Twin Cities Pagan Pride 2010

Well, I attended and taught my workshop at the Twin Cities Pagan Pride this year. The location for this year’s event was at the Lake Harriet Spiritual Community, which is an old converted church in the western side of Minneapolis. Because of the new location and the smaller area, the venue was probably not as big as supposedly has been in previous years. Saturday was fairly well attended, but Sunday was only sparsely attended, at least until the mid afternoon. My class held on Sunday at 12:30 had only four of five attendees, but this made the workshop more intimate and allowed for a wider range of topics to be discussed. I also was able to really examine the nature of my workshop on Sacred Space, Temples and Groves, and found that it does need some adjustment, but overall, the class was a success. The weather for both days was quite nice, pleasantly warm during the day, and cool during the evening - and lots of brilliant sunshine, which I enjoyed soaking up a bit of that, too. (Winters can be pretty harsh up here in the great northern plains.)

I also got to meet some old friends that I haven’t seen in quite a long time, as well as hang with some friends that I hadn’t got the chance to socialize with during the summer months. It makes me realize that living way out in the countryside has its benefits and its drawbacks. Seeing friends on a regular basis is one of the things that doesn’t happen often enough, so I often feel like I am missing out on what is going in the city. However, the isolation has its uses, which is the peace, the silence, ability to tune into nature, and enjoy long periods of thinking, meditating and working magick as often as I please. I am lucky in that I have a large home in the country and can support both an indoor temple (with an adjoining fire place) and an outdoor grove. Having both of these features makes living out here both a positive experience and one that has aided my spiritual and magickal development.

So, with that being said, I am enjoying this autumn, but I am definitely feeling a lot of internal spiritual movement deep within my soul, and I know that there will be some very interesting things awaiting me in the next couple of months. Autumn is my favorite time of the year, and I love all aspects of it, especially Samhain! The period from late September through the end of December are my most productive times, and it’s the time when the magick really manifests in a very powerful way - so I look forward this autumn with a high degree of optimism and encouragement.

Some interesting points about sacred space were written into my notes for that workshop, and since I haven’t shared any of that information with my readers, I wanted to post it here for all to read and think about. Here are my notes, but I have restricted them to include only the initial information about sacred space.


Introduction to Sacred Space

To define sacred space, we need to first define the terms sacred and space.

The dictionary can help us with this task (Merriam Webster).

Sacred - something that is dedicated to (exclusive) religious use, hallowed - consecrated by love or reverence, dedicated to a person or purpose, inviolable.

Related words: Sacramental - anything that is considered to have a sacred significance. Sacrifice - making an offering to a deity, giving up of something cherished or desired.

Sacred Space - a place or area (room) dedicated (either permanently or temporarily) for religious use, consecrated by a special process (either an outward act or an inward perception) and using either obvious or implied boundaries.

Sacred space establishes a boundary threshold between the domain of spirit and the mundane world, where what is within that boundary is considered to be a participant of the domain of spirit.

What is outside that boundary is to be considered part of the mundane world, or that space which is not essentially a participant in the expression of the sacred.

The boundary that is used in Witchcraft and paganism (if it is used at all) is a circle.

A circle can be found in both an indoor temple and an outdoor grove.

Other most essential element is the altar, which symbolizes a point or specific place in the circle where the godhead may be approached and communicated with in a direct manner. (Think sacred mountain or world tree.)

Because of the use of a boundary for sacred space, the temple room or outdoor grove characterizes a kind of magick or liturgical operation that is defined as using the process of immersion.
       
The gods, spirits and special creatures in paganism and witchcraft are experienced directly and individually by all - there is no veiling, gradation or partitioning of that exposure.

Pagan and wiccan magickal and liturgical practices are different than Christian or ceremonial magickal practices. 

Frater Barrabbas

The Grove and Outdoor Magick

“Have seen dawn and sunset on moors and windy hills
Coming in solemn beauty like slow old tunes of Spain:
I have seen the lady April bringing in the daffodils,
Bringing the springing grass and the soft warm April rain.

I have heard the song of the blossoms and the old chant of the sea,
And seen strange lands from under the arched white sails of ships;
But the loveliest things of beauty God ever has showed to me
Are her voice, and her hair, and eyes, and the dear red curve of her lips.”
Beauty - John Masefield

There is nothing more beautiful, intense, real and meaningful than having an outdoor place to work magick, especially if it is consecrated and maintained over a period of time. I call such a semi-permanent place to work magick out of doors, a Grove, and I am lucky enough to own a three acre section of wooded land that has such a place within it. A grove demands a certain fundamental reality that you won’t find in an indoor temple. A magician who works in a grove is expected to be able to deal effectively with the variables of nature. Trust me when I say that there is nothing more basic or fundamental than that.

However, many witches treat an outdoor grove much as they would treat their indoor temple. This is patently wrong and misguided. Such a notion assumes that there is no difference between a grove and a temple, and to be deadly honest, they are quite different in many ways. So to help some folks to adjust their magickal workings to an outdoor environment so that they can really function within a grove setting, I decided to write an article that articulates the differences between a temple and a grove, and how those differences can make for some exceptional magickal experiences.

When witches assemble to work magick in a temple area, especially if that temple is a temporary affair that is used normally for living space, then one of the first things that they will do is to perform a rite that purifies the area and generates sacred space. Upon that sacred space they will erect a magick circle and set the four wards to the four cardinal directions. Sacred space is generated through the application of the four Elements, where earth and water are the salt and water conjoined to make the lustral water, and incense and fire are joined to make the clouds of incense smoke. Some will even pass a candle to the four directions as an emblem of fire, although that is optional. Yet such a set of actions would very likely be superfluous when defining sacred space outdoors. Why is that? What could be the difference?

The very first assumption that anyone who is a pagan or a witch would make about nature is that it is inherently sacred. So this means that even a suburban yard has a certain quality of sacredness already built into it. When a group assembles in some “secret glade” to do their magickal rites and worship the gods, then that secret glade is already sacred. If it’s already sacred, then what’s the point in aspurging, incensing, laying a magick circle, calling the quarters and setting the four wards. Most of these actions are terribly redundant and unnecessary because the area chosen for magick is already sacred space. In the end, these actions, taken out of context from a temple, only serve to help the group become aware of the sacredness of the space, and that is accomplished poorly because not one person has done anything to attune themselves to the natural sacredness of the area. They assemble in some beautiful natural space, and then ignore it’s beauty for the sake of their liturgical protocols. While they are doing these actions, they are ignoring what that sacred space has to say, almost refusing to listen to the trees and tune in to the lush growth of grasses and herbs. It almost seems like those who profess to be pagan and witches are actually quite dulled by their mundane and urban life experience, even if they live in the suburbs or the countryside. All of this is quite sad to me, since it represents the fact that some pagans are only pagan in name, that the actual mystery of nature completely escapes them.

Does anyone go to a sacred natural setting and before any ritual or liturgical work is done, ask the space for its permission and assistance? Just learning to be quiet, tuning in to nature, touching the plants and the earth itself, and then asking these simple questions would certainly make a difference.

“I am here and open to you, please attend and be open to me. What do you want to teach me today? What do you want me to do so that I may honor you and come to know the mystery of nature?”

Does anyone talk to nature anymore? Certainly, that would be sign of someone who is a pagan - talking to the trees, grasses and herbs. Learning to emulate the deep quiet of nature in one’s inner self would also allow nature to talk back, because it can certainly be loquacious in its own way. Talking to nature and listening to its subtle, deep and gentle replies is an important step to becoming a real pagan, and an important step to working magick in a grove. 

I have attended many festivals and gatherings where rituals are conducted using the same old tired ritual actions, again and again, all of which are exactly the same actions that are done in a temple. No one asks the natural setting where these rites are being performed if that is the right and proper thing to do, or what, if anything, should be done. What it does, though, is create an artificial barrier between the celebrants and the actual ground upon which they are doing their rites. The earth can’t talk to them if they are assiduously ignoring it. The lack of that fundamental connection makes what is done almost absurd, especially for those who espouse to be pagans or wiccans.

So, how do we rectify this situation and work our rites in a grove setting while establishing a powerful and harmonious link with the mysteries and powers of nature? What must we do to really become a proper worshiper of nature and an agent of earth-base spirituality, not to mention work earth based magick? What we have to do is to throw away most of our assumptions and leave the temple rites in the context of the temple. For a grove, we need to approach it in a completely unique and different way.

Here are some assumptions and what impact they have on working outdoor rites in a grove setting.

Groves are naturally sacred, there is no need to attempt to make them sacred. What is required, instead, is to open the self and re-sensitize the mind and body to what is already there. So we don’t make sacred space in a grove, we open ourselves to it and make ourselves available to it.

All of the Elements are present in nature, there is no need to summon any of them. Similarly, the Gods and Goddesses are all present, there is no need to call or summon them, either. What we do is to become deeply and profoundly aware of these qualities and open ourselves to them each, one at a time.

Give offerings, gifts and veneration to the sacred space so that it will want to open up to those who are seeking to work within it, and these offerings are always organic human made things consisting of food, drink, (vegetable) oil, tobacco and other things that have been taken from nature to nurture and feed us humans. We give these things back to the earth, to show that we aren’t selfish and that we want to feed the earth as well as ourselves.

Complicated written scripts and rituals are unnecessary in a grove. Ask the grove what kind of ritual work should be done and how it should accomplished. The grove as living sacred space not only talks, listens and informs, but it can also guide one in a more effective method of working magick. Memorize what needs to be done, and then be flexible, speak, sing and dance from the heart, and be ready to throw away your assumptions to try something completely new.

Of all the four Elements, we bring fire into the sacred grove. Fire can be a terrible force that destroys nature, so it must also be venerated, worshiped, respected and rigorously controlled. Fire is a powerful spirit, and when it breaks the boundaries that control it, it can be a terrible beast. So we should approach it with great care, respect and cautious veneration. Natural fire is the light and warmth of the Sun - wild fire is what is generated from lightening or vulcanism. Similarly, we may erect and light torches or set up lanterns to illuminate the site and add a special illuminating pattern of mystery and beauty to the sacred space of the grove.

A circle can be used to help focus the magickal work, but it is not required. A permanent grove will have a few things erected and permanently left there for periodic use. These would be a circle to mark the boundary of sacred space, an altar of some kind to show the place where the gods are assumed to be (this can also be a Stang or pole), a sacred fire pit and torches and/or markers to show the approximate four or eight directions, thus making it a compass round. A temporary grove can have an altar, fire pit and torches set up, or it can have just a fire pit for the fire. There is no real need for a circle or any other distinguishing markers, just the fire pit where the human element introduces a controlled version of the Element of Fire.

Tools that are required are few - there is little need for anything that doesn’t have a practical value. A knife is used to cut and carve, something is used to make fire, perhaps even a wand can be brought with one, but a handsome stick cut from a fallen branch would do nicely. A Stang is a wonderful tool, since it melds wood and horn into a single expression, and it is iron shod. (I will be discussing this tool in a future article, so have no fear if the concept eludes you for the moment.) Learn to use only a few tools or none, and make do with what the grove offers you as a suitable magickal tool.

A grove is a very special place that is generally larger and roomier than an indoor temple, so it benefits one to dance, leap in the air, sing, beat drums, play flutes, eat and drink, and even make love, all in the name of Sacred Nature. If a person seeks something in life that he or she does not already possess, then ask the earth if it’s possible, what must be done to make it so, and then use the power and majesty of the earth to make it so. Perhaps an unusual stone will make itself known to you, or a special herb. What is at hand is all that one needs.

So to recap - how do we work magick and worship in a grove?

• Perform deep forms of meditation, listen and attune yourself to nature. Do this first before doing anything else. Talk to the sacred space and get a good conversation going before you do anything. Find out what the grove wants you to do, and then make a mental note to do it. Do this in complete and total darkness, if it’s night.
• Light the torches to illuminate the sacred space - this is done for us, so we can see what we are doing.
• Give offerings to the grove - accompanied with praise, song and veneration.
• Light the fire - venerate, respect and attune oneself to the fire burning in the heart of the grove.
• Acknowledge the four or eight directions - align and orient the self.
• Seek the Gods and Goddesses of that sacred space - align and attune the self to them. Give them veneration, praise, love through song and dance. Bless food and drink, share it with them.
• Empower oneself in the awesome majesty of the grove - raise the power in oneself through ecstatic dance, and then focus on an intention - release and send out the power. You can do this more than once, but each time, it should be done to make that “one” thing happen in your life.
• At the end of the rite, extinguish the lights and make certain that the fire is secured or quelled completely. Attune oneself to the earth, offer a heartfelt thanksgiving, and then leave. If at all possible, sleep the night near the grove - seek for dreams and teachings from the land itself.
• The next day, if this was a temporary site, clean it up so that it looks like no one has been there, within reason, of course. Some campgrounds require that you keep the fire pit intact. Just make certain that the fire is completely put out before leaving.

I think that if pagans and witches use these simple rules to work outdoors (unless they are already doing something like that), then they will experience magick in a grove as it should be experienced - without barriers or built in assumptions.

Frater Barrabbas

Mysteries of the Magick Circle

The latest question and answer article produced some really outstanding comments, showing me just how diverse the practice of ritual and ceremonial magick is out there in the world. There are many ways of doing magick just within the Western Mystery Tradition, so it would seem that the number of personal paths in the world is legion.

I also wanted to thank everyone who participated in the comments and who helped to make that question almost classical in how it was responded to and ultimately, answered.

However, I noticed that my own methodology for working magick is less well understood and known amongst fellow practicing magicians, particularly in the area of establishing sacred space and building a foundation for performing a magickal working. I am referring to my use of a magick circle instead of using the various GD based rituals of the LBRP, LIRP, LIRH, Middle Pillar or Rose Cross. As a practicing witch and neopagan, I have always started out every working erecting and establishing a magick circle, which has certain properties that I generally take for granted.

One of the comments made me realize that if someone were to examine the basic ritual practices used to set a magick circle (which is used by many witches, wiccan and neopagans), they might not understand that a ritual circle begins the process of magick with a completely neutral foundation, warded and defined by the circle and the watchtowers. The invoking pentagrams that are used to set the four wards do not actually generate elemental powers that would interfere in other workings. How is that so? What are the qualities of a magick circle that keeps it completely intact and integral? I had to step back and think about this magickal ritual structure and attempt to explain something that I have practiced for nearly four decades. So now I am writing this short article to explain what is a magick circle, how it’s formed, and why it abrogates other rituals that apparently do the same thing.

First of all, the completed ritual structure of a magick circle should be imagined as ring of power that establishes a boundary point and delimits a focus between the outer world (which is considered profane) and the inner world within the circle that represents the purified place where the magick is to be performed. The invoking pentagrams set to the four wards are used to charge the circle and establish the magickal ring, so they are fully incorporated into that ritual structure and do not bleed their effects into the domain of the magick circle. Why is this so? It’s something that I have been doing for a very long time and I have never experienced any problems with the wards colliding with the magick performed and generated inside the circle. The key to understanding this is to realize that the ring of the magick circle represents the outer periphery of the magick circle. The invoking pentagrams are set to the four directions at the outer edge of the magick circle, and as part of the empowering of the ring, they remain within that area and do not emanate into the center of the circle.

Lets quickly go over how a magick circle is set and sacred space is generated, so we can see the stages where the circle is defined and check my theories. While this rite will vary a bit from the various traditions of witchcraft who use them, the basic structure always has the following components.

1. Self preparation and purification - bath, vesting, magickal persona assumption and meditation session. Then the temple is prepared - generally by some light organizing, cleaning and then lighting the candles or lamps of the art and the charcoal. The four cardinal directions are marked with candles of their own, and in my case, the four cross-quarters are also marked with candles. I prefer to use oil lamps, and the various eight points of the circle have their own small mini alters or tables to hold the lamps and any other identifying images (banners, trigon talismans, etc.).

2. Circle and temple purification by the sacraments of the four elements. The first step is to generate the lustral water, which is salt and water combined. The salt is charged and the water is blessed and they are combined in a special chalice. This is done using the consecrated dagger and the chalice as representations of the sacral joining of the archetypal male and female - the dagger is drawn down point first into the chalice of water or the patten of salt so that it touches them. The combining of water and salt is called the comixio, which combines the elements of earth and water. The lustral water is then sprinkled around the temple area, proceeding in a deosil arc, starting and ending in the East. Because the lustral water is considered a sacrament, then the area where it is aspurged is thought of as being made sacred.

Then the next elements are used to continue the blessing of the sacred space. The incense is put on the burning coals in the thurible or censer and it is taken around the circle deosil, from East to East, to dispense the incense smoke fully within the temple area. I also use a small lamp to focus the element of Fire to the four quarters in the same manner, but some might consider the lit charcoal and incense to be the combination of fire and air. Once this is done, then the celebrant has purified and blessed the temple area with the four elements.

3. Once the temple area is so blessed and purified (made into sacred space), the celebrant then draws the magick circle, using the sword, projecting a powerful line of force from the sword to the outer periphery of the magick circle - making a ring of power. The celebrant starts in the East and proceeds deosil around the circle until he or she returns to the East.

4. Finally, the celebrant takes the magick dagger and proceeds to the East, and therein draws the invoking pentagram of Air and invokes the spirit of the Eastern Watchtower, which could be one of the four winds, elemental creatures, archangels, Enochian Kings, totem animals, or whatever is prime in the working tradition of the witch or pagan. This act is repeated at each point of the circle, East (Air), South (Fire), West (Water) and North (Air), until the Watchtowers are fully deployed and charged with the invoking pentagrams of the four Elements. There are many variations to the attribution of element to cardinal direction, but as long as they represent a consistent structure, they successfully empower the magickal ring and keep it intact and fully active. I actually use several variations, depending on whether the circle is to have an overall theme of natural elements, alchemical polarization or astrological configuration.

In addition to the above four steps, the celebrant can also draw the four Watchtowers together to form a square within the circle, thus adding to its empowerment. The three center points can be addressed and qualified as well as the four cross-cardinal points. A gateway can be established within the circle, representing additional components that the celebrant may add to make the magick circle more versatile and refined in its use. All of these additional components do not in any way change the basic qualities of the magick circle. It’s still a ring of power acting as a boundary between sacred and profane space. 

The boundary of the magick circle is actually porous, which means that individuals and even spirits can pass through it, either entering or exiting, while the four wards protect the area within from any unwanted or uncalled individuals or spirits, barring them from entering the circle. The purpose of the magick circle is keep the powers and forces that are generated or summoned within the circle, thus helping to focus and intensify them. When individuals need to leave the magick circle, they may do so by making a gesture of opening and closing the boundary to allow themselves to pass through, thereby keeping the ritual structure intact.

Another strange quality of the magick circle that I have discovered is that once it is set, both time and space are perceptually altered to a profound degree. I believe and act as if the time within the magick circle is frozen at the moment that it is successfully cast. This means that planetary hours and astrological aspects are locked at the moment of the genesis of the circle. If I wish to perform a given rite during a specific planetary hour or when a specific astrological aspect is active, all I need to do is the set the magick circle, and then have unlimited time to work within that hour or aspect. I believe that this phenomenon is valid because of all of the time displacement and dilation phenomena that I have experienced when working magick in a magick circle. Without the circle, such phenomena does not seem to occur as powerfully or as often. A magick circle seems to give a ritual working a kind of potent isolation from the temporal world, opening it instead to the whole of the domain of the world of Spirit.

Anyway, these are my perceptions and ideas about the ritual structure of the magick circle and its localized ring of power. In sharing this lore with you, I am hoping to relate not only how I work magick, but also the mechanics of using this methodology, and how it affects everything else I do when performing ritual magick.

Frater Barrabbas