Spirited (17 page)

Often personal preparation links the physical with the magickal. To illustrate this, here is an excerpt from an article I wrote for
Bizoo
:

The Witch's Spell

Hot water spurts from the many tiny holes in the metal shower spout. As he stands there, he washes the dirt of the day down the drain using the washcloth and the shower gel. Fairly mundane, at first glance; however, the intent behind this shower is planned. Tonight the worlds will merge in his backyard to create a space of purity and containment for the energies raised within.

As he stands under the water, he imagines the cascading droplets merging into beings of raw energy (perhaps mermaids, sometimes called undines) and absorbing into his skin. This will cleanse him of the mental and emotional baggage of the day, to allow for a focused and determined mind—a mind that is of good use in working with Magick.

The above excerpt demonstrates the power and sensuality that is incorporated in such exercises and how it creates the perfect mindset in anticipation for ritual.

Generally speaking, after bathing you dress (or, as the case may be, remain naked). As you dress, become aware of the transition from being naked to having clothes on. Do not overanalyse the experience, just allow yourself to sense, feel, and respond. Always remain calm, allowing thoughts to slip through and out of your mind.

If you are bothered by intruding sounds and movements, allow all of these distractions to meld into one symphony of life—see the rhythm underlying everything, and let it be a part of your experience. The concept of selfishness has become increasingly ominous in Western society; however, we all need to realise that in order to operate as a fully present being, the self needs to be paid close attention to. How else are you going to be able to help your friends and family?

In essence, preparing oneself for ritual is not necessarily about fasting and celibacy; rather, it is embracing the sense of self that is inherent in the moment. Once we have achieved this, we are centred and ready for the work ahead.

Purification:
Casting the Circle

You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle and
that is because the Power of the World always works in circles,
and everything tries to be round … Everything the
Power of the World does is done in a circle.

—Black Elk, Oglala Sioux holy man (1863–1950)

The circle is a cultural symbol of Magick and Witchcraft. I was once sitting innocently at work during downtime, reading a book from the series
The Circle
by Melaina Faranda, when a woman came over to inquire about a tarot reading. After talking for a while, she noted the title of my book and asked if it was about Witchcraft. I nodded and asked how she knew, and she replied that the word “circle” had triggered the images. There is no other shape that can so adequately encompass the inner meaning of Paganism and Witchcraft, the cyclic nature of the world, and the never-ending flow of life, death, and rebirth.

The circle embodies a subtle reality; it has no sharp points or straight walls that impose a sense of material space. It is a shape that has no weakest point. Throughout history, the circle has been imbued with the qualities of life, protection, Magick, and wisdom.

Ultimately, the circle is a ritual that alters consciousness. It allows the individual to attune to the primal energies held deep within. Various acts may be integrated into the circle casting—for instance, quarter calling, asperging, and smudging—but the essence of the circle is the acknowledgement of Nature's tendency to move in cycles.

In truth, there are no concrete methods of circle casting, and like most things in Paganism, it is open to preference.

Birthing a Universe:
A Philosophy

Before time was, there was The One;
The One was all, and all was The One.

—Scott Cunningham,
Wicca

Casting a circle and invoking the elements is enacting the very creation of Life's origins. Through gesture, word, and symbolism, you are drawing deeper into the eternal spiral of Spirit within your being. When you invoke the air, the earth, the water, and the fire, you are laying down the foundations of our own fertile planet. Medieval alchemists and Platonic philosophers believed that the world was composed of these four elements and animated by the fifth principle of Spirit. We all know that the pure forms of fire and earth do not literally compose our world; however, they are the generalised terms for the things that do. This concept is more easily understood when we equate water with liquid, earth with mineral and organic material, air with gas, and fire with the fuel (heat) that operates their interaction and movement. Spirit is what underlies all.

Almost all indigenous groups that exist and have existed in our world honour and acknowledge the power emanating from the eternal Spirit. Australia's Aborigines
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understand creation as an ongoing process of continuity and rhythm; this concept has been called the Dreamtime and more recently the Dreaming. It is believed that the ancestral spirits created all things in existence—the trees, the animals, the water, the earth, the sun, the moon, and humanity. However, there was no singular moment of conception or creation; rather, it was an unfolding process. These ancestral spirits took their rest in the many sacred sites scattered about Australia (and the world) and still dwell there to this day.

Creation is without time; it is the life we all share, and it is the eternal cycle of existence. The ancestral spirits are concentrated beings of energy, the catalysts that influence material form on the physical plane and imbue all of life with their sacred essence. Ultimately, the Australian Aborigines' conception of life and its origins is one of many that expresses the notion of a collection of spiritual beings coming together and birthing the world.

In the original thinking, there was never truly a moment of time or a singular point of space that forged this expanding sweep of stardust; it is a continuum. This is the fluctuating, undulating serpentine force that gathered in the energy of chaos and birthed the cosmos. Their dance is now an eternity.

Before the physical actions of the circle casting are carried out, it is the mental preparation of aligning oneself with the essential void of origin (the chaos within the cosmos) that is concentrated on, or surrendered to.

Before existence, there was chaos. In Hesiod's
Theogony
, the Greek poet relays the story of creation and the birth of the Olympian gods. It is chaos that bears the origin, the seed of life within the gaping mouth of potential.

Deep within the mind, there is a dark cradle that bears the beginning. Once you have centred and allowed the breath to purify your mind, body, and soul, a peaceful and quiet point of equilibrium is reached. It is darkness; it simply
is
. From that point onward, the process of creation spirals into being, and the pace of an unfurling universe propels the momentum of energy into the natural circular rhythm.

When you visualise your circle and project your energy to infuse the potential barriers with life, you reinforce and strengthen the process of creation. You may then invite the elements to bless and guard your space.

Symbolically, you have fashioned a universe of your own through the metaphysical principle of sympathy. You have met with your inner, divine potential for life and resurrected your ancient power to give birth, regardless of physical gender.

The circle is the legacy of our ancestors; it is our spiritual home. This is the place where the primal forces of the divine are celebrated and embraced. You have become the pillar of the universe, and the circle is the womb that holds you firm.

Which Way Is Witch?
Elemental Orientation

Incorporating the elements into your circle is a question of correspondence. This is where the distinction between hemispheres hits home.

When Gardner first began writing about Witchcraft, he began to formalise what came to be known as the Gardnerian tradition, which forms the basis for much of Wicca today.

The casting of the circle usually involves the invocation of the elements, directions, guardians, and/or watchtowers. Air was called from the east, as this is the place of the rising sun and therefore the origin of the solar wind at dawn. Fire was placed in the south, as this is the direction of the equator in Britain. The west came to be the home of water, as to the west of the British Isles is the North Atlantic Ocean. North was earth, probably as the Arctic Circle is to Britain's north.

These correspondences have been upheld in Wicca as traditional and therefore favoured over other systems of elemental orientation. However, much as the direction the circle is cast depends on the hemisphere, the elements can also be adapted to individual geographies.

There are five systems of elemental persuasion:
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1. Geographical

2. Traditional

3. Symbolical

4. Energetic

5. Intuitive

1: Geographical

This system works hand in hand with the acknowledgement of your specific locale. In Britain, the traditional elemental correspondences are valid due to the geography of the region. However, in the Southern Hemisphere, if following traditional forms of elemental positioning, it could be said that you are astrally standing on your head. We need to be upright and focused to work effective Magick, and thus the north (the direction of the equator in the Southern Hemisphere) is said to be the place of fire, and earth is designated to south.

However, if, for instance, you are more inclined to acknowledge your immediate physical surroundings, you might like to seek out representations of the elements around your sacred space. For example, if to the east of you stood a clump of trees, then it can only make sense that you would assign earth to east, or if a telephone box was to the north of you, it would be conceivable to assign air to that direction, as communication is a traditional function of air.

In August 2003, I organised a Witches' meet in the local Japanese gardens. Before we began the ritual, the participants stood around the altar and discussed which directions we should call the elements from. After a while of negotiating (I stood back and let them talk), we arrived at a decision. As to the south of us was a lake, we assigned water to south, and so on and so forth.

The geographical system seeks to better attune the microcosm with the macrocosm (the universe) and honours the physical manifestations of the elements.

2: Traditional

This is the system assumed by most Northern Hemisphere covens and even many Southern Hemisphere groups, particularly British Traditional Wiccans.

In truth, the traditional system is simply geographical under a new guise, though it has been supplanted from its original environment and superimposed over others. In the Southern Hemisphere, however, where the physical surroundings are of more significance to the individual Witch, this system is invalid unless it is supported by the symbolical system, discussed below.

As the majority of Wiccan traditions use this method, I have named this system traditional, if not Eurocentric. Gardnerian, Alexandrian, and Dianic Wicca were all founded in the Northern Hemisphere, and although in some Southern groups the elemental orientations may be adjusted to the locale, most traditions adhere to the traditional system of designation in order to reflect the practices of their respective traditions and to honour lineage.

3: Symbolical

This system is based on the poetic aspects of elemental correspondences and does not seek to displace the traditional system. Symbolists employ the traditiona
l elemental orientations regardless of locale.

For example, an adherent of the symbolical system embraces the fact that east is the direction from which the sun rises, and therefore relates air to east because of air's spiritual association with new beginnings and creative inspiration.

The orientation of the elements in a symbolist's circle owes to the associations garnered from our lore, as below:

Fire:
Passion, Courage, Will, Power

Water:
Emotion, Fluidity, Unpredictability, Secrets

Air:
Intelligence, Inspiration, Communication, Clarity

Earth:
Strength, Resilience, Practicality, Stability

These associations are generic, and individuals will assign different qualities to the elements.

4: Energetic

The energetic system has not, to my knowledge, been covered by any Pagan text I have come across.

This system acknowledges the buildup of specific energies from specific places surrounding a sacred space, e.g., a home altar. It applies to Witches who work in their physical sacred space regularly, as opposed to nomadic Witches. The energetic system, however, relies on adherence to one of the other systems.

If, for example, a Witch follows the symbolical system and thus calls earth from the north, and so on, to also adhere to the energetic system, the Witch would continue to call earth from the north. This is based on the principle that specific energies worked with regularly in the same place will be more receptive if called from that respective place or direction.

5: Intuitive

Witches who belong to no particular tradition use this system most often. The intuitive system is a concept favoured within the Eclectic movement. With intuition, you are permitted to pick and choose whatever feels right at the time.