Creating Circles and Ceremonies: Rituals for All ... - reading...

14 Creating Circles & Ceremonies
1. Welcome to the Circle of Magick!
Introduction to Magick & Ritual
By Anodea Judith
Welcome to the realm of magick and ritual! Here in these pages you are invited to enter into
an enchanting convergence with the raw forces of Life, exquisitely combining your Will and
Intention for the sake of achieving transformation and balance. This is no small task, and as such
it requires the application of both science and art. These three books in one volume are designed
to aid you in this process—a set of tried and true recipes, if you will—that can be used according
to your own taste and practice. Pick and choose, sample and muse your way through these
offerings—offerings to the temple of the sacred circle, the field in which magick occurs. Use
what you will, add to it, change it, enhance it, or discard it. But do enjoy the process, for the elements
of magick are the spiritual language of the Gods, and the building blocks of the world we create.
Why Study Magick?
By Sheila Attig
The path of the Western Mysteries is not for everybody. It requires extraordinary honesty,
dedication, persistence, and a deep commitment to change. Real magick requires a
fundamentally balanced personality willing to take on the challenges of accelerated growth.
The decision to embark on the magickal path should never be taken lightly—once begun,
there is no turning back. It is a decision to trust one’s individual experience, and to take
responsibility in all areas of one’s life.
From the beginning, the student will perceive that the lessons he/she most needs to learn
are delivered with astonishing clarity. Along the way, the student will be presented with many
tests and difficulties unique to the Magickal path. The ability to learn from these experiences
and thrive is the true measure of Initiation.
Unlike most forms of religion, Magick has no central written codex of laws, and offers
no easy answers. The laws under which it operates are uniform, but are discovered only
through direct experience. To truly begin the path, then, is to commit oneself to a lifetime of
discovery and sacrifice offered without reservation. For those few with the honesty and
courage to choose this path there is no turning back. One can cease to practice, but the
lessons will still be delivered on schedule in the life of the person who turns away.
Opening oneself to the Innerworld opens the way to change at the deepest inner levels.
Without the courage to confront and change all the aspects of your own Innerworld that will
be presented, the risk of confusion and self-deception is great. Undertaking such study without
the foundation of a balanced personality, and without clear knowledge of the best and
worst aspects of one’s self, could be gambling with your sanity. Until you know firmly who
you are, why take such a risk? Magick has a way of calling in old business that must be
cleared before serious work can begin, and many who approach it decide to stop when they
first experience encounter such obligations. Not everyone will find that dire consequences
immediately ensue when they choose the Magickal Path. For those who choose it rightly, the
speed at which things clear in their lives will be experienced with a distinct sense of relief.
Magick is powerful, but it is foolish to undertake it as a quest for increased personal power. If you
desire to be a master, rather than a servant, Magick is not for you. Before beginning, ask yourself,
“What do I intend to do with my Magick?” Make no mistake, the only true answer for real magicians
is “I desire to serve Spirit and humankind, and I am willing to take the risks to complete that service.”