CHAPTER
three
( Jason)
It seems a little odd to be including a chapter on the pentacle in a book about altars, but in many ways the pentacle is like “the altar on the altar.” It’s the one Witch tool that I actively set other tools and magickal objects upon (just like with an altar), and as my practice has deepened over the years I find myself more and more drawn to it.
The pentacle is often confused with the pentagram, and according to the Oxford English Dictionary, pentacle is a synonym for pentagram, but that’s not how the words are generally used in Witchcraft. In Witchcraft, the word pentagram refers to a five-pointed star, with the single point usually facing upward. Pentagrams are often ringed by a circle touching all five points of the star, but the circle is not necessary for something to be called a pentagram.
The word pentacle most often refers to a disc-shaped working tool generally out of metal, clay, or wood with a star in the center. The center star tends to have five points, though variations do appear from time to time and vary from Witch to Witch. A pentagram charm on a necklace is often called a pentacle too, which makes sense because just like the working tool, it’s a physical object generally made of metal, clay, or wood.
Both pentagram and pentacle come from the Greek word pentagrammon, penta being Greek for “five” (think pentagon) and grammon meaning “line.” Pentacle first came into the English language during the sixteenth century and originally referred to any magickal disc used to summon angels or demons (generally referred to as “spirits” in the books of the period). Most often these discs contained five-pointed stars, but not always. The sixteenth-century Key of Solomon, for example, provides instructions for creating forty-four different pentacles, only two of which contain a five-pointed star.
The word pentagram has only been in use since the nineteenth century, but pentagrams as we understand them today have a long history in religious and magickal tradition. Five-pointed stars were used in ancient Greece, Sumer, Babylon, India, China, Mexico, and Peru. The pentagram was later used in Christian tradition to represent the five wounds of Christ upon the cross, and for good luck. The device also appeared on the shield of the legendary Sir Gawain of King Arthur’s Round Table. In Jewish tradition the five-pointed star can be seen in the Kabbalah, and there are claims that it was also used as the seal for the city of Jerusalem.
Ceramic pentacle, pentagram in the middle
To the followers of the Greek Pythagoras, the five-pointed star was valued for its mathematical precision and because it was said to represent the five points of the human body: head, arms, and legs. A similar idea was expressed by Henry Cornelius Agrippa in his Second Book of Occult Philosophy (1533). Agrippa’s use of the symbol made it forever synonymous with Western magickal traditions and, by extension, modern Witchcraft. Other contemporary groups to use the pentagram include the Freemasons and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Vitruvian Man
In modern Witchcraft the pentagram right-side up is said to represent the triumph of the spiritual over the material. The upward point represents spirit, with the other four points representing water, fire, earth, and air when listed clockwise. The upside-down pentagram is often associated with Satanic or left-hand-path traditions, and was popularized for this purpose in the 1960s by the founder of the Church of Satan, Anton LaVey (1930–1997), because it represented the triumph of the material over the spiritual. In some Wiccan traditions the upside-down pentacle represents a Witch elevated to the second degree, a representation that predates LaVey’s church.
What Is a Pentacle Used For?
Most Witch books that include the pentacle say very little about it. Generally it’s listed as an element of earth, and as something used to consecrate salt, water, incense, and candles. Those things are true, but they downplay the pentacle’s original meaning and significance in circle. In Witchcraft Today, Gerald Gardner writes that the “unimportant pentacle” was said “to be used to command spirits,” though he points out that most Witches don’t generally “command” spirits or other sentient forces.
Gardner’s thoughts on the pentacle in Witchcraft Today are valuable because they shed light on the pentacle’s true function in the modern Craft. Certainly the pentacle is used for consecrating and charging items, but its original use was as a tool to call upon otherworldly entities. Beginning in the Renaissance and continuing through the early twentieth century, these entities were variously described as spirits, demons, or angels. Many Witches still work with such beings, but many more of us work with deities: goddesses, gods, and everything in between. The pentacle is not just a tool used for consecrating things, it’s a window between the worlds (and we can open it!).
I often think of the pentacle as my altar’s “umbilical cord,” as it’s what connects my ritual space to powers much greater and higher than myself. When I was a fetus, my mother was the higher power, and now as an adult I honor the higher powers of the Lord and Lady through the pentacle. If a magick circle is a “space between the worlds,” it makes sense that there would be some sort of gateway into that other world on our altars.
In ritual the gods don’t just suddenly emerge for the pentacles on our altars, but I do feel as if that’s where a great deal of power and energy radiate from, which is probably the reason the pentacle is used for charging and consecrating items. When blessing the elements in ritual (usually represented by water, salt, incense, and a lit candle), each individual “element” is put upon the pentacle for consecration. I think most Witches simply place things on the pentacle without wondering why, but we set things on the pentacle because it’s a bridge between the worlds. It’s a place radiating power, and it’s holy because the gods exist just on the other side of it. It’s for this reason that many Witches also place magickal items on their pentacles to charge.
Ceremonial magicians sometimes refer to a personal pentacle as a pantacle (because it contains the word pan, which translates to “everything” or “all” in Greek). Unlike the traditional pentacle, the pantacle is an extremely personal tool. It’s designed to represent how the individual magician understands the entire universe and their place within it. Pantacles often include a magician’s magickal motto, a phrase designed to emphasize the magickal nature of the practitioner. I like the idea of a very personal pentacle, though I don’t think I’ve ever met another Witch who uses the word pantacle when talking about their ritual tools.
Symbols on the Pentacle
Pentacles by their very nature have always had a variety of symbols inscribed upon them. Even in Witchcraft it’s acceptable to forgo the usual five-pointed star in the pentacle’s center and replace it with something else. For example, a Witch with a strong connection to the English occultist Aleister Crowley and the O.T.O. (Ordo Templi Orientis) might replace the pentagram with the unicursal hexagram, a six-pointed symbol generally with a small flower in the middle. Many in the Anderson Feri Tradition of Witchcraft identify with the septagram, a seven-pointed star, which is another option. Such variances are not common but are certainly valid ones to make, depending on what each individual Witch resonates with.
Far more common than alternatives to the five-pointed star are additional symbols generally placed around the outside edges of the pentacle. Those symbols tend to represent the traditions and beliefs of the particular Witch (or coven) who chose to place them on their pentacle. Many of the most popular pentacle symbols have been in general use since at least the 1950s, with some going back hundreds of years to the grimoire tradition and other varieties of magickal practice.
When it comes to extra symbols, there are no right or wrong ones. If something calls to you, it’s perfectly acceptable to place it on your pentacle. Symbols such as runes or the ogham alphabet are other alternatives and can be used to spell out an idea (such as “As above, so below”) or the name of a particular deity close to the individual Witch. Astrological symbols are another option that would be welcome on any pentacle (especially the symbol of your birth sign on a personal pentacle). In the course of writing this book, I purchased a new pentacle that contained the phases of the moon on its outside edge. When I use it during ritual, I rotate it so the current moon phase is represented at the top of the pentacle.
Many of the more common sets of symbols found on pentacles today tend to represent deity (the Goddess and God being most common), the Witch’s working tools (which often have elemental associations), the changing of the seasons, and the elements of earth, air, fire, and water. Here are some of the more common symbols that I’ve seen on pentacles over the years, or that grace one of the pentacles I’m currently using.
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Goddess symbol: A circle flanked by two crescent moons is a traditional symbol of the Goddess in Wicca. |
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Goddess symbol (2): This is an “abbreviation” of the previous symbol that is particularly useful if you don’t have a lot of space on your pentacle. |
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God symbol: A circle with a crescent moon (for horns) is a traditional symbol of the God in Wicca. |
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Horned God symbol: Similar to the God symbol, the Horned God symbol is much clearer about the horns. |
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Upside-down triangle: This is a symbol for the first degree in some initiatory traditions of Wiccan-Witchcraft. Degree symbols are common on the pentacle. |
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Upside-down pentagram: This is the symbol of the second degree in some traditions. Because of the negative associations of the upside-down pentagram in popular culture, it’s not used all that often today. |
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Pentagram with triangle: This is the symbol of the third degree in some traditions. Another way of representing this symbol is simply to place a point-up triangle directly above your pentacle’s pentagram. |
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Wheel of the Year symbol: This is representative of the eight great sabbats present in most Witchcraft traditions. |
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Air symbol: An upward-pointing triangle with a line in the middle represents the element of air. |
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Earth symbol: A downward-pointing triangle with a line in the middle represents the element of earth. |
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Water symbol: Triangles are popular in Witchcraft. A downward-pointing triangle for the element of water is identical to the symbol of the first degree. |
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Fire symbol: Fire can be represented with a plain upward-pointing triangle. I’d probably pass on the element symbols if I were placing the degree symbols on my pentacle. |
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Triquetra: The triquetra is extremely popular in many Wiccan circles today and is generally seen as representative of the Triple Goddess or Wicca as a whole. |
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Tree of Life: Interpretations of the Tree of Life differ from Witch to Witch. This symbol tends to remind me of the infinite and my connection to the natural world. |
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Athame: One of the most common working tools, the athame is often associated with fire and sometimes air. |
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Wand: Nothing says magick like a wand. It’s generally associated with the element of air and sometimes fire. |
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Broom: The broom is representative of the earth element and is used to purify the circle before ritual. |
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Chalice: The chalice is a symbol of the water element and can also serve as a symbol of abundance due to its association with wine. |
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Cauldron: Witches use cauldrons for a variety of reasons, and they are one of the tools most connected with Witchcraft. |
In addition to the symbols included here, many Witches like to decorate their pentacles with symbols relating to the seasons. Examples of this include a pumpkin for autumn, a snowflake for winter, blooming flowers in the spring, and a green leaf in the summer. There are also more stylized symbols for each season depending on which book one consults, but I much prefer the personal touch of adding symbols I associate with the turning of the Wheel of the Year.
Making Your Own Pentacle
While the pentacle is one of the most important tools in modern Witchcraft, it’s not particularly easy to just go out and buy one at your local Witch or metaphysical shop or even online. The local stores in my area have all sorts of athames, cauldrons, deity statues, and candles for sale, but rarely a pentacle suitable for ritual. Luckily, the pentacle is the easiest tool to make yourself.
The simplest homemade pentacle requires just four tools: a pencil, a pen or marker, a ruler, and a paper plate. Yup, you can make a perfectly acceptable pentacle for under twenty-five cents! Using your ruler and pencil, simply mark out a reasonably good-looking pentagram onto your plate. Once you’ve got it set up to your satisfaction, go over the pencil lines with a pen or marker, and voila! There it is, an instant pentacle. With a little hard work and some fancy coloring, a paper-plate pentacle can even end up looking kind of stylish.
If a paper-plate pentacle doesn’t sound witchy enough, it’s also easy enough to make one using a ceramic plate. Nearly every chain or discount store sells some type of one-color dinner or dessert/salad plate, and they make great pentacles! It requires a few extra steps than for a paper-plate pentacle, but it’s still easy enough to create for the artistically uninclined.
First you’ll need to determine how large you want the pentagram you’ll be placing in the center of your plate to be. I generally suggest situating the pentagram on the flat part of the plate, leaving the outer raised edge of the plate empty (and this comes in handy if you want to add symbols to your pentacle later). If you’re using a small plate, you can print out a suitably sized pentagram from your computer. If your plate is larger, you’ll probably have to create one on your own.
After you’ve printed or drawn a pentagram that’s the correct size for your plate, take a sheet of tracing paper and make a copy of it with a pencil. Once you have your tracing, set it down in the center of your plate where you’d like it to be and go over the tracing with a pencil, pushing down reasonably hard. The graphite from the pencil should bleed through the tracing paper onto the plate, giving you a rough outline of a pentagram that you can then make permanent in a variety of ways.
The easiest way to create a long-lasting pentagram design is with a Sharpie marker. Simply go over your pencil pentagram with whatever color of Sharpie appeals to you, and instant pentacle! To make your work last even longer, wait for the marker ink to dry and then bake your plate in a 350°F oven for at least thirty minutes. This will make the design(s) on your plate close to permanent and even safe to eat off ! The only downside to the Sharpie-on-a-plate method is that the design is not dishwasher-safe.
Another variation on the drawn-on ceramic plate is to substitute acrylic paint for the Sharpie ink. Pretty much everything else in the operation is the same: measure your pentagram, get it onto tracing paper, and then use the tracing paper to create an outline. However, instead of drawing on your plate, you paint on it. I find the painted-on pentacles to be a bit more vibrant than the ones created with marker, and the paint also provides a bit of texture. If you’re using more than one color of paint on your pentacle, add each color of paint separately.
After the paint on your plate dries, place it in the oven for thirty minutes at 350°F . This will make the painted-on design permanent and generally dishwasher-safe. Baking should also make it safe to eat off (sometimes our ritual cakes end up on our pentacle by accident), but be sure to check the label of whatever paint you’re using just to make sure. If there are any symbols you want to add to the outside of your pentacle, repeat the same steps for them.
These two techniques can be combined as well. I know some Witches who go back over their painted pentacles with a Sharpie or two to add a bit more detail to their designs. You might also want the pentagram in your pentacle to be created with paint, and then the symbols around it to be drawn in marker. When you are done drawing and painting, be sure to bake your plate for thirty minutes at 350°F.
Beeswax Pentacle
My wife and I’s favorite pentacle is one we made out of beeswax. Not only are beeswax pentacles easy to create on your own, but they also smell great! And unlike ink or paint, beeswax is completely natural. I rarely see beeswax pentacles today, but they are the most traditional type of pentacle for Witches.
In Witchcraft Today, Gerald Gardner writes: “Let the Pentacles be of wax that they may be melted or broken at once” (chap. 4). Instantly broken pentacles appealed to Gardner because he was writing at a time when practicing Witchcraft was still likely to cost a person their job or family, so being able to hide the tools of the art was of absolute importance. On a beeswax pentacle, the pentagram, along with any other desired symbols, are simply etched into the wax, and can be easily wiped away with your hand on a warm day.
To make your own beeswax pentacle, you’ll need either a ceramic plate or a decorative metal one. My wife and I found a suitable metal plate at a local secondhand shop and paid less than a dollar for it. I think it was originally a plate used to commemorate a birthday or anniversary, and had bunches of grapes around its edges. (As followers of Dionysus, it was perfect for us!) Ceramic or metal both work well, but since metal plates are somewhat rare today, I think they add a unique touch to the beeswax pentacle.
Beeswax pentacle
After you’ve selected your plate, you’ll need to acquire some beeswax. Beeswax is available at many natural food stores as well as some craft stores. We picked ours up at a local farmers’ market. We found a booth selling votive beeswax candles and picked up two, which was more than enough wax for our small plate, which is about five inches across.
Once you’ve acquired your plate and beeswax (and removed the wick if necessary), place your plate on a baking sheet and set your oven to between 180° and 190°F (which is generally the lowest setting on an oven). Baking your beeswax at a low temperature will preserve the smell of your wax, and it’s a welcome scent in ritual! To avoid any potential cleaning catastrophes, line your baking sheet with aluminum foil in case the wax flows over the edge of your plate. Place your beeswax on the center of your plate and then bake for about forty-five minutes. When you open your oven back up, the beeswax should be completely melted and will have pooled in the center of the plate. Remove the baking sheet with your pentacle on it from the oven, and allow to cool for a couple hours.
While my wife and I have never had any trouble melting beeswax for the creation of a pentacle, others have had much less luck. Ceremonial magician Lon Milo DuQuette once set fire to his house when melting beeswax escaped from the cookie sheet his pentacle was sitting on and dripped onto the floor of his oven (yikes!). It goes without saying that anytime you are using an oven, you should be sure to check in on things, and just in case, be sure to open the oven door a few times to make sure nothing is amiss.
After the wax has cooled, you are now ready to etch a pentagram onto your plate. If you want to create your pentagram in the most witchy way possible, you can use your white-handled knife or athame to carve your pentagram into the wax. Alternatively, you can also use a pin, an X-Acto knife, a box cutter, or a ballpoint pen. What’s most important is to use whatever tool you find most comfortable.
If you use a metal plate, it can be difficult to add additional symbols around the edges of your pentacle. My wife and I overcame this problem by etching a rather small pentagram into the middle of our pentacle, leaving lots of space for other symbols. Another solution is to add whatever symbols you want between the five points of your pentagram.
While our pentacle was created with a metal plate, a ceramic plate provides some extra options. Using paint or a marker, you can place symbols on the raised part of your plate before adding the beeswax and etching the pentagram into the middle. If you go this route, you’ll want to add the outside symbols first, bake your plate to make them permanent, and then melt your beeswax onto your plate.
A beeswax pentacle does require a bit more work than other homemade pentacles. Over time you’ll have to re-etch your symbols back into the wax, and may even need to remelt the wax in order to do so. Since wax is sticky, it also has a nasty habit of picking up whatever dirt, dust, or cat hair is floating around the house. This can be cleaned up with a damp cloth, but after a few years you may find yourself having to replace the wax completely. Despite these drawbacks, I highly recommend beeswax pentacles.
1. Go to an arts and crafts or hobby store and buy a round wooden disk, such as those manufactured for plaques, photo mounting, etc.
2. Lightly sand, smooth, and brush clean the disk.
3. Take a photocopy of your design (carefully trimmed to fit handsomely to the wooden disk) and spray the back of the paper with spray adhesive (available at the craft store).
4. Carefully adhere the paper drawing to the wood, being careful to avoid bubbles.
5. Let dry overnight.
6. Using a clear commercial glossy or semi-glossy finisher, spray or brush-seal the disk, front and back, following the directions on the can. Ask for suggestions at the craft store where you bought your wooden disk.
Pentacle Rituals
In most Witch ritual, the pentacle is generally used as an “altar on the altar.” It’s where the elements (water, incense, salt, and fire) are blessed and consecrated. Many covens also bless their cakes and ale upon it as well. In this section I’ve included some of the more common rites using the pentacle, along with a few extra ones. The pentacle is often overlooked in ritual, but it’s a powerful tool with many uses.
Consecrating and Activating the Pentacle
Because the pentacle serves as a conduit for divine energy, it’s important to properly consecrate and activate your pentacle in order to get the most out of it in your magickal endeavors. Most tools of the art don’t require an activation ritual, but most tools aren’t designed to transmit energy from one realm to the next! The pentacle is unique in this way, and that uniqueness requires a different sort of rite beyond the standard blessing and consecration.
Almost all ritual tools are blessed and consecrated, a function that serves a variety of purposes. Consecration dedicates an object to a particular use. In this case we’ll be dedicating the pentacle to the Craft of the Wise and the magickal practices that are a part of that craft. When consecrating an item for individual use, consecration serves as a way of bonding that tool to its owner. Our tools should be extensions of ourselves, and consecration helps achieve that. Finally, I believe that consecration makes an item holy, as its use is often dedicated to the Goddess and God (or other deities and/or higher powers).
I do believe it’s possible to activate a pentacle simply by using it and making it a vital part of the Witch’s altar. However, such a process takes a long time. This ritual speeds up that process and will have your pentacle conjuring up the magick it’s meant to summon forth a lot more quickly.
Before beginning your consecration ritual, make sure to have the four elements represented on your altar. I suggest using water (water), incense (air), salt (earth), and a lit candle (fire). It’s also important to have something representing the Goddess and God. Deity statues are the standard here, but the Lord and Lady can be represented in more abstract ways as well. For instance, my wife and I often represent the Goddess with a seashell and the God with a pine cone. What’s most important here is that whatever you use makes sense to you.
Once your altar is properly prepared, start the ritual by setting up your sacred space in the usual way (casting the circle, calling the quarters, and invoking the Lord and Lady). Begin the consecration rite by stating your intentions to the universe:
Tonight I dedicate this pentacle into the service of the Lord and Lady to assist me in my journey as a Witch. May its power bless and charge my rites and lend the energies of the Old Ones to me and those I love in this life. So mote it be!
Now pick up your pentacle and place it in the smoke of your altar’s incense. Try to move your pentacle around so the smoke touches every inch of it. As the smoke touches the pentacle, imagine that smoke removing any negative energies from it. While the pentacle is in the incense, say:
With the power of air, I bless and consecrate this pentacle. Spirits of the east, spirits of clear will and knowledge, I ask that you hallow and sanctify this pentacle for my use in the Craft of the Wise and the ways of the Witch. May this tool serve me well in honoring the Lord and Lady. Powers of air, hear my petition and consecrate this pentacle. So mote it be!
I like to run my tools through a candle flame when consecrating them, but depending on what your pentacle is made of, that’s not always the best course of action. If running your pentacle through flame is going to melt the wax upon it or leave a soot mark, simply make sure the heat of the candle touches your pentacle instead of touching it to the flame. As you hold your pentacle above the candle’s flame, imagine the candle’s heat burning away any impurities on your pentacle. As the candle shares its power, say:
With the power of fire, I bless and consecrate this pentacle. Spirits of the south, spirits of passion and desire, I ask that you hallow and sanctify this pentacle for my use in the Craft of the Wise and the ways of the Witch. May this tool serve me well in honoring the Lady and Lord. Powers of fire, hear my petition and consecrate this pentacle. So mote it be!
Set your pentacle upon the altar and cup some water in your non-dominant hand. With your free hand, begin sprinkling the water onto your pentacle. As the water splashes upon your pentacle, imagine it working like a cleansing spring rain, purifying your pentacle and preparing it for magickal use. As you sprinkle the water, say:
With the power of water, I bless and consecrate this pentacle. Spirits of the west, spirits of death and initiation, I ask that you hallow and sanctify this pentacle for my use in the Craft of the Wise and the ways of the Witch. May this tool serve me well in honoring the Lord and Lady. Powers of water, hear my petition and consecrate this pentacle. So mote it be!
With your dominant hand, pick up a small handful of salt and slowly sprinkle it over your pentacle. As each grain hits your pentacle, imagine the salt absorbing any unwanted energies that might be on your pentacle due to its manufacture. As the salt slowly falls on the pentacle, ask for the blessings of earth:
With the power of earth, I bless and consecrate this pentacle. Spirits of the north, spirits of hearth and home, I ask that you hallow and sanctify this pentacle for my use in the Craft of the Wise and the ways of the Witch. May this tool serve me well in honoring the Lady and Lord. Powers of earth, hear my petition and consecrate this pentacle. So mote it be!
Finally, ask for the blessings of the Lord and Lady upon your pentacle. Start by placing your Goddess statue (or representation) upon your pentacle. Imagine her around you, and feel her power in your circle and in your work. When you feel her near to you, ask for her blessings:
Great Lady, Gracious Goddess, Mistress of the Moon, I ask that you bless and consecrate this pentacle. Let your love pour forth upon it so that it might aid me in my work as a Witch and a priestess! May it serve to sanctify and charge my rites, lending your energy and that of all that is divine and true. Eternal Lady, hear this, my petition, and consecrate this pentacle. So mote it be!
Remove the statue of the Goddess from your pentacle and place that of the God upon it. Just as you did with the Goddess, wait to feel the Horned One near you and in the circle before proceeding. When you can feel his power and presence, ask for his blessings:
Great God, Lord of the Hunt, Sentinel of the Sun, I ask that you bless and consecrate this pentacle. May your wild energies touch and charge it so that it might aid me in my work as a Witch and a priestess! May it serve to sanctify and charge my rites, lending your energy and that of all that is divine and true. True Lord, hear this, my petition, and consecrate this pentacle. So mote it be!
Now that your pentacle is consecrated, you’ll want to activate it so that energy will flow up and through it. Start by taking a good look at your pentacle and imagine it as being akin to a door, with energy existing just on the other side of it. The purpose of this part of the rite is to “open up” the pentacle, much like you might open a door to let in a cool breeze on a warm day.
This next part of the rite utilizes invoking pentagrams, which are drawn in the air or on objects when summoning powers and entities into a ritual space or, in this case, an object. While there are invoking pentagrams for each of the four elements, many Witches (including myself) use just one of those pentagrams in ritual: the invoking pentagram of earth. Since it’s our intent that matters most, and not how we move our fingers, what we use to draw the pentagram is mostly a matter of personal preference.
Invoking pentagram of earth
Pick up your incense and fan the smoke over your pentacle, drawing an invoking pentagram onto it with the incense smoke. As you draw your pentagram, say:
With air I do charge this pentacle to open and pour forth the energies of the Craft. Let magick come into this place to bless my rites and power my Witchcraft. So mote it be!
Next you’ll want to draw an invoking pentagram to charge your pentacle with the power of fire. Candles can be messy, so how you proceed here will depend upon your personal preferences. If your pentacle is made of beeswax and you have a beeswax candle available, you may want to drip the wax of the candle onto your pentacle. Alternatively, you can place a sheet of paper upon your pentacle and pour your candle’s wax onto it while drawing an invoking pentagram. If you’re worried about getting candle wax on your pentacle, you can also simply hold the candle flame-end up while drawing your pentagram.
Whatever method you choose for fire, imagine the pentagram upon your pentacle alive with energy and power as you follow its outline with your candle. When I activate a new pentacle, I often imagine this much like an eye slowly beginning to open. As you trace the invoking pentagram, say:
With fire I do charge this pentacle to open and pour forth the energies of the Craft. Let magick come into this place to bless my rites and power my Witchcraft. So mote it be!
Dip your dominant finger into your dish of water and begin drawing an invoking pentagram upon your pentacle with the water. Visualize your pentacle sparking and opening up to the energies of the universe. Charge your pentacle with the power of water as you run your finger across it:
With water I do charge this pentacle to open and pour forth the energies of the Craft. Let magick come into this place to bless my rites and power my Witchcraft. So mote it be!
To charge your pentacle with the power of earth, scoop up a bit of salt and slowly sprinkle it out in the shape of the invoking pentagram on your pentacle. As the grains of salt fall upon your pentacle, imagine the salt activating the energies that will flow through it. As you sprinkle your salt, say:
With earth I do charge this pentacle to open and pour forth the energies of the Craft. Let magick come into this place to bless my rites and power my Witchcraft. So mote it be!
Place your Goddess statue (or token) upon your pentacle, and in your mind’s eye, see her looking back up at you through the pentacle. See her as the moon, the beauty of the green Earth, and the jewel of the oceans. Feel her power begin to flow out of the pentacle upward and toward you. Place both of your hands around your pentacle, and as you do so, see yourself pulling energy upward through the pentacle. Your hands should tingle a bit as you start to draw the magick up to you. As you activate the flow of energy, say:
O Gracious Goddess, open up to me the secret doorway that leads to your most infinite rapture. Charge this gateway so that my pentacle might exist between the world of mortals and that of the Old Ones. Let it be an entryway into the realm of spirit and a light to bless and power my magick. So mote it be!
After you’ve removed your Goddess statue from the pentacle, place your God statue (or token) upon it. Visualize the power of the God just on the other side of your pentacle’s pentagram. See him as the shining sun, the leader of the Wild Hunt, and the soul of nature. Also imagine him as the Lord of Death and Resurrection, welcoming the souls of the dead to the Summerlands before sending them back out to be reborn in this world. Place both of your hands around the pentacle and begin to pull the energy of the Great God up through your pentacle while saying:
Horned One, Dread Lord of Shadows, open to me the portal that leads from this world to the land beyond the veil. Charge my pentacle so that it might be a pathway for our Mighty Dead and those we have loved and lost in this lifetime. May my pentacle allow my magick to be fueled by the mysteries of the end and the wonder of beginnings. So mote it be!
Your pentacle should now be activated and ready for use. Before ending the rite, be sure to thank the Lord and Lady, along with all the elemental energies that you’ve summoned. The more you use your pentacle, the more powerful it will become!
Blessing a Pentacle for Coven Use
When I recently purchased a new pentacle to use in the rites of my coven, I decided that a general blessing and consecration ritual for it was not enough. It needed a little extra ritual to ensure that the various gods and ancestors of every coven member felt welcome. If you have a pentacle set aside for coven ritual, I recommend performing this rite so that the individual energies of each covener (along with the powers they are connected to) are a part of the coven’s pentacle.
Start by setting up your ritual space as usual (circle/quarters/deity, etc.), followed by the cleansing and blessing ritual just described. When all of that is finished, present the pentacle to everyone in the coven and explain how you want their gods, ancestors, and Mighty Dead to be a part of the coven’s rites going forward.
To accomplish that, the pentacle should be passed around to everyone in the circle (clockwise), with each covener getting a few minutes to reflect on the powers that are important to them. While they are holding the pentacle, they should be instructed to look into it with their mind’s eye and visualize their gods and ancestors. When that link has been established, they should then “pull” energy up through the pentacle, attracting those powers to the surface of it.
In order to pull ancestors, Mighty Dead, and goddesses and gods up through the pentacle, everyone should be instructed to hold the pentacle by the edges and look down upon it. In their mind’s eye, they should visualize the forces that are most important to them in their practice looking back at them through the pentacle. While engaged in the visualization, they should flex the muscles on their forearms while willing the powers they honor to flow up and through the pentacle.
As Witches, we don’t command or control deities or spirits, but we can share our intentions with them. I imagine the “pulling energy” part of this rite as a way of lighting a cosmic candle, alerting our ancestors and gods that we want them with us. We are firing up a beacon to give them directions up through our pentacle and into our circles and rites.
Once everyone has had a few minutes with the pentacle, it should be held up above the head of whoever is leading the rite. That person should then instruct everyone in the coven to repeat the following with them:
Ancestors of bone, blood, and spirit, be welcome here. So mote it be!
Mighty Dead, those Witches and Pagans who have taught, loved, and paved the way, be welcome here. So mote it be!
Lords and Ladies, gods and goddesses, those we honor in this circle, be welcome here. So mote it be!
The pentacle should then be set in the middle of the altar, with the High Priestess touching it with her wand while saying:
Through this portal, all who love, cherish, honor, and respect those of this coven are welcome in these, our rites. So mote it be!
The coven pentacle will now act as a lodestone, helping to attract those powers and deities that are important to everyone in the coven.
Blessing the Elements
The pentacle is probably most closely associated with the consecrating and purifying rites that many Witches use to begin their rituals. In these rites the four elements of air, fire, water, and earth (represented by incense, a lit candle, water in a bowl or chalice, and salt) are cleansed and blessed, with the salt mixed with water and the incense lit by candle flame. The combined and activated elements are then taken around the ritual space to purify it, and are often used to cleanse the ritual’s participants as well.
Most books that contain elemental purification rites mention the pentacle as being a part of the process, but they don’t offer much of a reason for it. They simply instruct the Witch to “set the salt on the pentacle,” never explaining why the salt should be placed on the pentacle. What we do during ritual as Witches should have meaning and purpose beyond following rote instructions, and how we prepare the elements for ritual and what it all means is an extraordinary thing worth thinking about.
In my coven we place the incense, candle, water, and salt on our pentacle to infuse those items with divine energy. By placing them on the pentacle we are saying that these items are to be made pure by the power of the Lord and Lady and the magick that we wield in circle as Witches. While the salt and water are on the pentacle, our ritual leaders place their athames (ritual knives) into them, charging those individual elements with their personal energies. (In our circle I tend to consecrate the water and my high priestess wife the salt, and when the two are mixed, our energies are then distributed into both substances.)
While we don’t use our athames when consecrating the incense and flame, we do use a pillar candle dedicated to spirit on our altar to light them. For us, the spirit candle represents the power that created the universe and holds everything together. It’s the original source, the prime mover, the beginning of all things, and when using that flame to light a candle and our incense, we are uniting that power with the energy that comes through our pentacle. Fire purifies the candle and the incense, while the pentacle and the power of spirit consecrate the both of them.
I’ve written this ritual for solitary Witches, but it can easily be done by two or four different people depending on how you want to divide things up. If you are doing ritual with a group, I recommend including at least two people in the active process of this rite. In the end, there’s no right or wrong way to practice Witchcraft rites. What’s most important is to do things in a way that makes sense for everyone involved.
I’ve always placed our elemental blessings at the beginning of ritual, immediately after invoking spirit. Since spirit plays an active role in this rite (its power is a part of our candle and incense), I’ve included that summoning in this ritual. That summoning also serves as a blessing over the start of the entire ritual, and for that reason this type of invocation is often called a “blessing prayer.” I perform this prayer before calling the quarters or casting the circle. Once I’m focused on ritual, I begin the rite by calling to spirit:
Let the power of the All be in this place, the cosmic echo, the shaper of the universe, that which is changeless and eternal.
May the power of the Lady, the Gracious Goddess who gave birth to this world, and the power of the Lord, the Horned Hunter who shines as the sun, be with us in this place.
Let the elements be present as we prepare to walk between the worlds.
United we are with all that has been and all that will be, blessed be this place, and this time, and they who are now with us.
After the blessing prayer has been said, light the spirit candle, generally a large pillar candle in the center of your altar. Once that candle has been lit, place the bowl/chalice/cauldron of water upon the pentacle. As you place it on the pentacle, visualize energy coming up and into the water through your pentacle. Then place your athame (or wand) into the water and imagine your own energy now flowing through the water, cleansing and purifying it, making it truly blessed and ready for ritual. I usually visualize this as a blue-white light, and in my mind’s eye I can see that energy zapping away any impurities in my water. When you are satisfied that the energies of your pentacle and yourself are running through the water, say:
In the names of the Lord and Lady, I cleanse and purify this water. May my power and the blessings of the gods remove from it all impurities and uncleanliness. So mote it be!
Take the water off the pentacle and set it aside, replacing it with the bowl of salt. Visualize the energy from your pentacle coming up through your dish of salt, charging it with energy. When you are satisfied that the dish of salt has begun to absorb the pentacle’s power, place your athame into the bowl of salt. Push cleansing energy out of yourself and through the athame, willing it to cleanse the element of earth now on your pentacle. When your energies and those of the pentacle have both entered the salt, say:
In the names of the Lord and Lady, I cleanse and purify this salt. May my power and the blessings of the gods remove from it all impurities and uncleanliness. So mote it be!
Now that the salt has been blessed and consecrated, use your athame to place three blade-fuls of salt in the water. While doing this, say Thrice measured! Thrice taken! Thrice given! and mix the salt and water together with your blade. (In this instance, you have measured the salt three times, taken three measures of it, and then given those measures to the water—thus these words.)
Set the bowl of salt and the bowl of salted water aside and place your candle (and candleholder) representing fire upon the pentacle. Light a taper from the spirit candle and then use it to light your fire candle. As the wick begins to burn, say:
May the purifying power of the flame most sacred bless and consecrate this agent of fire. May the gods bless this light so that it will purify our rites. So mote it be!
After the candle is lit, blow out your taper. (Alternatively, you can just pick up your fire candle and light it directly from the spirit candle.)
Replace the candle with your incense, lighting the taper this time from your fire candle. When the incense begins to smoke, say:
Blessings be upon thee, instrument of air. With the purifying power of the flame most sacred, we consecrate thee. May your purifying smoke serve both us and the gods and prepare this space. So mote it be!
The salted water should now be sprinkled around the ritual space in a clockwise direction. Use it to cleanse the ritual’s participants and the space itself, making sure to pay special attention to doorways, windows, and any corners that might have attracted some negative energies. The incense should be taken around the circle next, with the smoke being directed into corners and around those gathered at the ritual. With your energies, the power of spirit, and the blessings of the Lord and Lady radiating through the pentacle, your space and all participants should truly be ready for ritual.