash-phoenix combination, although it can be stubborn to work with, will bond very strongly with its owner and not react very kindly to passing it along. Think of an ash-phoenix wand who was used by someone else than its owner like a cat after a trip to the vet: it will most definitely sulk for about a week after.

Length: 13 1/4 inches

I chose a longer wand mostly based on you choosing attack over defense and mentioning being somewhat confrontational. A phoenix is a solitary animal who might often choose to flee rather than attack, so I didn’t want too much of that in the final wand. A longer ash wand puts a tad more emphasis on determination and the courage to stand your ground when challenged.

Flexibility: particularly bendy

Since ash wood is already quite firm in its characteristics, it doesn’t need extra firmness from its fabrication. I would rather make this wand as flexible as possible. For a quick thinker like you this will provide a wider range for your spellwork and some additional speed in your casting. (Which might even be an extra motivator for getting off your butt. :DD)

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Wood: Laurel

Laurel is one of these woods that have a couple ofvery strong characteristics they aren’t willing to deviate very far from.Although in general laurel wands are pretty loyal to their owner they are alsoknown to change affiliates under particular circumstances; namely if theiraforementioned characteristics aren’t met by the owner.For example, what a laurel wand absolutely despises isexcessive laziness. The ideal laurel owner is a ‘doer’: active, determined, andenergetic. Laurel owners often have some sort of quest, be it a quest ofexploring the world, getting recognition, finding a purpose… They like to movethings, and they also like being praised and appreciated for it.A big topic when dealing with laurel is honour. It iscommonly said that a laurel wand will never perform a dishonourable act;subsequently its owner has a strict code of honour that they hold on to. Thesecond scenario in which a laurel wand could consciously switch owners is whenthe original owner breaks their own code of honour.That’s not to say that a laurel wand cannot performdangerous or even lethal magic, though. After all, history is full of peoplewho have killed or died in the name of honour.

Core: Phoenix feather

You know, my first thought was that a laurel/phoenixwand would be judging everyone so hard. :D I mean, the combination of laurelwood with its clear idea of honour and probably taking the high road, and aphoenix core which is generally sort of mistrusting and reserved towards peopleat first…I feel like this wandrequires some trust building over the first time, but once the owner and thewand are on one page (especially concerning the previously mentioned code ofhonour) you’ll get an amazingly loyal and devoted wand that will gladly do allthe work you require from it, and then some more.

Length: 12 ½ inches

This wand is a little bit on the longer sidewhich gives the wood a little more emphasis. I think this would come in handywhen you’re working a lot with the wand – the laurel wants to work, so let it work. :) Just make sure you don’t sit backand relax too much, because the wand willremind you how much it dislikes lazy beans.

Flexibility: bendy