The Power to Resonate
The names Goddess, God, and deity are all words that refer to some thing that cannot really be captured by words. This is because words themselves are limitations. When we apply words to describe the dimension of deity, they fall short and feel mechanical. Language cannot adequately describe a dimension that transcends all categories of thought. Trying to describe deity in words is like trying to do the same with colors or music.
Mystics and shamans around the world symbolize deity as “the void” rather than trying to capture it with concrete words. The void is a space of silence, which is the power of the north in the deosil spiral of traditional Wicca.
Although this dimension is difficult to put into human words, it is relatively accessible to human experience. Accessing deity through experience is the widdershins power of the north, the power to resonate.
When you resonate, the void fills with the intelligible presence of deity. The power to resonate then means the power to “draw down the Gods” as the Witches say, into your being. Through the process of drawing down the Gods, you become a channel for divine presence.
When you draw down the pure power of deity into human consciousness, it is like light passing through a prism. It splits into an infinite number of rays, or aspects, as they are called in magical work. Your body, mind, and spirit become like a transmitter for one aspect or another of deity through the magical practice of resonance.
For example, on nights of the full moon, when a Wiccan spiritual community gathers to create magic, a priestess is selected to draw down the Moon, which means she invokes the Goddess’ presence into their magic circle through her own consciousness. To achieve this, the priestess goes into a trance, through either ecstatic dance or meditation, and surrenders her body, mind, and spirit to the Goddess. She then becomes a direct conduit of deity power and may “speak with her tongue.” and “touch with her hands” as one Witch invocation says. Once the priestess is divinely possessed, she carries the Goddess’ powers.
There is a similar practice for male coven members, which is called drawing down the Sun, or drawing down the God. Men channel the God at Wiccan fire festivals, such as at the equinoxes or solstices.
Now it is your turn to fill the void and directly link to the experience of deity. Each of the widdershins powers in turn has led you to the power of resonance. In the west, you learned to ground and cen ter your consciousness, which is the first step in moving into your inward life. In the south, you learned to surrender, relax, or release the body and the mind. In the east, you practiced opening your consciousness to wandering beyond the limits of what is known. And in this final power, your body, mind, and spirit are purposely unob structed in a sacred and magical setting, in order to align with the powers of the Gods.
Every culture of the world that has ever included magic in its belief system, has practiced some form of divine possession or resonance.87
In Ariege, France, there are cave paintings that may well indicate an understanding of resonance from as long as 15,000 years ago. The cave wall is covered with sacred images, and one in particular stands out. It is that of a half man, half animal creature that anthropologists call the “Sorcerer Les Trois Freres”. The figure stands on two human feet, but he has the tail and antlers of a deer, the eyes of an owl, and the genitalia are placed like a feline’s.
This cave image dates back to the Upper Paleolithic period in Europe,88 and some experts consider this and other similar images in caves throughout Europe (such as those depicting dancing bison-men), to be the oldest representations of shamanic activity.89 Anthropologists and folklorists argue over whether these figures represent either shamans or deities, but in the moment of resonance, when the shaman is possessed by the deity, there is no difference between the two.
The ancients Egyptians also knew the power of resonance as well, and spoke of it in their Book of the Dead as a necessary power for those journeying through the Underworld. The person on such a journey was to identify completely with the Gods by affirming:
My hair is the hair of Nu. My face is the face of the Disk. My eyes are the eyes of Hathor. My ears are the ears of Apuat. My nose is the nose of Khenti-khas. My lips are the lips of Anpu.... There is no member of my body that is not the member of some God. The God Thoth shields my body altogether, and I am Re day by day....90
Mythologizing each part of the body so that it took on sacred meaning was an effective way of aligning their consciousness with the divine.
Another well-documented account of the practice of resonance occurs in ancient Greece. The Priestesses of the Oracle at Delphi spoke with the voice and authority of the Goddess, for once in trance they resonated with Her power.
In contemporary Bushman societies, the state of resonance comes through the trance dance called Ntum. In this dance, the women of the village sit in a circle and beat their thighs like drums. The men dance on the outside of the circle to the rhythm that the women create. During the dance, some of the men “transform” into the tribal Gods in an ecstatic state91—a state of greatly heightened internal and external awareness.92
The practice of resonance is relatively easy for Neopagan folk to assimilate into their magical work, because their world view allows for direct interaction with the Gods. The earth, the circling planets, the stars, and galaxies comprise the bodies of the Goddess and the God. Earth-centered spirituality does not place deity away from humanity. It places humanity at the center of divinity. Witches and shamans know that they are, themselves, both the creation and that which creates.
Binnorie
Once upon a time a king had two daughters who lived in a bower near the mill-dams of Binnorie. The two daughters were lovely to behold. So lovely was the eldest that Sir William came wooing her and won her love. But then, after a time, he looked upon the younger sister, with her golden hair and long, elegant hands, and his love went out to her until he no longer loved the elder one. The elder sister became so jealous and filled with hate for her younger sister that she finally plotted to do away with her.
One day, the eldest implored her sister to accompany her to watch the boats coming in at the mill stream of Binnorie. The youngest, who had no idea of her sister’s jealousy, agreed. So together they went hand in hand. They came to the river’s bank and the younger sister got up on a rock to get a good view of the boats beaching, when the eldest came from behind her and pushed her into the rushing mill stream.
“O sister, reach me your hand!” cried the younger sister as she floated away, “and I shall give you half of all that I own.” The elder sister replied, “No sister, I shall not reach you a hand. Shame on me if I help the one that has come ‘twixt me and my own love’s heart.”
And the young princess floated down the mill stream, some times swimming, sometimes sinking, until she came near the miller’s dam. Now, the miller’s daughter was cooking that day, and she needed water for her bread. As she went to draw the water, she spotted something floating towards the mill-dam. “Father, father.” she cried, “something white is coming downstream. Perhaps it is a bonny swan.”
Her father hastened to the dam only to discover the princess, fair and beautiful, who now laid dead on the shore. “O woe!” cried the miller’s daughter, “the swan has drowned!” So, together, they laid the princess on the river’s bank.
As she lay there, a famous harper, who was also a wise man, passed by the mill-dam of Binnorie and saw the lovely princess’ face. Though he had traveled on far away, he never forgot that face, and after many days he returned to the mill-dam of Binnorie. But by that time, all he could fmd of her were her bones and her golden hair. So he made a harp of her breast bone, used her hair for harp strings and the bones of her long slender hands for the harp pins. He then traveled up the hill from the mill-dam to the castle of the king, her father.
That night, the court was assembled to hear the great harper play. The elder daughter was present in the assembly, and she stood alongside her lover, Sir William. The harper set the harp he had just made down on a stone in the hall. Then he sat down to sing with his old harp, when presently, the harp on the stone began to sing by itself in a low, clear tone. All in the assembly were hushed by the enchanting music.
O yonder sits my father, the king, Binnorie, O Binnorie;
And yonder sits my mother, the queen; By the bonnie mill-dams ofBinnorie.
And yonder sits my brother, Hugh, Binnorie, O Binnorie;
And by him, William, false and true; By the bonnie mill-dams ofBinnorie.
They all wondered what the song could mean, and the harper told them how he had seen the princess lying drowned near the mill-dams of Binnorie and how after many days he made this harp with her fingers, hair, and breast bone. Just then, the harp sang again:
And yonder sits my sister who drowned me
By the bonnie mill-dams of Binnorie.
Then the harp stood silent, but all assembled knew what had happened. The older sister was so filled with shame that she left the kingdom, never to return again.93
Application of “Binnorie”
The crucial moment, that of magical transformation in the tale of Binnorie, occurs when the young princess is killed. She leaves her physi cal form behind, which is the first step toward resonance. Resonance propels you beyond the physical and toward the spiritual so that you can become like the princess in her second phase, an instrument of the Gods. The symbol of the princess-as-harp represents a transformation from the physical realm to the spiritual. The young princess became a harp, an instrument of resonance, and she spoke with the voice of truth-that of the Gods-which is what happens to you when you draw down the Gods into your being. No longer are you a human being in that instance. You lose your physical self and become like the princess-immortal.
Penticle Meditation
The pentacle is the magical tool of the north, of earth, in traditional Wicca. The pentacle is a disk usually made of wood, metal, or clay on which is inscribed a five-pointed star made of intersecting lines. For this exercise, you can draw your own pentacle on a sheet of blank parchment paper if you do not own the traditional tool. Four of the five points of the pentacle correspond to the four earthly elements. The fifth point of the pentacle represents spirit, the final element that contains all of the other four.
In traditional Wicca, the pentacle is typically depicted with the apex of spirit on top. The pentagram drawn this way is a symbol for the idea that matter has its origins in spirit. It means the physical plane is a manifestation or emanation of the spiritual. Spirit descends or flows into matter in this symbol. Through this exercise, you will begin to allow the flow of spirit into the physical realm through your own body.
To begin, stand facing the north, with your feet spread apart. Place the pentacle on the ground before you, close your eyes, and center yourself in time and place. Then, imagine that from your feet grow roots that extend deep into the earth. Feel the still, cool, moist planet beneath you. Outstretch your arms to your sides so that they are level with your shoulders, palms facing out, toward the north.94 Feel the magnetic pull of the north that tugs on your hands.
Beneath the silence of the earth, you feel a low vibration. It may feel weak at first, but the longer you stay with it, the stronger it becomes. As you stay with this, notice that your body begins to vibrate in unison with the earth. Now use your voice to generate a sound that is an extension of this deep vibration. Resonate. Fill the silence with the sound of the earth, for you are her voice. Sustain this for as long as you can. Then allow the sound to subside, to fade back into the silence from which it came.
See how you yourself are the five points of the pentacle and that you contain all. Know that you are the five senses of the earth. You speak, feel, taste, smell, and touch for the earth. You are the resonance of the earth. Now say:
Blessed be my hands. Blessed be my eyes. Blessed be my tongue. Blessed be my nose. Blessed be my ears. For I touch, see, taste, smell, And hear the presence of the gods.
They are within and without!
I welcome thee, powers of the widdershins north. I embrace the power to resonate!
Resonance Ritual
Most Witches practice some form of drawing down the Gods in their ceremonies. Typically they do this magical work on nights of the full moon. However, resonance is a dark moon power that can be done at any time. Remember, the phase of the moon is simply a symbol indi cating what should be going on inside each of us. The magic of resonance can happen at any moon or sun tide with a bit of practice.
When you channel the Gods, they lend you their power. Most often, this power lingers far after the ritual. This is power that you may put to good use.
It is also important to know that resonance should be practiced solely within a sacred space—a magic circle. The circle provides a protection for your body as you allow the Gods to channel through you, as well as a focus-like a lens-for specifically touching the realm of deity. First of all, the magic circle is like a protective layer that shields your body from magical or spiritual attack while you channel. This is important, because through this work you tem porarily displace your spirit from your body to make room for deity.
Also, if resonance is practiced outside of a sacred space, you can easily tap into entities that are not the Goddess or God.Some people purposely attempt to tap into realms other than that of deity, but I neither recommend it nor practice it. Information you may receive from a drifting discarnate spirit is highly suspect. As one Wiccan priestess used to say, “Just because you’re dead doesn’t mean you’re smart.” Staying within the magic circle while you resonate assures you of a safe and sacred experience.
Moon Phase: any.
Purpose: to gain the powers of the Gods.
Items Needed:
• A pentacle.
• Delphi incense.95
• Delphi oil.96
• An incense burner.
• Your usual tools for casting a circle.
Begin casting a circle. If you are in a waxing moon cycle, cast a deosil circle; if in a waning moon cycle, cast a widdershins cirde.97
Take the mixture of salt and water you used to cast your circle and dab a bit of it on the soles of your feet. Then dab a bit on the top of your head and say:
All that is between earth and water belongs to the Mighty Ones.
Light the Delphi incense in the incense burner and place it on the floor. Hold one foot at a time over the smoke, then lift the incense burner and fan some smoke across the top of your head, saying:
All that is between fire and air belongs to the Mighty Ones.
Set the incense back on the altar. Next, anoint the soles of your feet with Delphi oil. As you do this say:
Blessed be my feet, for my journey has brought me ina sacred way.
Anoint the center of energy at the top of your head with the oil to open this psychic center. Then say:
All that is between thee is the mighty Ones.
Stand facing the north with your feet apart in the magic circle’s center and place the pentagram beneath you. Next you will begin the meditation below to invoke the Gods. Some people find standing too distracting for this work. If this is the case for you, sit facing north with your legs crossed and your back straight. Place the pentagram in front of you. For best results, have a magical partner read the guided imagery to come, or have it tape-recorded prior to the working.
Drawing Down the Gods
Close your eyes and take several deep, slow breaths. Focus on exhaling as you continue to breathe deeply. Imagine that you are becoming the outgoing breath. The breathing, the breather and the breath are one.
Imagine that a mist of indiscernible color begins to form around your feet. It slowly spirals counterclockwise and upward around your legs, thighs, hips, stomach, chest, arms, shoulders, neck, and head. It has now completely enveloped you.
Within the swirling mist, there is a doorway. Go to it. When you get there, step through the doorway. Once you do that, the scene immediately changes. You now find that you are standing before your t own body, which you see is enshrouded in mist. Continue to breathe deeply and slowly.
[Partner: pause for a moment.]
Imagine that you pick up the pentacle and hold it over your mist covered body’s head. As soon as you do this, a bright ray of light beams down through the body. This is the power of the Gods filling you. Listen closely to whatever words or sounds that may come from your mist-covered body, for these are the words of the Goddess or the God.
Whatever words you hear, utter them aloud-whether or not there are other folks attending your circle. If you wish, you may simply lis ten to and remember the words of the Gods. I perfer to utter their words aloud because though it may feel contrived at first, there will come a point when the words come without your assistance. That is the point at which you have completely melded with the Gods. In this practice, some people never actually hear words; instead they sense what is being said. Sometimes the Gods will ask questions of you directly. Other times they may have messages, questions, or com ments for individuals outside of the magic circle. Whatever may come of the rite, be as pure of a channel as possible.
[Partner: pause while priest/ess channels. If the priest/ess pauses for a very long time, the message may possibly be complete. If so, continue reading.]
Each Goddess or God carries an aspect of power. Take a moment to sense what powers are being lent to you. When the message from the Goddess or God is complete, the shaft oflight will withdraw from the mist-covered body. When that happens, you are immediately transported to the doorway leading into the mist. Step through the door, and soon the mist carries you back to the room, back to the place where your body rests comfortably. After you are set back down into your body, take a moment to open your eyes, stretch, then ground yourself again in time and place.
The rite is complete. Close your circle as usual.
Alternate Trance Induction: Ecstatic Dance
Another traditional, shamanic method to induce resonance is through “ecstatic dance:’This is a dynamic method of drawing down the Gods, and is just as effective as using guided imagery. The choice between ecstatic dance and meditation is purely a matter of personal taste.
Just as in the meditation, the idea behind this work is to displace the critical faculties so that deity can channel through you unimpeded.
• Needed: a drummer or a drumming tape.
To begin, follow the previous steps of casting the circle and anointing yourself. Once that has been done, place your pentacle on the ground in front of you as you face the north.
Turn on the drumming tape or have your magical partner begin drumming.
Listen to the beat and allow the rhythm to sweep over you. Allow each beat and each pause within the rhythm to suggest a movement to various parts of your body. Allow this to be random. In one set of beats, you may find your knees lifting and turning; in another set, you may begin to roll your head; in another, you may extend your arms. Work with this for few minutes.
Next, begin to combine the body movements. Allow each isolated hip movement and foot stomp (or whatever it is your body is doing) to unite. Let each part build into a whole. Don’t try to make sense of it. Don’t try to edit. Don’t worry about how it looks to others.
Continue this until you reach the point where you feel like you are no longer within your body. To facilitate this, imagine that you are within the circle, merely watching your body dance. When you do this, imagine that a shaft of brilliant white light beams through your body as it dances.
Once that happens, the dance may do one of two things: it may become wilder, or it may slow down. If it gets even wilder, do not expect that you will be able to speak the words of the Gods. Listen to them and remember them for later. If you see your body beginning to slow down, listen to the words of the Gods and then give them voice.
At some point, the shaft of light will disappear. When that happens, typically you will find that your body is becoming limp. Allow yourself time to sit or lay down after this working. Be certain that you ground yourself after the dance.
Journaling
Which aspect of deity did I channel? (Goddess, God, names?)
What was the message of the Gods? How clear was the message?
What will make the next resonance ritual more effective?
With what powers or abilities was I imbued?
87. James G. Frazer, The Golden Bough, New York: Avenel Books, 1981 (originally published 1890), p. 32.
88. For more information see, e.g., Marija Gimbutas, The Language of the Goddess, New York: Harper-Collins, 1989, pp.l75-183.
89. Margaret Murray, The God of the Witches, New York: Oxford University Press, 1970 pp. 23, 24, 30.
90. Based on translations by E.A.W. Budge, The Book of the Dead, the Papyrus of Ani, Scribe and Treasurer of the Temples of Egypt, about B.C.E. 1450. See, e.g. Joseph Campbell, The Hero With A Thousand Faces, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1973, p. 371.
91. Joseph Campbell, Betty Sue Flowers (ed.), The Power of Myth, New York: Doubleday, p. 87.
92. Timothy Roderick, The Once Unknown Familiar, St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1994, p. 64.
93. Based on translations of the tale ofBinnorie. Joseph Jacobs, English Folk and Fairy Tales, (3rd edition, revised) New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, (n.d.), pp. 43-47.
94. In traditional Wicca, this body posture is called the “pentacle position.”
95. See Appendix B for recipe.
96. See Appendix B for recipe.
97. See Appendix A for circle casting methods.