Conjuring Sacred Space
A few years back, the topic of sacred space always managed to fall in my lap. “Oh, Silver, we need an article on sacred space. Would you mind doing it for us?” It got to where I would groan internally when the topic was mentioned. I had forgotten one of my favorite quotes from Richard Bach’s Illusions: “You teach best what you most need to learn.”
Sacred space and a cast, magick circle are two entirely different principles that meet during ritual and magick to become one. You don’t have to cast a circle in sacred space; likewise, you don’t need physical sacred space to cast a circle. Notice the words I use here: don’t have to and don’t need. Calling Divinity works regardless of where you are or in what circumstances you find yourself. Simply because you don’t need to cast a circle, however, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.
Many Witches complain that there are few advanced Wiccan texts on the market. To find intermediate and advanced techniques, they turn to ceremonial magick, which provides more steps, more toys, more words, and more energy work. There is nothing wrong with this (I have many ceremonial friends and both admire and respect them), but there has to be a way for Wiccans to grow within our own religion, as well as study techniques relating to magick from other sources without giving up the practical power of the religion.
Part of the problem stems from our society in general. In a hurry-up world that provides unlimited information at our fingertips, it is difficult for the new student of the occult to understand that many Wiccan Mysteries hinge a person’s individual maturation process and personal cycle. In short, most humans look for the easy way to do things. The media and current marketing practices support this limited view of the world. Unfortunately, there is no way to make a low-fat, five-minute meal in the occult, whether you are practicing alone or in a group.
When an individual becomes interested in Witchcraft, he or she is taking the first step in the reformatting of his or her life. It is a total make-over that reaches down into the very soul of the person. Habits, patterns, thought processes, and beliefs all need to be assessed, then tailored, enhanced, or trashed as the situation dictates. This does not happen overnight. It does not happen in one year’s time. It is a process that never stops, because the Craft is a religion that urges its practitioners to be their best in this lifetime. To be exceptional at any activity is to build skill and faith. Building anything requires positive reinforcement, patience, and practice.
Many Wiccan Mysteries begin with intuition, supported by actions that bring positive and life-affirming results, allowing you to reach further into yourself and outward toward Divinity. Logic and negative thoughts stifle intuition, twisting it away from the truth, resulting in self-doubt and destruction of self-esteem. Mind you, logic is not a bad thing, but it shouldn’t control your life.
Learning the basics of sacred space is important when studying both the religious and scientific aspects of the Craft. Although tools, furniture, and other decorations can go in a sacred place, they are not required, nor does their presence create sacred space. Finally, no matter how long your involvement in occult studies, keep in mind that there is more to learn. What you may have thought to be a simple concept (such as sacred space) when you began your studies can take on a mystery of its own as you journey further into an enlightened state. Witchcraft is unique in its presentation. If it fits, doesn’t hurt anyone, and the result is favorable, develop it. There is no one right way to practice the Craft or be a religious person in general; everyone views sacred space differently. Following are some Craft theologies and examples on the subject.
The Universe is sacred space. In essence, all life and all places are sacred. To defile the air we breathe and the ground upon which we walk is to defile ourselves and our planet. Our planet is a sacred space in the Universe, as are the other planets and heavenly bodies. Sacred space can be a natural reservoir of energy, such as a stream, a mountain, a field, and so on. This type of sacred space belongs to everyone and to no one. Along your way, you will find people who call themselves self-appointed guardians of natural sacred space. Some of these guardians are megalomaniacs, trying to impress you with their importance. Use your common sense and don’t fall for double talk.
To appreciate universal sacred space, we must look beyond modern religions and move into a place and time where the earth and all upon it were honored by shamanistic peoples. Because their survival depended on the land, not the dollar, they became linked with the world around them. Although superstition is not acceptable, intuition is. When our society destroyed what it considered superstition and replaced it with logic, it weakened our intuition.
The native people of the Americas and the clans of Europe felt strong ties to the land. As the land prospered, so did the people. As the people prospered, they reciprocated through their care of the land. Many times, deity names were not given to a particular stream, field, or pond. To protect the area, however, the people would call upon a guardian whose energies carried an association with prosperity or protection. For example, in one Celtic custom, the god Tarranis protected the hearth, home, and property. A shrine erected to Tarranis (often beside or near running water) guarded the homestead. Offerings of milk or honey were left at the shrine by those living on the land. Sometimes, the people would name the energy of a natural sacred place, creating a thoughtform from it to protect the energies located there.
Not all natural places are immediately useful as sacred spaces. Over the years, the land has become grumpy with humankind. Circumstances, such as wars, slaughter, and hatred created by people can eat away at the delicate balance and positive energy normally found there.
As an example, during the spring of 1994, the father of one of my students requested that I come out and bless his property. A recent visit from a monk, who had the odd talent of predicting family events caused by the energies of the land on which people lived, gave them a scare. The monk had excellent prediction gifts, but these gifts did not include solving proposed problems. For example, he visited a potential property investment for a young gentleman who was also considering marriage. The monk warned the man that the terrain had an unusual split. The energies there would not be conducive to family life, and if the young man bought the property and lived there, he was sure to find divorce at his front door within one year. The prospective buyer did not heed the monk’s warning, bought the property, and subsequently divorced his bride nine months later. On another occasion, the monk told a family that as long as they lived in their home, money would be an illusive dream, as the slant of the property allowed water to run to the west. The owners went bankrupt.
This is the background they gave me. My student’s father, by the way, is a psychologist, and reads voraciously on various religions. Although not a practitioner of the Craft, he was well-versed enough to know what his daughter was involved with and respected her beliefs. I like parents like him!
When I arrived at the home (magickal paraphernalia in tow), I discovered another predictive gem from the monk. He informed the owners that any adult woman who filled the reigning female role of the family would sicken and die if she remained on this property. How pleasant. The house owner’s first wife had died of cancer several years before. His second wife now had an odd affliction in her right leg that the doctors could not diagnose. Could I do something for her? And, could I do something about the land?
First, we went over the mundane stuff. Had they had a radon check? Were there any power lines about (those evil EMFs,7 you know), and had they had the water checked? Had they sprayed any pesticides recently or regularly over the years? The owner promised to investigate these things. In the meantime, my job was to figure out what the heck to do about the property. As this was a residential area, I also asked about neighbors, and found that most did not stay for long periods. The street was a realtor’s dream of musical residences. I asked about the history of the land. It was a new development, thrust onto land accustomed to a combination of forest and cornfields for over a hundred years.
Having a famous predictive monk preceding you with a story about how this land hated women does not put one in a comfortable position. Last time I took a shower, I believe I was still inhabiting a woman’s body. I’d thought it odd that this land would take a patriarchal view, since to me, the land is feminine. You know, Earth Mother, and all those teachings? It didn’t make any sense to me at all. Unless, of course, as one of my friends (Bried FoxSong) suggested, the land did carry female tendencies and was jealous of any other adult females sharing space with her. Now, if we were talking about a deva, that was entirely possible.
I’d blessed houses and land before, but never tackled such an ominous task. I decided to take consecrated stones from my property, as well as fashion a stang to erect as an altar, decorated with beaded leather thongs made by myself and my children. I also brought along an Eye of Horus I’d made over the winter to turn away any evil generated by neighbors. You never know what the trigger may be until you start digging around and eliminating possibilities.
I picked a Saturn day to do the job as I wanted to transmute those energies, bind negative energies and dismiss others, neutralize the situation, provide protection for the residents, and manifest prosperity for both the land and its people. I also checked to make sure the moon wasn’t void-of-course. (We’ll get to the reasoning on that later.) The weather had been nasty that March, but I lucked out. It was sunny and enough warmth danced about to get the blood running. What more could I ask?
My first order of business included walking the boundaries of the owner’s land. The property was pentagon-shaped. At the top of the pentagon stood a lifeless peach tree. We were near the heart of the original farm family nucleus, as the barn stood to the right (by the point) and the old farmhouse nestled beyond, off the current owner’s property. The land where my student lived now may have been a barnyard or even a slaughter area. With peach trees in the yard, however, it very well could have been the family orchard. In its agricultural heyday, most farms in this area had their own private apple, pear, and peach trees away from the slaughter house.
My next task was to sit in the middle of the yard and have a little meditative chat with whatever was living there. In sacred space, constructed to house only my body, I sat back and let the impressions come in. Very carefully, I checked for feelings of animosity, hatred, sickness, etc. I got none of that. I even expected a screaming earth spirit to shake its finger at me and tell me where I could go, and what I could do when I got there.
Not a thing.
What I discovered was loneliness—pure and simple—and confusion. Land energies are not on a time schedule as humans understand it. To this land, people came here, tore out the trees, and created death. They dug, moved, and damaged everything. I looked around me. Houses were everywhere. There were swimming pools, metal sheds, patios—all the things that humans feel they need to survive. I saw fancy decks and elaborate fire pits. Ribbons of macadam snaked up and down the land, weighing down the precious soil beneath. Soil accustomed to plenty of rain, growing things, and the pitter-patter of animal paws now dealt with humans’ play toys, hatreds, and selfish desires. People forgot about the land, and all the junk they stuck into and on it. The torn natural ground cover, the murder of the trees, and the destruction of natural habitats, were still fresh on the land’s mind, as if it had happened yesterday, not twenty or thirty years ago. Like a little child who loses all that is important, the land had feelings of frustration and pain. It also carried a very feminine, and feline, personality.
I told the land what I wanted to do—bless it, relieve some of its pain, and create for it a sacred place the owners would love and honor. The choice of where to put a shrine is more a matter of intuition, rather than one of compass points and regimentation. As I came out of my meditation, I looked in front of me to see two forsythia bushes at the end of the yard, arched toward each other—to me, this was a perfect place for a shrine. Later, I discovered compass-wise, these bushes were fairly near east. I dug a hole, erected the stang, and supported it with stones, finally placing a flat stone before it to serve as an altar. I later explained to the owner that he would have to sink the stang further into the ground, as his own gesture of good will toward the land.
With my student, we went to each corner of the property (beginning clockwise and at the point of the pentagon) and placed a fertilized egg in the ground. My student said the following at each corner:
Blessings of the gods on you
as this egg returns to the ground
so will health and prosperity grow for this land and my family.
We then placed a consecrated stone from my property over each egg. In the future, should my student wish to repeat what we did that day as a daily ritual, she can find our magickal markers without difficulty.
Back at the altar, I began digging in my bag of magickal goodies. Out came salt, water, beer, incense, my cauldron, oil, and a tea candle. I set up shop, performed the altar devotion, and blessed the stone with oil. I then poured the beer as an offering around the altar and stang in a clockwise motion. I took the now holy water, and poured it before the altar in the shape of a crescent moon. No grass would grow there that summer, leaving the mark of the goddess on the land.
In this case, I did not close down the energies I had called because my intention was to make a permanent, sacred space. It would take a while, about the cycle of one full moon, for the energies and the people on the land to harmonize. I also explained to both the owner and the female head of household that they should leave offerings of milk and honey at least once a month. I then suggested cultivating a flower garden around the altar, and keeping the forsythia trimmed back so when one looked out the kitchen window, the altar would be within view. As the female head of household also believed in the power of Buddha, I suggested his statue become a part of the shrine. The visit ended with some healing instructions and energy work for the woman’s leg.
What I did that day at the home of my student is what working Witches do. You respond to a need and harmonize the situation with the skills you possess. When you realize that all religions are from a single source and you can work within any structure’s parameters, then you have indeed mastered the most important Wiccan mystery, that of blending images, beliefs, and energy into one positive force—the harmony of All.
Ancients, Witches hearken nigh
earth and wind, water and sky
stars above and core below
peace and prosperity, energy flow.
I suppose you want to know the outcome of this story. The woman of the household got better. The physicians finally came up with a diagnosis and did whatever physicians do. In fact, she felt so much better, she eventually got outside and planted some of her favorite flowers.
Did the father of my student believe in anything we had done? You’ll get a kick out of this. Although he was pretty quiet about it, his true feelings came out about three months later. The family went on vacation. When they returned, there was no sign of the shrine. The father panicked, running around the yard, shouting that some awful thief had stolen his shrine. What were they going to do? It was okay. Remember, I placed the shrine between two forsythia bushes. While the family vacationed, the bushes grew completely over the shrine, like a giant, flowering waterfall, and protected it from any intruders. Upon lifting the boughs, there stood the shrine, as peaceful and strong as ever.
I believe the land is most comfortable with its owners. Of course, should they ever move—well, that’s another story.
Where the Witch is, the place is sacred. This follows the premise that if you are living a life of harmony and following the Wiccan Rede of “an it harm none,” you are operating in sacred space.
Your Work
Project 1: If you own land where you live, design a shrine and a ritual to go with its erection. Perform it.
Project 2: If you do not own land where you live, take a walk outside and connect with the earth energies around you. Talk to them. Introduce yourself and have a great conversation.
Project 3: In meditation, greet the nature spirits (or devas) of your property. Devas can assist in both your health and spiritual growth. You only need ask them.
In my hometown, I’m known as the Pow Wow Witch. Trads are not understood here, Pow Wow is. Pow Wow energy is something that you carry with you, all the time. This energy is foreign to many Witches in the United States because there aren’t that many of us practicing these days. It’s unusual because it carries its own “beat.” Like Craft, the power is passed from one generation to the next, or from expert to student. Sometimes, the energy lies dormant through several generations before it is activated again. Unlike general, modern magicians, Pow Wows learn to create immediate sacred space without the use of tools. They make it by weaving words, sacred breath, and divine energy together. There is no beginning, no trigger, no devotion—although all these things can assist in the performance if the Pow Wow so desires. Pow Wow is the last vestige of European Craft found in this country. To survive, it instinctively linked itself to the magick of the land here, that which is compatible with the indigenous peoples of the Americas.
My study and practice of Pow Wow was an important milestone in my life. I had always believed there was Craft before Gardner. (No offense to Gardnerians intended, I assure you, as my Craft lineage comes partially from that direction.) I wanted to know the Mysteries as they applied to the area in which I live and my heritage. It was through the practice of Pow Wow that I began to understand that the Witch is the Magick (an observation made by Marion Weinstein), and that he or she is sacred—indeed, all humans are sacred. I also got to touch what it may have been like to practice as a solitary Witch hundreds of years ago, as Pow Wows operate alone (unless extreme nasties are about). Finally, it dawned on me that for any Witch to successfully work in the Americas, he or she must make the effort to meld with the land and its energies where he or she is living or working. As much as I adore trad work and the history of the magickal religions, I realized that to touch the ancient Mysteries, one must touch sacred space alone. In the process, one must learn to be sacred space, a harmonious vehicle internally, to work successful magick externally.
Sacred space within myself
earth and sky, light and health
blessings of the goddess shine
bring to me thy love divine
as above, it is below
now peace and love around me grow.
Be I Witch, faery, or elf
sacred space I call myself.
Sacred space is an area, whether tangible or intangible, where people meet in perfect love and perfect peace. Such a space would be the environment of an open circle or a study group where there is balance and harmony. Study groups work best in sacred space prepared with burning sage combined with a blessing. If there is greed, jealousy, or power-tripping taking place (to name a few possibilities), the space remains defiled and unfit for acts of ritual or magick. In traditional practices, none may enter the magick circle if they carry a grudge against another group member. The High Priestess carries the responsibility to ensure differences are resolved before a ritual begins. If the argument or unfortunate feelings cannot find another outlet or resolution, one or both of the participants may be asked to leave. To carry this thought further, one should not enter sacred space if permanent hard feelings have developed between two or more people.
Your Work
Project 1: Make a list of what you feel makes you sacred. Make another list of what you feel makes you not so sacred. Can you improve upon yourself?
Project 2: Practice centering yourself by expanding your sacred self outside your human body, then pulling it back in. Do it slowly, snap it like a rubber band, make it move out in waves, and coil back in. Think of the many ways you can expand and contract your center. Practice this every evening for one moon, and at least once a week thereafter.
the salute of the cauldron
Creating sacred space for several people, whether it be family members at a special holiday or an open study group, does not require a full-blown ritual format. Our family designed a salute that each member participates in equally. The only tools for this act of honor are a small cauldron and a candle that fits inside a candle cup (you can also use a tea candle). Whether we are sitting on the floor, standing, or gathered around the table, we all come together in a rough circle. Going clockwise and starting with the person in the north, each performs the salute, utters a silent prayer, and passes the cauldron to the next person. Two things are necessary:
1. That the cauldron not grow too hot to hold.
2. That the individual be old enough so he or she won’t drop the pot.
Light the candle and say:
Ancient Ones I now impart
by candle flame remove the dark
Hold the cauldron with both hands, chest level, at arm’s length, and say:
Blessings of the goddess upon us.
With the entire cauldron, make the sign of the banishing pentagram and say:
Blessings of the god upon us.
Then pass the cauldron right through the center of the imaginary pentagram. Visualize the cauldron filling with universal love and peace. Pull the blessings of the Universe back through the pentagram (toward you). Utter a soft prayer over the cauldron:
Love and joy, peace and trust
I conjure thee among the Clan
Pass the cauldron to the next person in a clockwise direction.
There can be many variations to this salute. On occasion, each person stands at a specific quarter and says something special for that direction and its representative energies:
Blessings of the north upon us
winds of strength
bring us perfect peace and perfect trust.
Blessings of the east upon us
winds of intellect
I conjure harmony, love, and trust.
Blessings of the south with trust
winds of creativity
gently touch each among us.
Blessings of the west draw nigh
winds of love
through the Universe, hear my cry.
When the last person receives and blesses the cauldron, return it to the person who began the salute. He or she is to hold the cauldron out at eye level and add the final blessings:
The Mysteries now rise
for the children of the wise.
Shining daughters
shining sons
ancient ones of forest.
Perfect love and perfect peace
enter here before us.
Depending upon the nature of the night, whether it be an esbat, a sabbat, or a simple meal, you can fill the cauldron with something other than a candle. We have blessed seeds to disperse among those present for blessings of prosperity in their home, small jewelry for them to wear, or hard candies for them to eat after a specific working.
In some Craft circles, an end salute when the work or celebration concludes is standard procedure. It need not be done by everyone. You can choose someone ahead of time, or the leader of the group or family may wish to perform this function.
Eve of work and night of pleasure
happiness circles now full measure
earth and fire, air and water
heaven’s queen and moonlight’s daughter
bless this company as we leave
carry his protective seed.
Blessings of (your patron god and goddess) upon you.
Your Work
Project 1: Practice the Cauldron Salute.
Project 2: Write your own Cauldron Salute to match your tradition or personal practices.
Sacred space is where you live. Where the Witch is, is sacred. Remember, however, that your everyday environment soaks up the energies you raise, cast off, pull in, or manipulate. There are all sorts of things bouncing around your house at any given time.
I consider my home and my property sacred space. It is important to me to honor the land on which I live, as it is providing a place for me on the planet in this incarnation. Over the years, I have learned to command my environment to ensure it remains a sacred space. This is an important lesson for every one of us to learn. Sometimes it is difficult to maintain that sacred space in the face of the needs of others. You must learn the delicate balance of serving versus being overrun and mauled. It also requires faith. We would like every act with others to end or pass in a harmonious manner, but sometimes, in order to fulfill a personal need of their own, a person isn’t willing to allow this peaceful environment to exist. When the desires of others threaten the stability of your environment, you must have faith and courage to hold the balance necessary for harmonious interactions with other people. This requires work on your part, and should be one of the first areas of your life that you learn to perfect. In doing so, you will develop several skills that will be useful to assist others in their time of need. Moving your environment toward harmony and retaining it is not a selfish act, but an act of universal love.
Witches at work must remember that magick follows the path of least resistance. Many dabblers, when they learn this mystery of energy movement, hesitate to continue their studies. Why? Simply because they fear the change that positive forces may bring into their lives. A sad example of this situation are women who are currently living in abusive environments and refuse to make positive movements toward their release due to their fears and repressive programming. Subconsciously, they know their present environment is dangerous, yet they are not willing to move beyond their fear to escape the situation. If you think I’m talking through my Witch’s hat here, think again. I, too, suffered through an abusive marriage many years ago. Fought, left, and lived to tell the tale. It did not end there, however. I cannot count the women who have walked through my door for readings, or who have come to my open circles for a short time, never to return, as they are embroiled in these unfortunate life experiences and cannot find the courage or the faith in themselves to change the situation. Using magick here to rectify the situation may result in one of the following difficult scenarios:
1. The abusive spouse may end up in jail.
2. The abused individual may find that he or she has to move to another environment.
3. Due to circumstances, the abused spouse may have to deal with the reality of getting a job.
In these cases, the individual may see change as loss. Until the person moves far enough away from the negative environment to assess logically what was (or is) happening, he or she is denying change and is not ready to make the journey. This change does not happen overnight, hence the frustration an untrained individual feels. Thoughts of failure loom too close to the person for logical consideration of the whole problem.
On a milder level, but no less important, are individuals who hate their jobs (your work environment is important too), but for any number of reasons, refuse to look beyond their present situation for something new. With the use of magick, a person may very well lose their job, simply because the Universe is trying to right the situation. The individual may be too stubborn to do much on the mundane level to change it, and the path of least resistance is—you guessed it—no more job. Of course, this is a general statement, ignoring many factors a working Witch might use, such as:
Being focused
Looking at all angles of a situation fairly
Being willing to accept change
Being willing to work harmoniously with his or her chosen environment
Being specific on the level of need for change
It is up to the working Witch to be responsible for his or her own environment and ensure that it, above all else, remains sacred and harmonious. Naturally, there are mundane things you can do to secure harmony and sacredness, like working with the land, remodeling, or keeping your home in good repair. You don’t have to be rich to have a pleasant, clean environment in which to live and work. Keeping things fairly in order helps, as chaos breeds contempt for self and others. Screen phone calls with an answering machine, set rules on times you are available for visiting, etc. These are all things that are rightfully in your control and should work for you in the way you feel most comfortable.
The working Witch also must learn to practice harmoniously with others to create a sacred environment. Learning to control your behavior without losing your identity is also important. Skilled Witches know when to speak, when to back down and let others voice their needs and opinions, when to quietly fold, when to work toward a harmonious solution, and when to stand out from a crowd to provide a role model for others to see. The way we affect people is the message we send before us, both in this lifetime and in lifetimes to come. If each working Witch considers carefully the results of his or her actions, the world indeed will be a better place.
the eternal flame house shrine
You have progressed to a point where combining your altar for work and as a shrine is no longer feasible. Grab an end table where you can load some of your treasures and choose deity energy that is protective in nature for your home and family. Place the table in the direction attributed to that deity. The center focal point of your shrine should be a candle or oil lamp. Do not use an electric lamp, as part of the purpose of the shrine is its need for maintenance. By caring for and guarding the eternal flame, you expend positive energy and connect with deity. Flicking a light switch simply will not fill the need, nor will it heighten your skills. Choose something that is inexpensive to supply, such as a miniature lamp or a holder for a tea candle. Your task is to create sacred, pulsating energy, whether or not the flame is actually burning.
After you arrange and decorate the shrine, take a few minutes to visualize the eternal flame of wisdom and protection in your mind. Do not light the candle or lamp yet. In the astral, build a replica of your shrine and light the sacred flame with holy breath.
Wiccans, along with many other magickal people, believe there are many planes of being. The earth, our touchable world, resides on one of these planes. The astral can be defined as another dimension, a place where many planes of being are available (or not) to humans. The astral can be reached through the process of meditation or other mental exercises. In this exercise, you are accessing the astral through a meditation sequence. In this mental sequence, build a room with an altar that matches your physical area on which you will mentally put a candle. It will be everburning. Every time you go back to this safe and sacred mental place, the candle will be burning.
In the mundane world, light the candle.
Eternal flame
light divine
enter here
this sacred shrine.
Eternal flame
pulsate bright
burn for me
day and night.
Eternal flame
from ancient song
bless this house
all life long.
This sacred shrine is dedicated to ___________
who in his/her infinite wisdom
will shelter, protect, and provide
harmony and enlightenment for the children of the wise.
Let the candle burn until it is no more. Each evening for one cycle of the moon, light the candle first in the astral (the mental sacred place you have created in meditation), then in the mundane. Watch the energy grow around the shrine and flow out into the room, then encompass your entire home or apartment and all that is inside. Repeat the invocation above, or create one.
When the cycle is over, light the candle or lamp whenever you can. Repeat the entire blessing, both in the astral and in the mundane, each full or new moon.
Your Work
Project 1: Make a pact with yourself that you are willing to be responsible for your environment. Do this in ritual and support with nightly meditations and affirmations. Do the latter for one moon cycle.
Project 2: Design and erect your house shrine. Follow the directions for the eternal flame.
Sacred space can be ritually created for a long-term or short-term purpose. Creating long-term sacred space is the act of building a home shrine (indoors or outdoors), a hearthstone altar, or a mini-altar that remains intact for as long as it is deemed useful. Dedicate altars to universal energies. Construct household shrines to honor a particular deity, as outlined above. Most working Witches have a hearthstone altar (the central altar of the property, whether indoors or out) and at least one shrine. This allows the hearthstone altar to be free of unnecessary clutter when the Witch is at work. Ritually cleanse physical sacred spaces, then consecrate and empower them for positive use, as shown previously with the house shrine.
Create short-term sacred space to encompass a ritual circle or yourself while you are meditating. It can be a short distance around your body, or cover an entire room of people. This is referred to as technical sacred space as it is created for a short-term purpose. Trigger this type of space by a call to the four quarters, four watchtowers, four elements, four angels, four winds, four totem animals, etc. It is up to the Witch on who or what to call, how, and why. There is no one right way to call quarters. What is right, is what gets the job done for you.
When the intention is to create a sacred space for the purpose of melding it to a magick circle, I have seen it constructed in three ways:
1. Before casting the circle, where the quarter/element call is first. This theology involves making an area of perfect love and perfect peace before casting the magick circle. Here, you are asking the energies you have focused on to join you in the celebration and to assist you in the work you plan to do, rather than stand there like He-Man with arms crossed and teeth bared to protect the circle.
For example, a friend of yours wants to get pregnant. She and her husband have been trying for a long time without success. They have done all the appropriate mundane motions, like medical tests and trying at the optimum times for her chemistry. Alas, alack—no baby. At this point, she comes to you for help. “I’m ready for divine intervention,” she says. “Will you please help me?”
Unless you are stupid enough to ask for Damien, you don’t need those menacing quarter guards to do a faery godmother/godfather-type thing. While you are at it, you may not wish to use the athame (cutting and all). Maybe a wand or your hands would be better to create sacred space and draw a circle. In this sacred space, you are looking for assistance in bringing something sacred into form—what is more special and sacred than a baby? Like the faery godmother/godfather, you will work for insemination, protection, and gifts from the elements to assist in carrying the baby full-term and giving it divine attributes. I look at it this way: if a couple comes to me to help them conceive, then the Universe is looking to produce a special child. Don’t get me wrong, all children are special, but if you call a Witch, something mysterious and beautiful is afoot.
Initiations are another time when sacred space is important. In several traditions, the performance of initiations takes place in sacred space only and the magick circle is never cast, as somewhere, someone wrote that only those initiated into the Mysteries may enter the magick circle. Here, you are looking for a witness to the events. You are seeking acceptance from the Ancient Ones for this candidate and asking for any gifts they might like to bestow on the seeker. The elders present are responsible for the protection of all present. If they can’t handle it, they shouldn’t be elders. Of course, there are many traditions in which much of the initiation procedure takes place outside a magick circle that is erected (complete with quarter calls) before the candidate enters the ritual area. Traditionalists also may ask guests to wait out of view during the circle casting and quarter calls at all of their rituals, as these two actions are secret and, therefore, privy only to the initiates of that tradition. Also, it is difficult to create astral sacred space or cast a circle when there are many people in a small room, especially if the procedure requires you to walk the perimeter.
Finally, in larger groups, there simply is too much consternation floating around to call quarters or cast a decent circle unless you are highly skilled in energy work. People are full of excitement, chatter, laughter, etc., and it can be difficult to get them to settle down. An example of this is at a festival site, where there may be up to five hundred people present.
Why am I giving you all this group information? To show you there are a variety of ways magickal people operate, no one set of procedures is the right way for everyone, and that you do have a choice in the way you practice your religion. A good teacher says to the student: “This is the way I do it, and it is the way we will do it together for the sake of building your skills in an area of mutual understanding. Feel free, however, to experiment. In the end, you will use what is best for you.”
2. After a circle casting. The magick circle is cast first to create an area of perfect peace and perfect trust (see the difference?), and creates a house or boundary for the quarter energies to guard. These are the energies with big muscles and flashing teeth. They can’t guard if they don’t know where to stand—hence, the circle first and then the quarters. This is helpful when you have designed a ritual for a specific purpose (called a rite).
3. Sacred space and the circle are created all in one shot. This is a more advanced technique, because it requires good visualization techniques, an understanding of energy flow, and control. This is best done while working in a solitary capacity, since students or inexperienced guests will not understand that it has taken years of building your skills and going through the physical motions to complete this type of procedure with accuracy. They will not see the nuances that go on in your mind, and will therefore assume you have attempted a shake-’n‘-bake creation. It is also valuable in an emergency, where you need all the energies you can muster at that given moment. There is personal pleasure, however, in creating sacred space and casting a magick circle where time is not an issue. This is why you will find Witches who have been practicing for many years still participating in group ritual, or setting aside several hours to complete a project of their own. Taking your time enhances skill and cleanses the spirit. It also unites and builds power among group participants.
We will cover all three types of technical sacred space later in this book, including various circle conjurations to enhance your studies.
Sacred space is created on the astral plane during meditation. Most adept magickal individuals work well on the astral plane or planes of the astral. Once you have learned to meditate, the next step is to use this technique to enhance your skills in such areas as healing or divination. In the astral, you can go forward and backward in time, gain wisdom from a variety of oracles and teachers long gone from the mundane world, and increase your self-esteem and potential for success. Problem-solving and wellness programs are enhanced through working in the astral. I cannot impress enough on any student of the occult the benefits of meditation—mentally, physically, and spiritually.
It takes a few journeys into the meditative state to fully design sacred space. If it helps, draw it on paper first. Include power items, such as a special altar, an unusual cauldron, a specific type of tree, etc., that will be with you. After designing the space, call Divinity into it, as you would in the mundane world. You can fill the space with the presence of a particular archetype or universal, positive energies. It doesn’t matter what or whom you choose. What matters is that it is comfortable for you and is a safe, peaceful place.
Your Work
Project 1: Design, on paper, your perfect sacred space. Use colored pencils, crayons, paints, or pastels. You can even create a nice needlework or banner if you like.
Project 2: For one full cycle of the moon, create your ultimate astral sacred space in meditation and visit it every evening, if only for a few moments.
Sacred space created by magickal people before you. Finally, there is physical, sacred space cultivated by humans before you. Examples here would be sacred areas blocked off by indigenous peoples (Native American Indians), Witches, and Pagans who have set up Nemetons at groves, campsites, and sanctuaries; hearthstone sanctuaries designed by a Mother Coven; historical sites cultivated and preserved in both the Americas and Europe; etc. When visiting these places, it is appropriate to leave an offering, such as a favorite bracelet, gemstone, necklace, or an item that is biodegradable, such as rice, water from your altar, or an acorn from your favorite oak tree. The gifts are limitless; the intent is focused—one of honor and harmony. As you give the offering, utter a prayer that fits the site and the occasion.
Guardians of this sacred space
blessed energies great and small
strength and protection for this place
and blessings on us all.
Meditation of the Five Winds
Indian Peg is a historical figure in my hometown. She is long gone to the Summerland, but her legend lives on. Indian Peg, goes the story, was a powerful conjurer and magick woman. Around here, lots of people consulted her for her healing skills. My grandfather Baker often spoke of her to both me and my father. She lived deep in the woods, at the top of a dirt lane. They even named the road after her—the Indian Peg Road. At a local historical society meeting a few years ago, one of the attendees suggested I go out to her old place. There was a leering dare in his voice. Sometimes people have such silly notions about Witches, you know.
At the time, I didn’t think much about it. Life goes on and I had other things to keep me busy. Years passed and here I am, writing this chapter for you. You will find that most working Witches are also learning Witches. We are constantly honing our skills, trying to unearth new data, or attempting to create positive ideas to assist both humankind and ourselves. No one ever stops learning, although we do reach plateaus in our progress.
I meditate every day for a variety of purposes, including relieving stress, staying healthy, gathering information, creating solutions to problems, and coming up with ideas to write about. During one evening’s sequence, I found myself on a dirt road. Who do you think my meditative self put there? You guessed it—Indian Peg. The following meditation is one she showed me to share with you. I have tried it both as a meditation and then as a procedure for quarter calls. The first sequence of meditation is best if done in five parts—one gift for each day. If you do it in the morning, record both the meditation and the events of the day of the meditation. If you do it at night, record the meditation, any dreams you may have during the night, and the events of the next day. Work with the gift given each day, visualizing it in your life and using its energies. After you have completed the entire meditation sequence, you can put the parts together and do them in one meditation for reinforcement and further learning.
the gifts of indian peg
Close your eyes and take several deep breaths. Use a familiar relaxing exercise, and ground and center.
Create an astral sacred space, such as a mountain clearing. Imagine you are sitting cross-legged at a campfire. Breathe deeply and enjoy the mountain scenery. Focus that you are here to receive the gift of the four winds from Indian Peg. She joins you at the campfire and you exchange pleasantries. She will sit across from you, about a foot away. After a time, she will tell you she has a gift for you and that you are to hold out your hand. Watch closely as she deposits her special treasure.
This is the first gift, the gift of the east wind. In your hand, you will see a tiny, golden, spiraling wind. Watch as it swirls and sparkles in your hand. This is the wind of intellect, the gift of the mind. Relax and feel how this wind affects your inner being. How does it feel in your hand? How does it relate to your life now? How can you use it to help others? When you are through, let it go and thank Indian Peg.
The second gift is the gift of the south wind. She will pass a tiny, ruby wind to you. Watch as it swirls in your hand. This is the wind of creativity and passion—the gift of sparks and light. Relax and feel how this wind affects your inner being. How does it feel physically in your palm, compared to the east wind you previously experienced? It is lighter, heavier, thicker, thinner, drier? How does it relate to your life now? How can you use it to assist others? When you are through, let it go and thank Indian Peg for her gift.
The third gift is the gift of the west wind. Indian Peg will hand you a tiny, sapphire wind. Watch it swirl and undulate. This is the wind of rebirth and transformation—the gift of wisdom from the ancients, as the west is their sacred direction. What is its consistency? How does it compare to the east or the south wind? How does it differ? How can you use this wind in your life? When you are through, pass it back to Indian Peg and thank her. She will put it carefully in her pocket.
The fourth gift is the wind of the north. Indian Peg will tell you “everything comes from the north,” then place the wind carefully in your palm. This is an emerald wind, the gift of stability and the energy of the Mother. How does this wind affect you? How can it help you on your life path? When you are through, let this wind go and be sure to thank Indian Peg.
The fifth gift is the wind of the Spirit. A raven circles the clearing, swooping lower and lower, until it lands on the shoulder of Indian Peg. In its mouth is the gift of Spirit. Hold out your arm and let the raven alight there. Open your palm. It will walk down your arm and delicately deposit a silver wind with tiny stars interspersed, as if caught in cotton candy. The raven fades away, encompassing you in its magickal wake. The wind grows from your palm, swirling around you. How does it feel? How can you use this wind in your life? When finished, imagine the wind in your palm again. Summon the raven and it will retrieve the wind for others to share. Thank Indian Peg and offer her a gift. She will take it, give you parting words of wisdom, then disappear.
Breathe deeply now. Count from one to five and open your eyes.
Ground and center. Record your experiences.
After you have completed this first sequence of meditations, you can move on to a more complicated method of working with the five winds.
The next step is to work with them individually throughout the day. Use the sacred winds in problem-solving situations, healing, and creative opportunities. Try them in spell casting and rituals. Finally, written below is a concept that is marvelous for family rites, to teach children and students about sacred winds and sacred space. There are no words to memorize, although you must memorize the concept of the Five Winds.
call of the five winds
Supplies: Your breath; five tubes of glitter (gold, red, blue, green, and silver); five candles (gold, red, blue, green, and silver); a one-foot-by-one-foot flat stone; a pair of soft cloth gloves.
Choose an area where you will not be disturbed, don’t mind glitter on the floor, and will feel at peace.
Put on the gloves. Set the stone in the center of where you will be working, and place the silver candle in the middle of the stone. Set the candles around the stone in the appropriate quarters:
East: Gold
South: Red
West: Blue
North: Green
Cleanse, consecrate, and empower the stone. Bless it with oil and holy water if you like. Do the same with the candles. Place the glitter tubes within easy reach.
Play gentle music, if you like. Relax in the center of the room, beside your stone. This simple sacred space alignment requires that you be seated.
Do the altar devotion (or something similar) to begin your alignment.
Sit facing the east. Light the gold candle. Take a small amount of gold glitter in your hand and close your eyes. Concentrate on what the energies of the east represent to you and what you need in your life that coincides with these energies. You also can consider what you would like to honor. What gifts have you received recently from the energies of the east? Once you have contemplated long enough, open your eyes and blow the glitter off your gloved hand. Imagine the energies of the east wind blessing you, your sacred area, and any tasks you wish to perform that use that energy. As the glitter descends, remember what the small winds looked like in the previous meditation and envision them before you, touching you gently and bringing gifts of love and unity.
Repeat this procedure with each quarter, moving around the stone like the cycle of the seasons. Meditate on the blessings of this life and use this time to find solutions to problems, inspire creativity, etc.
After you finish, thank the energies you have called and bid them farewell. Extinguish the candles in a counterclockwise motion.
Ground and center.
Clean up and record your experiences.
After you have used all the props (candles, glitter, gloves) a few times, try the procedure using only the center stone. Take it outside if the weather is fine, and do the entire ritual in your head, as you did in the physical realm before. What are the differences? Which do you prefer? For the record, traditional wind color associations are:
East: White
South: Red
West: Black
North: Yellow
If you like, try these and see what changes come about—or does the meditation remain the same? The Five Winds represent energies unique to themselves as well as those energies that coincide with the standard directions, sometimes called quarters. Quarter energy not only assists you in creating and protecting sacred space, it is also there to help you. These are very real energies that work. They don’t stand there while you do your Witchie thing with their thumbs stuck in their mouths. They will work with you and assist you for as long as you need them. In that respect, then, quarter energies are not billowing entities that are to be summoned from the deep by a command from an egocentric human who wishes to have power over all. They are graceful and potent energies, to be sure, not minions to be squashed under your magickal heel.
five winds cord
Finally, here is a bit of self-esteem magick using the Five Sacred Winds and a thirteen-inch cord of 1⁄8-inch thickness.
Supplies: A white or black cord, thirteen inches long; your center stone; five candles, as before.
Follow the directions for calling the winds given before. As you call each wind, ask it to empower the cord, except this time, begin with the center (lighting the candle first), then move to east, south, west, and finally, north. As each wind is called and an appropriate time is given for request and energy exchange, put a knot in the cord in the following manner:
|
End -----7------5------3------1------2-----4-----6------ End |
|||
|
1 = Center |
2 = East |
3 = South |
|
|
4 = West |
5 = North |
6 = Goddess |
7 = God |
At this point, there are two things you can do with the cord: Leave it, and during the next week or month, untie the knots when you need the energy represented; or tie the two ends of the cord together to make a sacred circle, and hang it by the north knot over your bed, over your altar, or put it in your pocket or purse.
At this time, you may wish to meditate for a while, or simply relax. When you are finished, say farewell to the sacred winds.
Ground and center.
Clean up.
Your Work
Project 1: Go to your local library or historical society and investigate historical sites in your area. Find three that may represent sacred space. Visit these areas and perform a meditation there. Write down your experiences. Later, you may wish to visit these sites in the astral or return in the physical.
Project 2: Practice the Meditation of the Five Winds for one full moon cycle. Keep a record of your experiences both in the astral and in the physical world.
Project 3: Practice the Call of the Five Winds for one full moon cycle. Keep a record of your experiences both in the astral and in the physical world.
Project 4: Try the Five Winds Cord experience. Keep a record of your experience.
As you can see by the examples in this chapter, the possibilities of sacred space are not only unlimited but varied through your perception. Throughout the life of a working Witch, the need and practicality for cultivating and maintaining sacred space is extremely important for success. How you maintain the present affects both yourself and others in the future. Your personal interaction with sacred space is a valuable Wiccan mystery.
7. EMF stands for electro-magnetic fields. Scientists are currently studying the effects of these fields on human beings.