Posts Tagged With: Circle

Fairy Magick – A Warding

Posted on May 17, 2013 by mistressofthemyst

A Warding

The following is an easy warding ritual for your home or just one room. You must admit that there are those who would use magic in unwise ways. A simple way I’ve found of dealing with such attempts is to ward a room you work in, or your home. It is similar to casting a circle except that it is as permanent as you want it to be. Be sure that you won’t be disturbed while casting the ward or you will have to start over. Nothing is required to do this but you may use any props necessary to make you most comfortable.

After ensuring you won’t be disturbed, ground and center (use any form you wish, this is a very adaptable ritual). Cast your circle, using the walls as the four Quarters (again use whatever method you are most comfortable with). After the circle is cast you will do something similar to circle casting. Invoke the Quarters again this time asking for protection of the area being warded against all negative influences from being able to ever enter the area involved. As you invoke each Quarter visualize a wall of energy completely covering the wall involved sealed by a floor to ceiling pentacle. On the wall/s with a door visualize a smaller version of the energy wall and pentacle so that entering and leaving will not affect the integrity of the working. After each wall, the floor, and the ceiling are sealed be sure to cleanse the area to ensure that no negativity was trapped inside the room (any method is acceptable). When done thank the Quarters for their help and dismiss them.

(This was found on the Internet. Thanks to the writer, whoever he or she may be!)

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Categories: Articles, Protection Spells, The Faerie Pagan Tradition | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Preparing and Casting the Circle

Posted on August 29, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

Preparing and Casting the Circle

Though it sounds simple, preparing the circle for a ritual can be a long, laborious process with little thanks given by the people that come to the circle. The witch in charge of setting up the space for a circle must decide what they think is necessary and make adjustments on the fly for missing things. They must listen to the discussion on what will be done at that circle and find what is needed, often digging up scraps from here and there to get everything. The leaders of the circle in particular, will generally bring any special items that will be required, but the things that are more common fall to whomever is doing the ritual preparation.

If a witch works as a solitary, then she is responsible for everything. This, of course, is made simpler by the fact that she disturbs no one if she forgets something and has to go get it. Preparation for circle includes such things as vacuuming the carpet if the floor is carpeted and sweeping it if it is not, setting up the altar and cleaning out any items that were not cleaned out after the last circle, setting up the charcoal for the incense and lighting it just before circle so that it is hot when needed. She needs to check that there is a pitcher of juice or wine available if a feast is being done, that there is good ventilation and sufficient heat in the room, and that everyone is ready to go before the circle starts.

There should be enough time before a ritual starts for people to sit together in silence to attune to one another, allowing the mundane world to slip away and adjust to a sacred way of thinking. Shirking on this is shirking on the preparation of a ritual, as it is very important that a group work together as a coherent whole.

Once the preparations and meditations are done, it is time to cast the circle. This can be done in many different ways. Several are presented below to give the student a choice and different ways to do this. The actual techniques do not matter so much as the intent and desire. It is a way to trigger the mind into working in a different manner than it is accustomed to working. As a student becomes more practiced and able to cast stronger and better circles, they will notice the way their minds shift focus from mundane to the sacred as they create their space. They will also begin to experiment with different ways of casting a circle. When this happens, they have learned a critical step to becoming a witch.

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Daily OM for April 25th – The Power of the Circle

Posted on April 25, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

The Power of the Circle
Uniting in Thought and Action

When we are in circle with others, the energy stays contained within the group giving back to all. 

 

There are many reasons for why a gathering of people in a circle is powerful. A circle is a shape that is found repeatedly throughout the natural world, and it is a symbol of perfection. We recreate this perfect shape when we join others to form a circle. Being in a circle allows us experience each other as equals. Each person is the same distance apart from the next participant, and no one is seated higher than or stands apart from others in a circle. From tribal circles to the mythical round table of King Arthur, the circle has been the shape adopted by gatherings throughout history.

The circle is acknowledged as an archetype of wholeness and integration, with the center of a circle universally understood to symbolize Spirit – the Source. When a group of people come together in a circle, they are united. This unity becomes even more powerful when each person reaches out to touch a neighbor and clasps hands. This physical connection unites thought and action, mind and body, and spirit and form in a circle. Because a circle has no beginning and no end, the agreement to connect in a circle allows energy to circulate from one person to the next, rather than being dissipated into the environment.

Like a candle used to light another candle, the connection with spirit that results when one person joins hands with another is greater than if each person were to stand alone. People who take part in a circle find that their power increases exponentially while with the group. Like a drop of water rippling on the surface of a pond, the waves of energy produced in a circle radiate outward in circular motion. While one person may act like a single beacon that emanates light, a circle of people is like a satellite dish that sends out energy. There is power in numbers, and when the commitment is made by many to face one another, clasp hands, and focus on one intention, their circle emanates ripples of energy that can change the world.

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Opening the Circle

Posted on April 12, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

Opening the Circle

The last thing that must be done is the opening of the cast circle. The people who purified and blessed the space are not needed for this part, only the person that did the actual casting of it. They should take their athame and return to the east, cutting a slit into the edge of the circle, and then walk around the circle in the opposite direction that it was cast in, visualizing the energy being pulled back into the tip of the athame.

When the person reaches the east once more, they should touch the tip of the athame to the pentacle to ground all of the energy that was put into it. This will keep the athame balanced and ready to use. Once this is done, the area should be cleaned up and put back into the order that it was found.

If the space is rented or public property, make certain that everything that was brought is removed, including the garbage. Dump the offering on the ground under a tree or into running water. If the space is a non-for-profit organization, a small donation is usually welcomed. If none of this is possible, a charitable donation to a local group in the organization’s name can also be done.

Categories: Ritual Working, Spellcrafting, Wicca, Witchcraft | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Experimenting with Circles

Posted on April 12, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

 

Experimenting with Circles

When you feel comfortable in your ability to cast a circle, it is time to start finding new ways to do it. There is no limit to what you can do to create sacred space. It can be as simple as sitting and drumming the circle into existence or chanting something to create the energy to draw your circle. Movement is something used in lieu of everything else. It is possible to use a piece of recorded music to cast it, or to dance to the music to cast the circle. You can create a circle by telling stories or sharing your day with others.

Some of the techniques that can be used will be very difficult at first, and that is why you should learn to cast in one of the first two ways before you begin experimenting. If you do, you know what the end result should be and will know when you reach it. As you develop a new way to cast a circle, you will find certain things that work and certain ones that don’t. Don’t be afraid to change elements around or substitute things in or out to make it work. This is one of the first totally creative things that you will do as a witch.

 

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Creating A Magickal Circle

Posted on April 12, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

 

Creating A Magickal Circle

Your Spiritual Space

A magick circle is a space where a Witch will conduct rituals and ceremonies. It is the gateway between worlds, spirutal and physical realms come together and allow you to communicate with spirit, conduct spiritual work, rituals, ceremonies and castings.

 

As with everything in the spiritual essence of the world, even a circle has a few guidelines that need to be followed. The circle is not to be broken by someone stepping into this space unless a gateway has been prepared for them to enter. Nor should a Witch step outside the cirlce during a ritual unless a door way has been prepared.

 

A circle is used to draw a visionary broundry that protects a Witch from outside forces while conducting spiritual work. Many witches use visions of blue flames or divine white protection to create this boundry.

 

Others choose to create this circle in the physical sense as well. Either by drawing a circle on the floor in a permanent means, or by using a nine-foot cord made from natural fibers that can be easily placed and removed as needed. Sand, salt or herbs can also be used to draw the circle.

 

When you have selected the area to place your circle, you should Clear and Cleanse the energies before you draw the circle. Many Witches will place a broom at the doorway of the circle as a tool that designates the entry point of the witch or someone else who will be called into this space for work. The broom is also a symbol of a spiritual barrier to keep out unwanted energies from entering your sacred space.

 

To draw a doorway, a Witch should use a wand or athame to cut a “hole” in the energy field. Many Witches will use incense to close the doorway, using the smoke to symbolize the divine energy field.

 

Once your work is complete, you must close the circle and ensure the energy has been properly shut down. Leaving an open gate is not only disrespectful to the forces that assisted you, but also dangerous for you and your home. Closing the circle is as simple as 1-2-3.

 

Thank the guides, teachers, God/Goddess that you called or who came into the circle to offer assistance during your work.

Imagine the energy around the circle lowering around you, toning down and fading so to speak.

 

Finally, clear the space with a blessing and ask the energies to close the gate. If the circle was a temporary fixture, then remove it and store it appropriately.

 

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The Witch’s Pyramid

Posted on April 4, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

The Witch’s Pyramid

Author: J Rainwoods

A while back, when I was first learning about Witchcraft, I read about the four pillars of the Witch’s Pyramid. I was working solitary and getting all of my info out of books, and it seemed to be an important thing to know; so I used a little trick to memorize them. When I showered, as I poured shampoo onto my hand, I would draw a pentacle. As I did this, I would list the four pillars of the pyramid as I hit each corner of the pentacle I drew. It worked really well, and to this day I can list off the four pillars on demand when necessary. After a while of doing this, I became interested in using my shower power to learn other things. Life went on, and the Pyramid got filed away into a dusty corner of my brain.

I don’t know what happened to resurrect it, but here lately I have found myself hitting each of the four pillars with shampoo without even meaning to. Realizing this has brought the Witch’s Pyramid to the forefront of my thoughts. I find myself asking – how do I take this further? There is, of course, a fifth corner in a pentacle. I haven’t accounted for this one yet, because when working with the four pillars of the Witch’s Pyramid, you’ve got to have those four pillars worked out before you can even start to turn your attention to what follows. That’s OK, though, because a Witch can spend their lifetime – in fact, they are absolutely expected to – mastering the challenge of the four pillars. Here they are:

To Know…
Knowledge. Wisdom. Study. Experience. Book smarts vs. street smarts. A Witch is expected to study the ways of the Craft and to use that knowledge to enhance their practice. Of course. Sure. Got it. That is a given – the easy two-second explanation of this pillar. What about the rest of it? None of us spend our lives in Circle 24 / 7. What about the time we spend in the mundane world, which for most of us is almost all the time? Do we act, speak, think, make decisions, make friends, make love…with wisdom? Nothing, but nothing that comes from the Gods is ever given carelessly. What have They taught you in your practice? How can you take that beyond the Circle; and live your life to reflect the wisdom you have been blessed with?

To Dare…
To take a dare generally means you commit to doing something that up to this point you have not done – usually because you’re afraid of something. More than once as I have walked my path over the years, I have been afraid. Now, we humans are blessed with fear – it keeps us from jumping off cliffs or standing in front of a buffalo stampede; but sometimes the best view is from the cliff’s edge. Sometimes, the most amazing dance of power comes to us from the dust under the herd’s feet as they run with the wind and you’d never know it unless you stood right there. Often, facing down a fear and conquering it is what we need to make our lives better in some way. No chance we’ll ever be on a journey worth taking without a scary roadblock or two. We all have a treasured memory of a time when we faced down the fear of something – or someone. We get stronger this way. We get wiser this way. What are you afraid of? How would your life change if you conquered that fear? Got the guts to do it?

To Will…
Ah, will…you manly thing, you. For me, you are always over the next hill. You are always on the other side of tomorrow. Like too many of my sisters in this world, I was raised to be anything but willful. From the time I was barely able to realize the difference between good girls and bad girls, I knew that willful was not what I wanted to be. Willful girls always had their name on the chalkboard. They always got detention. They were always talked about behind the cupped hands of the popular girls as they walked across the classroom. Even in our Craft, so many of us write will off as that hot, sunny God-attribute the boys get to have. It’s not for “us girls”, so why worry about it? We’ve got our intuition, we’ve got our moon, and we’re good! Right? Someone agree with me before I get embarrassed for speaking out of turn…

Ever hear of girl power? Ever marvel at the things our daughters and little sisters do (“get away with”) that we never would have done ourselves at their age (probably because our moms would have grounded us to the end of the world for doing whatever it is) ? Ever watch a female use her goddess – given gifts: charisma, looks, brains, or maybe just a loud voice and a “Who gives a damn if I make a scene in public?” attitude to get her way; and then watch with longing as she walks away, victorious?

Some of us don’t have a problem with will. Some of us were those girls on the chalkboard, in detention, and damn proud of it! Some of us have the will of an autumn leaf as it goes wherever Father Wind tells it to go. Most of us tend to have a mix of both, leaning way more towards autumn leaf than Lady Get-My-Way. To be a Witch – true to your inheritance, true to your pledge, TRUE TO YOUR WOMANHOOD, guess what you’ve got to have – and I’m not just talking about the Witch within the Circle. What you try to work within will never amount to anything if you do not demonstrate the will to manifest without. Back to the next generation for a minute: think about a young girl / woman that you know and love. What do you want to teach them about will? What is your attitude towards willfulness in women? They’re watching – what kind of example do you set for them? These pillars are starting to get to me…I’ll never shampoo the same way again. But wait! There’s more!

To be Silent…
For a minute there, I thought about leaving this one blank and waiting to see if anyone got the joke…nah. Silence holds all the power in the universe. That’s why it is impossible to master. Traditionally, the fourth pillar – To Be Silent – has referred specifically to the things you do and the people you know within your craft. Basically, if you’re not with your coven don’t talk about coven stuff. I would offer this thought to chew on…silently. A minute ago, I said that silence holds all the power in the universe.

Here’s another one: to know yourself is to know your power. Getting to know yourself – to see yourself with honest love and objectivity instead of relating to yourself the way the world has always related to you – can be accomplished only when you take the time to shut out the world. Sit down (in silence) and listen. Ground and center. Meditate. Do it for real. Mean it. Say (to yourself and the Gods – without actually using your voice) I am open to good. I am receptive to wisdom. What is it I need to know? Do this often and regularly. A minute ago, after the part about the power in the universe, I said silence is impossible to master. Sitting in silence is really hard, even for folks that have been doing it a long time. If you’re new at the practice, it’s usually a frustrating waste of time. Commit to doing this every day and you will come to know yourself. You will come to know your power and know the Gods are working in your life.

I have committed to working the Four Pillars of the Witch’s Pyramid into my life. I want to use them to grow and to learn and to challenge myself to do great things. I will explore different ways to honor the pillars through the week, and I’ll keep in touch and let you know how it goes. This promises to be fun, frightening, and utterly stupid at times and hopefully will get others thinking about how they can live what they believe – whatever that is! Blessed be!

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Wishing You & Yours A Very Happy & Blessed Spring Equinox & Ostara!

Posted on March 20, 2012 by ladyoftheabyss

Ostara Comments

“Equal dark, equal light
Flow in Circle, deep insight
Blessed Be, Blessed Be
The transformation of energy!
So it flows, out it goes
Three-fold back it shall be
Blessed Be, Blessed Be
The transformation of energy!”
- Night An’Fey, Transformation of Energy

 

 ~Magickal Graphics~

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