Elemental Placements… so much arguing

It seems everyone likes to force their way of doing things upon the entire coven, mine included. It always seems when we get a new person visit or join, the first thing they do is question everything and not in the good way rather; “why are you doing it like that? ‘Golden Monkey Claw Flying Heathen Rose Bud’ says…”  As though the one over priced book they read (or partially read) is the Holy Law passed down by the most high deities to the New Age book store from which they purchased it… sorry, its not.

In Wicca

Hemispheres

When opening the Circle in Wicca in the Northern Hemisphere most covens would agree upon:
East = Air, South = Fire, West = Water and North = Earth
In the Southern Hemisphere some covens use the Northern approach, while other invert North and South:
East = Air, South = Earth, West = Water and North = Fire
In the Southern Hemisphere most who use this Inverted south and north method move Widdershins (anti-clockwise) rather than Deosil (clockwise).

The Theory behind the Southern Method:

1. Why Widdershins:  You move in the direction the water goes down the drain (the Earths magnetic field)
2. Why invert North and South:  If you stop at the Equator for North and South at the pole.  The Northern most part of the Southern Hemisphere is Hottest and the Southern most part of the Hemisphere is Coldest.  While reversed in the North, south being the Equator and North being the pole.

All of these are based on symbolism.  I personally have found both methods work, regardless of Hemisphere.  Practical experience has shown me, you make energy move in one direction – it moves in that direction.  You move energy in the opposite direction – it stops its movement (dissipates).
Most rituals are rich in symbolism and I believe the Southern approach has a nice mix of modern (magnetic fields) and more earthly ideas (equators).

However, it does not mean it is the only way to do it in the South, nor does it mean the Northern approach can not be used.

Symbolism

I have used the Northern approach in Australia and was told quite bluntly; “its a negative movement to move deosil in the Southern Hemisphere”… Really? (Side note: a successful ritual).  It is all about symbolism, as I mention earlier, you move energy in one direction – it will move.

Three bits of symbolism (there is a lot more):

1. Moving Clockwise you are moving “Righteously” or to the “Right” or “Sinister” to the “Left”.
2. Moving “righteously” following the course of the Sun, from rising in the East and setting in the West.
3. The stabilising of “Force” with “Form”:  The masculine elements are considered Active (Force) and the feminine elements are considered Passive (Form).  By having the two masculine elements first, their active energies are stabilised and given foundation in the Feminine elements.

Other Ritual Uses

The Hexagram Ritual

In this ritual we have:
East = Fire, South = Earth, West = Air and North = Water
Rather than following the placements in the pentagram rituals, this ritual follows the elemental associations with the Zodiac (listed in an earlier blog past: Astrology Basics) starting with Fire (some associate with Aries being he most common “First” sign, others Leo… both fire, so it is of no real concern as the elemental associations are still the same.  Other than Leo becomes the Kerubic sign of the group, rather than Taurus) and ending with Water.
This, as anyone who have studied the systems of Crowley, the Golden Dawn, and so on will say that this ritual is “Higher” than the pentagram ritual.  The pentagram having the four lower points in Malkuth (the kingdom: “in our Elemental Kingdom”) and the upper point in Yesod (the foundation: The Astral), the base point of the Hexagram associated with the Moon (which is also associated with the Astral light and Yesod) sits in Yesod and the upper point in Daath (not considered by all a Sephiroth, the system I used saw it as the “shell” left when Tiphareth fell during the fall from the Garden of Eden.  11 Sephiroth of the Fallen tree and correcting by managed to place Tiphareth back in the place of Daath… but this is another topic).  Without going to deep, in that system there are four “worlds” Malkuth being “Assiah” and the Hexagram sits in “Higher” ones.

The Cross

The Simple “Cross” ritual is based upon “Equilibration” of forces, keeping “Air” in the East.
East = Air, South = Fire, West = Earth and North = Water
Fire is invoked First in the South, then Water is invoked in the North.  Fires masculine Force to its counter part in Waters Feminine Form.  Air is considered in some systems to be the “Child of Fire and Water”, it then follows.  Air is invoked third in the East, and then Earth is invoked fourth in the West, once again “Force to Form” for stability.

This is also the method employed in the Enochian system.  Invoking Fire first, then Water, then Air and then Earth (most likely where the Cross ritual was drawn from).  Examples of this can be found in Regardie’s “Opening by the Watchtower”.

The Triquetra Ritual of the Pentagram

This is a ritual I wrote as an Elder to create your own ritual and explained the symbolism.  To sum it up simply:
North East = Spirit
North East is where the top point of the pentagram is placed and the other points then represent their respective elements.  This throws off all the quarters in tradition.  Quick summary why North East is chosen for “Spirit” is: 1. In the Golden Dawn system you stand in the North East and announce “Hekas Hekas Este Bebeloi!” and spirit in this ritual is the start point in both Banishing and Invoking. 2. In the Tattwa system, North East is associated with Spirit/Akasha. 3. North in the Pentagram is the most dense of the Elements and Air the least (minus fire the catalyst).  Between the binding these two extremes (and all the other elements of cause) is “Spirit”.
Rather than the concept of “Force and Form” which is most commonly employed, the movements around the pentagram are based on “Science” in a sense.  Following Density rather than the principle of Gender.
Summerised:
Earth = Solid, Water = Liquid, Air = Gas and Fire = Heat (the catalyst).
To Invoke – Bring spirit down into the circle:
Spirit, Fire, Air, Water, Earth and finish at Spirit.  (Moving Clockwise)
To Banish – Returning spirit:
Spirit, Earth, Water, Air, Fire and finish at Spirit.  (Moving Anti-clockwise)
As you will see however, the Masculine is “Invoked” first again and stablised in the Feminine (I neglected to mention that to the new comer, who was enthralled in the idea of not genderising the elements. I’m sure if she is still practising, she would relise what I did there).

The Triquetras are used as the symbol for the Invoking.  Top point associated with the All, the lower left with the “Goddess” and the lower right with the “God” (an issue was raised again, why is the Goddess on the left and not the right. So I will explain the same thing I said to her, “I face you and draw the Goddess on the left, what side do you see it on?  Your right.  Good.  Now you understand within each gender principle are more principles which balance: left and right, light and dark, life and death.  You understand?  The Goddess is on both the Right and the Left, the God is on both the right and the left.  It is just a matter of perspective”).  When, for example on the point of Fire for invoking, you would drive the triquetra from the top point of the all, down the edge of the right most circle (the three intersecting circles which create the triquetra) to the lower right point, then complete the diagram returning to the top point.  Finally drawing the elemental symbol of fire (the triangle).  Moving down the line of the pentagram to the next element air, then moving down the next line to Water.  At Water you would draw the Triquetra starting at the top point of “the All” and moving down the edge of the left most circle to the lower left point, then complete the diagram returning to the top point.  Finally drawing the elemental symbol of water (the triangle).
You will also notice with the drawing of the triquetras that the forces join, as with any continuous shape.  Invoking a masculine principle is followed by the feminine (lower right to lower left) and invoking the feminine principle is followed by the masculine (lower left to lower right).  Coming from the originating source and returning to it “I am divided for love’s sake, for the chance of union”.

Conclusion

As I said earlier… “Practical experience trumps any theory work”.  Read up, study, understand the principles behind the ideas.  Practice them and find what works.  You will be amazed.  You can quickly discern which authors are actually practicing magicians/witches/occultists from those who are just trying to make a quick buck.
The other thing you will notice, is that results follow.  Positive or Negative – Results.  As long as you know how to correct errors, you will be fine with experimentation.  I was a bit concerned when first making so many modifications in the construction of the above ritual: Using triquetras and completely repositioning the quarters.  There was only one way to find out what would happen, and it was to put my theory to practice.

Astrology: Basics – Part One

The Signs of the Zodiac

  ARIES (the Ram)  –  Triplicity: Fire  –  Quadruplicity: Cardinal

  TAURUS (the Bull)  –  Triplicity: Earth  –  Quadruplicity: Kerubic

  GEMINI (the Twins)  –  Triplicity: Air  –  Quadruplicity: Mutable

  CANCER (the Crab)  –  Triplicity: Water  –  Quadruplicity: Cardinal

  LEO (the Lion)  –  Triplicity: Fire  –  Quadruplicity: Kerubic

  VIRGO (the Virgin)  –  Triplicity: Earth  –  Quadruplicity: Mutable

  LIBRA (the Scales)  –  Triplicity: Air  –  Quadruplicity: Cardinal

  SCORPIO (the Scorpion)  –  Triplicity: Water  –  Quadruplicity: Kerubic

  SAGITTARIUS (the Archer)  –  Triplicity: Fire  –  Quadruplicity: Mutable

  CAPRICORN (the Sea-Goat)  –  Triplicity: Earth  –  Quadruplicity: Cardinal

  AQUARIUS (the Water-bearer)  –  Triplicity: Air  –  Quadruplicity: Kerubic

  PISCES (the Two Fish)  –  Triplicity: Water  –  Quadruplicity: Mutable

Triplicities (Elemental Groupings)

A “Triplicity” refers to a group of three zodiac signs.  There are four triplicities in total (12/3=4).  The four triplicites are governed by one of the four elements:  Earth, Air, Fire and Water.  The Triplicities represent the Elements operation in the Zodiac, and each Triplicity has assigned to them both positive and negative “traits”.

• Fire = Aries, Leo and Sagittarius
  • Positive Traits:  eager, enthusiastic, fiery, impassioned, independent and spontaneous.
  • Negative Traits:  can be too forceful, domineering and overbearing.
• Earth = Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn
  • Positive Traits:  conservative, dependable, earthly, practical, sensual and stable.
  • Negative Traits:  can be dull, overly materialistic, possessive and slow.
• Air = Gemini, Libra and Aquarius
  • Positive Traits:  able to communicate well, idealistic, intellectual, logical, objective and open-minded.
  • Negative Traits:  can be cold, impractical and insensitive.
• Water = Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces
  • Positive Traits:  compassionate, complex, emotional, intuitive, receptive and sensitive.
  • Negative Traits:  can be moody, easily influenced, self-pitying and wavering.

 

 

Quadruplicities (“Quality” Groupings)

The four letters “QUAD”, just like “TRI” would imply threes, implies fours.  The Quadruplicites are groups of 4 zodiac signs.
There are three Quadruplicities: Cardinal, Kerubic (Fixed) and Mutable.
Cardinal refers to the signs that rule the changes of the seasons (Aries = Spring, Cancer = Summer, etc – reverse for Southern Hemisphere).
Kerubic or Fixed signs refer to the signs that rule the Middle Month of each Season.
Mutable signs refer to the signs that rule the closing month of each season.
As with the Triplicities, each of the Quadruplicity groupings have both positive and negative traits assigned to them.

• Cardinal = Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn
  • Positive Traits:  Cardinal Signs are active, ambitious, enthusiastic, fervent, independent, and initiating. Mentally they are quick and insatiable.
  • Negative Traits:  They can be domineering, impetuous, thoughtless and without the ability to follow through with projects they have started
• Kerubic = Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius
  • These Signs are able to concentrate, are accumulative, determined, persevering, and stable. Their goals are reached slowly but steadily. They are perceptive and have excellent memories.
  • Negative Traits:  They can be egotistical, obstinate and too firmly ingrained in their ways and opinions.
• Mutable = Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces
  • Positive Traits:  adaptable, changeable, intuitive, subtle, understanding, and versatile. Mentally, they are clever and flexible.
  • Negative Traits:  They can be cunning, deceptive, fickle, and unreliable.

Free Resources: Maiden Moon & Dragon Tradition Book of Shadows

Maiden Moon: An Advanced Wicca 101
and A New Walk Down an Old Path: Dragon Tradition Wicca
– Simon Craft

I have heard both postive and negative remarks regarding these works.  Regardless, they where fundamental to my priliminary steps into the world of the craft.

I had extreme difficulty finding them online.  After I ransacked a bunch of my backups, I was lucky enough to find a copy of each.  It is a shame however, that the second work of Wicca I came across I couldn’t save, as it was a website: Wicca for Beginners.

However, even after online Yahoo! chats with Wiccans and joining physical groups and even a coven, these two works (the third and fourth I read) played a important role in my intial interest in the Craft.

 

Maiden Moon: An Advanced Wicca 101 ([PDF] – Download)

The Preface of the PDF…
“The title ‘Maiden Moon’ is a reference to the Goddess in Maiden form. It was chosen with respect to her symbolism of growth and idealism. It is hoped that the spirit of your entrance into Wicca will be the same.

Maiden Moon is a self-study guide for dedication into Wicca. It is not the ultimate resource on Wicca, nor is it meant to be. The teachings included are sufficiently broad to present Wicca with minimal bias. It is possible to use this book as an entrance to eclectic practice or any Wiccan tradition and apply what you have learned.

You will likely find that Maiden Moon is quite different from most modern (1990s+) books on Wicca. This book covers Wicca in all three forms namely: Eclectic, Reformed Traditional, and Orthodox Traditional. Most of today’s books only cover Eclectic Wicca and as such, present an incomplete and seriously biased teaching. Another difference is that Maiden Moon is quite open about issues commonly avoided by modern authors who overlook sensitive issues under the guise of being politically correct. When given the responsibility of honestly teaching Wicca, I cannot and will not overlook such issues.

I will not apologize if this book is more difficult than most. Wicca is a participatory religion that requires effort and self-discipline to learn. If you want a soft friendly “Easy Wicca in Ten Minutes” then this book is not for you.

On a final note, please be aware that I am not trying to push you into Wicca; in fact, quite the opposite is true. If Wicca does not fit you personally, then keep looking for what does fit. It is not my place to tell you what to believe.

Best Wishes,
Simon Craft”

[PDF – 1.74MB] MaidenMoon.pdf – Download

 

A New Walk Down an Old Path: Dragon Tradition Wicca ([PDF] – Download)

The Books Preface…
“Dragons are commonly symbolic of honor, strength and transformation. Dragon Tradition was created to fill the need for a Wiccan tradition that fits the spirit and encourages eclectic choice. It was named Dragon Tradition as a new tradition with an attitude of strength, honor, self-determination, and confidence.

You will find that Dragon Tradition is not buried in strict archaic rules or swimming in medieval mumbo-jumbo. Dragon Tradition embraces nature and magick in a way that is truly Wiccan and yet is flexible and clearly defined.

Dragon Tradition teaches how to be eclectic in beliefs and ritual practice without losing touch with the spirit of Wicca. In breaking from the norm of strict circle work and degree hierarchy, we feel we bring a much happier and cleaner energy to the circle.

Church of Magick serves as the central organization for Dragon Tradition providing members with the support and representation of a legally recognized Wiccan church. It is time for Wiccan traditions to be organized and speak for themselves rather than allow the confused all-inclusive voice of Wicca to speak for them.

Long live the Dragon!

– Simon Craft”

[PDF – 689KB] DragonTradition.pdf – Download

Book Review: Nocturnal Witchcraft

Title: Nocturnal Witchcraft: Magick After Dark
Author: Konstantinos
Publisher: Llewellyn World Wide
Date of Publicaton: 2002

Overview:

This is an excellent book on Witchcraft, covering a lot of advanced practices (without the watering down). It has a clear defined structure, and gives a sort of step by step method toward training, rather than an encycolopedia style book like a lot on the subject. However, a bit of previous knowledge may be necessary for some, for two reasons:

1. To employ some of the methods safely by filling in the blanks
2. If you do not wish to be a Nocturnal Witch, having the knowledge to mould and modify the work around your preference. For me personally, it gives an excellent alternative perspective from more mainstream Wicca, and a lot of the practices can be easily modified.

 

The Negatives:

Physical [Soft cover]: After moving and reducing my collection, I have repurchased the Fifteenth edition.  First impressions when it saw it, was “Wow, this looks cool, it shines!”. By the time I completed reading this book, the cover had lost most of the shine on the “l” and “a” of “Nocturnal” to my fingers, where I held the cover open.

Filling in the Blanks: Expanding on the overview regarding “To employ some of the methods safely by filling in the blanks”…
Lack of information on the purpose of the “Banishing” which is employed. A banishing is used prior to magickal works to remove unwanted “entities” or “influences” from the area. Commonly done after the circle casting, so that the circle acts as a barrier to stop them just coming back in after the banishing is complete. “A mere banishing by itself is not so effective as a banishing performed within a circle, because the circle will effectually prevent the banished forces from flowing back again”. (Fortune, Dion. Psychic Self-Defence, p. 180 [Purchase: Psychic Self-Defence). Konstantinos’ banishing was like a banishing coupled with a preliminary circle casting, which to me sounded great, two things in one.  The Banishing mentioned in this book is covered in on page 58. This will require, if using this book alone, a lot of visualisation practice and the practice of his “Quick energy raising”, as well as a bit of knowledge of what you are doing. This to me, would be a lot harder for the beginner to master than something which using vocal vibration and physical gesture (drawn pentagrams) performs the banishing, however it can be done. The knowledge of what you are doing is what I mentioned earlier “Removing unwanted entities or influences” so while you are constructing and expanding the orb, add to the visualisation (if you wish) it full of light, so the idea of “pushing” out every unwanted influence is done.

Invocation of the Quarters: Now I agree with Konstantinos that this should be employed, rather than the concept of other authors such as Raymond Buckland who advise to avoid this potent practice (Raymond Buckland is highly respected, and I hold nothing again him, however Invoking the Quarters and Assuming a God-form covered in “Nocturnal Witchcraft” is leaps and bounds beyond what is covered in his “Complete Book of Witchcraft”). However, I believe he is having you dive into the deep end prematurely. Sufficient practice should be done of banishings prior to invocation. It is much better to be efficient as sending something away, than it is to call something to you and not be able to efficiently send it away.

The Assumption of the God-form: This, though excellent is advanced and should not be placed in the beginning of the book. In my opinion one needs to have better than good Concentration, excellent visualisation skills as well as a developed and fortified Will. Practicing this to early in my opinion, can be harmful. Why?
Concentration: This is needed so you can maintain the visualisation of the God-form and not allow distractions to break it or stray thoughts negative or positive to enter the ritual. I recommended Meditation, though not Wiccan specific is however simple and effective. Keeping with Konstantinos, in his book “Summoning Spirits: The Art of Magical Evocation” he has a “Magical Training” section. Using Exercise set One and Two can greatly increase your concentration. I do recommend supplementing it with extra materials such as “Book 4 – Part I: Mysticism” by Aleister Crowley [FREE Download: Book 4 – Part I: Mysticism]and something on Yoga, proper Yoga, not the fitness craze, like James Hewitt’s “Yoga” (Teach Yourself Books) which covers Hatha and Raja (Raja covering the meditative aspects with Dharana which is concentration).
Visualisation: This needs to be strong, the visualisation of a full-scale God or Goddess within yourself, moving with you, etc is difficult, not only to create but also to maintain. I recommended practicing more basic visualisations first. Most Wiccans will have a copy of or know of a Wiccan with a copy of Scott Cunningham’s Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (though there are lots more books with excellent sections on visualisation, even sound dedicated to it like “Creative Visualisation” by Shakti Gawain. Cunningham’s book is more common, so I will use this) pages 82 to 84 cover a good section on “Visualisation”.
Development and Fortification of Will: This is argued about quite often regarding when it should be done. Two of the many arguments are: From one camp “It should be done before invocation of any form” and from another camp saying “It should only be done by the advanced student unless they ‘Will’ something undesirable”. I am on the fence with this, because if an error occurs and you are solitary, Will is a very important tool. However, if you develop your will, have negative thoughts, these can be “Willed” into existence the same way the positive ritualistic thoughts are “Willed” in a ritual. However, developing the Will is rather simple. Sitting in a meditation, avoiding itching, moving etc, for over 30 minutes is an exercise of the Will. Though at times painful and taking away from T.V time, you continue to push on and on, this is a development of your will. Setting yourself goals, avoid procrastination and pushing on with them regardless how much you want to stop, is the Will again. I have not found any Wiccan books which focus on the development of the Will directly as a separate subject (rather it is done through the practice of other training and exercises) so I will quote some non-wiccan sources for reference: Cicero, Chic & Sandra Tabatha. Self-Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition. pg. 681. This book puts Development of the Will at the “Portal Grade” which is the grade before the Inner Order, in which one receives the title of Adept (an adept being an advanced student). Crowley, Aleister. Book 4 – Part II: Magick in Theory and Practice: LIBER III vel JVGORVM. pg. 399 (Free eVersion) pg. 427 (other version) [FREE download: Magick in Theory and Practice].  You will see in case of Crowley the punishments are sever, and without a doubt, beyond necessary. One simply needs to apply the concept of foot-noted in Crowley’s book “This practice must not be dodged; e.g. (1) by failing to cut at the first moment of discovery, and giving oneself (so to say) “I’ll make 10 cuts when I’ve made 10 slips,” or (2) by “I’ll make a slip in view of the immediate need: I don’t mind the pain of a cut.”” If you do not dodge the punishment or think it is worth the pain, your Will is not allowing negative ideas and defeatist attitudes to come through. Thought cutting yourself is excessive, and I DO NOT SUPPORT OR ENDORSE THIS! A measure needs to be taken, what I did is closer to the first reference from the Cicero’s book. I wore a rubber-band around my wrist, and every time I broke away from what I willed not to do, I would pull, release and flick my wrist with it. Sounds not that bad, it’s not… however, when you are trying not to think of something, and this act alone causes the thought to recur, 6 flicks on the wrist close together, leaves a red mark, usually containing a jump like dance and restrained swear words and physical assault upon your head for not shutting up.
Finally the Will is necessary to stop the God-form taking over or leading you astray. You need to stay focused and in control, because during this altered state, something other than the form could try to pursued you it is the God/dess you are working with and lead you to do or say something against what you are doing.

 

The Positives:

The Nocturnal Altar: Without a doubt this is my favourite setup of an altar. I have seen some overly clutter and complicated setups which hold no real symbolism and only a couple of the items are working tool. I have also seen some underdone altars. However, this setup is perfectly balanced without containing excess tools. Each item has a purpose. My favourite would have to be the “Nocturnal Portal” or black backed scrying mirror, used to represent Spirit (I am assuming by the invoking spirit pentagram being traced on it in the book). I use this (or similar) like this: Four Elemental items placed on their respective quarters of the altar though I will use permanent tools, unless somewhere where I can not access them then I use “East = Incense, West = Water, North = Salt and South = Candle” as mentioned in the book. The scrying mirror placed in the East behind the incense facing west (facing toward me), two candles one black and one white on either side of the mirror to the back. On the Northern outer side of the altar a wand, and to the Southern outer side of the altar an Sword (Dagger or athame). When working, the items are placed outside the four elemental representations, then when being used get placed in the empty space between them. Love this layout, and it can, as I have demonstrated in this example, be “altared” to match you personal preferences.

New Material: Though this is a positive, I believe it is a double-edged sword. Teaching techniques I have not read in any books on Wicca prior to his release, such as “Reading Minds” and custom-made spells and rituals. It is great and they are far from beginner material. Teaching you what he describes as “The Pull” which is a technique employed by a number of psychics, whether it is a literal pulling sensation, a warm feeling, a tingle, etc. The development and understanding of this “Pull” is a great asset. And obviously a “Darker” form of the craft, but not an evil form; rather a night embracing and working tradition, helps gain new perspectives on light and dark, and new ways to view the rituals of the Full and New moon and so on.

Emphasis on Scrying: Scrying is without a doubt an excellent skill to develop. Regardless what is it called from “Spirit Vision” to the scientific “Hypnogogic state” it is what is used for the communication with higher areas of ones consciousness or communication with beings of other dimensions, realms, etc. I believe continued practice of creating visualised pentagrams (shifting your eyes focus and bringing both side of the brain to activity) and gazing through them will lead toward full scrying ability, usually starting with what looks like “glitter” or shiny dust particles in the area (what some call the ether), to when in meditative states swirling colours, then shapes, and finally full images, and on.

 

My Experiences with this Book:

Getting back to “Invocation of the Quarters” I have a story regarding the application of this book:
I was already a practising Occultist when attempting to practice this book, so I to test its potency, I practiced it in a building I had no blessed or consecrated (which is like a permanent banishing, so that only invoked forces can enter). The circle cast using his banishing was penetrated by a positive entity when I applied it, and the elemental invocation (I did have Enochian (I wont say tablets because they weren’t the tablets) banners, from his book Summoning Spirits: The Art of Magickal Evocation). though the entity did not penetrate the circle, it began to move around the circle knocking down light objects. On both occasions, I performed the banishing, circle casting and invocation of the elements as listed in Konstantinos’ Nocturnal Witchcraft, but my goal was to experiment with this book, and I was not going to delve into a ritual until I knew its efficiency. I decided I would just meditate at the time, and practice scrying the Tattwas (I will cover this in a later blog). Facing South in a deep meditative state scrying Tejas (the Fire Tattwa), I heard a small object drop slightly to the right of the West Enochian banner. I thought to myself, “Just a breeze” though I didn’t physically feel one (yes, exiting the meditative state abruptly did send a bit of a shock through me). I quickly reentered the altered state and was about to begin scrying Tejas again, when behind me, slightly to the right of the Northern Enochian banner another small item dropped. I knew now this to be more than coincidence. Though unafraid, I knew I wasnt going to be able to complete my meditation with these constant interruptions. I performed the banishings and the closing of the circle etc, as said in Nocturnal Witchcraft, however I still felt a presence (that weird feeling when you think “Someones watching me”, I thought “Somethings here”). I decided that I should consecrate this building now, just incase it is negative. While moving around the building, I saw rushing away from me, a murky shadow about 4 feet tall, rushing from “South” to “West”. Whatever it was, was fleeing the consecration. After this, I decided to use this building again, to test the potency of my consecration and to try to recreate what occurred the first time, however this time scrying a different Tattwa (Apas, the Water tattwa of the West). I performed his banishing, cast the circle, invoked the quarters and sat facing West and began scrying the Tattwa. Soon I felt a presence, physically felt, I did not see, or hear, just felt as though a calm presence had placed its hand on my shoulder. Not seeing anything with my scrying or hearing anything, I decided to open my eyes thinking my partner was playing a joke on me. When I turned to look, still feeling as though the hand was there, no one was. I decided shortly after (I can’t remember why, it will be somewhere in one of my log books) to end the meditation. After performing the closing as mentioned in Konstantinos’ Nocturnal Witchcraft, I began to walk toward the exit of the building where I saw what looked like a pale blue glowing white figure (similar to the colour of a being I had seen previously in my teenage years, before my interest in the occult) move as though it had exited via the door and I saw it move past the window briefly. This shows in my opinion the efficiency of Konstantinos’ work, on two occasions, the only two times I attempted this exercise, I yielded results. Which in my opinion is why it should not be attempted as early as he has placed it in his book. Someone who is new, who picks up this book, invokes the quarters, but something similar to my first experience comes though, without proper banishing and circle construction it can enter the circle. Without a developed and fortified will, once in it can obsess the Witch (magician, practicing occultist, etc). Though I exited the circle while still believing it to be present, I did not have fear and proceeded with a consecration. As by this time, I had blessed a few homes with alleged similar activity.

 

Conclusion:

Excellent book, a must read and must have. Compliment it with a few other books including his “Summoning Spirits: The Art of Magical Evocation” and others on Wicca or Magick and you have yourself an excellent method of working Magick and practicing Wicca.

Salt represents Earth? Rock Salt, Sea Salt or Chicken Salt… Which, What and Why.

In a number of Wiccan Traditions Salt is used to represent Earth, and it has triggered one of the most common questions I have been asked: “How does salt represent Earth”. Following this would be “Doesn’t salt come from the sea?” and one example of a jokingly made statement: “Can I use Chicken-Salt?”.

Earth the Element.
When we think of the elements be think of the Periodic table from our time in school, and the four elements used in Wicca, though archaic, are not too far from this table of elements. We need to remember, that when these elements were thought of science was in its infancy, what we have new terms for now, were described in an alternative fashion.
Earth = Solid, Water = Liquid, Air = Gas. They represent the states the elements from the periodic table can be in. Fire = Heat and Heat is the catalyst. Heat a solid, it becomes Liquid, continue to heat and it becomes a Gas, remove the heat and the processes reverses from Air to Earth (Gaseous to Solid).
Salt is a “crystalline” solid. Crystalline means: having the structure and form of a crystal.

Sea Salt or Rock Salt?
If we take the previous example as the only requirement we can use both. Both are solid, and Earth represents solid physical matter.
However, some people wish to take more correspondences and take things that step further. In saying that, in a pinch, grabbing the salt off the herb rack (that you use in cooking) is perfectly fine to use, by the previous example of Salt as a Solid (not to mention personal experience with practical application).
So Sea Salt pretty much sums the type of Salt, and Rock salt, though slightly more ambiguous, once read makes sense also. Instead of attempting to summarise myself I will use a quote and throw in a picture of a Rock Salt mine: “In deep-shaft mining, or conventional mining, tunnels are dug underground to reach the salt leftover from ancient sea beds, which is then mined like any other mineral. This primarily results in rock salt. The purest salt, however, is harvested through solar evaporation. In warm regions with low rates of precipitation, salt is harvested once a year from shallow ponds and pools evaporated by the sun during the summer. Salt produced in this fashion, called “sea salt,” is a common ingredient in cooking and cosmetics.” – (Where does salt come from – Ask.com, http://www.ask.com/question/where-does-salt-come-from)\

Sea Salt spends more time in water, which is not that element of Earth. While Rock Salt is mined from underground, within the element of Earth, from ancient sea-beds. This is the main argument again “Sea-Salt” is the fact Rock salt is more Element specific. If we take the side of Rock Salt and look further into Elementals for correspondence, we can liken the Gnomes to mines and caverns within the Earth. If the user held a belief in Elementals, an underground mine would be an excellent place for Earth elements to congregate, while a pond or the “Sea” would be a perfect place for Undines to exert their influence. Pushing belief one step further, that crystals (crystalline solids) can store “energy”, the energy of the Elementals, of the Element, would be imbued within them. Though Rock Salt was once in the sea, it is now within the Earth surrounded by that element. Sea-salt was recently evaporated from salt-water, recently being surrounded by the element of Water.
Once again, if you only have one type of salt, cant afford or in any other way purchase any other form… as long as it is a Solid it represents Earth. However, if you are going to go out of your way to purchase salt more applicable to the “correspondences”, purchase Rock-Salt.

A History of Salt Use
Though my professors, seeing this would’ve killed me, but here is a Wikipedia Reference (check out the references that Wikipedia offer for further details on the subjects).
“Salt has long held an important place in religion and culture. At the time of Brahmanic sacrifices, in Hittite rituals and during festivals held by Semites and Greeks at the time of the new moon, salt was thrown into a fire where it produced crackling noises. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans invoked their gods with offerings of salt and water and some people think this to be the origin of Holy Water in the Christian faith. In Aztec mythology, Huixtocihuatl was a fertility goddess who presided over salt and salt water.
In one of the hadiths recorded in Sunan Ibn Majah, the Islamic Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said that: “Salt is the master of your food. God sent down four blessings from the sky – fire, water, iron and salt”. Salt is considered to be a very auspicious substance in Hinduism and is used in particular religious ceremonies like house-warmings and weddings. In Jainism, devotees lay an offering of raw rice with a pinch of salt before a deity to signify their devotion and salt is sprinkled on a person’s cremated remains before the ashes are buried. Salt is believed to ward off evil spirits in Buddhist tradition, and when returning home from a funeral, a pinch of salt is thrown over the left shoulder as this prevents evil spirits from entering the house. In Shinto, salt is used for ritual purification of locations and people (harae, specifically shubatsu), and small piles of salt are placed in dishes by the entrance of establishments for the two-fold purposes of warding off evil and attracting patrons.
In the Hebrew Bible, there are thirty-five verses which mention salt. One of these is the story of Lot’s wife, who was turned into a pillar of salt when she looked back at the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:26) as they were destroyed. When the judge Abimelech destroyed the city of Shechem, he is said to have “sown salt on it,” probably as a curse on anyone who would re-inhabit it (Judges 9:45). The Book of Job contains the first mention of salt as a condiment. “Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?” (Job 6:6). In the New Testament, six verses mention salt. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus referred to his followers as the “salt of the earth”. The apostle Paul also encouraged Christians to “let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6). Salt is mandatory in the rite of the Tridentine Mass. Salt is used in the third item (which includes an Exorcism) of the Celtic Consecration (cf. Gallican Rite) that is employed in the consecration of a church. Salt may be added to the water “where it is customary” in the Roman Catholic rite of Holy water.
In Judaism, it is recommended to have either a salty bread or to add salt to the bread if this bread is unsalted when doing Kiddush for Shabbat. It is customary to spread some salt over the bread or to dip the bread in a little salt when passing the bread around the table after the Kiddush. To preserve the covenant between their people and God, Jews dip the Sabbath bread in salt. In Wicca, salt is symbolic of the element Earth. It is also believed to cleanse an area of harmful or negative energies. A dish of salt and a dish of water are almost always present on an altar, and salt is used in a wide variety of rituals and ceremonies.” (Salt – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#Usage_in_religion)

Finally…
We see from this Why Salt, Which Salt and What is Salt used for. The History of salt in ritual and religious works is large, and that plus the other reasons I mentioned are why I choose to use Salt (even table salt, blessed and consecrated of cause).

If you have any questions regarding this, feel free to leave a comment. I would like to also hear your personal beliefs and your reasons for using and usages of salt or your reasons for not using it.