The Athame in Ritual
As a ritual tool, the athame stands alone. It is the only personal tool every member of the coven is encouraged to bring with them to ritual, and it’s the only tool used in a wide variety of ritual practices. Because of its great importance to the individual Witch, it’s sometimes referred to as first forged. For many Witches the athame is the essential tool. It’s the foundation of nearly of all ritual practice. Without the athame, there is no properly cast circle, no salute to the watchtowers, and no proper blessing of the cakes and ale.
The athame is more than just an active working tool; it’s also a symbolic tool. It represents the male sphere of the great mystery, the Horned God, and often the phallus during the symbolic Great Rite. Only the chalice (or cup) is also used both symbolically and actively during ritual, and even then it’s used much less than the athame. At this point in my life, I can’t even imagine proper Witch ritual without an athame.
The Opening Ceremony
Before casting a circle and officially beginning ritual, my coven ritually blesses and consecrates the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water. The athame is central to this act, and both ritual leaders use their own blades during this portion of the ritual. Most Witches keep four active representations of the four elements on their altars during ritual. My coven uses salt (earth), a candle flame (fire), incense (air), and a shallow dish full of water (water).
Consecrating and preparing the elements is done to remove any negativity or unwanted energy in them before ritual. Unlike a broom or chalice, the salt, water, incense, and flame differ every time you use those elements in ritual. It’s best to make sure there are no lingering presences left within them before the ritual starts. After preparing the elements, we use them to cleanse our ritual space and the coven.
In our circle, the act is begun by the high priest, who places his athame in a bowl, dish, or chalice of water while saying:
I consecrate thee, O element of water, and remove from thee all darkness and corruption. In thee now only light and goodness remain. In the names of the Lord and the Lady, so mote it be!
The words of the high priest describe what is going on as he places his athame in the water, but they aren’t the essential part of the ritual.
What’s truly important is visualizing the process of cleansing the water. Connect to the earth below your feet and feel its power rushing up through you. Then push that energy out through your athame. While projecting power into the water, picture that energy in the water, destroying anything negative within it. I see the energy as a sparkling blue electric light zapping anything unwanted in the water.
The element of earth is prepared next. In our circle, this is generally done by our high priestess, who takes her athame and places it in the dish of salt while saying:
I consecrate thee, O element of earth, and remove from thee all darkness and corruption. In thee now only light and goodness remain. In the names of the Lord and the Lady, so mote it be.
The cleansing process is identical to that of the water, with energy moving out from the athame and cleansing the salt.
The high priestess then removes three measures of salt and places them in the consecrated water. While placing the salt into the water, she says:
Thrice measured, thrice taken, thrice given. So mote it be!
The high priestess then uses her athame to mix the salt with the water, picturing the two merging and becoming one in her mind’s eye while doing so. Now properly prepared, the salted water is sprinkled around the ritual area and on the rite’s participants.
I use salted water for all sorts of things magically. Anytime the energy in a room feels negative, I mix some up and sprinkle it around the room’s perimeter, paying special attention to the corners. Salt is a magical powerhouse and is great for getting rid of things. Quietly drizzling some salted water near some unwanted guests is a great way to get rid of them.
Casting the Circle
The act most associated with the athame (and often sword; see chapter 8) is the act of casting the circle. The circle is where the Witch works her magick and communes with her gods. It’s sacred space, and a place between the worlds where humans are free to mingle with the gods and other powerful forces. The circle keeps out negative forces and entities while serving as a holding space for positive energy.
A well-cast circle can make or break a ritual. I’ve been in circles that canceled out the mundane world so effectively that cellphones ceased to work inside of them. (I think it speaks volumes when a phone starts ringing the moment a circle is released.) Temperatures have a tendency to rise when in the circle; somehow the energies used in its creation act as a giant magical blanket. If you are working on raising energy for spellwork, a circle capable of containing that energy is a must. A spell is always going to be more effective when its energies are released in one great cosmic whoosh instead of having those energies trickle out slowly.
In most traditions, circle casting begins in the east, with the circle-caster walking deosil (clockwise) around the circle (though in the Southern Hemisphere circles are generally cast “sunwise,” which is counterclockwise there). Circles are cast clockwise because that matches the order in which the elements are called and because clockwise is generally thought of as a direction of increase or abundance. Like time, the circle should move forward. I generally cast my circle three times for a little extra added oomph and protection.
The sword is often used for casting circles, but circumstances often make the sword an unwieldy and impractical choice in some groups. Swords are just generally more expensive than knives, and if ritual is being performed in a small space, it might be dangerous to use a sword. I’ve cast circles with both swords and athames over the years, and there’s never been a lot of difference between the two.
A circle is created by projecting energy, and the athame serves as a focal point for that energy. I think of the energy I use to cast a circle as coming from two places. The first is from deep within the earth, and I can feel it coming up from the ground into my feet and then through the rest of my body. Energy also comes from inside the self. We all have deep wells of energy and power within ourselves; this is another source of energy that can be tapped while casting the circle.
We call them “circles,” but a well-cast circle is more like a well-cast sphere. The energies of the circle aren’t located simply at the perimeter of the room; they are above and below as well. When casting the circle, make sure to remember this and to project energy into all of the appropriate spaces.
Starting in the east, walk deosil around the circle projecting energy. I usually begin with my athame raised over my head and hold it there while making my first pass around the circle. On my second trip around I hold the athame level, and on the third pass I point it toward the ground. This way I feel like I’ve directed energy into all of the right spots in order to create my ritual “sphere.” While casting the circle, I like to say the following words:
With athame in hand I now cast this circle thrice round. First pass to stand between the worlds and create sacred ground. Second pass to protect and keep all within safe from harm. Third pass to hold in our energies, magick, and charm. Consecrated in the names of the Lord and the Lady, the circle is now cast. So mote it be!
People often make too big a deal out of the words while performing ritual. What’s even more important than the words is the intent. If you don’t feel the energy being used to create the circle, no number of fancy words will make up for that.
Once the circle has been cast, move around it only in a clockwise direction. Nothing catastrophic will happen if someone walks widdershins (counterclockwise), but the energies of the circle will flow more smoothly if everyone moves the same way within its borders. It’s always easier to go with the flow of a river than attempting to swim upstream.
If anyone has to leave the circle during ritual, it’s best to cut a doorway in the circle so as not to disrupt the circle’s energy. If I’m outside, I usually create my doorway where I initially began the circle-casting process in the east. If I’m inside, I create the doorway near the most convenient way out of the ritual’s location.
To create a doorway, take a deep breath and feel energy move up through you and into the athame. I usually create my doorways in the shape of a pyramid, starting to my left and cutting upward, then moving to my right on the down stroke. Visualize the energy of the circle remaining strong, with the doorway looking sort of like a scar on its surface. When cutting the doorway, it sometimes feels like I’m cutting magical threads.
When the person using the doorway has slipped through it, be sure to reseal it to retain the energy being raised in the circle. Re-knit the circle’s threads by starting where you ended the doorway, moving back up to the triangle’s point and then back down. Visualize the door closing and the circle healing, returning to how it was before you created the door.
At the end of ritual, it’s important to “take down” the circle and make all as it once was. When closing down a ritual, I go in reverse order from how I started the ritual. That means taking down the circle tends to be the last major component of my rituals, followed only by a goodbye to my fellow coveners. If I cast the circle before calling the quarters, I will dismiss those quarters before taking it down.
To “uncast” the circle, start again in the east, but this time move widdershins around the circle. I start with my athame held low and visualize two things during the process. First, I visualize the energy used to create the circle returning to my athame. During this process I sometimes feel like a conduit; any energy taken from the earth during the circle casting is then returned there. This is also a good little trick for storing a bit of extra magick in your athame. Second, I envision the threads of the circle being cut.
As with the initial circle casting, I take three passes around the circle, finishing like I started, with my athame held high. Be sure to remember that the circle is a sphere; it’s just as important to release the energy at the top and bottom of the sphere as it is to release the energy in the middle. While un-creating my circle, I recite the following words:
With athame in hand I now undo this circle round. First pass to return the sacred to mundane ground. Second pass to release all that kept us safe from harm. Third pass to release our spells, magick, and charm. In the names of the Lord and the Lady, all has been dismissed and all is now as it once was. The circle is open but never truly broken. So mote it be!
After taking down the circle, I like to ceremonially place my athame on the altar as a sign that the work is done.
Calling the Quarters
Inviting the elements of air, fire, water, and earth to ritual has a long tradition in the rituals of the Witch. People have been inviting the elements to guard and look over their rituals for hundreds of years. In many traditions calling the elements with the athame has become passé, but it remains a powerful and effective way to perform ritual.
Why use the athame when calling the quarters? The athame provides a strong focal point as the Witch attempts to bring the power of the elements into the circle. Think of the athame as a lightning rod. It’s possible to attract the elements without an athame, but there’s more control over where that energy lands when using a ritual blade.
When using the athame to call the quarters, my coven begins in the east with arms in the Osiris position. The Osiris position is similar to how a mummy is usually depicted lying in its sarcophagus or a vampire in its coffin. The arms are crossed in an X on the upper chest, dominant hand holding the athame on top.
From Osiris, move toward the east and salute that direction with your athame raised in the air and your non-dominant arm at your side. Now open yourself up to the power of air, feeling it enter the circle through the point of the athame. While the energy comes cascading down into the circle, “call” the quarter in the style you are most comfortable with. In my circle we use the following:
Spirits of the east, element of air and wind, powers of clear will and knowledge, we summon you to join us in our sacred circle. Guard, protect, and bless our joyous rite! Hail and welcome!
After calling the quarter, draw an invoking pentagram in the air with the athame. Visualize energy coming from the athame creating a five-pointed star in the air. The invoking pentagram attracts a little more energy into the circle and puts a nice “bow” on the quarter-calling operation. Once the pentagram has been drawn, take the athame and place it upon your lips, kissing the blade. I often think of this as “blowing a kiss” to the elements, since when I use my fingers in place of an athame, it’s very similar to how I blew kisses as a child. Then raise the athame once more in the air to salute and honor the elemental energy now in your circle.
Osiris position, to raised arm, and back to Osiris
Move your arms back into the Osiris position and pivot clockwise to the south. Then repeat the process for the element of fire:
Spirits of the south, element of fire and sun, powers of illumination and desire, we summon you to join us in our sacred circle. Guard, protect, and bless our joyous rite! Hail and welcome!
Draw the invoking pentagram once more, blow a kiss to the element of fire, resume the Osiris position, and smoothly pivot to face the west.
Once in the west again, salute with the athame while saying:
Spirits of the west, element of water and rain, powers of death and initiation, we summon you to join us in our sacred circle. Guard, protect, and bless our joyous rite! Hail and welcome!
The pentagram is drawn again and another kiss is blown. Arms move once more to Osiris, and the coven then faces the north.
Salute the element of earth while saying:
Spirits of the north, element of earth and field, powers of harvest and home, we summon you to join us in our sacred circle. Guard, protect, and bless our joyous rite! Hail and welcome!
A final pentagram is drawn in the north and another kiss is blown. Arms move once more to the Osiris position, and everyone in the circle then spins back to face the altar in the center of the ritual space.
Invoking pentagram
Many covens recite the quarter calls together in unison, while others simply appoint one quarter-caller for each of the four directions. In my coven we generally do not say the calls in unison, but every group should do what works for them. It is very traditional for each covener to draw the invoking (and later banishing) pentagrams at the conclusion of the quarter call. If space is an issue, it’s fine to drop that particular tradition.
When I first began calling the quarters in this fashion, my first thought was, Why the kiss? The kiss to the elements is a show of respect. The elements have real power, and blowing them a kiss is a way to say thanks and to show that you respect that power. Think about how destructive fire, earth, water, and air can be! Those are energies you want on your side.
Many covens and circles light candles to represent the elements at the four quarters. I fell out of this practice years ago. When indoors, I often light quarter candles before the ritual begins, or light them in a separate ceremony performed before calling the elements. In my coven we call that bit of ritual “lighting the temple.” When I’m outside, I don’t even bother with quarter candles since the wind is likely to snuff them out pretty quickly.
Dismissing the energies gathered at the four quarters is an essential part of ritual. It might seem like a good idea to keep fire around on a cold winter’s night, but it won’t be such a good idea once dinner catches fire on the stove! The energies of Witchcraft are very real, and ceremonially dismissing them is a way to show respect toward that power.
To dismiss the quarters, start in the north and then move in a widdershins direction (north, west, south, and east). When turning toward the north, begin in the Osiris position before raising arm and athame. Visualize the energies of the four elements leaving the circle. If there’s an abundance of that energy inside of yourself or the circle, it may move through you and then out via the athame. Moving the energy out via the athame keeps a little bit of it in the ritual blade, keeping it charged up for when it’s used next. Drawing a banishing pentagram in the air with the athame helps to push the energies out of your ritual space and circle. While dismissing the quarters, I recite the following words:
Spirits of the north, element of earth and field, powers of harvest and home, we summoned you to guard, protect, and bless our rites. You have served us well, and now we wish you hail and farewell!
Spirits of the west, element of water and rain, powers of death and initiation, we summoned you to guard, protect, and bless our rites. You have served us well, and now we wish you hail and farewell!
Spirits of the south, element of fire and sun, powers of illumination and desire, we summoned you to guard, protect, and bless our rites. You have served us well, and now we wish you hail and farewell!
Spirits of the east, element of air and wind, powers of clear will and knowledge, we summoned you to guard, protect, and bless our rites. You have served us well, and now we wish you hail and farewell!
Banishing pentagram
While dismissing the quarters, I enact the same motions as I did when calling them, moving from the Osiris position to raised arms and back again. At the end of every dismissal is where I add the banishing pentagram. After drawing the pentagram, we again salute the quarters with a kiss to the blade. When dismissing an energy or entity from my circle, I also try to make sure to compliment them too. Everyone (and everything) likes to hear that they’ve done a good job.
One of the most imaginative uses for the athame I’ve ever seen in ritual came from my friend Dwayne. Instead of speaking when he dismissed the quarters, he simply walked up to them and snuffed out the candles used to represent them with his athame. It was a powerful way to end ritual, but it does get wax all over your blade!
The Symbolic Great Rite & Cakes and Ale
In many Wiccan traditions, the athame is seen as a symbolic representation of the phallus. It’s not quite phallus-shaped, but as a tool designed somewhat for poking it’s easy to see where the attribution originated. In Wicca, the athame as phallus represents one half of the magick needed to create new life. Many Wiccan traditions celebrate the polarity of male and female energies and symbolically represent those energies in the athame and the chalice. The chalice as representative of the womb is especially symbolic. Within the chalice lies the waters of life, and even now we humans are basically formed in a sac full of water.
The Great Rite originally referred to the act of sexual union, though the high priestess and high priest never performed it in front of others. These days, the Great Rite is usually expressed symbolically by the union of knife and cup. Some Witches find the practice far too heteronormative and believe that it implies that the gods are exclusively straight or that heterosexuality is the preferred sexual preference within modern Witchcraft. I understand those concerns, but my gods have always been gay, straight, and everything in between.
I prefer to see the symbolic Great Rite as a celebration of union or joining. Anytime two lovers get together, they create something new, and besides, most of us don’t engage in sexual relations just to make a baby. For me, the Great Rite is about two forces coming together. It’s easy to see those forces as male and female, but I look at them in other ways too. They could be land and sky, water and earth, stardust and solar wind. We live in a pretty magical universe, and worlds, life, and stars are all created in a variety of different ways. When performing the Great Rite, I tend to think about all of those things in circle.
In our coven we use a rather simple version of the Great Rite, focused on the “magick of joining” and how two different forces can combine to create a new one. The symbolic Great Rite is more than just dunking a knife into a cup of wine, juice, or water; it’s a celebration of the forces that create life, pleasure, and everything we cherish in this existence. While holding the athame or chalice, it’s important to visualize all of those things. That’s where the magick and mystery truly happen.
I write ritual with my wife and me in mind (which is why everything is usually labeled “high priestess” and “high priest”), but such titles aren’t necessary, and I have happily performed the Great Rite with a coven brother on many occasions. During ritual I try to make my movements and gestures as “big” as possible. Drama isn’t necessary in ritual, but I believe it can make ritual better, so lift that athame up high when performing the Great Rite! Our version of the Great Rite often plays out in this way:
High Priest: We are surrounded by life and breath, reminding us of the greatest of magics—the magick of joining!
High Priestess: Sun and rain, soil and breeze, all must unite to create the living upon this earth!
High Priest: The athame is a part of creation.
High Priestess: As the chalice is a part of creation.
Both: United, they bring forth new life. Blessed be!
(Athame is plunged into chalice.)
In some traditions, the individual holding the chalice then licks the athame. My wife has always worried about cutting her tongue on my blade, so we’ve always skipped that step. It does look impressive though.
Immediately after the Great Rite, my coven celebrates the feast of cakes and ale (or cakes and wine). We haven’t used ale during a ritual in many years, but we’ve stuck with the phrase. Cakes and ale is an old English phrase meaning “the good things in life.” Whatever food and drink you choose to use for cakes and ale is immaterial. What’s important is that everyone in your ritual finds them to be “good.” The Goddess and the God want us to be happy, and what we eat and drink in ritual should express that idea.
Cakes and ale is a mini-feast, and I use my athame to bless both food and drink. Many covens use the wine blessed during the Great Rite for their “ale.” During ritual, my coven generally uses two chalices. The one we use for the ceremonial Great Rite is saved for libations after ritual. We then take up a separate chalice, fill it with drink, then bless it with the athame, touching the side of the glass or perhaps the chalice’s rim. We do things this way because our athames sometimes get a little dirty with the mixing of salt and water, etc. Whatever way you choose will work just fine. While touching the cup with the athame, imagine energy leaving the athame and entering the drink, canceling out any negativity and putting some of that “energy of creation” into the beverage.
I do basically the same thing with whatever “cakes” we are consuming that night, touching each one with the point of my athame and visualizing them being charged and cleansed. While touching the cakes and drink, we usually recite a blessing over them:
Lord and Lady, bless this food and drink set out before us. May each bite and sip remind us of your love, beauty, and abundance. So mote it be!
We then pass the food and drink around the circle, making sure to save some for libations later. (My wife would like me to point out that, for the sake of cleanliness, the drink should be passed out before the food, especially when using a shared communal cup. No one wants a crumb of bread floating in their wine.)
A Door to the Summerlands
In many Witchcraft traditions, it’s customary to call upon the “Mighty Dead” in ritual. The Mighty Dead are our Witch ancestors, known and unknown, who watch over us and sometimes assist us in our rites. Some groups simply call the Mighty Dead to them, while others open up a portal to the Summerlands 16 in order to bring the dead into the circle. The athame is the essential tool for those looking to create an entryway into the realm of spirit.
Doors to the Summerlands are generally constructed in the west, home to the “spirits of death and initiation,” but are also sometimes created in the north. If I’m creating an entryway into the Summerlands, I tend to do so after casting the circle and calling the quarters but before inviting the gods to be a part of my rite.
To create a portal to the Summerlands, stand in the west and envision the energies of the circle moving around you. At about shoulder level, slash at the circle and focus on the Summerlands. Interpretations on what the land of the dead looks like vary wildly, but I see my window into it as dark and gray, like a giant storm cloud. Hold that thought in your mind and begin carving out a small window-shaped space in the circle. While carving that space out, say the following words:
I seek the spirits of the Mighty Dead. Beloved ancestors, join us here in our rites. Bless us with your love, knowledge, and power. All who would seek to aid me in my rites are welcome here. Those who wish me or my fellows harm are not allowed in this space!
When calling to the Mighty Dead, it’s acceptable to say the name of a loved one or a teacher/mentor in the Craft. That doesn’t ensure that they will show up; it should be an invitation and not a demand. Once the portal to the Summerlands is open, pay special attention to the energies coming out of it. If something negative feels like it’s trying to get through, push against it with the athame, forcing it back into the Summerlands. Calling to the spirits of the dead can be dangerous work. There are negative spirits out there who might seek to hinder your work, so be ready for them.
After the portal has been created, the magician has three options. The portal can be kept open for the duration of the ritual, which is a dangerous plan since more spirits and energies might come through it. It can be closed but left open, like a window with the curtains pulled back. This serves as a reminder that just outside the realm of the living always lies the realm of the dead. This option has consequences, as it might attract a negative spirit; even the souls of the dead aren’t averse to peeking through an open window. The best option is to close the portal using the athame.
To close the portal, first picture the window into the Summerlands closing and then push that energy away using the athame as the focus of the push. Next, imagine the thundercloud of the next realm breaking up and dissipating. Sometimes at the end of this I see a ray of sunshine pour down from the sky. Finally, focus again on the magick circle; see the threads and weaves of energy used in its creation and imagine knitting them back together. I often use my athame to pick up the individual threads and weave them back together. When I have closed the portal, I say:
The portal is now closed. All who have arrived in this space have done so in good faith. We welcome the Mighty Dead to our rite. Hail and welcome!
I usually kiss my blade here as a sign of welcoming.
If the Mighty Dead have arrived at your ritual through a door to the Summerlands, it’s very important to open that door and allow them to return to their plane of existence. Creating the portal for the return journey is the same as creating it at the start, but with different words. This time you’ll want to say goodbye and make sure everybody finds the door. Feel the energy of the Mighty Dead around you and make sure to push them toward the door if they don’t actively seek it. As before, make sure nothing unwanted comes through when the portal is open again. Dismiss them, saying these words:
Beloved ancestors, Mighty Dead, we thank you for joining us in our rites! Now we bid you farewell and offer you safe return to the Summerlands. Until we meet again we will keep you in our hearts and minds. Hail and farewell!
After a hearty “hail and farewell,” I blow them another kiss. I bid farewell to the Mighty Dead after thanking the Goddess and the God for being a part of our rite and before dismissing the quarters, though you can bid the Mighty Dead farewell at any point in ritual. What’s most important is that the goodbye is heartfelt and makes sense to you in the flow of the ritual. Make sure the doorway to the lands of the dead is properly sealed and all is “as it once was” before moving on and finishing up the ritual.
16. I think of the Summerlands as a sort of cosmic waiting room where souls go between incarnations on this earth. It’s not quite “heaven,” but it’s similar.