Circle, Part II

"The medicine wheel is the nucleus of an atom; it is the universe, and it is everything in between. It offers a series of circles within circles which correspond to a day, a year, a life and so on. It is a philosophy, a way of thought and a learning tool. It is both a physical solid and pure energy...this naturally shaped structure can be used to explain and understand all the complexities of existence...We begin simply but add the layers slowly to build and develop our knowledge."

The Native American medicine or earth wheel is not so different from the basic circle cast by a witch. The circle represents the universe, the Goddess and God, the elements of nature, the sacred space between that which is seen and unseen. It is reflective of the phases of the moon and the orbital rotation of the planets; the days, weeks, months, years, and seasons. It is a microcosm of energy, a cone of power, and as stated above, it is a learning tool by which we learn about the Craft, our own personal power within that faith, and even ourselves as mere humans. The circle teaches us lessons within lessons as we channel our beliefs into something potent and tangible, and within its boundaries we continue to grow each time our circle is cast.

I find it endlessly amazing how many old religions, beliefs, and cultures shared the tools used to honor the divine and utilize that power. So much of the mainstream world no longer sees nor feels this infinite wisdom and instead prefers to mock or vilify those to whom the ancients call today. It's a powerful universe out there at our fingertips, and it all begins with a circle.

Photo and text courtesy of Grey Wolf, Earth Signs: How to Connect With the Natural Spirits of the Earth, The Ivy Press Limited, 1998.

Days of the Week Correspondences

As someone who is really anal in all things, I like to do my spellwork on the day of the week, and within the phase of the moon, that is most conducive to the spell coming quickly and powerfully to fruition. But there are always those times when a spell or raised energy is needed in a more timely manner and it just won't do to sit around and wait for the proper day or moon phase to come around and at those times I work when I need to, despite what my inner perfectionist is whispering in my ear. Still, when I can, I try to work within the hours, days, months and planets that are most powerful for my needs. And I'm endlessly fascinated by how potent this time sensitive power actually is. Pay attention to what happens to you on any given day of the week, and what wishes you've had that have manifested themselves and generally it's pretty much when the planets say it should. As an added boost to your spellwork, choose your colors and herbs wisely too. For many this is old hat, but for some it's new information, and for me, it's just fun to ponder the power!

SUNDAY
Planetary influence: the Sun
Colors: yellow and gold
Herbs and spices: cinnamon and orange peel
Work magick on Sunday for money, prosperity, success, energy, life force, the divine power of the God, blessings, new projects and to heal those issues related to the aforementioned.

MONDAY
Planetary influence: the Moon
Colors: white and silver
Herbs and spices: lemon rind and wintergreen
Work magick on Monday to bring about conception, any issues to do with mothers and motherhood, the divine power of the Goddess, home and family issues, clairvoyance, women's mysteries, medicine, dreams, the sea and any and all emotional work.

TUESDAY
Planetary influence: Mars
Colors: red and black
Herbs and spices: allspice and chili pepper
Work magick on Tuesday to enhance your passion for fighting personal causes, courage, politics, competitions, rituals involving men, self assertion, defense, war, problem solving, and any and all protective or aggressive magick.

WEDNESDAY
Planetary influence: Mercury
Colors: orange and purple
Herbs and spices: dill and celery seed
Work magick on Wednesday for good communication, travel, creativity, speed, all things related to studying, learning and teaching, divination and predictions, celibacy, self improvement, and to improve good luck.

THURSDAY
Planetary influence: Jupiter
Colors: green and royal blue
Herbs and spices: sage and nutmeg
Work magick on Thursday for prosperity, abundance, leadership, healing, wealth/poverty/monetary and legal issues, luck, expansion, fortune, and material possessions.

FRIDAY
Planetary influence: Venus
Colors: pink and aqua green
Herbs and spices: thyme and sugar
Work magick on Friday to draw or send love, heal relationships, romance, beauty, fertility, incense making, the arts, partnerships, pleasure, entertainment and all rituals involving women.

SATURDAY
Planetary influence: Saturn
Colors: black or deep purple
Herbs and spices: Most of the spices associated with Saturn are poisonous, but for banishing spells you can use garlic or onion, fresh or dried
Work magick on Saturday to enhance boundaries, protective magick, restrictions, eliminating debt, finding a job, reincarnation and death, purging of pests, funerals and wills, the elderly, and all banishing and binding spells.

Color: Magickal Properties

Color is a very powerful thing to work with, as all color is imbued with different energies. At some future time I'll talk about the healing properties of colors in relation to our chakras, but today I'll keep the discussion to color magick and working with color to create more potent spells. This might be basic 101 to a lot of people, but to some it's all new territory. Candles, herbs, flowers, paper and any decorations used for spellwork, circle and/or altars can be intensified by bringing objects made of the appropriate colors into play, and even more so by incorporating any gods or goddesses they are linked with, as well as the days of the week they are connected to. Keep this in mind when using them for spellwork: timing is everything when it comes to power!

Red. This is the color of pure vibrant energy. Passion and desire. Red represents the Life Force in everything. It attracts good luck, but can also stir up anger and other unsettling emotions. Because of its power, it's best to use it or be exposed to it in moderation as any emotions it draws out can quickly get out of hand. Use it in magick to overcome difficulties or to increase determination and courage. It's the color of the Celtic Goddess Brid, goddess of the forge, and all things creative. It is also linked with Tuesday and the planet Mars.

Orange. Orange symbolizes joy, optimism and a will to succeed. This is also another powerful color and in magick is used to garner personal happiness and fertility too. This is a color of communication as it is one of the colors associated with Mercury, the messenger of the Roman Gods. Orange is linked with Sunday and the Sun.

Yellow. This color is a mind stimulant and represents achievement and learning. In divination it is used for success, new beginnings and inspiration. It evokes the sun. Linked closely with the color gold, it is a secondary color of the God and male divinity. Be careful with too much yellow though as it can turn from courageous to cowardly quite fast. Yellow is linked with Wednesday and the planet Mercury.

Green. Green is the color of harmony, nature, calmness, balance and growth. In magick it symbolizes prosperity and wealth, as well as healing and luck. This is a very positive color to use in spellwork when attempting to draw something to you in the most positive of ways. It is a sub-color of the Goddess as it is symbolic of fertility and Mother Earth. Use it also in spells to draw new love to you or to strengthen an existing relationship. Green is linked with Saturday and the planet Saturn.

Blue. Blue is the color of Spirit. It also represents healing, water, idealism and has a calming energy. Blue can be used in magick for occult protection, to enhance psychic gifts and in dreamwork. This is a very protective color. Blue is linked with Friday and the planet Venus.

Purple. Purple is the color of high spirituality as it provides a link to higher planes, psychic gifts and our dreams. This a very powerful healing color as it represents the link between our mind, body and spirit. Magickally it is used to gain insight into all things esoteric that we are seeking. Purple is linked with Thursday and the planet Jupiter.

Pink. Pink is, not surprisingly, the color of love and friendship, happiness and harmony. It represents women's mysteries and is a lesser color of the Goddess. Like green, this color is linked to the Goddess Venus. It is used magickally to restore a sense of peace and calm when things have become difficult or chaotic in relation to our emotions.

Brown. Brown represents natural wisdom, an affinity with nature and healing for animals. In magickal applications it is used to create a protective shield, to guard our homes and keep them safe, and to keep us grounded when we are feeling like we are being pulled in a direction we don't necessarily wish to go.

Black. Black represents the unseen forces in our lives, though these don't necessarily have to be negative, despite black's reputation as a color of all that is "evil." It is used for communicating with the dead and for endings to situations. In magick it is used to sow the seeds of new beginnings where needed, to absorb negativity and in banishing and limitation spells.

White. White is the color of the Divine Force in our lives. It is the color of peace, purity and truth. White is a cleansing color. In magick white is used to enhance psychic matters, to begin a new phase and as protection. It is frequently used in visionary magick. The color white is linked with Monday and the Moon.

Silver. This is the color of the Goddess and is always present on the altar to represent her, usually in the form of a silver candle. Silver is also the color of visions and intuition, inspiration and transformation and aids in giving birth to our potential. This is the color of the moon.

Gold. This is the color of the God, and like silver and the Goddess above, is always present on the altar as well, usually in the form of a gold candle. Gold symbolizes achievement, success, wealth and longevity. In magick this color is used to cast spells for success in any area of our lives and to promote confidence. It is associated with the most powerful Sun gods such as Apollo in Greek and Roman mythology, and with Ra, the Egyptian God of the Sun.

By incorporating color magick into your daily practice, and being aware of how these colors can work, both very powerfully and intimately for you, you can expand your magickal possibilities only as far as the depths of your imagination can travel.