Casting A Sacred Circle

Many times we are asked "how do you cast a circle?" There are so many different was that this can be done. Differs from each Tradition to the next. Even within our own Avaloian Tradition we make improvisions on this.

The main factor is to cast a sacred space. A space that separates this world from the other. A space that we ourselves make holy. And that is what is important. A space that you set aside from all else, to glorify and exalt. For you are the one casting, cleansing, purifying, and setting it aside from all else.

Before you cast, one should make sure of the intent of casting. Ask yourself why you are doing it. Once you have this the gathering is made easier. If you are doing this with a group of people One must be chosen to be the Lord or Lady. The Lord or Lady usually has one person who waits them. This is not to say the Lord or Lady is higher than they, but the fact that they shall be the God/dess incarnate. You may also do this solitary. Depending on the amount tending.

The Lord/Lady has the sword brought to them. All else are standing outside where the circle is to be cast. The Lord/Lady takes the sword and walk deosil (clockwise) around the space to be cast. The wait has a small bell with them. Beginning at the East, the sword, in a non-threatening manner, is raised. The wait rings the bell. All fill fall silent. Moving clockwise the Lord/Lady salute each direction. If there are four novices present each will stand to the directions as the Lord/Lady passes.
Lord/Lady: Let all those that wish to partake enter ye now ! (the bell is rung)

Everyone enters by stepping forward (no actual circle has been cast yet)

Wait: My Lord/Lady all those that wish to partake in this Magickal Rite are now present. I pray you, cast the Sacred Circle.

Lord/Lady: What thou doth sees makes here this night, shall be forever within this circle. So Mote It Be !

(When anyone speaks the So Mote It Be or Blessed Be, all shall repeat it)

Again at the East, the Lord/Lady takes the sword and draws within the ground or upon the floor the circle saying as the pass...

"I draw this magick circle let no evil or ill will cross its mark."

Once the Lord/Lady has reached the East again, They take the sword and place it upon the shoulders of the novice, and says...

"be thou the guardian of this gate... I call I summon I stir oh ye spirits of Air, come forth now I pray thee and witness our Rite. So Mote It Be!"

The Guardian answers: I am he/she the guardian, no evil or ill will shall pass by me, My Lord/Lady.

the Wait rings the bell

The Lord/Lady goes to each quarter and perform the same, on each guardian. The Wait will ring the bell as each guardian answers.

Once the quarters are called the Lord/Lady goes to the center of the circle as the Wait performs the cleansing of the circle with salt and water.

Incense can be used instead of salt and water mixture. The Lord/Lady summons the spirit of the Great Lady and the Great Lord by saying....

Great Lady witness now your children who stand before you in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.

Standing East, with the censer the Lord/Lady says....

Great Maiden Come To Us.....

All repeat....

Standing South, with the torch or candle the Lord/Lady says....

Great Mother Come To Us....

All repeat...

Standing West, with chalice of wine or water, the Lord/Lady says...

Ancient Queen of Wisdom Come To Us....

All repeat...

Standing North, with the salt, the Lord/Lady says....

Brother Come To Us...

All Repeat...

Drumming, rattles, any form of music making can be added to this. As you can take note there really isn't any particular God or Goddess called, this is the Avaloian Tradition. All Gods are one God, all Goddesses are one Goddess.
So there is the very basic beginnings of Magical Workings... you can take it from here..... Do What Thou Wilt, Save Harm None, Shall Be the Whole.

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Principles Of Wiccan Belief

Seventy three Witches founded the Council of American Witches in 1974. In April of that year, at the Spring Witchmeet in Minneapolis, MN, (1974-APR-11 to 14), they adopted the following document. At the time, Wicca and other Neopagan religions were greatly misunderstood in North America. This document helped to set the record straight.

The thirteen statements are necessarily vague. They do not precisely and completely match any one Witchcraft tradition. But they do provide an introduction to the full range of belief systems found within "Wicca."

Its policy of including all persons, regardless of "sexual preference" -- now referred to as sexual orientation -- was almost unheard of back in 1974.

The Council disbanded later in 1974.

INTRODUCTION:

In seeking to be inclusive, we do not wish to open ourselves to the destruction of our group by those on self-serving power trips, or to philosophies and practices contradictory to those principles. In seeking to exclude those whose ways are contradictory to ours, we do not want to deny participation with us to any who are sincerely interested in our knowledge and beliefs, regardless of race, color, sex, age, national or cultural origins, or sexual preference.

Principles of the Wiccan Belief:

1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.

2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility towards our environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.

3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that is apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called "supernatural", but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.

4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity - as masculine and feminine - and that this same Creative Power lies in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and religious worship.

5. We recognize both outer and inner, or psychological, worlds - sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner Planes, etc. - and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.

6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.

7. We see religion, magick and wisdom-in-living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it - a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft, the Wiccan Way.

8. Calling oneself "Witch" does not make a Witch - but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with Nature.

9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness, that gives meaning to the Universe we know, and our personal role within it.

10. Our only animosity towards Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the only way," and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.

11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the origins of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.

12. We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as "Satan" or "the Devil", as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor do we accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

13. We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.

source

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Asking For A Blessing

The last day of the month is the sacred day of the triple goddess of crossroads and the patroness of Witches, Hecate. Hecate had many names and titles: Hecate Trevia, "of the three ways"; Hecate Phosphoros, "the light bringer"; Hecate Nykterian "of the night"; and Hecate Basileia, "Hecate Queen." On this night of the waning Moon we have a perfect opportunity to work with this goddess and ask for her blessing to illuminate our darkest times, and grant us her protection.

Hecate, goddess of the crossroads, hear my cry,
Protect and guard me under your midnight sky.
Hecate Phosphoros "she who brings the light,"
Hecate Trevia bless me with your wisdom tonight.

By: Ellen Dugan

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Everyday Lessons

There are times in everyone's life when a simple look around can teach more than all the knowledge in an encyclopedia.

What do I mean by that? Many people think learning can only be accomplished in a classroom. Valuable lessons are learned there. Just as many lessons are also available walking down the street. Some people do not think that daily life has lessons to offer. There is a need for classrooms, but many of our most painful lessons will happen far from institutions of higher learning.

Granted, it is simpler to learn from a person who knows the answers. Teachers usually have the knowledge that we are trying to learn, without paying the cost in sweat and struggle. Just wrap the answers you need into a neat little package and present it with a bow. Ultimately, though, isn't that a cheat? Our teachers have been through the process of learning that we now want handed to us. That devalues the information and deprives us of the work.

Many more things can be learned by the attempt to learn, even if we fail, than can ever be learned by suddenly "knowing" the answer.

Most lessons are learned through trial and error. This is true of the sciences, art, music, and the lessons that shape our personalities. Would you believe that a stove could be hot if you had never seen one before? If you had never seen it cook food? Would you know that you could get burnt unless you hurt yourself on the stove?

One must look upon everything as a potential lesson. The birds, the person who insulted you, your child, and everything else on this Earth should be seen as a lesson waiting to happen. Even the most crushing defeats can be turned into a tool to help you improve yourself for the next time.

While obvious sources of learning are easy to spot, many ignore the more subtle sources of experience we have available to us.

Books are a wonderful source of information. The "gold mine" of information and lessons that I found sitting in my library is invaluable. The characters of fiction stories go through trials and tribulations during the course of their adventures, and if I read closely enough, I should find the keys to avoiding their mistakes.

Music can hold lessons. The songs that touch your heart can teach something to you. One of the most powerful lessons I learned was from a song by Rod Stewart. His song "Forever Young" taught me that I cannot ever forget to tell those I love how much I love them. It's something I thank him for.

In order to prosper from learning our lesson everyday, we must do several things. First we must have total faith in our ability to learn. It is frightening to discover how many adults think that they are unable to learn. We must be willing and able to recognize the lessons and learning experiences as we are presented them. We must then be able to apply our learning into our lives. Without these three things, nothing that we experience will be of value.

The point of this article is to show you how you may not need a teacher or "Master" to learn something. The most valuable lesson is the one you learn for yourself. It is sad but true that the most painful lessons are the ones we remember the best.

Everything in our lives can teach us something. Everyone has something to share and teach. Each living plant and animal can show us how to improve our lives.

Consider the mushroom. An unassuming little fungus, but it can teach a valuable lesson. Looking at him, growing next to his cousins and children after a rainstorm, teaches us about recycling. It is there to break down organic material into its component parts, then to die to help the process along. It creates the dirt that allows the next generation of plants to grow. The animals eat the plants, then die to be changed into dirt again by the mushroom.

Nothing is ever wasted by the mushroom, but it is up to us to realize that lesson when we see it.

This can be applied to anything, from the most esoteric question, to basic survival lessons. Looking at everything around us and asking what it has to teach us about our lives can be an illuminating experience. Teaching ourselves by observation makes the lessons we learn more personal. Many sages have told us the most valuable lesson is the one you learn for yourself.

We are here to learn. We learn by experiencing life. If we don't experience life, we do not learn and we will not get the lessons we need to grow. If we do not grow, we may have to come back to another life and do all this over again.

Not all lessons are explosions and fireworks. The Lord and Lady have chosen to make a game out of the lessons we need to learn to capture our interest and hold our attention. Like all good teachers, they make learning fun. They're most powerful lessons are as quiet as a zephyr and as easy to ignore as a mote of dust.

Look around you for a week. Treat everything and everyone as something to learn from. If at the end of that week, you do not feel different and a bit more enlightened, tell me, but at try it first.

Stars light your path.

Contributed by Red Wolf

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Banishing And Sealing Ritual For The Home

To be performed during at the New Moon, but may be performed at any time in need.

You will need a new white Candle (any size with holder), small bowls for Water and Salt, and a large bowl of water as well, and the censer and an appropriate incense. (Choose one that brings to your mind qualities you wish to have in your home.)
Banishing Ritual:

Meditate for a few moments on the task ahead; then make a brief invocation to the Goddess and the God, asking for Their Aid and Power in the Work you will do.

Light the white candle in its holder, and charcoal in the censer (or an incense stick may be used instead).

Consecrate Water and Salt in the usual way.

Consecrate the water in the bowl in the same manner, but do not add Salt; place this bowl in the center of the room.

Take the consecrated Water, elevate it to North, and say,

In the name of (Goddess) and (God)
I banish with Water and Earth.

Sprinkle the Water lightly widdershins around the perimeter of the room.

Bless the incense, then elevate the censer (or incense stick) to North, and say,

In the name of (Goddess) and (God)
I banish with Fire and Air.

Cense the perimeter of the room widdershins. Take the Candle and cast a Banishing Earth Pentagram at North. (Draw the Pentagram with the censer or incense stick, starting from the bottom left point up to the top point, and so forth.) As you cast the Pentagram say,

With this Sign I banish ye, foul shades of the (Quarter)!
Let this home be freed of your baneful influences!

Then go widdershins around the perimeter of the room, casting a Banishing Pentagram at each Quarter beginning at the West and ending back at North, repeating the above at each Quarter. (Do not repeat it again at North.)

Now turn and face the center of the room, where the bowl of water sits.

With your hands, draw any negative energy or vibrations remaining, and cast them into the water in the bowl by flicking or snapping your fingers at it. Repeat this action until you are satisfied the room is cleansed. Do not touch the water in the bowl, as it is being filled with the negative forces you are eliminating.

Move the consecrated Water, the Salt, the Incense, the Candle, and the bowl of water (being careful not to spill it) into each room in your home and repeat this ritual.

After banishing every room in the home (including bathroom, closets, pantry, etc.) you have finished. Empty the large bowl of water into running water (a sink or toilet will do). Wash the bowl thoroughly with cold water, scrubbing with some of the consecrated Salt.
Sealing Ritual:

Take all the Elemental substances used in the Banishing Ritual (Salt, consecrated Water, wax drippings from the Candle, and ashes from the Incense) and mix them into a paste.

Using your forefinger, use the mixture to draw an Invoking Fire Pentagram at each opening leading outside the home (the doors and the windows - and even the water pipes, if you should feel the need) while concentrating on the Intention of protecting your home from outside influences. (Draw the Pentagram from the top point to the bottom right, and so forth. Form the Star so that it is point up, or point out, as appropriate.) You may make two Stars at each opening if you wish - one on the sill or threshold, and the other on the door or window itself.

Remember that Intent is the key to success in this, as in all magickal operations; going through the motions without Will brings no results.

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Sunset Blessing

Upon the sea and to the West
head O' ancient one to your rest.
From time out of mind you've taken this quest,
to rise again a marrow blessed.
But this day is over and night's begun
farewell to thee O' setting sun.

With souls departed on your ship,
they travel West their final trip,
Into the other world they go to rest,
may this song I sing see them three times blessed.
In colors orange, pink and red,
I say farewell to my beloved dead.

All that's done is in the past,
never forgotten, but to last.
To begin anew like the Spring,
as blessings in the songs I sing.
So depart thee now into the sea,
and in my memories always be.

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In Defense Of Excellence

I've noticed a trend, particularly in paganism, toward "elite" becoming a derogatory term. "Elitist" has very unpleasant connotations. In the mad scramble toward equality and egalitarianism, perhaps the trend has gone too far.

I am all in favour of equality of opportunity. I believe in Martin Luther King's dream, "I have a dream that someday my children will be judged, not upon the colour of their skin, but on the content of their character."

Yet, I am deeply disturbed by structures and titles meant to reward excellence downgraded and dismissed as being elitist and hierarchical.

It the Wicca, this is most strongly epitomized by the continuing attempts to do away with degree systems on the basis of being elitists and hierarchical.

So I ask, what is wrong with elites? Elites exist as an informal (and often highly formal) network of persons who, by virtue of personal qualities, or power, or money, or birth status, are capable of shaping and changing the structure of society. Some elites are based on nothing more than bank balances or parentage. Others are firmly based on intelligence, wisdom, commitment and ethical stance of their members.

I have no problem with the concept of elites. Not everyone has the desire or capability to belong to every group. The problem lies with the qualification for membership, not with the concept.

Hierarchy has an even nastier reputation. Yet in all societies, regardless of size, structure of purpose, have a hierarchy. Leadership roles exists and will be filled by those who can fill them. Leaders are necessary to achieve the goals of the group, regardless of how that leadership manifests. It is only when a hierarchy becomes closed and fixed that the structure becomes abusive.

The concerns of those who dislike the concept of hierarchy due to experience of its abuses are valid. It is very easy to fall into a system where power rests, not on those who are qualified, but upon other, less desirable criteria, such as birth status, or wealth, or loudness of voice. However, doing away with the formal structure of hierarchy does not solve the problem. Non-hierarchical groups often fall into leadership by peer pressure. Those that are thick skinned and dominant will lead de facto, especially if there is no de jure leader.

Hierarchies exist. They exist because, like physics, nature abhors a vacuum. A power vacuum will be filled regardless of the good intentions on all sides. The solution is to have structures where all persons have the opportunity to become leaders, to partici-pate in the decision making process, based only upon ability and desire to do so. Equal opportunity, equal access.

The degree system within the Craft is not perfect. Like any other system, it has its abuses. However, if properly used, it has rewards far greater than having no such system.

First, there is the reward for excellence. Those who have personal qualities such as commitment, talent, study, intelligence and open mindedness, should be rewarded for their abilities. The reward is not just a fancy title, but a recognition of that excellence, and membership in an elite.

Second, there is a benchmark for others to judge by. If I know what degree a person holds, mundane or Craft, I have some idea of their abilities and can assume a certain level of understanding.

Third, there is the recognition of self. A standard of excellence is required and achieving a degree is a feedback upon the levels achieved.

There are other aspects dealing with the magic rite itself, but even if there were not, the hierarchy of degrees and the elite groups formed by having them are a mark of excellence for those who belong. Within my tradition and, according to my faith, within the Wicca itself, there are no barriers of opportunity to the system. Therefore, I see no reason to abandon it. I do not say that the system cannot be improved or that another system cannot provide the same benefits, but I haven't seen one that provides a reward for excellence while avoiding the pitfalls.

Without active encouragement of excellence, whether in Craft or in the mundane world, entropy says that we will end up with mediocrity and least common denominator. And a world where mediocrity rules is not a world I wish to live in.

(This article previously appeared in "The Messenger")

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