An athame is a ritual knife, dagger or sword. In Wicca it symbolizes the masculine aspect and the element of fire. (The Golden Dawn and other "high" magickal groups use it as a symbol of air) It is used in the symbolic Great Rite but more often as an energy focus to inscribe circles and sever magickal bonds. Though some disagree, many hold that an athame should never be used for physical cutting.

Most Wiccan practitioners prefer to have their own. Since it is a tool of energy focus, it seems natural for an individual to have her or his own. Many covens/circles/groups also own an athame that is used for communal ritual and would be a focus for the entire coven rather than a personal tool.

There are many ways to acquire one. If you are looking for a personal athame, then any knife/dagger/sword that seems to call to you is a good bet. I have two personal ones myself. One I made and the other I bought at a mall knife shop. One is a rough instrument used for personal rituals or during outside rituals in our lovely Pacific Northwest weather. The other is showier and simply feels like a more precise instrument. It is used for special occasions/ceremonies.

Remember what I said in your last post though. Athames and the other alter tools are only instruments used to focus energy. A ritual can be just as meaningful without the all trappings.

Slainte' M'hath