a question about preparing for magick

[Kristy]

I had a question about preparing for magick. When opening The Circle, what do you use to make a Pentacle? :

[level]

I always wondered about the pentagram and what its use might be. The past few months I have been thinking about it and what the real reason behind developing it in the first place was. And then a realization hit me. The pentagram as we all know is a system that connects all five elements together. Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Spirit. After pondering hard on the matter I came to the conclusion that the pentagram is a system that helps to map the users abilities and accomplishments that with every new skill and unfolding of concepts and mastering them provides insight to more complex systems and elements that have their origin within each original element that is explored and expanded.

Each element has the potential to be unfolded by accumulating knowledge and gaining experience in manipulating and controlling it. That in itself creates a circle within the original circle (pentagram). I call those circles Sorcerers Circles. Every time you master something of an element you create a rune that represents that skill/experience and you place it in the elemental circle of the element that it belongs to. The purpose of creating runes on your own is to protect the knowledge as well as use it as a short cut when studying the circle overall. (I hate the term pentagram because it has a necromancer ring to it.) I prefer Elemental Sorcerers/es Circles. Also it helps if you create a rune book where you list all your runes and the details of your discoveries and accomplishments. My rune book has over 40 runes within it where I describe each of my accomplishments in each elemental area. My sorcerer’s circles have all the runes which I study to find new skills and possible connections between each element. There are few categories and classification of the runes. Those classifications describe the nature of the rune and its place in the circles. For example, I have Law/rule, power, foundation, static, evolutionary, progressive, infinite, interactional, transitional, skill and float runes.

This system helps me not only track my thought and memory process but also my creativity and exploration abilities. Through the runes I can faster reach and discover new concepts and handles that have the potential to open doors for me to better not only understand the element I am exploring but ways to control it.

Hope this helps. Cheers.

[Daisybeck]

Hi Kristy,

I have an athame but I never use it. It sits on my altar as more of a symbolic gesture. If I'm at home I cast in the air with my right index finger. If I'm outdoors, for instance at the beach, I'll use a stick or my feet. I walk around seven times in one direction, three in the other, then nine in the first direction. I do the five lines of the pentacle the same way.

I never use my athame as it just doesn't 'do it' for me. Where as with other people it's the most natural thing in the world to use one.

My personal view is that you need to do it the way that feels right for you. Maybe meditate on it for a while or try both. Use an athame and then go outside and find a stick some where (preferably one that has already fallen off a tree) and try that as well. Just experiment and use what feels right for you.

Bec.