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invocation of a goddess or god name to help with the ritual. One group of modern witches uses the
names of the four winds, and though the names they use are the Greek ones, the old folk of Britain
sometimes called upon, 'A pale wind and a purple wind, a black wind and a white ...' to sweep away
interference from their sacred place, protect it from harm and empower their spells.
The first consideration is space. If you are working indoors you will be limited both in the amount of
room you have to make sacred, and how wild your activities within that space may be, because
dancing, singing, waving a wand or even lying full length to receive divine inspiration are all possible
aspects of the work. It does rather sadden me that some modern witches are keen to be sky-clad
(naked) and free, but as a consequence take off their clothes and have to wear a house! Surely it is
better in the eyes of the Earth Mother to wear comfortable clothes but be out of doors, in the wind and
moonlight? A light robe, a warm cloak or even a special coat kept just for such encounters with
Nature will not stop the channelling of power which can move the stars in their courses. Out there, the
voices of the wild can answer your summons, give reply to your request or, as omens, fulfil your
prayers.
Again, you will have to choose, but if you are new to these arts it may be easier and feel safer to be
indoors, in familiar surroundings, where you can find items to use for the marking out of the square
circle. The simplest set of symbols of the Elements of Earth, Water, Fire and Air are earth from the
garden, water from the tap, a lighted candle and something scented. You can use a rock, pebble or slab
of wood, which grows in the ground, for Earth.
You may, if you are going to drink it, use spring water, fruit juice or wine for Water. Fire really does
have to be something alight, although a smouldering joss stick could be used to represent both Fire
and Air. For Air you could use some kind of incense, burned on proper charcoal, or a sweetly scented
flower, pot-pourri, even a fan or a feather. Out of doors in a natural place, you may be surprised at
what you can easily discover to represent the Elements - from tiny acorn cups of Water, to aromatic
shrubs for Air, a red or yellow flower or leaf for Fire, and any kind of soil, stone, wood or sand for
Earth.
These traditional four Elements represent the spokes of a wheel, which give it both balance and
power. By calling upon these traditional Elements you create a kind of vortex which spins the energy
you are drawing up from the Earth herself and mixes it with the power that is flowing down from the
sky, making a potent source of magical force by which your spells will be made to work. You cause
this power to move because in your ritual or in your mind you will be walking, dancing or sweeping
around the circle, like a spoon in a teacup, stirring these balanced lines of energy into a cord of light
which, rather like a twisted electric cable, can direct the energy where it is needed. As your psychic
vision improves you will actually be able to see the Elemental power as different colours, or as flows
of rainbow light, or sense them as heat or coolness.
You will need to write little poems or invocations to welcome or recognise these forces. 'Earth
beneath and Sky above, Bless me ever with your love. Power of Nature, strength of Earth, Help me to
find my own true worth. Flow of Water, rain in spring, Grant my heart the joy to sing. Fire of
summer, light of flame, Guide me to my lifelong aim. Wind of autumn, breath of Air, show me peace
beyond compare. Circle round and Light within, Guard me now, your human kin.' As you say each of
these short invocations (or ones you have made up which are better poetry or more appropriate to your
own symbolism) face up for Sky, look down for Earth, point to North for Elemental Earth, West for
Water, South for Fire, East for Air. (You will either need to recognise where the points of the compass
are from seeing stars or the sun in the sky, or buy yourself a reliable magnetic compass from a hiking
or Scout shop.)
Ideally you will need to walk around the circle to each of these points in turn. If you do it just like that
you will find you are going anti-clockwise, or widdershins as they say in Scotland. Now many modern
witches do not like the idea of going anti-clockwise, not realising that that is the actual direction the
.
Earth herself turns, so it is up to you. At the beginning of your work you may well be clearing things
away, be it furniture or old ideas.
Anyway, to get over this problem you can form a vortex clockwise by walking from North round
three-quarters of a circle until you get to the West, where Water should be. Say the words, then do
three-quarters of a clockwise circle to Fire in the South, and finally three-quarters of a circle to East
where the symbol of Air will be. Face the centre and imagine a great circle of white-gold light
sweeping round you and at the very centre, inside your own heart, a tiny diamond-bright point of
silver fire.
Just try this very basic exercise, when you have cleared a physical space and cleaned it as well as you
can. Place the four symbols of the Elements in their respective places; learn which is in which
direction so that you will be able to look West from North, or South from East and so on without
hesitation. Learn also to turn to your right for clockwise (deosil) or to your left for anti-clockwise
(widdershins). When you have set out the Elements and walked the three whole circles it takes to do
as above (or the single circle if you don't mind going widdershins), sit in the centre, relax and close
your eyes. Feel the circle around you, as if it were a circular magical carpet which is tilting and
building up energy, ready to lift you off and take you to the Place of Witchdom, the Old Land, where
the Goddess and her Love are ready to meet you.
Be physically still, absolutely silent, and just sense, listen and become more aware than usual. After
just a few minutes, get up and unwind the circle, the opposite way to how you began. In your own [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]