In some Craft circles, the Witch’s Pyramid is known as the Four Powers of the Magus or the Four Secrets of the Sphinx, whose energy is considered to be the foundation and four pillars of all practical and esoteric magick. Whether you are conjuring the weather for a great day at the beach or concentrating on empowering the Witch within, the basic building blocks are always the same: To Know, To Dare, To Will, and To Be Silent, known in some Craft circles by their Latin names as Noscere (to know), representing the element of air; Audere (to dare), designated by the element of water; Velle (to will) stands for the element of fire; and Tacere (to be silent) linked to the element of earth.70 Together they become voces mysticae, discussed in the Magickal Alphabets section in Part 4. The most difficult lesson to learn of the four corners is the last, to be silent. There are Crafters who have been in magick for twenty years and still haven’t learned that one. When the four powers are gathered together, then the fifth sacred power occurs—that of quintessence, or Spirit, which represents the top of the pyramid, sometimes called ire, meaning “to go”—the movement of energy toward manifestation guided by the hand of the Witch. Without this solid foundation (the four corners of magick, not to be mistaken for the four elemental quarters, though the association can be considered), the cone of power will stutter and fall and the enchantment will break apart before it can reach your desire. The oath you take upon seeking entry into the Craft, whether you are doing the seeker ceremony, a dedication, or an initiation, rests entirely on the foundation of the Witch’s Pyramid.
To Know means that you will strive to learn as much as you can in this lifetime and that you will apply this knowledge to your daily life. It also means that you will seek truth in all things and be willing to change your perceptions to meet your awakening spirituality.
To Dare says that you have pushed fear behind you and that you will be courageous and proactive in all that you do. You will believe in yourself and have faith in the universe and in your own abilities.
To Will means that you will learn to focus your thoughts and practice meditation and visualization in order to reach your goals. It means that you won’t sit back and let the world pass you by—you will work toward your dreams. You will meet obstacles and find positive solutions to overcome them.
To Be Silent is, perhaps, the most important. It means that you will keep your mouth shut about the magick that you do, lest your friends and others destroy the magick with their negativity before it ever manages to manifest. It also means that you will think before you speak, and that you won’t throw pearls before swine (which means don’t give good information to bad people). Finally, it means that you will follow the etiquette of the Craft and not blab about what happened in ritual circle (if you work with a group), carry gossip about the other members, nor harm others intentionally through your words. For adults and teens, this is by far the most difficult promise to keep.
To Go means that you will master the four pillars (energies) of the base of the pyramid and use them in a positive way to help yourself as well as others. To Go is the ultimate meaning of the Witch’s Oath of Service.
If we trace the pentacle with our finger beginning at To Know, moving up at To Dare, over at To Will, down at To Be Silent, and then up to Spirit, then finish by moving back down at To Know, not only have we made a pentacle, we have also worked through the four corners before moving to Spirit. Coming back down again at To Know, we have the occult maxim As above, so below. Not only must you begin by studying and believing you can do anything, you must end that way as well—faith followed by magick followed by faith.
The Witch’s Pyramid.
Witch’s Pyramid Meditation
Study the above diagram. Now close your eyes. Take three deep breaths. Ground and center. In your mind, begin at To Know. Let your mind wander. What do you see? How do you feel? To Know represents the element of air. Breath in and out slowly. Connect with the element of air. Ask for wisdom and it shall be given.
Now move to the To Dare position. This is the element of water. Is there something you are afraid of? Cleanse it from your mind. Open your heart to transformation. Feel the universal love.
Take a deep breath and travel over to the To Will point of the star. This is the element of fire. What courage do you feel you need right now? Are you using your creativity to your best advantage? Fire also purifies. Let any negativity within you turn to ash and drift away.
Take a deep breath and move on to the To Be Silent point. What does this mean to you? Touch the still point of the universe, where everything is one, where everything is at total peace and harmony. In silence you will find truth.
Take a deep breath and move up to Spirit, the point of manifestation. Reach out and touch deity with your mind. What are you trying to manifest in your life? What are your goals? Visualize them.
Take a deep breath and travel back down to the To Know point of the star. As your mind moves down to this point, imagine that Spirit has granted your wishes and that they are even now moving toward you on the material plane. Will you be ready to recognize these gifts when they materialize? Do you feel you deserve what you have asked for? If you don’t, then your will won’t take form.
Have faith that what you have asked for will be brought to you. Know that Spirit has granted your request. Feel that certainty, that knowing, deep inside. Take another deep breath and let any visualizations go. Count from one to five, then open your eyes. Practice this meditation for at least two weeks to get the feel of it, then use it before ritual, spellcasting, or in your daily devotions.
Ritual of the Sphinx
Draw a large pentacle, about the size of a dinner plate, on a piece of poster board. Cut out the pentacle and place it on the center of your altar. Place white illuminator candles or electrical candles on either side of the pentacle. Write out specifically what you want to manifest. Place the paper with your desire on top of the pentacle. Cast a magick circle. Light the illuminator candles, saying: “Out of the darkness our Mother emerged, bringing health, wealth, love, and harmony to her people.” Take three deep breaths, then ground and center. Place your hands on the altar and leave them there for a few moments to activate the energies there.
In this spell you will not follow the compass points for the directions. Instead you are going to walk the pentacle to manifest your desire; therefore, you will not call the quarters in the usual manner. Next, light a red candle and place in a safe candleholder that can be carried. As you carry the candle from point to point, it will gather the energy you build. As you light the candle, say: “Spirit of fire, bring to me my heart’s desire.”
Using your altar as the point of Spirit, take the candle and walk clockwise around the circle until you reach the point of To Know as given in the Witch’s Pyramid diagram, repeating the word “Noscere” in your magickal voice. As you walk, visualize walking toward the element of air, and believe that you are gathering wisdom with every step. When you reach the To Know point, face outward, with your back to the center of the circle, hold the candle high with both hands, and say:
Element of air, I seek your blessings here.
I invoke the power of wisdom and knowledge. I know that you will do this for me.
Turn and face the center of the circle. Begin chanting the word “Audere” as you walk to the To Dare point in your circle. As you walk, visualize yourself transforming into the most powerful magickal person in the world. Feel that confidence grow with each step. When you reach the To Dare point, face outward, with your back to the center of the circle, hold the candle high with both hands, and say:
Element of water, I seek your blessings here.
I invoke the power of love and transformation.
I know that you will do this for me.
Turn and face the center of the circle. Begin chanting the word “Velle” as you walk to the To Will point in your circle. As you walk, visualize divine light before you. Straighten your shoulders. Walk proudly forward. Think of this point as the one that will sling your spell into forward motion, where the spark of life will be added to your work. When you reach the To Will point, face outward, with your back to the center of the circle, hold the candle high with both hands, and say:
Element of fire, I seek your blessings here.
I invoke the power of action and creativity.
I know that you will do this for me.
Turn and face the center of the circle. Begin chanting the word “Tacere” as you walk to the To Be Silent point of the circle. Imagine the mystery of your work surrounding you as you walk—the essence of the meaning of “the hidden children.” Walk toward that still point of the universe where perfect harmony exists. When you reach the To Be Silent point, face outward, with your back to the center of the circle, and say:
Element of earth, I seek your blessings here.
I invoke harmony and balance in my work.
I know that you will do this for me.
Turn and face the center of the circle. Following the diagram, walk to the Spirit portion of the circle (located at the altar), chanting “Ire” as you make your way there. As you walk, visualize that you have gathered blessings from all of the elements and that you are taking these combined energies to the point of manifestation, where their pattern will form on the astral plane under the guidance of Spirit. If it helps to visualize, think of these energies as collected in the candle flame that you hold out before you. Once you reach the Spirit point, face the altar and hold the candle up over the altar, and say:
The power is gathered
the energies one.
The elements are summoned
the magick begun.
Place the candle on top of the paper that contains your desire. Beginning with your hands at your side, slowly raise them as you chant, “Noscere, Audere, Velle, Tacere, Ire!” until your palms are pointed at the heavens and you feel amazingly good inside. Run through the chant one more time, and on the last word stretch your arms toward the heavens and utter the last sound as loud as you can. You should feel an emotional release. Before you lower your hands, inhale deeply from your nose and exhale slowly from your mouth.
At this point, you can burn the paper in a fire-safe cauldron or keep it until your wish has been granted. Allow the candle to burn completely, if at all possible (meaning if you can monitor it safely while it burns, do so; if not, extinguish with a candlesnuffer, not your breath.) Thank deity. Thank the elements. Release the circle.
Note: The condition of this spell is that you must keep it secret or it won’t work.
Solitary Power Exercise
(Silver’s Secret)
The following exercise can be used in any ritual, spell, or in daily life. It is an exercise of the mind that, once practiced, will bring you health, happiness, and prosperity—but you must believe. If you do not have faith, it won’t work. I call this exercise/energy-raising technique Silver’s Secret. The name will become a keyword for you, though you may wish to change it to your name—for example, Ted’s Secret, or Angela’s Secret, or David’s Secret. Try saying your name with the word “secret” behind it. Sounds magickal already, doesn’t it? That’s good. A little pizzazz never hurt anybody.
one: Choose what you will work for. This is the planning phase. All the doubts, worries, ideas, and possible solutions should be removed from your mind. The only thing that should be left is the desire.
two: Close your eyes. This allows you to shut out the world around you and focus on the exercise. In time, you will be able to use your secret with your eyes open, but for now, close them.
three: Take three deep breaths. This brings more oxygen to the brain and other areas of the body, relieves stress, urges relaxation of the muscles, and helps to put you in the “alpha” state.
four: Let go of time and space. Say “release” as you breathe out. When your eyes are closed, it is easy to forget that time and space exist. Spirit does not need time or space to perform miracles, and neither do you when you mentally release those thoughts of restraint and touch deity energy, which is the next step. If it helps, think of opening your hands (or physically allow your hands to slowly open) while you say the word “release.”
five: Touch deity energy. Say the word “unity.” In the Craft we teach that you and deity are one, and that you share creative force with every manifestation of energy in the universe. This is a given. Of course, you have to acknowledge this fact, which isn’t easy for everyone to do. When you speak the word “unity,” you are affirming that we are all one and that you have the power to become one with everything. If you don’t believe this, the secret won’t work. If it helps, as you say the word “unity,” think of yourself moving into your conception of god/dess—losing, for a moment, your conscious thought of separateness.
six: Conceive the form. Visualize the thing. Say the word aloud. Surround the thing with pure white light. For some, this will be the most difficult part of the exercise. It is why the Craft teaches you to learn how to visualize people, places, and things. There are also ideas that do not have a physical form: love, compassion, success, happiness, joy, and so on. For these, or if you cannot visualize the object desired (but keep practicing), substitute the feeling. How do you feel when you are happy? Are you all smiles? Or maybe happiness to you is security, pleasant surroundings, a good joke? You need only hold on to this thought for a short period of time (a count to five is a good start; if it’s shorter, that’s okay, but longer is even better). There are other ideas that are not an emotion, yet not necessarily a specific physical object either. The word “information” comes to mind; “time” is another. If you can’t link the idea into a mental picture, just firmly say the word aloud and fill your mind with pure, white light. The birth of the visualization in your mind, holding it, affirming the word aloud, and surrounding the object with white light is a simple one, two, three operation once you get used to the process. You might want to practice this part of the secret before you do the whole technique for the first time.
seven: Accept success. This is important. If you don’t mentally accept success, your “secret” will bomb. You must want it, and welcome it.
eight: Know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this will be done. Suspend disbelief. This is a toughie, but you only have to hold onto this knowing for a few seconds. (The longer you practice, the better at this you’ll get.) However, just getting to that knowing can be hard, depending upon your personality, how much work you’ve done in the Craft already, and what you’ve learned about life in the past. You’re one up on adults because childhood, where you believed in things unequivocally because someone told you so, is not that far behind you.
So, let’s talk about how you feel when you know something to be true (through whatever method, scientific or otherwise). For example, at noon on any given day the sun rose in the east and is now overhead, even if it is hidden by clouds and you can’t see it. Close your eyes and think about how you feel about knowing that the sun is overhead. There is no gap in your thought process. No indecision, like, “It’s there— no, maybe not.” You didn’t debate in your head how it got there in the first place. You immediately know (from past experience, science, and other good stuff) that the sun is overhead. Try that again. That knowing was a nanosecond, wasn’t it? And there wasn’t any effort, was there? You didn’t grunt, or groan, or make wild gestures with your hands to know that the sun was overhead. You didn’t dance around a fire, call a demon, or spit in the wind. Nor was there any emotion. The sun is overhead. Big deal. Hold that thought.
Ever been to a really great movie with cool special effects, and the script was so wonderful that you lost yourself completely in the story and you believed everything that happened to the character, even though you know for a fact that in real life (as you know it) those things on the screen couldn’t possibly be true? Yet while you are watching the movie you believe those things are true for that character. In writing and screenplays this phenomenon is called “suspension of belief”—where the audience lets go of what they know to be true to enhance their enjoyment. This is what every actor, writer, publisher, and movie company hopes you will do, because when you suspend your belief (and like that feeling), they count their work a success. There are other activities where you are already familiar with this process—when reading a book and when watching a magician (to name two). Where else might you try to suspend belief? How about when working with things of an artistic nature—that zone your mind goes to when you listen or create music, sculpt a statue, paint a picture, take the perfect photograph, write a poem, or dance? When you do these things you are tapping into the creative unconsciousness of the universe.
If this is something we already know how to do, how come we don’t do it all the time? Because there are environments where we believe it is safe and appropriate to let go, and environments where we believe it is not safe to let go, because if we did, our survival would be seriously threatened. Therefore, the question is not whether you can “let go and believe,” but in what environment you allow yourself to let go. Now, when we talk “environment,” what exactly are we referring to? Here, we mean the material and the nonmaterial. Let’s start with the material.
The material environment most conducive to magick and raising power is the place where you feel most safe and secure. It is a place that is devoid of negative energy, which is why Witches are taught to physically cleanse an area, to create sacred space with the elements, and to cast the magick circle. This physical area is then thought to be suitable for physical, mental, and spiritual magickal work. The creation of this place, by you, represents your permission to yourself that it’s okay to work with magick here. These exercises (cleansing, sacred space, and circlecasting) fulfill other criteria for magick, but for what we’re discussing here, that is as far as we need to take it.
The nonmaterial environment is your mind, which takes us back to the sun in the sky explanation, and the discussion on what it feels like to know something, and how quickly we are able to grasp any thought, and how quickly we can suspend belief. Doesn’t take much, does it? Since you are capable of knowing and capable of suspending belief, then you are capable of absolutely anything and everything. So what stops you? Fear. (Which we’ll get to in step number nine.)
If you are still confused on how to exercise this knowing thing, let’s try one more example. Set a glass of water in front of you. You know it’s there because you put it there. Close your eyes. Is the glass still there? Of course it is. You know it is there. How long did it take you to process the feeling that you know the glass is there? Less than a hiccup. You didn’t need to go through the long mental process of how you put that glass in front of you. Analyze the knowing feeling. Calm. Certainty. Aha! That’s the feeling we’re talking about, and you need only hold on to that feeling for a nanosecond, even in magick, provided you’re using this entire sequence. In magick, we must always believe that what we want will happen, and the key to finishing out the process is knowing it. Belief plus knowing equals magick.
nine: Reject any thoughts of failure, now and in the future. Will your mind to think only of success. Fear will ruin any ritual, spell, goal, or focused thought, whether your fear is frivolous or has logic behind it. You must banish fear to win. You cannot debate the finer points of what you want in the middle of any magickal process, and you cannot choose the way in which Spirit will grant your request, just as you cannot live another person’s life for them (magick always follows the path of least resistance). Either you want to succeed, or you don’t. If you don’t, then don’t use your secret because it won’t work. If Spirit thinks that your request is not precisely in harmony with your life path, Spirit will accommodate your choices as long as you legitimately feel you are working in harmony with the universe and not intentionally trying to hurt anyone. Spirit expects you to make boo boos. If you don’t trust yourself, then trust in Spirit. When you connected with deity in step five and welcomed pure, positive energy into this technique, you banished any inadvertent mistakes. What if you think that your request is too fantastic to take form in your life? If you believe this, your secret will fail. You will have thought your failure into reality because you believed, by acknowledging that thought in the first place, that it’s easier to fail than to succeed. In magick and daily life, negative thoughts are the enemy. If you give them power by dwelling on them, they will win and you will be miserable. Every time a defeatist or negative thought comes into your brain, blow it away! At first, this will be easier said than done, but eventually you’ll get the hang of it. The human brain is incredibly creative.
ten: Keep your mouth shut. Yeah, for some of you this is going to be a problem and you’re just going to have to work on that; but for others, no sweat. However, if you want to succeed, remember this: the procedure is called “Silver’s Secret,” or, in your case, your secret. When you tell others about magick, especially those who don’t believe in the process, you are allowing that person to work against you. No, they’re probably not going to run out there and light up a black, jumbo candle and sing a song of mojo by the light of the big, fat moon, but more than likely they’ll just laugh at you, and make you feel small and stupid, which sets in motion your fear of failure (because we all have subconscious buttons people can push that relate to defeat, and this is especially so of close friends and family members because we usually care what they think). This does not infer that you shouldn’t talk to reliable people about your problems, and if your mind went there right away, shame on you. Magick is never meant to be harmful—not the casting of it nor the practicing of it.
Now that you’ve read the entire sequence on your special secret, let’s put it in outline form. You might want to copy this down on a small piece of paper or on a 3 by 5-inch card so that you can carry it with you.
To Dare
To Release
To Connect
To Conceive
To Accept
To Know
To Believe
To Will
To Be Silent
Some of you are saying, Awww, Silver, I know what this is. This is the Witch’s Pyramid! So it is. If we factored out the steps I’ve given you to make the process more streamlined, you’d get To Dare, To Know, To Will, and To Be Silent. For our purposes, though, we don’t want to remove any of the steps until you have used your secret so much that you can blend the steps together in your own time, should you so desire. As you can see, there is more to the formula than how it is normally presented in most books on the Craft.
Let’s make your secret formula into a chant: “Release, Connect, Conceive, Accept, I Know, Believe!” Try saying this about ten times, and see how it rolls off the tongue. What kind of rhythm did you come up with? This is your signature rhythm for this formula. Try drumming out the beat on the table. Give it a go, twenty times or so, until the drumming is fluid with the chant. How does that make you feel? Empowered? Good! I left out “Dare” because that’s the setup and you wouldn’t be working the magick in the first place if you weren’t a little daring. “Will” and “Silence” were removed from the chant because they are after the fact, and represent the rules to follow to ensure success, but if you would prefer to add them, that’s just fine. If this chant doesn’t feel comfortable, try: “Let Go, I Am, Conceive, Accept, I Know, Believe!” and see if that works better for you.
Okay, you’ve read the formula, you understand the explanations, you practiced some of the steps, worked with a chant, and added your own rhythm of drumming to set up a familiar vibration. Now it’s time to put the formula to good use. We’re going to do a dry run. Pick something you want to work for (smaller is best since this is a new experience for you). With your eyes open, read through the outline, doing each step in your mind. Good. Now, let’s get a little creative. Think of your desire, then say:
One, let go (and do that in your mind).
Two, I am (and connect with deity).
Three, I conceive (and visualize
the desire).
Four, I accept (and welcome success).
Five, I know (and bring that nanosecond of certainty into your mind).
Six, I believe (and say it like you
darned well mean it!).
So mote it be! (this is the “will” part)
That wasn’t so tough, was it? Excellent! Let’s go further. After declaring each number and the intention, follow with your chant and drumming, like this:
One, let go!
(let go, I am, conceive, accept, I know, believe!)
Two, I am!
(let go, I am, conceive, accept, I know, believe!)
Three, I conceive!
(let go, I am, conceive, accept, I know, believe!)
Four, I accept!
(let go, I am, conceive, accept, I know, believe!)
Five, I know!
(let go, I am, conceive, accept, I know, believe!)
Six, I believe!
(let go, I am, conceive, accept, I know, believe!)
So mote it be!
(let go, I am, conceive, accept, I know, believe!)
Tricky, huh? What if you do not want to drum? Try tying a knot in a string or cord as you say your chant (rather than drumming). “Let go” (tie the knot and say the chant), “I am!” (tie the knot and say the chant), and so on. Carry the cord with you until your desire has reached you. Don’t forget to thank Spirit. Think of other creative ways that you can use your secret formula. Once you have practiced this technique a long time, you won’t need the words anymore. Instead, the formula will compact in your mind into a set of feelings, and then into a single feeling. When this occurs, you will know that you have become an adept.
