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

Book I: T he Magick Circle 33
In the HOME Tradition, the magickal tool for Fire is the Athamé (magickal knife), but I
prefer the actual flame of a red candle or a small fire-pot in the South. (A fire-pot may be
made by melting all your candle and crayon stubs in an old pot, then pouring the melted wax
into a little iron or ceramic cauldron stuffed with torn-up cotton rags, which will act as
wicks.) If you use a fire pot, be sure to place it on a fireproof ceramic dish or iron trivet
(these are readily available in magickal designs such as pentagrams). And have a lid handy to
cover it when you want to put out the flames.
In the West, the traditional symbol for Water is, of course, the Chalice. But a beautiful
seashell filled with water may serve as well. And in the North, the traditional symbol for
Earth is a Pantacle (a disk inscribed with a pentagram). Alternatives might include a bowl of
earth or rock salt, a large crystal or geode, a pretty stone, or a potted plant.
Wands or Athamés used for casting the Circle are usually placed across the front of the Altar
(in the South) or propped against it (as in the case of a sword, a staff, or a broom used in a
Handfasting rite). A plate or bowl of food to be shared in the Communion phase of the ritual,
such as bread or fruit, may be kept on the North side of the Altar, or beside it on the ground if
there is no room. A bottle and glasses of fruit juice or wine may be kept beside the Altar in the West.
Lighter, candles, and charcoal blocks for the incense may be kept under the Altar in the South.
Other items on the Altar would be those to be used in the ritual itself. These might include
a bell, anointing oils, smudge sticks and shell or bowl, incense or herbs, a copy of the ritual script
(it’s particularly cool to do it up as a scroll!), divinatory implements (a Tarot deck, crystal ball,
rune stones, black mirror), necessary materials for spell casting, photos of people needing healing
(or of the beloved dead in a Samhain rite), totem animal figurines representing people or
pets, and many other possibilities too numerous to recount here
We also often weave seasonal paraphernalia among the Altar implements,
such as wreaths of holly and ivy at Yule, flowers in Spring, berries and fruit in
Summer and Fall, bones at Samhain, etc. Again, use your imagination!
Quarter Altars
Our HOME community is really into Altars, and we have
lots of them. For our ritual areas, whether indoors or out,
we often have Quarter Altars at the points of the cardinal directions outside
the actual Circle. These may range from simple shelves on wall brackets, as
in the “Shaggy Mushroom” Temple of Annwfn, to the big stone-and-wood
structures at Annwfn’s Faerie Moon and Sun Circles. These Altars can be quite
imaginative, as their purpose is to honor the Elemental Spirits. An advantage: if you have Quarter
Altars outside the Circle, you don’t have to have all that Elemental stuff on the Central Altar!
An Eastern Altar may be made of branches festooned with yellow ribbons, bells, feathers,
little Faeries, and wind chimes, whereas a Western Altar may be made of driftwood and covered
with assorted seashells, with a mermaid sculpture and a large Chalice of water. As the West is the
Gateway to the Underworld, we may also have a special Altar to our beloved dead. There we
might place a black candle or a skull, as well as photos and other mementos of our discorporate
loved ones. A South Altar may be a section of fire-blackened tree with lava stones, red draping,
a dragon, and a fire-pot, whereas a Northern Altar is always made of stone—a large, flat stone is
ideal. It may be decorated with crystals and potted plants, especially ferns and moss.
For large rituals, especially all-nighters held outdoors, many of our tools are
kept on the appropriate Quarter Altars when not in use. All the
incense is kept by the Eastern Altar, along with the Temple
Sword; spare candles are stashed in the South; extra
water, juice, coffee, and other beverages are kept at
the West; and the Northern Altar serves as a place to
keep the ritual bread, fruit, and other food.