Magical Letter Harmony, the Language of Holiness

ט״ו בסיון תשע"א
Alban Heruin 17

Last night before bed, after I created and listed this ENEIT oil at my Etsy shoppe WITCHCRAFTS and on my shoppe blog, I did something I haven't done is several months. I blindly reached in and drew a mystical rune from my runebag to see what cosmic energy was afoot in my world, according to my magical runes. I drew Kenaz, in complete synchronicity with the oil I had just created. Kenaz is the rune of the artisan craftsman and of the master of the technical aspects of magic, knowledge, cunning, creativity, illumination, observation, intellect, skill, occult female secrets, controlled fire and kinship. Kenaz is the torch of enlightenment. Kenaz is clarity.

Also symbolic of the teaching-learning dynamic and study, this Kenaz rune drawing was also synchronous with my dream from earlier this week, namely Lamed, where the magical Hebrew letter Lamed (ל) is likewise linked to the dynamic of teaching-learning. As with Lamed, Kenaz symbolizes Divine Inspiration. As with Lamed, Kenaz symbolizes the power to control the fire which fuels creativity.

There is wholeness in harmony. Now, I have a clear thought about holiness. Interestingly, this insight, brought into focus through the complexity of Kenaz, was born from the pentacle number five, the Hebrew letter hei (ה) and the Middle Welsh word ENEIT.

Tzinor, The Altar Pentacle

ו' באדר תש"ע
Keowulf 8

Commentary on Terumah from Garden of the Dark Moon Jubilee - Tzinor, The Altar Pentacle.

Heikhalot, The Nine-Tenths Gate

ט' בתשרי תש"ע
Blodlessing 10

On Blodlessing 10, Tishrei 9 ... I dreamt.

In a harbor on a cabined boat sitting on the water glistening with light under a full moon on a clear night, were two couples. Facing them from the middle, on my left the woman was sitting on a bench and the man was in the pool-like chamber at her feet submerged under the water in the pool-chamber. Like a link cord to outside the pool-chamber, she was holding on to him with her right hand. She could pull him out if he started to drown.

Facing them, to my right, the couple was standing facing a wall. The woman was going to ascend the wall. It was dangerous, but she was going to do it. The man at her side had a decision to make - was he going to lay it all on the line and follow her or not? He would die if she failed. He would live eternally if she succeeded. Did he want her enough to risk dying for her?

He decided. He took off his shoes and began to take off his clothes. He was going to ascend the wall with her, be the result death or life - all that mattered was being with her.

The scene changed. A single couple was flying down a lonely bare prairie dirt road in the middle of nowhere. There was only pale beige land on either side of the road leading to who knows where. All of a sudden, the woman left the bare dirt road and turned at a right angle into the land on our right of the road. He went with her, and in our tracks the trail blazed behind us lighting up with sparks like fire.

We were among a small handful of people who were in a chamber between worlds. The chamber was like an enclosed windowless greenhouse with rows of enchanted trees in it. The trees were guardians. The trees were fruit trees but I saw no fruit - the trees themselves may have been the fruit, because the temptation was to eat of the tree itself. Looking back as we walked on, I saw one person reach up to pluck of the tree - and as he reached, touched and ate of it (which were somehow all one simultaneous action), the tree hideously transformed into a tree-like venus flytrap which chomped down on the man, biting him in half. The trap-tree ate his top half above his waist first as his bottom half stood motionless in the path between the rows of trees waiting to be also hideously eaten.

Untempted by the enchanted fruit trees, I and the man with me and a few others, walked on into the next chamber. There were guardians in this chamber as well. They were humanoid guardian spirits, but they were completely chalk white like clouds and dressed all in white. They were also deadly feminine. I and the man with me kept moving through it, but I looked behind me - one of the males in the group had been tempted to kiss one of the female guardian spirits - he immediately died.

Moving on, I and the man with me, and fewer others, moved on into the next chamber. This chamber was just like the last chamber only these white guardian spirits were deadly male and functioned to tempt the female to kiss them. I was completely untempted.

A flashback or remembrance - I was a single woman among couples sitting at a table playing cards. I laid my five cards on the table - four cards were a straight and the last card was a wild card. Just then, one of the couples' corresponding human female opened the door and came into the room. She was very pregnant (at term) and dressed in a white nightrobe (her skin had the color of life in it) - I was a nurse and she asked me to help her. We went into the bathroom, and she showed me that she was bleeding. There were streaks of blood in the water in the water bowl. I told her she needed to call the doctor. She wasn't hemorrhaging, it was just a little bit of spotting, but she did need to see the doctor immediately.

Back in the otherworldly chamber, I remained untempted to kiss any of the male guardians. They became frustrated with me because I was successfully resisting all of them. One guardian lost his composure and with frustrated impatient desperation, came over and bit me (or the man with me, as our identities were no longer separated) at the base of my neck - if he could bite me, he thought, he could make me bleed and I would die. I didn't bleed at all. I saw that, while all the others still had skin with the color of life in it, my skin was completely chalk white just like the guardians. I had no blood in me. I failed to bleed and ...

... woke up. As I was waking, I saw fire spark into a peaceful brilliant radiating light (like when spirits touch) at the place on the north corner of my altar where I burn a red autumn spice tea candle sitting in a sea green pentacle bowl. (Now I know with confidence that the elemental directions of my altar are as they need to be and are: North - fire/light, East - air, South - water, West - earth. My altar itself sits along the east wall of my bedroom.)

The Mystery Of Gold

י׳ באלול תשס״ט
Belz 11

The mystery of gold, fehu, is a force which flows like fire. Shown above is my newest ritual acquisition - a handcrafted fire pentacle of gold ritual bowl. I received it just a few days ago.

Five Elements Of Scent

ה' בְּתָּמוּז תשס״ט
Faunus 6

Nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur - these are the five primary elements which comprise the molecules we perceive as scent through the sense of smell.

Loops Of Loops

כ"ב אייר תשס"ט
Annwn 23
Gevurah sheb'Yesod

In follow-up to my earlier entries - Midnight Sun In The Land Of Promise and Peace In The Land Of Promise - look what I just stumbled upon and purchased - this handcrafted blue Celtic Star pentacle ritual pendant of interlocking rings looped and woven together by hand!

Now it's mine! I'm as giddy as a little girl!

Will, The Man In Black

ו' שבט תשס"ט
Imbolgen 6

Two divinations and two dreams.

First, erev shabbat I drew the pentacle card from my Well Worn Path deck. The pentacle card speaks to the ideas of stability, foundation, endurance, fortitude, manifestation within the physical world, and draws creative energy into active expression. Thus, kabbalistically the protective pentacle represents ateret hayesod, the foundation of malchut.

Then, to see what was 'in the air' (for which I drew the protective pentacle card), I drew three hebrew letter cards. They were עקו, a word from the root עקה meaning: 1) to enclose, 2) press in, and 3) fence in. Associated in my mind with these meanings were three ideas: 1) a witch's circle, 2) the midnight death of the firstborn as in this week's Torah portion (I am a firstborn individual), and 3) a fence for Torah.

I went to sleep and dreamt.

To press in.

It was night in my parents' [1] house where I am staying. The time was the present time. A white woman thug was trying break down the door, pressing to get in to kill us. I put my body against the frame of the door to block her entrance. It was a mighty struggle, the door popped off its hinges as she pressed in and I pressed out. Nevertheless, I managed to get the deadbolt locked against her. Somehow, in my pressing out against the door and throwing my weight against it, I threw her backwards - away from the door, off the large porch and into the yard. The white woman thug landed on her rearend on the ground.

The witch's circle.

I woke up, and got up out of bed. I smudged the house, particularly the door of the dream, with dragon's blood incense. Then, I cast a magic witch's circle around the home and all my family members, my place of employment and co-workers, and all our systems of support. After considering the hebrew letter card hei (ה), I instead put the hebrew letter card shin (ש) by my bedroom altar [2.a]. Though, according to midrash, the letter hei is the protective letter put on the doorposts of the Hebrews during the midnight massacre of the Exodus, I already had a protective pentacle [2] present. Moreover, the letter hei is a letter of receptive manifestion, and I had no intention of 'receiving' death. Thus, I instead chose the projective letter shin of the mezuzah. I also reinforced to my gargoyle to remain at his station, guarding the closet. Then, I went back to sleep and dreamt again.

A fence for Torah.

It was night. I was currently living in my aunt's [1] house with my three children when they were little (I have never lived in the house of my aunt - my father's sister, which is next door to my parents' house, in real life - and the house of the dream was actually a combination of her house and a house I used to live in when I was a young mother). Thus, this represents a mixture of time past and present.

I saw outside the kitchen window four black male thugs with knives making noise by the fence which runs between the house (of my aunt) and the house of my parents. (I have never had any problem with 'black male thugs' in real life and the only connection I can find to this detail is in this recent post of a video performance of Racheim linked to from DovBear.) They had walked on the fence and slid down it into the yard, and were preparing 'to rumble', to break into the house via the bedroom windows. They were going to storm the house and kill us all. There were too many of them - four of them against one of me. I couldn't use my body to block all the windows and doors against each of them. I was only one individual, while they were four individuals. So, while they were preparing to rumble, I packed up my children, and from another side of the house, I hurried us into my car and drove off. When they broke in to kill us, we wouldn't be there. We had already escaped as they danced in the dark with their knives in hand, in ritual preparation to slaughter us.

It was now daytime. We were driving the highways, moving from place to place across country to escape the male Green Hulk monster which was now trying to find and kill us, since we had escaped the four black male thugs. Every time I sensed the Green Hulk was getting close to finding us, we moved on in my car to another place.

We were on the highway when the Green Hulk finally spotted my car. It landed on the car as I drove. I had attached a flying 'shuttle craft' to the hood of my car, in preparation for just such an event as the Green Hulk finding us in our travels to escape it. The plan was to evacuate us from the car through the roof into the shuttle craft and fly away, leaving the Green Hulk to break into an empty car. But, the Green Hulk, not to be fooled that way again like the four male thugs at the house, had intuited that plan - I knew it - and he had broken stealthily into the shuttle craft to await and kill us when we evacuated the car as we had the house. He didn't know I knew he knew. We didn't evacuate into the shuttle craft. Instead, I drove under an low hanging overpass and cut the shuttle craft off the roof of the car. I drove on with my kids, and the shuttle craft lay splintered open on the road behind us. I saw a group of people standing there on the road, surrounding the broken vessel from which the Green Hulk emerged. One among them administered an injection to him and he morphed back into human form as he lay disoriented in the road. I saw a seam come together on his right arm as he temporarily morphed back into human form on account of the injection. Nevertheless, it wasn't over yet.

I was in a public place, among a group of people. It was again the present time (as opposed to when my children were little). Suddenly, a clearing formed, leaving me in the middle of the clearing. Again suddenly, a large crate-like box dropped down from the air as a 'gift' for me. It had dropped into the clearing near but behind me. I knew what was in the crate. The Green Hulk (the injected medicine having worn off) was in the crate - he was going to bust out and kill me in front of everybody. There was no escaping him this time. There was no vehicle of escape. I was surrounded by people. So, despite that I had not the brute strength to defend myself against him and would likely be killed, nevertheless, I turned to face the crate. I stood up straight and faced the crate, to meet him face to face when he busted out. I girded myself for the likely fatal encounter.

Suddenly, a Man dressed in all Black [2.b] dropped from the air between myself and the crate. He placed himself between the crate with the Green Hulk in it and me. The Man in Black was named Will. He was my Jewish ancestor Will Grunwald, and he had dark blonde hair like me (and like him, I too was dressed in all Black). With Will there and I behind him, the crate was sealed with the Green Hulk trapped in it unable to escape. Will had captured the Green Hulk and was going to reveal the Green Hulk's identity before the whole group of people who had gathered around to watch me be slain. With the group's attention focused on the revelation of the Green Hulk's identity, the 'woman behind him' (behind the Green Hulk) sought to sneak away from being also found out. But, I saw her. She tried to sneak out through the back of the crowd through a side door. But, I saw her. She did not escape unnoticed. And I had not been slain as the woman had anticipated I would be.

I woke up.

Footnotes:

[1] Yocheved was the aunt and wife of Amram. Yocheved and Amram are the parents of Moshe. In this dream, the two houses I live in are those of my parents and of my aunt (in combination with my own). Thus, in this dream, I am the Moses principle.

[2] A pentacle has six (שש - a/b) revealed elements - it is a intertwined five-pointed star encompassed by a circle. A pentagram has five revealed elements - an intertwined five-pointed star.

[3] In contrast to the blue dream of four sisters, the colors associated with this dream are white, black and green.

Star Sapphire With All

כ"ד חשון תשס"ת
Phasma Priscus 26

As I woke up this shabbat morning, I had a waking vision. It consisted of a sapphire tree of sparkling dark blue gemstone with a radiant white 5-pointed star of gemstone on top of it. The radiant light surrounding the pentagram like halos within halos within halos formed a radiant pentacle. It reminded me of both a pagan yule tree and of an exquisite dark blue star sapphire gemstone.

Googling 'star sapphire torah' for some clue as to what my waking vision might symbolize, I discovered (Hidden Torah Codes) that "many of the Jewish sages believe that the Torah was given on two star sapphire stones" and that blue sapphire crystals form the hexagonal star of David.

Consequently, my witchy vision this morning symbolizes the two stones (the blue sapphire and the white pentacle, together constructing a 'star sapphire') from which the Torah is ever given. The hexagon crystal of the blue sapphire and the pentagram of the pentacle, in my vision, unify the vav and the hei of the Tetragrammaton. The halos within halos within halos represent the Presence of yud-hei and its im hakolel within my vision. Taking it all (כל) together, my vision envisions unification of the Divine Name.

Related writing - Bakol & Transmitting The Torah Of Atzilut

Up From The Grave

ט' באדר ב' תשס"ח
Raven 10

As I was waking up this shabbat morning, I had the most strikingly clear vision. I was hovering over the the surface of the earth looking down into a pit-like place which had been dug. It looked like a grave that had been opened up through aeons of time. The shadowy place was so essentially peaceful and reverberated with an embracing accumulation of many ancient, ancient days. The earth in which the pit had been dug had the smell of timeless eternity. I can't describe the excited tranquility that ran through me as I looked down into the dug pit of the earth to see ...

... an ancient box, like a sarcophagus. On it's dark lid was deeply inscribed a large pentacle of protection and identification. The sight was electrifying!

I came awake as the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I felt I had touched a beautiful secret and was participating in a resurrection of that contained within the box.

Hexagram & Pentacle Sigils

כ'ג בחשון תשס"ח

Sigils at Craftwork Of A Jewitch:

Otiot Sofiot Of The Expressive Pentacle
Otiot HaShimush Of The Wise Pentacle
Sheva Kafulot Of The Shabbat Pentacle
Sheva Kafulot Of The Expansive Hexagram

There are 1 hexagram and 3 pentacle entries, for a total of 4. These numbers bring to mind the 3 or 4 phenomenon discussed in other entries throughout Walking On Fire.

Lorica, Shield Of Chayyah

הגן על חייה

Read about the pentagram, the golden ratio and infinity here and here.

Read about the hexagram and unique complex patterning here, here, here and here.

Read about the golden spiral, the golden ratio, the golden rectangle, the golden string and fibonacci fractals here and here.

Moving from the pentagram to the hexagram to the golden spiral, we see an emerging pattern whereby simplicity (unity of infinity) develops increasing levels of integrated complexity and purposeful wholeness. The pentagram is distinguished by its association with infinity and "yesh me'ayin" (something from nothing). The hexagram is distinguished by uniqueness. The "golden spiral" is distinguished by wholeness and is a form generated by Fibonacci numbers, as is the golden string (the Fibonacci Rabbit Sequence). In physics, string theory hypothesizes the unification of all known forces in nature into one unified field. Thus, the spiral in my shield kabbalistically symbolizes "the ultimate revelation of the Divine 'unified field' (unity in plurality)," through which the Divine purpose of existence is fulfilled. Reishit. ראשית

Reposted from 11/26/06.

Star framework from Lilitu.

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Pentacle To Be Approved By VA

After a nine year struggle, a victory for justice and witches of all kinds.

Bush Administration Agrees To Approve Wiccan Pentacle For Veteran Memorials
Monday, April 23, 2007

Settlement In Americans United Lawsuit Comes After Discovery Of A Pattern Of Bias Against Minority Faith

The Bush administration has conceded that Wiccans are entitled to have the pentacle, the symbol of their faith, inscribed on government-issued memorial markers for deceased veterans, Americans United for Separation of Church and State announced today.

The settlement agreement, filed today with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, brings to a successful conclusion a lawsuit Americans United brought against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in November.

The litigation charged that denying a pentacle to deceased Wiccan service personnel, while granting religious symbols to those of other traditions, violated the U.S. Constitution.

“This settlement has forced the Bush Administration into acknowledging that there are no second class religions in America, including among our nation’s veterans,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director. “It is a proud day for religious freedom in the United States.”

Read full article at link above.

Hat-tip to Witchvox for article.

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In Support Of Military Witches

Witches At War
Campaign aimed at striking down prohibition on pentacle on military tombstones.
By Devon Haynie
Columbia News Service, NEW YORK (Mar 3, 2007)

"Before every dangerous mission in Iraq, Captain Richard A. Briggs Jr. stood on the hatch of his vehicle, drew a pentacle in the sky with his finger and recited the Wiccan Warrior Prayer for protection.

It was a quick, effortless ritual, but one that Briggs was thankful for in the spring of 2003 when his unarmoured cargo truck turned a corner on an Iraqi road and rolled right into machine gun fire.

Briggs, who recently returned from Iraq, is one of thousands of Wiccans involved in a nationwide campaign aimed at forcing the Veterans Administration's National Cemetery Administration to allow the Wiccan pentacle, a five-pointed star enclosed in a circle, to be engraved on military headstones. There are roughly 1,800 Wiccans currently serving in the military, and the Wiccan community has been petitioning for pentacle approval for more than nine years.

Members say the government has refused to make a decision even while giving the go-ahead for other religious symbols -- like the Sikh khanda -- to appear on gravestones.

There are now 38 VA-approved symbols for military headstones, everything from mainstream religious symbols to those of lesser-known faiths like Konko-Kyo -- from Japan -- to the atheist atomic whirl.

The VA argues it cannot rule on the symbol until it finishes updating its policy rules. Wiccans call this an excuse, and say that they've heard it for years.

The VA did not return repeated calls for comment."

to read the full article, see link above

hat-tip to Witch's Voice for link to article

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Gavriel, Daniel, Anna & Chanah

כ"א בשבט תשס"ז

I'm not sure the connection, perhaps some failed sympathetic magickal operation aimed against me, but there are some interesting coincidences I'm noting between my dream earlier of being the archangel Gavriel and news later the same day of the sudden death of Anna Nicole Smith. She was only 39 [1] years old. Next to the CNN story about Anna Nicole's sudden death, there was even a front page story about a snake attack, just like snakes were also sent to attack me in my dream.

Gavriel appears by name in the book of Daniel in association with the End of Days. I live in a town called Danville. Daniel is the name of Anna Nicole's son (who died suddenly earlier this year) and 5-month old Dannielynn Hope is her now motherless daughter. The age of Anna Nicole's daughter is pentagonal, like the center of my pentacle [2] here. My middle English name is Ann and my second Hebrew name is Chanah (meaning "favored").

Like I wrote, the coincidences strike me. Death didn't strike me though. For that, I give thanks.

ברוך דייו האמת

Footnotes:

[1] 39 is 40 less 1, where 40 is both a pentagonal pyramidal number and an octagonal number

[2] pentacles are considered to be protective devices among witches

UPDATE: Anna Nicole, 1967 - 2007

Sefer Tzelem

I obtained my new Book Of Shadows (Sefer Tzelem) this afternoon. It has a wooden cover and a leather spine. It may also be why I was to remain "hidden" (off the internet, see 8 of swords here) until it's acquisition was finalized.

I'm working on the pentacle design which will grace its front and back pages. Right now, it looks something like this:



Notes on my pentacle:

Directions according to Sefer Yetzirah, Ari, Zohar and Tikuney Zohar


Capricorn – W/earth, birth month zodiac sign (nefesh elokit)

Ayin ע – S/water, birth month Hebrew letter (ruach)

Kuf ק – N/fire, month (adar) of return to Torah, mikveh immersion (neshamah)

Samekh ס – E/air, month (kislev) of dream initiation into Druidic mysteries (chayah)

Beith (ogham letter, also a kametz) – Spirit (messianic spark), Imbolg/Tu B’Shevat (yechidah)


Liorah Chanah in paleohebrew
Lleucu in ogham letters
YHVH Eloheinu YHVH in ogham letters

Sefer Tzelem consecration notes:

Pass through smoke of banish negativity incense and dragon’s blood.
Anoint with 5 drops essential eucalyptus oil in olive oil.
Draw pentacle above on front of first page and back of last page.
Write each letter with special ink, with each letter/character, chanting:

Book of words, book of deeds, the art within blessed be.

After writing witch name, chant:
Beruchah shem kevod malchutah le’olam va’ed, amen. So mote it be.

Kiss the front, back, top, bottom, side and spine, saying:
Consecrated are you to me.

Wrap with black cloth and tie with a hand-braided red cord.

Altar Pentacle

ב' שבט ה'תשס"ז
29 Beith 2007

I purchased this 6 3/4" altar pentacle of sterling silver over brass. The interior design is of twining grapevines, leaves and grapes - finished on the outside edge with knotwork. It will look absolutely stunning in the center of my entirely black altar cloth! It's gorgeous.



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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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Pentacle & Engraving Yah

In my previous post I discussed the teaching of Sefer Yetzirah 1:1:

The Creator used (these) 32 paths (of Chochmah) to "engrave" so as to create His universe.

Also previously, I discussed how the planet Venus forms a pentacle in the vault of the heavens as it moves with the earth over an 8 year period. Well, almost 8 years. It is either 8 years plus 22 hours or 8 years minus 22 hours [1], depending on whether one is calculating from the vantage of earth or of Venus.

Nick Anthony Fiorenza writes regarding the Venus Transit:

Because the Earth moves 584 Earth days, (about 1.6 years around the ecliptic) before the two planets align, each alignment occurs about 215.6° further than the previous one (about seven astrological signs apart). As this process continues, five unique Venus-Earth locations are created in the ecliptic. The result is a pentagonal synodic series that takes about eight years and which consists of five synodic cycles (shown below). This near perfect pattern (also called a grand quintile) occurs because five cycles occur in an even number of Earth years--almost.

The sixth alignment, which begins the next synodic series, occurs near the same place as the first one, but it is shifted slightly west from the first one by about 2 to 3 degrees. This slight drift occurs because each synodic series actually occurs in 7.997 years, slightly less than eight years. This causes the entire synodic pentagonal series to continually drift westward around the ecliptic in approximately 2° increments.

The digit sum of 7.997 = 7 + 9 + 9 + 7 = 32. Thus, the time shared "between" (beyn בין, a function of Binah-Understanding) the earth and Venus in the design of the heavenly pentacle is exactly equal to the 32 paths of Chochmah (Wisdom) with which the universe is created. This implies an astronomically observable Unity of Chochmah and Binah (the G-d Name YaH) in the formation of this heavenly pentacle.

With 32 mystical paths of Chochmah, engrave Yah ...
Sefer Yetzirah 1:1

Footnote:

[1] The time difference of 22 hours is the same as the number of letters in the Hebrew aleph-beit (alphabet).

where x = the time Venus "arrives" and y = the time earth "arrives"
x + 22 = y
x = y - 22 (so 7.997 is the x value, when Venus arrives)

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Pentacle, Time & Geulah

The number eight figures significantly in Jewish tradition. On the eighth day, a baby boy is circumcized. The eight days of Chanukah transform darkness to light. Eight, the value of the letter chet (ח), is associated with the soul of mashiach and messianic consciousness.

Interestingly, the witch's pentacle is also associated with the number eight:

The pentagram is actually the geometric design depicting how the planet Venus moves in the heavens, and it is from this design that they believe the people of the Euphrates-Tigris region drew the first pentagram 8000 years ago. The pentacle is reflective of Venus' pattern in the sky from our point of view and the circular motion of Venus around the sun.

If we chart Venus synodic orbital time in the zodiac, we find she moves through 5 positions as the Morning Star, which takes exactly 8 years plus 1 day [1] - and forms the design of the pentacle in the vault of the heavens. [2, quote]

In Jewish kabbalah, the planet Venus planet corresponds with both the power to actualize potential and the archetype of Moshe Rabbeinu, the first and the final redeemer.

Taking all these ideas together, we can see within the pentacle symbolism the mystical dynamic - from 8 (assiyah) to 8000 (atzilut) - of brit milah, transformation, messianic consciousness and geulah.

Footnotes:

[1] suggests a day of "im hakolel" surrounding the 8 years

[2] Solitary Witch, Silver RavenWolf (p. 309)

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Mezuzah & Pentacle, Directing Divine Energy

Today I received my first silver pentacle. It looks like the one in the graphic on the left. Now I have both a gold magen David and a silver pentacle. Soon, I will receive the Jewitch star I purchased which combines them both.

Previously I described how the Jewish mezuzah and the Celtic witch's athame (ritual dagger) are both related to the "blood sign" of the exodus through the hebrew letters of mezuzah (מזוזה) and through the mythology of both. Interestingly, the witch's pentacle is even more directly related to mitzvah of mezuzah.

On the back of the parchment within a mezuzah is the esoteric inscription:

KUZU BMUKSZ KUZU
כוזו במוכסז כוזו

Moshe Idel (Language, Torah, and Hermeneutics in Abraham Abulafia) writes regarding this enigmatic phrase and its connection to the pentacle:

In many manuscripts we find a passage that contains a pentagram, and alongside it is written: ‘This is the Maaseh Merkavah KUZU BMUKSZ KUZU’, and under these letters is written: YHVH ELHYNU YHVH.

A pentagram is the star of five points with a five-sided geometrical shape in its center. A pentacle is a pentagram encircled [1]. As the pentagram clearly corresponds to KUZU BMUKSZ KUZU, the pentacle likewise corresponds to YHVH ELHYNU YHVH.

Given the connection of the witch's pentacle to Abulafian hebrew letter kabbalah (which I have uniquely practiced for nearly a decade), I can see now that my interest in Jewitchery is a very natural development of my kabbalistic learning. Moreover, in light of the fact that the witch's pentacle and athame are both connected to the mitzvah of mezuzah, when I acquire my athame later this week, I intend to inscribe upon its blade KUZU BMUKSZ KUZU, in hebrew letters (one side, with a pentacle also) and YHVH ELHYNU YHVH in letters of the celtic ogham (the other side, with a magen David also).

hebrew KUZU BMUKSZ KUZU
כוזו במוכסז כוזו

celtic ogham YHVH ELHYNU YHVH


Note the >-feather (eite) of the ogham line which denotes the "beginning" and direction of writing. This characteristic mark at the left end of an ogham line is like a mystical extention of the tip of the athame. In other words, the essential "energy" of YHVH ELHYNU YHVH is being directed beyond the tip of the blade when used in ritual. Thus, the athame inscribed as discussed above, which as an extention of the witch herself, is used not only to project and direct mystical kavanah, but to direct Divine Energy as well.

Footnote:

[1] The Craft, Dorothy Morrison (p. 84)

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