Spirited (32 page)

Traditional Approach

• At north, place the pentacle
  
• At west, place the chalice or cauldron
  
• At south, place the athame
  
• At east, place the wand
  

Natural Approach

• At north, place a stone, dish of sand or soil, or crystal
  
• At west, place a shell or dish of water (preferably sea, spring, or rain water)
  
• At south, place a candle
  
• At east, place a stick of incense or a feather
  

Practical Approach

• At north, place a green candle
  
• At west, place a blue candle
  
• At south, place a red candle
  
• At east, place a yellow candle
  

You may also like to place a cauldron in the centre of your circle to symbolise the universal womb of creativity.

The Tools

Many of us have no use for tools. For some Pagans, it is easier to connect with the energies of the world through direct communion. Whatever your persuasion in terms of tools or lack thereof, it is important to know, understand, and appreciate the tools present in the Craft today.

The Athame

The athame is traditionally (as dictated by the Wiccan traditions) a black-handled, double-edged, dull knife used to focus and direct energy. The preferable material for the blade is generally iron or steel, as these are said to conduct energy effectively. However, if you are planning on working with the Fey, then I suggest for both your sakes that you don't go anywhere near iron.

When I blessed my athame, I made sure that I communicated with the Fey that I was aware of their general dislike of human-forged metals. To honour them, I psychically removed the etheric charge from the metal that they would identify as being harmful. In doing this, I now feel comfortable using my athame in ritual with the Fey.

Many people have argued whether or not the athame does deserve the title of “the Witch's traditional tool” because of the historical implications. However, metal has been known and used for thousands of years now, and many peasants and farmers owned their own daggers, knives, sickles, and pitchforks, which were all made from metal.

In terms of symbolism, the athame is a phallic, or masculine, tool ruled by fire or air, depending on which tradition or logic you are using. Personally, I link the athame with fire, as the blade's physical appearance is striking and potentially dangerous, much like the flame. Also, fire was the primary tool of the blacksmith.

The athame is known for its part in the symbolic Great Rite, in which the athame (representing the God) is inserted into the chalice (representing the Goddess).

The sword, which features prominently in Ceremonial Magick, is aligned to the athame. The sword acts as a definer of the doors and boundaries of the circle, and the athame is suited to personalised, practical uses.

The Besom

The besom (broomstick) has suffered the most from the literature and media of the modern day. The link of the broomstick with the Witch in popular culture has come from the Burning Times. Many of the accused “Witches” admitted to such acts as anointing broomsticks and staffs with “flying ointment,” which then allowed the Witch to fly to the sabbat. This would lead many of us to wonder whether the broomstick was ever actually used in Witch rites.

The besom was first and foremost a tool of the peasantry. As Witchcraft was said to be more common among the agricultural communities, the besom became linked with it.

Primarily, the besom is a tool of fertility. The staff, which is phallic in nature, enters the bristles, representing the vagina. In modern Pagan handfasting rituals, the broomstick is leapt over at the end of the ceremony to ensure future happiness and even conception. As such, the besom is also used to signify a threshold.

One Beltaine, a close friend and I worked a ritual to aid her in conceiving. A storm was brewing over us, and I held my besom up high to the spirits of cloud and thunder and called on their power. I then placed the broomstick lovingly on the ground and I proclaimed the Great Rite through symbolism. It was then that my friend stepped across the besom, thus stepping across the threshold into a new reality. She was once told by doctors that she had little chance of becoming pregnant; today, her daughter Rhiannon is proof of the power of that night.

Another use of the besom is to exorcise, or sweep away, negative energy. In many cultures, it is taboo to sweep on certain auspicious days (e.g., Chinese New Year) as you will be sweeping away the good luck. This is akin to the idea that through clear intention, one can remove a place of negative vibes through the simple act of sweeping.

Throughout history, Witches have been rumoured to have the ability to fly, either with the help of a tool or psychotropic substance, on an animal, or on their own. This lingering belief probably comes from the fact that the original Witches could transcend the earthly plane and enter different, “higher” worlds. This may have filtered into medieval Witchcraft as astral projection or what the Witch may have thought of as physical flying. The recipe for the flying ointment is said to be full of hallucinogens, which can bring on varying levels of nonordinary reality and give the recipient the sensation of flying.

It could also be possible, as has been recounted constantly as means of explaining the history of the broomstick, that brooms were connected to the act of flying because of the discovery that Pagans would run across fields and leap through the air with brooms, pitchforks, and hobbyhorses between their legs to encourage the crops to grow higher.

The Book of Shadows

The Book of Shadows derives from Gerald Gardner's book of the same name. The tome was used to record the rituals and lore of what came to be known as the Gardnerian tradition. The history and relevance of the Book of Shadows to Witches is obscured by several assumptions that tend to spark more debate than answer questions. It is believed that Witchcraft was passed down orally through the generations. It has been claimed that the oral traditions are remnants of the Druidic belief that recording the sacred knowledge would dissipate its power and weaken the ability of one's memory.

The early recording of Witch lore on paper is very unlikely as the majority of Europe could not read or write, and in times of persecution any personal records of Witchcraft could be successfully used against the accused. However, there are documented instances in history where individuals accused of Witchcraft have been found with books containing magickal material.

The very term
Book of Shadows
has been likened to suggest that when Paganism went underground to survive, people began to record the lore and were forced to hide their books in darkness, hence “shadows.” Others say that our entries into our books are shadows of truth and reflections of experiences that cannot possibly be captured by words.

In modern times, the fear of persecution and the threat of fatality are reduced, as each individual is protected by the law of their country and has free will. Today, Witches record their knowledge and understanding of Witchcraft and Paganism without fear of being discovered.

Many young Witches and Pagans today dismiss the term and embrace personalised descriptions. Some that I have heard in the past include Book of Light, Book of Mirrors, and Book of Illumination.

The Candle

Candles offer a pinnacle of focus, and the flame is often described as the embodiment of the Witch's power and intent. They help to still the inner chatter of the mind. Through colours and scents, candles help to set the mood and to exude peace.

In terms of ritual, candles can be used to illuminate the space and to represent certain energies. If you haven't the time or money to buy the specific elemental tools used to mark the cardinal directions, then candles can be substituted (i.e., red for fire, yellow for air, green for earth, and blue for water). They can also be used to represent the God, Goddess, and Spirit energies in ritual, for those of Wiccan backgrounds.

In terms of symbolism, the candle can be equated with the
rod of power, the cosmic phallus that connects the spiritual planes with our material one. Most occult spiritualities make use of a pillar-like object in their rituals to connect with the divine. In Voudoun and the Correllian Nativist Tradition it is the
poto mitan
, a grounded pole or pillar. Think of Beltaine and undoubtedly the image of a pole decorated with greenery and ribbons will come to mi
nd. Towers are also symbols of earth power connecting to the heavens and have been considered in the past to be phallic symbols relating to the dragon energies of earth. Even Catholicism makes use of this metaphysical law in the construct of its cathedrals, specifically the spire. The spire concentrates the collective power of the prayers within the cathedral and sends them out to God. The spire is also known as the
finger of God.
As it is impossible to erect tall, polelike structures at every ritual or spell, we can make use of candles instead.

Candles are most often employed in spells, as they are a very simple yet effective technique of Magick. It is generally the colour of the candle that is harnessed to evoke specific emotions and feelings. Also, candles are sold in most stores and are comfortably cheap.

There are a few intriguing superstitions that modern Witches hold regarding candles and their flames that I would like to mention here. The belief that blowing a candle out will anger the fire elementals (as air is being used to dominate them) or blow away the Magick is one particular custom with origins that are obscure. I have been told by a Hedge Witch that the actual origins of this tradition hearken back to British folklore. She warned that blowing out a candle might also cause the wax to spurt onto the facing wall; the shape it took would be a portent of one's death. Therefore, Witches make a rule of not blowing out candle flames to avoid seeing into one's own death.

I personally do not blow out candles, I pinch the flames out. Scott Cunningham wrote that this was locking in one's power, ensuring the efficacy of the spell cast. I think of it merely as being reverent.

The Cauldron

The cauldron has been transformed from a harmless cooking pot into the birthplace of the Witch's malice. Originally, the cauldron was a universal cooking vessel. It was also used to boil the water for bathing and washing. Coincidentally, the cauldron had its place in the hearth. Therefore, it can be assumed that through these practical applications, a secondary use for the cauldron as a tool of Magick evolved.

The cauldron wins its place in myth from the story of Cerridwen and the birth of Taliesin. In the Welsh myth, Cerridwen, who is later deified
44
as a Mother Goddess of wisdom and Magick, brews an elixir for her dumb son in her cauldron to bless him with deftness and skill. The complete process took a year and a day, and Cerridwen ordered a young servant boy, Gwion Bach, to watch over and stir the brew. As the last day arrived and Gwion looked over the brim of the cauldron, three potent drops of potion landed on his thumb. Immediately, Gwion Bach sucked on his burnt thumb to cool the affliction and became imbued with great power and wisdom. In an attempt to thwart his mistress, he shapeshifted and escaped. However, Cerridwen was alerted, and thus begins a great chase, where both Gwion and Cerridwen change into several different forms until Gwion becomes a grain and Cerridwen, in the form of a hen, eats him. Unbeknownst to Cerridwen, she becomes impregnated with the seed of Gwion Bach, and after nine months a babe is born with the same powers and wisdom Gwion had acquired. Cerridwen, who is wooed by the beauty of the child but wishes to be rid of him, throws the babe into a river, wrapped in a leather bag. The child is later discovered by a man called Elphin. The child is named Taliesin, meaning “radiant brow,” and he later became the great bard of Celtic lore.

Along with this myth, there are many other stories and films that convey the cauldron as a tool of sorcery. There are several medieval woodcuttings portraying haggard women surrounding cauldrons and throwing various pieces of animals into the brew. Today, we use cauldrons mainly for the aesthetic theatrics and spiritual symbolism.

The cauldron is a vessel of the Cosmic Goddess and of water, symbolising the universal womb of transformation. It is a place of potential and creativity. Often, the cauldron is used in substitution for the chalice in the symbolic Great Rite.

The cauldron represents all that is feminine and receptive in this universe and is often the focal point of ritual in which written petitions to the gods are burnt and fires are made to concentrate the energy raised. The bowl of the cauldron is often said to be the place where wisdom is born, and as such cauldrons are often employed to assist in acts of divination.

The cauldron also features in many shamanic tales that speak of demonic forces tearing apart the spirit and body, which is then mended and made whole (within the cauldron) by the guardians of the cauldron and the sisters of Fate, who sing over the bones. This is a common mythic theme across Europe and Asia. It is an archetypal truth that speaks of facing the shadow to be reborn anew in the guise of the wounded healer.

The Chalice

For centuries, it has been a gesture of peace and friendship to offer a cup or chalice of liquid to another. This ritual harks back to Pagan times, when hospitality was one of the greatest virtues.

The chalice is the ceremonial goblet used to hold the ritual wine (or whatever liquid you are using) and to act as the feminine tool in the symbolic Great Rite (see “The Athame,” page 246). As the chalice is receptive in nature, it is linked with the womb and therefore the Cosmic Goddess. Often the chalice is placed in the western quarter to symbolise the element. A chalice may be made from a variety of materials, including stone, wood, and metal. They can be jewel-encrusted and carved with various occult symbols relating to either water or the Goddess.