The scourge wass basically a small leather whip or cat-o-nine-tails. Very rarely used by modern day Wiccans it is very much "old style" in tradition. It is however, still used by followers of "old style" Wicca.

Despite being an instrument of punishment that is not the way it was used. The scourge was only used symbolically to gently strike the recipient and was intended to ritually purify them, not punish them.

It is believed to be derived from the symbolic ritual tools of the Egyptian god Osiris.