Sunday, January 29, 2012

We are a polygon, within a polygon, and we go on and on.....

Several years ago I sat in on a workshop where an elder and crone shared how she had found great liberation practicing magick in a "more creative" non-traditional way.  This perked my interest, and I found myself leaning forward.  What did she mean?  She meant that when she went out to do magick with her coven she found herself picking shapes that were "anything other than a circle" to see what they did, how they felt, and sometimes just to "break her humdrum mindset".  "It is when we are creating, that we escape the mundane" she said.  There were a couple of people around my age, that had been practicing just as long or longer that started to get "hot under the collar" and very irritated at her for teaching this.  They began to argue with her that this was not any way to teach magick to people; that this was not something that could work for everyone.  Very calmly the crone fielded every "fearful question" and soothingly said..."I did not say that this is for everyone; I said that at this time in MY LIFE it is what I needed to do...and felt compelled to do.  I am just here to share with you my findings."

 I loved her for this, because I had always done more than one shape myself!  But, I had confined myself mostly to a circle because it was safe, easy, and predictable.  After her workshop I realized that maybe I should put more thought into "not doing easy" and breaking out of that "box" or in this case the circle. So today I am going to share with you a few different things and a few options.  Of course practioners of Enochian or what we witches call "High Magick" have explored different geometrical shapes like the Egyptians did for thousands of years....of course you all know I am not an expert of Enochian magick nor talking to "high magicians"  I am talking to us plain old, Southern Fried Witches, Pagans, and Wiccans.




A CIRCLE: This is the most traditional way everyone casts rituals or spaces.  Most often you sit in the middle of them alone if you are a solitaire and if you are practicing within a group you are either forming the circle with your body and your fellow worshipers, or it is outside of you made by a border or rocks or lights, or you are in the middle " supervising and directing" the energy.  A circle always works, all-ways! It fulfills all the needs of a spell, and achieves a state of transcendence and communication with deity while protecting you the practitioner. 

A Circle is a perfect shape to do spells that are for balance, spells that are for communication with your deity, spirits, angels and guides, and remind us that there is no ending or beginning to the universal energy...it just is!  A circle is a symbol of wholeness, balance, achievement, and universal life forces.

If you are a solitaire you stand in the center of it.  If you are in a group you usually face inward toward the altar in the middle.

A TRIANGLE: Pyramids are triangles, and we all have heard of sacred geometry which utilizes numbers and plains to make triangles out of thin air! The body, mind and spirit form a triangle.  The Goddess and God are often represented as a triad (Mother, Maiden, Crone, and Rogue, Father, Sage).  The Christians present their version of Plutarch's Pagan triad with God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy spirit and if you are Gnostic that Holy Spirit might be God the Mother.  Pythagoras (who studied the ancient mysteries in Egypt) believed that three was the Perfect number for it had a beginning, a middle and an end. In magick, we are always told that if things come in three the universe is talking to you...and so we see that three is a very potent number indeed!

When it comes to magic a Triangle is employed  as a ritual SHAPE (in place of a circle, or within a circle) to do magick related to self-expression or creativity and artistic pursuits, for power and high energy when you need it, to increase psychic abilities, to do a meditation or employ astral work, and is the very best for divination of any kind!

If you are a solitaire then sit at the base (the biggest part) of the triangle facing the direction you want to go for the spell (North, East, South, West, etc).  If you are in a group, then always face inward...if you are two witches then each take a base point, if you are a Triad (three witches) then AHA!  You might have found a good formation for you!



A SQUARE/RECTANGLE: Buildings have four sides, most animals have four legs, there are four directions on a compass and we employ them in our spiritual path.  The number Four actually represents Stability! (You can cast this in the place of a circle or inside a circle, or you could get very creative and put a square inside a circle and a triangle in that! It depends on how complicated or how much fun geeking out is to you!)  I have heard people say a square or rectangle are not that powerful but I have done some magick with them that has been pretty potent so I would calmly say...to each his or her own.

Square formations should be used to buy or lease a property whether that be a home, apartment, or business building , for career related issues, for something that you would like to build upon (like a associates degree is to a Bachelors), any idea/dream you want to see materialize in physical form a square is awesome!  It is also long associated with changing or drawing luck to you.   I have been told that people who favor square formations are workaholics and very organized (I love them) so if you find that you are a scattered person, and a procrastinator or lazy...the square formation is the way for you to go!

If you are a solitaire then sit or stand in the middle of the square/rectangle and face the direction that is proper for your spell or that feels right to you!  With four or more people, take compass points for calling the watchtowers/elementals and always face inward.

Most imporantly remember the point of a formation is for two things...to create sacred space and make you feel safe and removed from your mundane world.  So if it does not feel right, or feels stifled make something else!  Hey remember a hexagram is just several triangles!  And Polygons are the most creative shape of all...thus the reason for this title.  By the way, an old dragon called Trudy Herring shared that song (from what I was told) with the community so I associate it with her and it makes me smile.

"We are a polygon, within a polygon and we go on and on and we go on and on...(repeat many many times) and you sing this until you either die laughing or feel a jubilant cone of power burst out of you all... Because if you are not en-joying and joy-full when you are doing magick (which really is a way of merging and worshipping) then you really need to stop!

Share with me some shapes you like...or tell me which one you prefer!

2 comments:

  1. I like finding shapes in nature! it's been fun working with my 5 yr old finding the shapes too. :) But your post is an interesting way to look at shapes. Thanks!

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  2. @ Michele I wish I could say it was "all my idea" I was presented this idea from a crossed over Elder named Trudy Herring...She liked Polygons

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