Tag: theology
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The Sacred Fire: Kindling Life in the Circle
n my tradition, we have two different types of fire represented in the Circle: Elemental Fire, which dwells in the South, and Sacred Fire, which dwells in the Center. Elemental Fire is meant to represent the transformative quality of the element. Sacred Fire, on the other hand, is a conjoining of all the Elements: Earth…
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The Threefold Law: Unraveling the Different Interpretations
The Threefold Law is a point of some contention in Traditional Wicca. Some priestesses, like Phyllis Curott, suggest that the Threefold Law is a remnant of Christianized thinking and amounts to a threat of punishment for doing bad things, which is incompatible with Pagan belief structures and should be rejected. Others, like Raven Grimassi, suggest…
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Royal Stars and Watchtowers: The Astral Element of the Circle
In the magick circle, we have representation of the four elements, the sun, the moon, and the earth. But notably missing is the representation of the sky/stars. Or so I thought. While researching for another project, I came across the notion of the Royal Stars, an astrological and astronomical concept used by the ancient Persians…
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The Three Passwords: Gaining Admission to the Magick Circle
The passwords to the magick circle are seen in the Gardnerian first-degree initiation ritual, when the dedicant is challenged before entering the circle. When the dedicant answers with the two passwords they are given beforehand, Perfect Love and Perfect Trust, the priest (or priestess, depending on who is officiating the initiation) responds with a third…
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Circle/Wheel: A Crash Course in Circle Symbolism
I’ve quoted him before and I’ll quote him again. Author and teacher Ivo Dominguez Jr. remarked in his book Casting Sacred Space: The Core of All Magickal Work that “In its fullness, a Circle can contain a richness so complex that if all of Wicca were lost except for the way to cast a Circle, and…