One Light - Lighting The Coel Coeth

כ"ו בכסלו תש"ע
Shamash 28

The Lesser Sabbat of the winter solstice (namely Yule, Geul, Giuli, Meán Geimhridh, Lá an Dreoilín, Modranicht, Alban Arthan, ...) in the northern hemisphere of the earth (my location) falls after sunset on the evening of December 21. This date is the seventh of Grael in the witches' calendar and the fifth of Tevet in the Jewish calendar; both dates fall within the month of the Elder Moon in the Celtic tree calendar.

On Yule and its connection to the magic circle of the witch, Mike Nichols writes:

"Ultimately, of course, the holiday is rooted deeply in the cycle of the year. It is the Winter Solstice that is being celebrated, seed-time of the year, the longest night and shortest day. It is the birthday of the new Sun King, the Son of God -- by whatever name you choose to call him. On this darkest of nights, the Goddess becomes the Great Mother and once again gives birth. And it makes perfect poetic sense that on the longest night of the winter, 'the dark night of our souls', there springs the new spark of hope, the Sacred Fire, the Light of the World, the Coel Coeth." At the Winter Solstice, the Circle is not yet a Circle; it is a Point. Specifically, it is the point at which spiritual energy manifests itself into the physical world. It is the divine spark, the sacred seed, the single cell, the incarnation, the universe in a mustard seed. In some ways, the Point is more inclusive than the Circle, since the Circle always implies a boundary, and a separation of that which is outside from that which is inside. The Point, however, can symbolize the All. At the Winter Solstice, we bless and purify this tiny dust-mote of Being, this Birth of the Circle, which is also All That Is. The Circle Is A Point.

Thus, Yule is the perfect sabbat in which to ground and from which to cast a magic circle in and with sacred time. Blessed be our circles this Yuletide, every one, with the amazing sacred power and joy of Yule -

- the Hebrew word for the redemption of humankind's collective consciousness is called Geulah (גאולה). The Germanic and Northern European words for Yule - Geul and Giuli - would be spelled in Hebrew גאול and גאולי. The Hebrew shoresh (three letter root) of all these words is גול (gule, yule) meaning rejoice! and express joy!

Have a blessed and deeply joyful Yuletide season! So mote it be! אמן

Related entry - The Seed

Related video - The One Light Of Chanukah (This evening we light the third/three Chanukah candle(s). The Hebrew letter gimel - ג - has a gematria of three and is the single letter root of the root word גול discussed above.)

The Thin Veil Between Worlds

כ"ו בכסלו תש"ע
Shamash 28

In additional follow-up to Between the Pages of Time, in Hebrew the word for the color pink is ורד. From the shoresh (three letter root) רדד (meaning to render pliable), the root of the color pink also means thin veil. From this root is derived the Hebrew word mantles (וְהָרְדִידִים), as in the mantles of the daughters of Zion.

Consequently, the color pink in my dream this Shabbat morning pertains to the thin veil which separates between the worlds and designates Sacred Ground in time and space as taught in Celtic spirituality. This thin veil is composed of the magical mantles of the daughters of Zion. The daughters of Zion in Jewish spirituality means daughters of excellence.

It is with this sacred energy that a witch may cast and create her magical circle, within which she may do wonders.

Three Spirals Of Understanding

ה' באב תשס״ט
Lughnasadh 6

In follow-up to an earlier entry (Mystery of the Half-Blood Princess), there are three interesting spirals of understanding to be found in the analysis of the three Hebrew words which came out of that entry, namely:

foal - סיחן
horse - סוס
donkey - חמור

First spiral of understanding - The three words are a triplet of the Divine Feminine. These words are Torah of the triple spiral Goddess.

Second spiral of understanding - While the root (סוס) of the Hebrew word for horse means to 'move quickly', the root (סוח) for the Hebrew word for foal means to 'move slowly'. Before one may safely move quickly, one must first learn to move slowly and to progressively control moving quickly.

Third spiral of understanding - While סוס moves quickly, both סיחן and חמור move slowly. Moving quickly is balanced, surrounded and protected by moving slowly. This is the essence of circlecasting. The high-energy magic-making which goes on inside a witch's circle is protected at both the undifferentiated (nonspecific foal which can be either a horse or donkey) and differentiated (raw material substance) levels of reality. The consciousness of a witch's circle may differentiate into whatever is required to protect that which is inside.

Protected By Judgment

ט"ו טבת תשס"ט
Grael 15

My previous entry (Garden Court of the Blue Stones) and the period of shovavim (beginning this evening) both deal with issues of judgment. Although in my dream (primarily occurring in the World of Formation) the Living Judges appeared as blue stones, in kabbalah and witchcraft, the colors red and gold symbolize the Power to execute a judgment in the World of Action. To correspond to this double portioned power to execute rectified judgment, I've acquired an exquisite pair of 10mm natural grade AAA Italian blood-red coral and solid 14k gold magic earrings. These earrings are absolutely stunning! For spellwork, I've also acquired 15 high quality natural Italian red coral branches for my magical curios collection.

Astrologically connected to Mars, blood-red coral is a gemstone fit for rulers, soldiers, policemen, and administrators. Bravery, courage, vitality, strength, defeat of enemies, and protection from violence, war and widowhood are all magical benefits of red coral.

Circle Of Strength

כ"ז תשרי התשס"ט
Blodlessing 28

Strength To Strength

Avalon is a mystical place where there is no pain, hunger or thirst and where no one ever ages. It is separated from the mortal eyes of humans by a veil. Home to the spirits of the ancestors, Avalon is also known as the Summerland, Annwyn, Isles of the Blessed, Isles of Apples, Tir Na nÓg (Land of the Living) and the Otherworld. Living mortals may enter Avalon in exceptional circumstances, at certain places, and in certain times. One of those times is during Samhain. The other time is during Beltane. During both Samhain and Beltane, the veil between the living mortal world and Avalon thins, enabling the worlds to touch.

As shown in the film, "The Mists of Avalon", Morgaine gives Arthur her strength on the way to Avalon (that is, from a position initiated from within the living mortal world):

Give Him Your Strength

As shown in my entry, "Candle In The Womb", Arthur gives Morgaine his strength on the way from Avalon (that is, from a position initiated from within Avalon):

Give Her Your Strength

chazak, chazak, venischazek
Let us be strong, let us be strong, and together we are strengthened.

Anol Shalom & The Witch's Curio

כ"ה סיון התשס"ח
Alban Heruin 26

I love this song (Anol Shalom meaning Now We Are Free) by Lisa Gerrard. Interestingly, I found this video on YouTube a little over an hour after posting a magically related entry on Craftwork - Secure Boundaries Of The Universe - about the newest curio added to my cabinet of magic. Read about the mystical geometry of circlecasting garnet granules at Craftwork Of A Jewitch.

Sentinels Of Chashmal & Smoke Signals MiSinai

כ'ב בניסן תשס"ח
Annwyn 23

I dreamt.

I wanted to go to a warehouse in the midsouth of downtown Danville to get some of my belongings out of storage. A masculine voiceless Voice with me silently spoke, telling me not to go through the business section of downtown Danville, but to "go around" near the edge of the city, through the southeastern corner which ran by the cemetery beside the VA (וא), to get to the warehouse. The voiceless Voice warned me of a Nazi gathering happening in downtown Danville and provided me with an alternate route to go to get to my belongings. I immediately knew the essential and specific content of his transmitted communication without the need of any words to articulate the message. The words which describe the content of the message are my words.

As the voiceless Voice was silently speaking my traveling instructions, I saw giant living forms set in an "encircling line" at periodic distances like sentinels, facing away from me, looking out, like solid dark shadows against the dusk (a liminal crossroads) of the horizon. They were looking out over the land as if guarding me. The living forms reminded me of the giant stones of Easter Island, except those in my vision were not of stone but were dark living creatures. The living forms were also completely bodied, not just heads of stone. Though generally sitting rooted directly upon the ground, they were able to get up and walk an encircling patrol. I saw one rise from a sitting position and walk its circle. The positions of the living creatures reminded me of electron orbits, where each sentinel was like an orbiting electron - I saw the creature as a particle when I focused to see it, but it also existed as a protective wave within the entire orbit of its place. When I relaxed my focus, like Yitzchak, I saw the one I was observing "get up and walk" its orbit.

The living creatures also communicated to my mind in the dream that they functioned as signaling agents - like when sending messages by smoke signals, signalers are stationed at periodic distances from one another at each edge of one complete circle of horizon to the next. The living creatures could communicate danger or other information to one another from one section of the land to the others. They and I were all connected like one huge protective network, communicating telepathically and simultaneously one to each other. I too, was part of the network of sentinels and warned the others of the Nazi gathering, even as I simultaneously moved away from the Nazi gathering, going toward the place where some of my belongings were being stored.

The dream shapeshifted, communicating other information to me. After that, I woke up.

This dream follows my Hebrew letter tarot reading of last night, as described in Circuits Of Fire.

Circuits Of Fire

כ'ב בניסן תשס"ח
Annwyn 23

Motzi Shabbat Hebrew letter tarot reading performed under the waning gibbous moon 65% full during the planetary hour of the moon.

The 3 letters:

ז ש ס

of seven (ז) full circles of fire (שס 360 degrees, moznayim) cast

Stones Of Memory

י'ה באדר ב' תשס"ח
Raven 16

My astrological sun sign using the tropical zodiac is Capricorn. However, the more accurate sidereal zodiac used by astronomers is the zodiac I have been using to interpret my natal birth chart. Using the sidereal zodiac, my astrological sun sign is Sagittarius.

In my sidereal natal chart, there are 4 planets under the encircling embrace of Sagittarius (ס), the sidereal sun sign of my birth. They are, in order:

Jupiter - tav (ת)
Sun - dalet (ד)
Saturn - reish (ר)
Mercury - pei (פ)

The inner two planets, the Sun and Saturn (dweller, דר), are surrounded by Jupiter and Mercury (middle ear, תף). Significantly, the inner stone (dar, דר) called dweller establishes Malchut, and the satellite stone (socharet, תף) called middle ear establishes Binah. Together, they form the stones of memory.

Voice Of The Shofar

כ'ז באדר א' תשס"ח
Keolwulf 28

Here may be another explicit example of apopsi anti-psi deflective filtering.

Following recent entries concerning dynamics found within my natal birth chart - Soul Of Shomer Shabbat (discussing guarding shabbat and "truth following"), A Mystery Of The Pardes (discussing two letters yod, each with a gematria of 14, whole in the eternal flame of my soul), and Mountains Tremble With Moon Square Mars (discussing the power to move mountains and to turn the world upside down) - CNN reports today:

Reported Tornado Tears Up Guard Barracks
Tuesday, March 4, 2008

A possible tornado touched down late Monday in southern Mississippi, slashing through a National Guard barracks and injuring 14 guardsmen, according to a sheriff and a military spokesman.

Lt. Col. Doril Sanders, a spokesman for Camp Shelby, said severe weather hit the facility around 11:25 p.m. CT.

The barracks housed guardsmen from Mena, Arkansas, who are training at Shelby.

They were taken to Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg with injuries that aren't life-threatening, Sanders said.

Again, the circle remains unbroken by the evil wind, and the northern side of the beit remains closed. The stellium stands as I interpreted it.

Knesset Echad, Key Circle Of The Black Knot

י'ז באדר א' תשס"ח
Keolwulf 18

I dreamt.

Of the details, the following survived into waking consciousness.

I was in a protected house surrounded by a "circuiting" path, like a running track.

A magnificent lion-like creature ascended to the "track" around the place. The creature of singularly awesome power was potentially lethally dangerous. It's potential danger lay in the idea that the energy it embodied was discerned to be finely balanced upon the dimensionless tip of a scale of iterating measures. If the energy stayed on the track and contained within it's set boundaries, it was very good - for no enemy could cross the track of the lion. Should anyone enter the track of the lion from outside the house, the lion would encounter them in it and rip them to shreds.

As the lion ran it's circuits, I needed to stay in the protected house as well. The danger of going outside for me lay not in being ripped to shreads by the lion, but in "throwing" the lion off it's finely balanced track - almost as if my presence in the house kept everything safely held together in order and balance.

The lion ran circles around the protected house, looking for any unprotected opening into the house which would allow it to enter into and break the integrity of the protective barrier which completely surrounded us. In this manner, the lion tested the protective barrier which formed the inner circle and kept out harmful chaos. It found no opening. The circle stood intact.

I woke up.

The lion represents pure Gevurah. The projective protective barrier which "resists collapse" of the surrounding circle represents pure Chesed. Embodying the principles of integrated order and balance, I represent manifest integration of Tiferet and Malchut. Embodied within the "protected house", I also embody Torah, and more specifically in this dream, I embody the Torah found within the bayit of the tefillin shel rosh (Iyyun):

From the bayit — and the Torah contained within — flow the straps, first surrounding our heads, then tied in a knot the shape of a dalet for the word da'as, and from the reality of da'as (albeit sometimes only in a state poverty, dalus in Hebrew) flow the two straps: one to the right and one to the left, representing the general flow of the emotional attributes of chesed (kindness) to the right side, and gevurah (restraint) on the left.

In truth, chesed and gevurah emanate from the same "space," the transcendental knot interweaving both these elements, rooted in the deepest place of kesser, the "black," the level beyond comprehension which is called the space for "the light of darkness."

In da'as is the key to our emotions, so that they open and flow in the general direction of either right or left, giving or restraining, openness or confinement.

With respect to circle of sacred space I've cast as the Jewitch Liorah Lleucu HaMasovevet, I hereby call the covered Coven of One, Knesset Echad, Key Circle of the Black Knot.

Interestingly, the dimensionless tip upon which the energy of the archetypal lion balanced corresponds to the Hebrew letters yod and hei mappik (הּ) and to the dark crocheted handflower (designed and handmade by DragonInKnots) which I wore on my left hand yesterday at work for "crazy sock Friday". Instead of crazy socks on my feet, I "thought outside the box" and wore a crazy knotted sock on my left hand, in an "intended manner" of a Jewitch's tefillin, achdut ha'shaveh.

A note on the concept of achdut ha'shaveh from Medieval Jewish Mystical Sources:

In this term we can see the influence of R. Azriel of Gerona, for the concept of hashva'ah, equinimity, is central to his writings. Tishby has noted that R. Azriel "usually employs this concept in connection with the conjunction of opposites within the Supernal Root, shoresh ha'elyon." ... Although it is generally assumed that shaveh implies equivalence or balance, H. Yalon demonstrated that shaveh is synonymous with chibbur, conjoined.

Interestingly, the concept of chibbur is associated with the symbolism of the lion and the barrier. In my dream, both the protective barrier and the lion are very good.

Dark Heart Of The World

כ"ב באלול תשס"ז

I don't believe in coincidence.

In yesterday's post, Aleph, Etzel & The Magic Chanukah Oil, I wrote regarding hiding the primordial pure oil:

I may have momentarily penetrated into what I was observing, to hide the vial of oil from the two before before I woke up, so neither one of them could find it to use it.

Today, I heard for the first time a song about the mysterious ancient site in Ireland called Newgrange (500-600 years older than the Great Pyramid of Giza and a 1000 years more ancient than Stonehenge) and discovered this about its uniquely featured roofbox:

The roofbox was built directly above the entrance door to the passage. The passage and chamber were specifically aligned with the rising sun of the mornings around the mid-winter solstice in December. The 19 metre passage rises in elevation as it leads to the chamber.

The chamber floor, the roofbox and the local horizon are on a single plane and so as the sun's morning rays penetrate the roofbox, they illuminate the chamber floor for a maximum of 17 minutes (weather depending).

Repetitively engraved into the entrance slab, along the passageway, and within the inner chamber of this mysterious structure is the triple spiral motif symbolic of the Divine Feminine.

The Divine Feminine "sun" (tevunah) penetrates the dark heart of the world, to act within it, through the "roofbox" opening over the door. Congealing together within my mind with this idea, are the cave of machpelah and the marking of lintels over the doors in the exodus story. She is the One Who came that night.

Excerpt of the lyrics from the song, Newgrange, which soothingly haunts me by Celtic Woman (from the CD A New Journey):

the circled tomb from a different age
secret lines carved on ancient stones
heroic kings laid down to rest
forgotten is the race that no one knows ...

There is a ritual no man is allowed to witness ...

The passage Temple to Life and its roofbox at Newgrange is encircled by a fence of stones. Electrifying.

As Life Turns Around

ט"ו באייר תשס"ז

Tonight, on the second evening of the third phase of the reversal and protection ritual, I performed the eighth tarot reading on myself, using my standard procedure and spread.

counting day 30 of the omer, chesed of hod (Gra) or gevurah of hod (Ari)
moon 100% full
planetary hour pluto (da'at)
mood detached, health allergies exacerbated

S/Q - Hermit (Myrddin), withdrawal/retreat/calm soul-searching

P1 - The Horned One (Wild Herdsman) ס
P2 - The Priestess (Ceridwen) ב
P3 - seven of wands
P4 - eight of swords
P5 - knight of pentacles
P6 - four of wands
P7 - page of swords
P8 - two of swords
P9 - knight of cups
P10 - two ב of wands

Immediately, the sha'ar סב (in the P1/P2 positions of keter and chochmah, respectively) and the shoresh סבב (from keter/chochmah and malchut) emerge from the reading. This is good news, very good news. Strong forces are protectively encircling me and working to turn my life around.

P10 indicates the outcome of the matter - new possibilities are opening up for me. Thank Goddess, so mote it be, amen.

Attributes driving the turn in my life from the highest spheres:

The Horned Herdsman corresponds to primal knowledge, ancestral and ancient memory, integration of order and chaos.

The Priestess corresponds to wisdom, insight, fertile complexity, an energetic leap in creativity, hashra'ah, foresight.

Into concrete reality through this tarot reading, the title hamasovevet in my name is confirmed to be mine from Unity in Kadmon.

A miracle will happen for me here, Dreidyl.

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Muvhak - The Clear Light

ד' באייר תשס"ז

Today I came across a word used to describe light that I've never seen before - muvhak - which is translated in the sources as both "outstanding" and "scintillating". I've found the likely Hebrew spelling (מובהק) for the word. Considering the letters, the apparent shoresh seems to be בהק which means "clear", yet at the same time implies a "clean" skin disease (called a tetter) with clear patches (Vayikra 13:39). I am perplexed.

It can't be coincidental, since I don't believe in coincidence, that I stumbled across this word while studying the parashot which deal with tza'arat (a skin disease with white patches) and the chukot of the Canaanites (Metzora and Achrei Mot, respectively). This is what I am thinking:

The central letters ובה of the word מובהק can all be legitimately combined into the letter chet (ח), where chet is composed of the letters zayin (beit + hei) and vav joined by a chatoteret. This combination forms the word מחק m'chok meaning "of chok". The shoresh of חק is חקק, which is also the shoresh the word chukot.

In a roundabout way, it seems that the "outstanding" light may in some be way connected to having once been afflicted with tzara'at followed by becoming clear of it by way of implementing observance of non-Canaanite chukot/chukim (see previous post) to neutralize destructive fury.

Interestingly, a gradational variant of the shoresh חקק is the similarly spelled shoresh חקק meaning to "set circles". A gradational variant is a "new" root where the meaning "resembles the original root but usually signifies a shift in intensity or focus" [1]. Here is a suprarational חק connection to the concept of "masovevet" (in the designation "hamasovevet").

והיה אור

Reference and Footnote:

[1] Etymological Dictionary Of Biblical Hebrew, R' Matityahu Clark

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Hall(s) Connection - Point Of Bifurcation

כ"ח בניסן תשס"ז

An interesting point of connection to note between my dream this morning and the Virginia Tech massacre, also this morning - In my dream, there is one (banquet) hall, one kettle and an unacceptable action to divide the food onto separate platters. From this unacceptable action by those around me, I fled some harm associated with the separation, discerned immediately following removal of the food from the kettle to place it in circles (where circle is from the same root עגל as the golden "calf") onto separate platters. In the massacre, two separate halls were involved - a residence hall and an engineering building called Norris Hall.

The separate circles did not derive from Liorah Lleucu HaMasovevet (where masovevet is from the root סבב).

HaMasovevet

reposted from 11/28/06

In Talmud there exists the famous story of Choni HaMa'agel (חוני המעגל). Choni the circle-drawer was a miracle-worker.

Nevertheless, I do not want to name the sacred circles I cast as a Jewitch using the root עגל which means both circle and calf. From this root is born the word used for calf in the idolatrous golden calf incident we read about in Shemot 32. Consequently, I won't call myself a Ma'agelet.

I prefer to use the root סבב which means surrounding, encircle, rotate and turn events [1]. From this root comes sovev kol almin ("surrounding all worlds"), which is the transcendent Divine energy which permeates the universe. This is the energy I choose with which to cast my sacred circle.

Thus, my circle name is Liorah Lleucu HaMasovevet.

Footnote:

[1] Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew, R' Matityahu Clark

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3-Fold Circle Of Har Karkom

Circle Of Stones at Har Karkom

ה' שבט ה'תשס"ז

Saffron (karkom כרכם) is noted to be among the ingredients of a blend constituting my "3-name incense". Karkom is specifically a contribution of my name, Lleucu - where Lleucu is my circle (craft) name within the title Lleucu HaMasovevet.

Karkom is derived from the shoresh (root) כרך, which means "envelop" and "permeate" [1]. This fits well with and further supports the concept that Lleucu is a name which encircles, surrounds and envelops completely.

Har Karkom is also hypothesized to be Har Sinai, the site of the epiphany. Interestingly, there are several circles of stones associated with the "burned platforms" of site HK 301. As my 3-name incense will be burned over 3 consecutive full moon esbats, so too, are there 3 theophanies associated with matan Torah at Har Sinai:

The Lord came from Sinai and rose up from Seir to them; and shone forth from Mount Paran (Devarim 33:2).


Footnote:

[1] Etymological Dictionary Of Biblical Hebrew, R. Matityahu Clark

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Jewitch Shabbat Ritual

Here is the first formal Friday evening shabbat ritual I have written for the solitary Jewitch. It may tweaked and refined as time goes by. This is the basic format from which I will build:

1. Take a bath or shower. Visualize washing away physical, emotional and spiritual impurity, letting all negativity flow down the drain with the water. Dress in ritual attire. Put on Jewitch pentacle (pentacle + magen David), saying:

Blessed is this Unity. Her Glorious Name is One. So mote it be.

2. "Sweep" (counterclockwise-"widdershins" and out) ritual space with besom. Visualize removing all negative energy from it, saying:

From this place, I banish all negativity and evil. So mote it be.

3. Perform ritual bath. Add herbs and oil of choice [1] to ritual bowl containing warm water.

Relax. Breathe. Stand facing north (Gevurah, fire) in front of bath bowl. Purify and consecrate the water mixture, placing tip of athame into the water, saying:

Out from you I cast all that is impure and unclean. Blessed are you, with the heart of the Shechinah. You are Holy. So mote it be.

Lay athame upon empty altar "place" (where altar will be or is permanently located). Face north/ritual bath bowl. Hold palms facing upward, saying:

Shechinah, fierce and intense, gentle and mild, blessed are You, and I am Your beloved child.

Dip finger of choice [2] in bath, close eyes. Anoint eyelids by drawing a small pentagram (invoking air [3]) on each with your finger, saying:

Open my eyes to see, my mind to understand and my perception to clarity.

Open your eyes. Dip finger of choice in bath, anointing lips in same fashion, saying:

Open my lips to speak the truth.

Similarly, anoint your breast, saying:

Open my heart to beat with compassion.

Similarly, anoint the palms of your hands, saying:

Open the strength of my hands to do rightly.

Similarly, anoint your loins, saying:

Open my lifeforce to flow with the Source of Peace.

Similarly, anoint your knees, saying:

Open me to be a revealed blessing.

Similarly, anoint the tops of both feet, saying:

Open the path to all good and guard my way upon it.

4. Cleanse the ritual space.

Sprinkle salt-herb water from ritual bowl, starting from the north and turning clockwise ("deosil", pronounced "jess-el", also called "sunwise" and the "holy round"); i.e. north to east to south to west. Repeat by carrying a representative of each of the four elements [4, 5], working with one element at a time.

5. Set up your altar.

Faced north, located on the eastern side of the room/space. Sprinkle salt-herb water over altar area. Set up table or other surface. Cover with black altar cloth. Individualize set up of altar space. Place candle trays upon the altar cloth now if you are going to use them. Place "circle" quarter candle (black anointed and consecrated tea candles in clear crystal circle holders) on each side of the altar north to east to south to west.

Generally, and in this order [3], place fire element (main illuminator black candle anointed, consecrated and inscribed using athame) and athame on the northern side of the altar. Place air element (incense in cauldron censor) and witch's wand (symbolizes "order from chaos") on the eastern side. Place water element (bowl of water) and chalice/kiddush cup on the southern side. Place earth element (stone or piece of wood) and pentacle on the western side.

Place besom on eastern corner (on or near the altar). Place other objects pertaining to your ritual intent upon the altar if desired [6]. Note, the only steel or iron item upon your altar should be your athame.

6. Call the quarters or watchtowers.

Pick up athame. With projecting hand (right), hold it point up parallel to your heart. Face north, raise up athame, drawing a pentagram in space with your athame in the manner invoking fire [3], saying:

Blessed is She, the Eternal Flame and the Essence of Truth.

Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the north, element of the fire, I, (your name), do summon, stir and call you forth to witness this rite, and to protect this sacred space and time. Welcome to my circle. Stand in strength. Blessed be in joy, love and light. So mote it be.

Point athame into (toward) the earth, walk/turn the circle clockwise (deosil), then return athame to the altar. Face the east, light incense, raising it and drawing a pentagram in space in the manner invoking air [3], saying:

Blessed is She, Mistress of the mysteries of spices and perfumes, the One over Death, and She who loves me.

Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the east, element of the air. I, (your name), do summon, stir and call you forth to witness this rite, and to protect this sacred space and time. Welcome to my circle. Stand in strength. Blessed be in joy, love and light. So mote it be. [7]

Holding censor, turning a complete circle (or walk the circle) deosil, reface the altar. Return censor to the eastern quarter of the altar. Pick up water bowl on the southern quarter.

Repeat with south-water, west-earth.

Blessing over water element:

Blessed is She who bestows Wisdom.

Blessing over earth element:

Blessed is She who sustains Life.

7. Cast your circle, pick up athame, extend it outward and down toward the earth, walking deosil starting from the north, saying:

I conjure you, O Circle, to establish in this place sacred ground, with the Brilliance of the Shechinah surround, Her Power within it found.

No place or time or barrier may there be, between Her, my word and me. So mote it be.

Baruch shem kevod malchutah leolam va'ed, amen.

ברוך שם כבוד מלכותה לעולם ועד, אמן
Translation: Blessed is the Glorious Name, Her Kingdom stands forever and ever, amen.

8. Light the illuminator-shabbat candle(s), (covering eyes) saying:

Blessed are You Shabbat, Goddess of all life, Who transforms darkness into light.

Uncover eyes and circle flame 3 times with hands (starting and ending over your heart), each time drawing light toward you.

9. Pour and bless wine, saying:

Blessed are You Shechinah, Goddess of all life, Who guides me to wise understanding, proper compassion and right action.

Take a drink.

10. Blessing over bread:

Blessed are You Shechinah, Who nourishes me with all goodness.

Take a bite.

11. Perform other specific observances, shabbat spellwork, meditative study, etc.

12. Release quarters and open circle [8] following havdalah.


Footnotes:

[1] Dragon's blood, frankincence, myrrh, pinch of salt, drop of vanilla oil, drop of olive oil, drop of red wine (may vary according to intent of ritualwork). Ritual bath general reference: The Craft (Dorothy Morrison).

[2] See Ari's chiromancy correspondences.

[3] Pentagram invocations and banishings according to correspondences of the Zohar (hat-tip to Jack Nathanson for Zohar reference).




[4] Examples of elemental representatives: earth (stone, small piece of wood, bowl of salt, pentacle), fire (small lit candle, athame), air (lit incense stick or feather, wand), water (bowl of water, seashell, chalice).

[5] Elemental correspondences according to the Zohar: north-fire, east-air, south-water, west-earth.

[6] Book of Shadows (BOS), cauldron, tarot cards, dream journal, ritual jewelry, cakes/cookies/challah, kosher wine or grapejuice.

[7] "Hail, Guardians ... so mote it be" - standard quarter call revised from Solitary Witch (Silver RavenWolf).

[8] Walking and moving widdershins (counterclockwise), using pentagram "banishing" formations at the quarters to return the energies from whence they came (if one desires to take down the circle).

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Mishkan, Circle Of Protection

Ashnistrike commented regarding my entry Athame & Mezuzah (also posted on my blogs), writing:

I'll just say that as someone who uses both an athame and a mezuzah, I'm interested in the possible connections that can be drawn between them. Do you integrate this connection into any of your practices?

In practice, I only use the athame presently. My mezuzot are stored away in a chest. When I became a ba'alat teshuvah over a decade ago, my professional livelihood was deliberately destroyed. I've stayed with relatives for the past several years. I can't put up a mezuzah.

Of course, I'm sure my enemies are quite pleased with the fact that I can't put up a mezuzah. Nevertheless, I don't need it. It's like all the other rituals tools - the only real tool a witch needs is herself. I truly know this now.

A few days ago I had a vision of a metaphysical fist being flung toward me, and of it being deflected by an invisible shield around me. I was only able to "see" the shielding force by the "reverberations" in spacetime and shapeshifting coming off the dark light (which the shield was made of) as the striking fist impacted against the field which surrounded me. I never take my circle down. It goes with me wherever I go.

And every shabbat and with every ritual, I reinforce it.

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Deosil & The Left Emanation

In my previous entry, I discussed the awesome feminine power to "draw out" Divine Energy from Ein Sof during the ritual of circlecasting to create a sacred space in time, in which the entire sefirotic array and all the Hebrew letters of creation are included in the process. The simple act by which the witch does this is via moving deosil, beginning and ending in the north.

Deosil is typically pronounced jess-el. Other pronunciations include jess-il, d'yesh-il and jesh-il.

Deosil means to "turn right". Many think this means it is a right-handed turn, since one "turns" toward one's right hand. But this is not true. On the contrary, deosil is a left-handed turn.

If the witch extends only the thumb of her right hand and points upward with it (toward the spirit point of the pentacle), the fingers of her right hand curl around moving to the left. In other words, the fingers of the right hand turn left which is counterclockwise (widdershins).

Similarly, if the witch extends only the thumb of her left hand and points upward with it (toward the spirit point of the pentacle), the fingers of her left hand curl around moving to the right. In other words, the fingers of the left hand turn right which is clockwise (deosil).

Thumb in Hebrew is agudal (אגודל). Two shorashim (3-letter roots) form the word. One is אגד meaning "combine", "tie together", "bundling" and "encircling wall". This is a good root for circlecasting.

The second root is גדל meaning to "increase", "expand" and "being great". Casting a circle which surrounds from Keter in Atzilut to Malchut in Assiyah is indeed a great circle. This root compliments the natural "negative" energy of the left hand which shapes and directs the Divine Energy which is increasing and expanding as it is drawn out.

The central letter of the entire word agudal is the letter vav (ו), representing the force of connection, the power of transformation, Torah and Truth.

Thus, we can now understand how the mystical magick of moving deosil is a power of the left hand, and of the Left Emanation.

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