SOPHIA'S PSYCHIC DEVELOPMENT CLASS
Handouts etc

A 12- WORKSHOP CLASS OFFERED ONCE A MONTH AT STARGAZER'S BOOKSTORE

Registration processed by & classes held at:
STARGAZERS
425-885-7289

This course results in a Certificate of Psychic Consultation and this
offers the graduate an opportunity to read professionally at the Stargazers Psychic Fair

Classes are on the 2nd Friday Night of Each Month,
3 hours per class - 6:30- 8:30 pm
beginning JANUARY 2010....

FOR COURSE DESCRIPTION, DATES, SYLLABUS AND OTHER INFORMATION CLICK HERE

CLASS 1

INTRO

BOOK DISCUSSION (Psychic Self Defense by Diane Fortune)

Psychic 'find someone who' activity & Introductions/sharing

Your Psychic Gift- personal mini reading/check in

Meditation/Visualization

RULES FOR THE CLASS

Gentle Rules:

A PSYCHIC ‘FIND SOMEONE WHO’

Rules: You ask everyone in the room at least 2 of the questions.
You may ask the questions more than one time.
When you find someone who has had the experience, ask them to briefly tell you about it.
When done, have them initial that question. If they say ‘no’ then move on.
Play until you have all the questions ‘filled up’ or until the instructor stops the game.
At the end you will go around the circle and talk about what you learned about each other.


QUESTIONS                                            INITIALS

HAVE YOU EVER KNOWN SOMETHING WAS GOING TO HAPPEN ?___________________

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A DEJA VOUS?                    ___________________

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A DREAM THAT CAME TRUE?        ___________________

HAVE YOU EVER FELT AN UNSEEN ENERGY OR BEING?        ___________________

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN OR FELT AN AURA?                ___________________

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A PSYCHIC EXPERIENCE?            ___________________

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A GHOST?                    ___________________

HAVE YOU EVER GOTTEN A PSYCHIC READING?            ___________________

HAVE YOU EVER GOTTEN A TAROT READING?            ___________________

HAVE YOU EVER GOTTEN A PLAYING CARD READING?        ___________________

HAVE YOU EVER GOTTEN A TEA LEAF OR COFFEE GROUND READING?____________

HAVE YOU EVER HELPED ANYONE SPIRITUALLY OR PSYCHICALLY? _____________

HAVE YOU EVER CONSULTED AN ORACLE (I CHING, TAROT ETC) ?    ____________

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A UFO?                        ___________________

DO YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER MEDITATED?            ___________________

DO YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER DONE YOGA?            ___________________

DO YOU HAVE A DAILY SPIRITUAL PRACTICE?            ___________________

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A PRAYER COME TRUE?            ___________________

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE PSYCHIC ?            ___________________


Copyright Sophia 2010


When Scrying, ALWAYS (as we do in class) BANISH, CIRCLE with white light and Center your SELF before AND afterwards! - Sophia


PRESENTATION ON
SCRYING-

 NOTES

Scrying

Scrying is a method of divination. It consists of gazing into a crystal, a mirror or some water for example, anything shiny really, in order to enter altered mind states...A good cliché that best describes scrying is the gypsy fortune-teller and her large crystal ball. There are different scrying tools, like crystal, water, ink, oil, even fire.
Scrying works on the principles of the Ganzfeld effect. If you have ever had to stare at a blank wall until you began to feel dizzy, to hallucinate and see patterns, then you know what the Ganzfeld state is!
The degree of success with gazing depends on one’s ability to concentrate. The effort taken in this enterprise will eventually pay off, do not give up if you don’t “see” anything the first time you attempt to scry!
USING A CRYSTAL BALL
There is no specific method to know which crystal ball suits you, it will “call to you” when you see it. Once you decide on one, choose a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. The lights should be dim, it’s preferable that you only lit a couple of candles only, placed low and behind you. Remember to sit in a comfortable chair, you should be perfectly relaxed. Take a deep breath, clear your mind from any thoughts, and gaze intensely into the crystal. This might cause you to blink or bring tears to your eyes, so try to relax them, closing them about half way. Now is the perfect time to link your third eye to the crystal: visualize a ray of light coming from between your eyes and entering the crystal.
Now watch for the clouding of the crystal that will come from a small light. The clouds will develop and then clear until you begin to see precise patterns and pictures. Do not try to interpret those visions immediately, you will see a whole sequence that will lead you to the answer of your question. Don’t waste your time writing everything down, it’s best to use a tape recorder because sometimes the flow of pictures is too fast.
Remember, stay relaxed and try not to confuse real symbols with what you want to see, i.e. psychologically induced patterns.
MIRROR SCRYING
Mirror scrying is quite common, and it is an evolved form of water scrying. The early mirrors were made of polished copper or silver, brass, tin foil or mercury behind glass. John Dee used a black mirror of obsidian.
Because mirrors are linked to the moon, they should be backed with silver. The size of your scrying mirror doesn’t matter, but the shape does, so use either a round or an oval mirror.
Most seers prefer using a black mirror. Simply take out the glass and paint it black. You can also use a black bowl with water in it. When you put it back in the frame make sure the glass part is to the front. When using the black mirror for scrying you do not want to see your reflection. Thus you should leave the mirror on a table and look at it from an angle. Look into the depths of the mirror as though you were looking into a bowl of water. At first it may appear grey than colors will come and go. With time and practice you will be able to see images. The visions may even exist outside the mirror, either surrounding it or surrounding the scryer.
CLOUD SCRYING
Now that is an original scrying method! Cloud scrying is essentially done on days when cloud conditions are good. Having too few or too many clouds is no good for scrying. The best is when the clouds are thick. Find a nice location to lie down and relax. Try not to focus on one cloud but rather allow the clouds to drift across your view. Visions will come naturally to you. Personally, I think people who look up at the sky and see “only clouds” without guessing what the
From the Babylonians, oil scrying found its way to the Egyptians and Hebrews. The latter used four kinds of water mixed with oil. If you wish to use that method effectively: if you call upon the heavenly Gods then use rainwater; if you invoke the terrestrial Gods then use sea water; if you invoke the Osiris or Serapis use river water; and if you call upon the souls of the dead then use spring water.

SMOKE SCRYING
Now that method is a bit more believable. :-) Smoke scrying is best done while relaxing in front of a fire. Do not follow the smoke up but rather allow the smoke to form patterns within your gaze. You will see visions of future events. The Native Americans practice a special type of smoke scrying. It's called a sweat lodge; water is poured over hot rocks in a tent to create steam. Then people sit naked around the rocks to inhale the steam. The combination of temperature, humidity and elevated levels of carbon dioxide produce a state in which visions can arise. Needless to say, this method is dangerous.
WATER SCRYING
This is a very ancient scrying method. The Celts used it quite often. What you need is a large, deep bowl made from glass, brass or silver. You must set your base on (preferably) a tripod made of laurel boughs for best results. Fill the bowl with clean, fresh water from a stream. The water may be stored in a vessel and used again. The important thing is not to collect the water during the day, but rather during the night, and preferably on a full moon. This is done because of the close connection between water, the moon and the Goddess. You should also have a wand. Use either a branch from a bay or hazel tree, or laurel. The end of the wand should be covered in dry tree sap or resin. Dip the end of the wand into the water until it becomes wet. Wet the borders of the bowl. Gently drawing the rim of the wand around the bowl it will cause it to resonate. The resonating bowl will cause circular ripples to form in the basin. It is up to you t interpret the visions.

Most of these notes are taken from:  http://www.spiritual.com.au/articles/psychics_mediums/scrying-types.htm


CLASS 2


BANISHING:



Clean Sweep
Banishing Everything You Don't Need to Make Room for What You Want
By Denny Sargent
WEB SITE WITH MANY EXERCISES AND ARTICLES:

http://www.psychicsophia.com/cleansweep.html



YOUR GUARDIAN ANGEL ON BELIEF.NET

3 SOUND (MP3) Meditations on your Guardian Angel- by Denny Sargent from YOUR GUARDIAN ANGEL AND YOU:

http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Faith-Tools/Meditation/2007/03/Listening-To-Your-Guardian-Angel.aspx



YOUR GUARDIAN ANGEL AND YOU

By Denny Sargent: Main Site- many exercises and meditations:

http://www.psychicsophia.com/YourGuardianAngel/







FROM:

http://oneyogalife.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/a-brief-description-of-the-chakras/






FROM:
http://www.pixiecrystals.com/ChakraChart.htm




THE AURA


CLASS 4


Dice Fortune Telling – Advanced


You will need three dice and a flat surface to cast them on if you wish to gain an in-depth insight into your future. Ideally the three dice should be of different colours for identification. If your dice are identical, mark them in some way so you can differentiate between them. The number of spots on the faces of each die correspond to different meanings, and each die has its own set.
As in tarot reading, for a more specific or detailed interpretation, the dice should be translated by someone of a receptive nature, who is able to apply their own intuition and use the meanings listed here as a general guide.
The subject should pick up each die in turn, separately, starting with the first, then the second and finally the third, rolling them against each other in their closed hand as they do so. Have them cast all three dice onto your reading surface three times, noting the numbers thrown on each die, each time.
The first cast of the dice tells the interpreter about the caster's general situation. The second will give an insight into money matters or their business situation and the third cast is concerned with relationships and love.
 
The First Die

6 - A sign to be on guard to a passing matter. An indication of impending, but veiled or hidden, good or evil.
5 - Persevere and show determination in achieving your goal or ambition.
4 - An omen of good luck and of a fortunate outcome for your future plans. Gamble and succeed.
3 - A journey or trip or possibly you may receive some important information in a letter or as some other message.
2 - A sign of your mortality. The end or sudden change of events concerning some matter of importance to you.
1 - Complications may entangle you in affairs not what they at first seem to be.
 
The Second Die

6 - An unfamiliar person will have an undue effect on your relations with family and those close to you.
5 - An event of great importance for your home or within the family.
4 - Disagreements and deceitfulness are in store for you.
3 - Love or perhaps a new close friend in your life.
2 - New plans and ideas will lead to greater productivity.
1 - Look forward to a new found enthusiasm and drive leading to great success in your life.
 
The Third Die

6 - Good fortune in matters of money, property and wealth.
5 - An occasion to celebrate is in store.
4 - New opportunities will present themselves to you or perhaps the solution to an old problem.
3 - You hold the key to your future prospects. Find the enthusiasm and zeal to achieve your ambitions.
2 - Events will move along at a great speed and you must be careful not to make mistakes.
1 - Take care and be thoughtful to preserve your health and a sound mind.

From: http://www.dice-play.com/Games/FortuneTellingAdvanced.htm

2 CHAPTERS



FROM
GLOBAL RITUALISM
BY DENNY SARGENT



Chapter3

SACRED SPACE



    In New Grange, Ireland a strange pattern-carved cave, shaped like a womb,

becomes the focus of attention on the morning of the Winter Solstice as it has for

thousands of years. At dawn a shaft of light pierces exactly the inner sanctum of the cave

and the place is filled with light. In neighboring England there exist many similar circles of

stones, some aligned to the passing seasons, planets and stars, others laid out into a

pattern none can identify

    In Japan, before a Shinto festival, four shafts of bamboo are planted into the

ground in the form of a square. With much chanting sacred rope is strung between them

and the space is made holy.     Tibetan monks, after chanting and fasting, prepare to begin

the construction of a large fantastic mandala of many colors. They clean the platform and

then thrust 4 daggers into the points at the four corners. The center is marked and the rite

begins.

    In a cave in India a Tantrik Master sits in silent meditation in the center of a

different but similar mandala while a world away a Navaho Indian places a sick child into

the center of yet a different mandala before beginning the prayer rite.

    Kali devotees form the triangular Yoni of the goddess upon the earthen floor of a

temple with vermillion powder, Neo-Pagans make a circle of candles, Australian

Aborigines trace concentric circles upon the ground, Voudoun priests scatter cornmeal on

the pounded earth floor in a sacred design and I, preparing to write, clean off my desk,

order my things and arrange all I need "just so."

    We create ritual spaces constantly during the many simple and complex rituals of

our daily lives sacred spaces are new universes, new dimensions free from the

entanglements and psychic debris of mundane reality. After banishing and purification, a

new territory needs to be made, marked, accepted or reclaimed. To create "change," to

alter your reality, it must be a place that is somehow "beyond" all you wish to affect All

rituals call for a sacred place, a "place between the worlds" where the divine and earthly

can meet. Whether a place is made objectively "holy" or not is irrelevant. It must simply be

a place where the spirit/mind can be removed from all that may interfere with whatever the

ritual wishes to accomplish. This is one reason artists often have separate studios and

scientists separate laboratories!

    A sacred space may be found, may already exist, or may be created. To more

easily understand the kinds of sacred spaces that are created and used for rituals around

the world, from the past to the present, we will systematically examine them under the

general shapes that they form;

    The circle or sphere, the triangle or pyramid, the square or cube and, finally,

other forms.

The circle:

    The circle or sphere seems to be the most common form of ritual space, probably

for a variety of reasons psychological, spiritual and physical. The Body, the physical

organism, contains many forms that are generally round in form, the most significant

maybe being the brain and the womb. The eye, a symbol that is all important in many

different mythical systems contains the round inner mystery of the pupil. In many

mythologies the eye is the sun, the eye is the moon, the eye disgorges the ring of all-

encompassing fire depending on what country and what time you are in. As Jung once

said;

    "The Self is a circle whose center is nowhere and whose circumference is

everywhere"

    Many birds in their mating dances circle each other as the sun and moon seem to

circle the Earth. As we turn, viewing the world around us, it seems as if we are the center

of a circle or sphere. The stars form a dome above us (as any ancient man or woman

would have told us), but it is only half a sphere. The lower half of the divine globe is

below. It is the realm of Hades, of Hel, of Eriskeigal or of Tuat. Above are the heavens,

Gods, the Devis, the Kami-Sama, the Bodhisattvas, the Angels or the Great Spirits.

Somehow the cycles circle around us, the spider of time spins a circular web that finds

echo in the cervix of a woman giving birth as it opens, opens, opens forming the circle of

creation from whence we come.

    The ancient Taoists of China always conducted rites in sacred circles because the

circle was the symbol of Heaven as the square was the symbol of Earth. Often temples,

such as the spectacular Temple of Heaven near Beijing where the Emperor worshiped the

Gods, was laid out as a circle with a circular pagoda in the center , surrounded by a square

wall. Thus we pass from Earth into the realm of Heaven in order to contact the Gods.

    Stone circles created by the Celts, are scattered all over England and Europe. At

the very least these circles were observatories and sacred ritual meeting places. They also

seem to be located on Ley lines, lines of force that encircle the globe, possibly the most

ultimate circles of power. Navaho ritual dug-outs are circular as are Pueblo kivas and

"magick huts" in Benin.

    Various myths constantly allude to the fact that the Circle is the symbol of the

integrated "Self," the idea of a whole or complete understanding of self and universe is

often symbolized as a circle in Zen art; a free-flowing one-stroke-of-the-brush circle.

Mandalas, those circular cryptograms of the Unconscious/Conscious found in so many

cultures, symbolize the internal and external manifestation of this idea. Hindu, Buddhist or

Tantrik mandalas invoke the power or essence of a divinity, they are generally placed on

the ground unless only the meditating consciousness is to be placed in the center then, they

may be placed on the wall. This is the more common form of Buddhist Mandalas which

are used more to express Maya, the process of escaping it and/or the realms of Buddha-

consciousness. One notable exception is the Tibetan mandalas that are created out of

colored sands and, in effect, mimic the creation of the universe and it's eventual

dissolution. 

    In Europe there are other types of ceremonial circles than the more obvious stone

"henges" mentioned. The magickal circles that are almost always formed by modern Pagan

or Wicca groups of the Western traditions reflect the importance that circles held to the

ancient Celtic and Norse Pagans. Fairy Circles are a similar indication, these circles having

in common with  other magick circles the virtue of being a "gateway" in between the

worlds, from the mundane to the realm of the spirits or Gods. In China this use of circles

is even more widespread, as has been mentioned. The Emperor and Empress, as divine

mediums between Heaven and Earth, always stood in a circle when invoking the Taoist

powers. Most important doors in ancient China are in the shape of circles, these can still

be seen today.

    In Africa, many Yoruba shrines are in the shape of circles, many times surrounding

a sacred tree. This connection with sacred trees is widespread. The Vikings would

worship in sacred circles of trees, especially ash or oak, as did the Druids, Celts, Hindus,

Amazonian Indians, North American Indians and other diverse peoples.  Sacred wells,

almost everywhere from France to Japan, are reached via a circular opening. Perfectly

round lakes are constantly venerated as are caves and other natural womb-like areas.

Indeed, the circle seems to be a universally sacred symbol, even the early Christian

churches and shrines, often built on ancient Pagan sites, were often built in circular form

until the middle Ages. These, of course, were often based on sacred Roman and Greek

temples, the earliest ones of which were constructed in circular form. Ancient groves of

Pan, Dionysus and Demeter were often in circular forms and the images, situated in the

center, were worshiped with wild circular dances probably similar to the ecstatic spinning

dances of the ancient but still existing whirling dervish cults.

    Having taken a brief but wide ranging glimpse at ritual circles, how can we

incorporate these ideas into our own rituals and rites?

One excellent beginning step is to meditate on your desire with a pad and pencil in front of

you and draw any mandalas that come to mind. After several tries at this the process will

become easier and will result in mandalas that encode the rite you will perform. The whole

experience can create all kinds of synergistic effects, leading to a reevaluation of the rite

you were going to create or, in some cases, maybe becoming the entire rite itself! These

can then be placed over the sacred space, altar or  in a special room. Mandalas, like the

inner mind focused or the symbolic womb of the Mother, can birth ones desire or remove

negative problems. Then they can be given to others, buried, burnt, floated away on rivers,

made into kites or framed and kept forever. It is quite effective to simply gaze into the

center of these created mandalas, attaining a meditative state and communion with the

inner forces that you wish to use or be filled by. Mandalas are traditionally used for

initiations and, if not physically entered, are mentally entered and the deity is then

encountered in the center. Always the lessons of banishing should be remembered. The

banishing will, of course, reflect the focus of the rite.

    In some ways the "found" circle is even more powerful than the created one in that

a special place may be imbued with a charge and may retain it for a long period of time,

especially if trees are involved. Exploring the woods or forests will almost always turn up

a naturally occurring clearing or magick circle for ones use. Friends once discovered a

naturally created stone depression that was almost a perfect circle, the walls of which were

covered with mica and veins of marble. This place, even when strangers enter it, elicits

comments on it's atmosphere. Small islands, whether in the ocean or in the middle of a

river, can be powerful and focused circles. Then there are caves, natural stone circles and

so on. Of course ancient circles that were used in times past can be very effect, as long as

the energy of them is not contrary to the purpose of your rite. A period of meditation is

probably in order before another's circle is used.

    In effect, a circle is simply a natural extension of the circular-shaped field of

bioelectric energy that a body (or group of bodies) creates. Many have said that the term

"magick circle" is a misnomer in that it is, in actuality, a sphere. The drawn, displayed,

indicated or imaginary circle that one places on the ground is, in fact, only the place where

the sphere of power intersects the floor. This is an interesting idea and it seems to be most

effective to visualize rituals in 3D as opposed to 2D. The Tibetans do this and often create

large "palace-like" 3D mandalas out of metal, butter, wood or clay. These are usually

complete with guardian deities, thunderbolts and numerous spires and details. Though the

circle one creates for a given purpose need not be so complex, physically OR mentally, it

is still an excellent concept to consider. Think of a circle (or any other sacred space) as a

hologram.!

    There are many ways that shamans and people of power the world over create

circles for ritual activities. Mental projection, ie; visualizing a circle of color, fire, water,

light etc. may be the most common technique. Mentally placing a point of light or an

imaginary sacred symbol in front of one and then tracing the circle, usually clock-wise,

forms another common mental method of casting a circle. Physically, many substances and

tools may be used, again, depending on the purpose of the rite and the process involved.

Tracing the circle in the earth with a staff, wand, knife, sword or any number of other

tools is maybe the most common physical method. Tracing a circle with flour, meal, seeds,

stones, water, fire, incense, chalk, cloth, cord, flags, banners, perfume, salt, herbs, liquor

and even blood are all time-honored and often practiced methods of casting a magick

circle. Often the casting is also part of the offering to the the Gods or powers involved

with the rite.

    Circling through the house, to sweep, vacuum or scatter a sacred substance; these

all cast the protective circle about your center of life and your loved ones, if you will to do

so. On a more mundane level, all fences and moats do this as well. It can be this simple; 

mentally spiral into the blue sky of the inner mind as a hawk rising upon a thermal current

of magickal will, this too casts the circle. With an eye open to the many cycles and circles

around you, multiple ideas will be gathered into your ever expanding web of creative ritual

possibilities.

    The circle is the symbol of wholeness, it is also the Zero, the glyph of nothing. The

circle can be an open mouth, a portal, a silver sphere that reflects all negativity. It can be

easily conjured at any time and place; practice and note what works well for which

personal situation.

The triangle:

    Just as the circle with the point in the center can be said to be a symbol of

wholeness, of Bindu or Ling (.) and Open Womb (O) combined, so to can the triangle be

said to be a symbol of the Yoni itself.  The sacred space as a triangle is equally as old as

the circle, yet has a much different nature. In Hindu, Egyptian and ancient Native

American symbolism, the triangle is seen as a divine symbol of power. The downward

pointing triangle, for obvious reasons, is considered the Yoni of the Goddess and is often

formed for rituals in her name in many countries, the most famous possibly being Tantrik

rites in India and Nepal that are sacred to Kali, Tripurasundari, Vajra Yogini  and so on. 

As one is in the womb of the Mother in the circle, one enters or draws forth from the

Womb of the Mother in the Triangle.

    Geometrically the triangle is a pure archetypal form, the first form to become 2

dimensional. As amazingly documented  in the musings of Buckminster Fuller, the triangle

and it's extension into 3D space, the pyramid, forms the most stable form. It will take the

most weight before collapsing and can be turned around in any manner and it will

"behave" the same.

    The magick triangle, consciously and unconsciously, invokes the triple aspect of

reality. This may manifest to you as the Christian Trinity, the Hindu Trinity of Brahma,

Vishnu, Shiva, the philosophical triad of thesis, antithesis; synthesis, the alchemical

triplicity of Sulphur, Salt and Mercury, the 3 Tantrik Gunas of Rajas, Sattvas and Tamas,

the Taoist 3-fold existence of Heaven (Tao), Earth (Teh) and Man/ Tai Chi and on and on.

It is actually an excellent exercise before beginning work in the Sacred Triangle to list on

paper, under the three headings of    "+"       "="        "-"    all the 3-fold groupings you

can think of, from  "male, female, child/androgyne" onward.     When creating the

sacred triangle, the most highly charged of these can be written , drawn or placed

symbolically on each of the 3 sides of the triangle or each of the 3 points. In that all

things, events and ideas can be said to result from the union of two things to create the

third, this is an extremely primal and powerful ritual key. Sometimes, in several sacred

books, it is formulated as:  2=0  .

    The triangle also is the first 2D form that comes to a point, 3 points to be exact.

This gives it , in many cultures, the feeling of an active or aggressive form or sacred

space. Piercing, penetrating, pulling, warding; these are all powers attributed to this form.

When a person is seated in meditation he/she forms a triangle. A sacred burning fire, be it

Parsii, Native American, Sumerian or African, is often symbolized by an upright triangle

just as sacred mountains were (and are) symbolized by either a triangle or a 3D form; a

pyramid, ziggurat or mound.

    The sacred triangle can be formed for your own personal rites much in the same

manner as a circle, with any variety of substance.

What makes this sacred shape different , aside from the various symbolic meanings already

mentioned, are the 3 sides and 3 points that can be used ritually. Ritualists throughout

history have inscribed the triangle by placing words of power or symbols on the 3 sides.

Often lamps, plants or other symbols/sacrifices would be placed on the corner. It is

interesting to note that these triangles were often used to conjure and contain spirits of

various sorts.  Tantrik Goddess or God rites that were performed in a triangular space

often included complex symbols and Sanskrit words of power placed on the 3 sides or at

the 3 corners. It is interesting to note that not only are/were these triangular forms

(yantras) complicated and many colored, but they were often placed inside a circle as well.

    Combining sacred-space forms is not uncommon around the world. Sometimes

entire shrines or temples may be triangular, as the ancient Tantrik caverns in northern

India, temples in Africa and Asia and the rather bizarre magick cloisters of Sir Dashwood

and the Hellfire Club in England attest! As in the latter's case,  the walls can also be used

effectively.

    Any form of triplicity can be represented within the sacred triangle. Instead of 2=0,

the triangle can effectively become the, magickal arena of 3= 1 (=0?) It can be used to

invoke/evoke/resolve and center any 3-fold energy you desire; of course this depends on

wether you place yourself outside or inside the circle. This, also, would depend on the

kind of ritual reality you were constructing. No form more sharply focus energy into a

thing (say, a charm, amulet or person) or pulls forth energy from something. This is even

more true when you extend the form into 4 dimensions and create the rectangular or

triangular- based pyramid.

The square:

    As the Triangle points and focuses energy, so the square or rectangle stabilizes the

energy of a ritual, be it the ritual of keeping the sun alive as with the ancient Incas and

Aztecs, or be it the ritual of protecting and nurturing the inhabitants of houses in the

world, be they for people or spirits!. The square, or the 3D extend form of the square, the

cube, have symbolized stability, Earth, and the general force of solidity in many many

cultures.

    As illustrated, the magickal square was and still is the prime symbol of all that is

Earthly and terrestrial to the Chinese. This extends, in different forms, all over Asia from

Thailand to Korea. Tombstones in all these countries and also in the west tend to be

square or rectangular in form. Altars, almost universally, are cubes or rectangles. These,

being the focus of magickal energy, whether in a Catholic Church or in in a Voudoun

Hougan (Temple), epitomize the "table" where the divine forces feed, or at least meet with

the worshipers.

    Many chairs are the same, which is even more significant if we examine thrones,

the seat of divine power transformed to secular power. Though the reign of Sacred Kings

or Queens is basically over, the mystic symbol of the throne, be it the " throne of God" in

the Bible or the "Throne of the Jaguar King" in Kenya or the "Dragon Throne of China."

The symbol of the throne in ancient Egypt was, in fact, the name of the Goddess Isis, the

later Dynastic Mother Goddess par excellance, she who earthed the kingdom, order and

organization of the universe. In India the throne of the Guru is worshiped as the symbol of

his/her power manifest, in many places the seat or throne of a Guru who has died

continues to be venerated and have food, incense  and prayers offered to it. In England

and Ireland, ancient thrones were themselves power spots, often situated on top of special

holy stones or altars.

    In later times, after the male image of the divine became predominant, the square

became one of the most important sacred symbols. Temples, houses and other buildings

began  adopt this form, the cross, which is often shown to be a cube-in-extension, also

became the form for sacred buildings in Europe. The transformed hierarchical square

form, extended upward, slowly shrinking as it rose until it came to a point in heaven,

became one of the  holy forms in all places of the world; the pyramid. Wether this form

reaches a point and contains within it a square as the pyramids of Egypt do, or whether

they rise into the air and are crowned by a square temple as they are in Mexico, Peru,

Middle America, Mesopotamia, North Africa or England; it is the square that is the stable

form from which the people reach upward towards the divine.

    In Greece the rectangle was the later preeminent form for sacred buildings for

thousands of year, the Parthenon being the most famous example. The Romans took it

further and the form was swiftly adopted by the Judeo-Christian culture that emerged.

    Islam also took the form as sacred and most mosques are indeed vast square or

rectangular forms, often with a round dome form atop, quite like ancient Chinese Taoist

temples, Buddhist Wats in Southeast Asia and Russian Orthodox churches! Heaven and

Earth, Earth supports Heaven. In the circle, we aspire to the wholeness of the divine, in

the square we earth the divine in the here-now of the "real" world, or so it seems. Let us

not forget that the square is often within the circle (see any old Chinese coin) or the circle

is within the Square, as the sacred global meteorite sits within the black cube in the center

of the holy Kaba at Mecca. In that Alchemists, magickians, shamans, artists and other

mystics have explained the mystery of the holy of holies in terms of "the circle squared," 

the square seems to be much more spiritual than we normally we think it is.

    A person who is well insulated into sociatal norms and comfortable materially is a

"square." To "be square" with someone is to be honest and straightforward. To "square

things away" is to finalize, complete, settle or "earth" something. The Masons, masters of

ritual eclecticism in the Western tradition, use the symbol of the architects "square" to

epitomize the geometry of a God-created and organized universe. The "corner stone" is

likewise a key in their cosmology that symbolizes the divine in man....among other things.

    Recently, many have begun to think of the square or rectangle as  a restrictive or

patriarchal symbol, maybe not  a ritual form that is still needed in our open universe. But

why limit ourselves? Though there are problems involved with excessively focusing on any

one current, symbol, deity or archetype, this doesn't make it totally useless or negative.

The square as a ritual boundary for a sacred space communicates all the positive ideas of

stability, earthing power, material solidity and geometric symmetry. These have been

useful to magick makers in the past and are just as useful today.

    The Sumerians invoked gods and spirits in a holy square, the corners of which

contained torches as well as the center. The Magickian stood in the center and pulled the

forces to him. In Japan the Shinto priests still make an area sacred by planting bamboo

with ropes poles in the shape of a cube to entertain the kami as well as erecting square

torii or gates to show an area is sacred, a shrine.In New Zealand the sacred square is a

long rectangular meeting lodge, marked out with intricately carved tiki or carved ancestor

images.

    In Tibet or Nepal, a sacred square area is important as the base of any temple. The

Potala, the most sacred building to Tibetans, is one vast mountain-like rectangle.

    In China ancient Taoist  sacred areas are marked with powerful characters, often

representing the constellations or the trigrams of the I CHING. As mentioned, the fence,

wall, fortification, fort or castle evolved out of the concept of a sacred area, especially a

square one. Around the world, most temples and churches have always held the dual

purpose of house of worship and martial fortress, so is no wonder that many defensive or

protective rituals are performed in a sacred square.

    Other forms:

    In many pictures, both ancient and modern, "serious" and commercial, wizards,

witches, priests and  other magickal folk are often shown conjuring beings, invoking gods

and performing rites in a sacred spaces of a variety of shapes. Sometimes ovals, sometimes

crosses and very often a star of some sort. The star, sometimes called a pentacle,  is a

favorite place from which to bring the intangible here to earth or visa versa. The star,

especially five pointed, is one of the earliest symbols ever found scrawled by the hand of

man. Ancient Neolithic caves have revealed etched stars, as have pyramids, standing

stones, African masks, Eskimo bone carvings and Mayan steles. The seemingly endless use

of the star, especially the five pointed star or pentagram, as a symbol of protection, good

luck and divine intervention is quite amazing. The pentacle (or pentagram) also, of course,

represents all manner of "5s," including the 5 elements, senses and so on.

    The six-pointed star or hexagon is also prevalent. It is the center of the Elephant

God Ganesh's Yantra, the key symbol of Judaism, an ancient alchemical symbol of the

union of that which is above and that which is below (upper and lower triangles) and so

on.     When playing with symbols, especially in this case where we are literally entering

the symbols, it is always  positive to regress to the simple when seeking origins. Any star

is just that, an image of the primal heavenly bodies that have fixated man since the

beginning. A single star was the cuniform name of the Sumerian God Anu, the God of

Heaven. In Egypt the symbol of the star represented  Sothis (Isis), the symbol par

excellence of cosmic power descending to Earth. In other cultures across the globe the

star has meant the soul, the Eye of God (or Goddess), the primal life force and so on.

Maybe it is the most often used symbol for divine emanation from beyond. Much as the

circles of sun & moon & Earth  are the powers of our known  world, the star transports us

out...or transports the unknown in.  It seems as if many ancient and heiroglyphic scripts

were based on constellations and many gardens were laid out along the same patterns.

Thus a sacred space could (and has) been created on earth based on stellar patterns. One

could imagine creating a temple based on one's horoscope or...?

    Any physical space can be sacred, depending on one's mental space. A cradle is

very definitely a sacred space and many have been created with the most sacred symbols

and dimensions incorporated into them. A coffin, tomb or mausolea are often the sacred

spaces older cultures have mostly left us to try and understand their wider cosmology

from. My desk is a sacred place in that magickal symbols, images, tools and texts surround

me. It is oriented towards the direction I wish, receiving the sacred light of the sun in the

best manner possible. To the right sits the sacred CD player and before me glows the

burning eye of the God MACINTOSH...

    The manipulation of our perception, our attitude and our worldview create the

sacred space. Casting or visualizing the sacred space is, most importantly, a function of

True Will, Love and active imagination. What separates a Zen garden from a public park?

Attitude, intent, construction and an indescribable energy that envelopes you when you

enter it. Removing all pre-thoughts, all programming as much as possible results in

recovering the intuitive knowledge of the sacred artist within everyone. Utilizing this

personal power, a circle of trees or a small meditation area can be as truly sacred and full

of power and magick as the most grandiose temple.



CENTERING THE SPACE



    In the dim shadow-filled longhouse ,the Sioux medicine man raises the pipe full of

wild tobacco. As the circle of the tribe chants, he slowly points the pipe to the North,

South, East and West and finally towards the sky.

    In a monastery in Nepal a monk wrapped in a maroon robe sits meditating. To his

left he projects in his mind a dancing colored goddess called a Dakini, he does the same to

his right, behind him and in front of him. These colorful dancing Dakinis, embodiments of

the powers of the four directions, will protect and empower his meditations.

    In New Orleans a Voudoun priestess is in a trance, the Loa or god has entered her

and she now prepares to offer to the the four protective powers. She takes quick swigs of

rum and sprays it out to the four directions then into the air in the center. The drums

change beats and she begins to shake and dance.

    In Nigeria the Ifa oracle is empowered by the four sacred directions before being

thrown, in the Amazon, feathers are placed at the four quarters, in an apartment in

Chicago candles are placed to the four directions around a modern pagan circle and in

India chants are made and red sandalwood powder offered to each of the four god-images

that protects the four directions of the village temple.

    There is, obviously, a connection here.

    According to the Chinese there are four holy mountains that determine the edge of

the world. These mountains are at the four quarters of the world and each is a paradise.

The immortals dwell on these various mountains and, if we mere mortals wish to call upon

them or their powers, we have but to invoke the energy of the appropriate mountain. Of

course there is a center, determined by these four quarters. This is, to the Chinese, China!

To the Balinese, it is Bali. To the people of any tribe or country, the center of the Universe

is where they are, their "homeland."

    Thus foreigners have always been considered evil, or at least suspect, by almost

every culture. This is the origin of ethnocentrism and Xenophobia; the Greeks were

especially clear about it in that the Greek-root word that comes to us today as

"Barbarians" means "people from outside," from beyond the mythic world of the culture,

outside of the center of the universe, bringing their odd ways and ideas that, because they

were "outside," were obviously "wrong" and, in a religious sense, heretical.

    The sacred space for these cultures was simply a distillation of the greater mythic

and physical reality of which they were the center, the "chosen" people. Yet the orienting

of the sacred space for the eclectic ritualist, be it to the four quarters or not, need not

restrict the space. It may simply define it, preparing the sacred space for rituals of

synthesis, of bringing things in (or out), making a stable and focused place for

incorporating the new or unusual instead of repelling it or guarding against.

    The connection between the four mythic mountains and the four watchtowers on

most forts, castles, walled cities and even national borders can not be denied. Almost all

our territorial instinct is in terms of orientation by direction, either 4 directions or 8

directions. As mentioned, the square defines and "earths," well the beginning of this (or

extension of it) is the orientation to the four directions. Aside from the connections with

simple directions, the four "quarters"  are constantly associated with everything from

Celtic Trees to elements (air, earth, fire, water), animals, plants, jewels, deities and

especially colors. To the ancient Taoists, the four directions were guarded by the great

animal spirits; the Phoenix, the Dragon, the Tortoise & Snake and the White Tiger.

Needless to say Sudanese shamans associate different colors and animals with each quarter

than Tantrik or Taoist magickians. Within yourself you will find affinities of color, animal

& image for each quarter, depending on inclination, the system you are working within

and goal of the ritual.

    In front of you is the future, behind you the past, to your right is the world, to the

left is the world; this is the nexus of present through which you past moment by moment.

We always think of reality in terms of spacial perception, the senses and body in relation to

space and time. When giving directions or discussing something we have experienced we

always say "It was behind me." or  "It was To my right, and then it passed in front of me."

Thus when we use video games, cars, buildings; all these things depend on our acceptance

of a 3D view of the world.

    The biological model is in this way extended into the arena of mechanical

structures. In just such a way can these concepts be extended into the realm of centering

or focusing the sacred space. It might seem that we limit ourselves and our worldview in

this way, and maybe this is so, yet this centering process does not have to be restrictive.

By casting our perception out to the four directions, we leave the "perception box," the

restriction of "this is,""that is," "it is"...... in relation to me. We magickally stretch this

personal relationship with the universe, this grasp of reality, to encompass the edges of the

world, our entire mythic and internal/external magick reality. There is nothing new or

unusual about this.

    The most primal symbol of this "directional orientation" process is the cross, found

not just in Christianity, but thousands of years earlier amidst the Mayans, the Inca, the

Tibetans, the Pueblo, the Inuit, the Amazonian tribes, the Haitians, the Dogon and so on

and so fourth. As the very old saying goes, "To cross again is not to cross." The

crossroads, both symbolically and psychically, is often the key place/moment/action in any

ritual or decision in life and physically crossroads were and are considered sacred places in

a number of cultures.

    The middle of the sacred space thus determined by a "crossing" is the place of

equilibrium, the fulcrum where the forces meet and are balanced. It is the sacred point of

origin where the forces of the four winds are so equal that they only float you upward

toward your goal. Indeed, the four quarters are only made real by the center, the true 5th

direction, that is the basis of their perception. And from here there are two more

directions, for that which is above is always alike to that which is below.

    The ancient Sumerians, and later the Akkadians, based their numerical and

magickal systems on the number 6. This may seem odd, and indeed it is uncommon in

history, until one looks at their religious texts. There are always 6 directions mentioned in

all rituals; the four directions plus up and down. Some don't consciously see these as

directions, but as we stand upon a surface, so they are an  undeniable dichotomy that

weaves itself through our language, perceptions and mythology. Heaven/Hell, day/night,

Spirit/Matter, shadow and light. If the center of the crossroads is the meeting of the four

directions, it is also the meeting of Heaven and Earth. The conscious, rational Apollonian

and the dark, unconscious Dionysian minds mix & commingle; and here, a key secret of

magick, is where the nexus point of right-brain left-brain crossover is.

    To visualize a situation, to diagram a thing, is to enter the moment and cause

change. The ritual arena is the Mind-Body, the directions orient and set the air humming

with a grasp of reality encompassing several states of consciousness. Untouchable,

unspeakable; still a greater grasp, a more total awareness of the psyche is attained when

we reach out to the symbolic limits of reality and orient both Self and Not-Self in relation

to each other.

    Take a stick. Stand on a beach. Clear your mind. Draw a circle. It is the universe.

Draw a cross in it. You are HERE.....

    Yet others say there are "between spaces," that there are more than the primal four

(or five) elements. Even the compass, a true symbol of directions around the world, has

eight directions in actuality; N,S,E & W plus NE, SE, NW & SW. In Chinese mythology,

from the "Origin of Ten Thousand Things," observable in it's many manifestations as it

ebbs & flows through nature, there are 8 primal elements that emerge. Via Buddhism this

primal 8-fold mythos has spread throughout the Orient. It is a rare Asian area where the I

CHING and the 8 primal trigrams are not seen and utilized. All Buddhist temples, wats

and pagodas are built according to diagrams that are based on the trigrams that symbolize

Fire, Water, Mountain, Wind, Thunder, Lake, Heaven, Earth.  These are also attributed

to the 8 directions, the seasons and the primal elements of all reality. They are ritually

effective if they are deeply accepted and programmed into ones mythos as directions,

orientation points and powers, the Tao (Yin/Yang) being the center point.

    The number 8 itself is exceptionally important. In Japan it is considered to be the

luckiest number, this tradition is also true in China and other Asian countries. The 8

hexagrams, set in a circle, can be found on the black flags of spirit mediums in Singapore,

on the floors of ancient temples and around small round mirror amulets that are hung

outside the doors of Chinese households to ward off evil.

    The 8-fold centering of the sacred space is also very important to Western magick.

The Celts and other European tribes as well as the Druids and others, divided the "round

of the year" into 8 high feast days. The most obvious, still celebrated in an amazing variety

of cultures around the world, are the Solstices and the Equinoxes. Yet in between those

"four quarters" of the year 4 "fire festivals" were (and are) celebrated. Many of these are

still commonly acknowledged, May Day and Halloween being the most popular. Many

stone circles, both ancient and modern, mimic this yearly round with 8 stones. Some,

Stonehenge among others, have special stones that are marked by the sun's rays

specifically on those 8 days. So both in short and year-long rituals, the 8-fold centering of

the circle is widespread and important.

    In many systems the Self or "Guardian Spirit" is symbolized by the sun. The

planets which are arranged about the Self are sometimes referred to as archetypes,

essential qualities, Sepheroth or spheres of the Tree of Life. Beyond these are the 12 signs

of the Zodiac and beyond these the "sphere of the stars." Many ritualists around the globe

center themselves in relation to the 12 directions of these star clusters, just as others,

following more modern traditions, orient their "spaces" to the directions of the Twelve

Sacred Numbers of the Clock! Above the head of Buddha, (often a solar symbol himself as

the seated Amitaba Buddha) there are arrayed the twelve animal signs of the Asian zodiac.

In Thailand, Laos, Myamar, China, Korea and Japan the Buddha sits in the center of these

twelve directions and symbolic sacred powers.

    It is quite possible to orient one's sacred circle to the twelve directions in a

likewise manner. Using one's birth (or other) chart, one could create a unique and

individual sacred space, specifically aligned directionally to what one wishes or who one

is. The possibilities are certainly numerous.

    To play, mix and meld these directional/centering possibilities at will, according to

Will Belief, Love and creative inclination is encouraged. Yet to construct an effective

personal system that is cohesive as a whole is the goal. It is not enough to simply muddle

and mix a mess of bits & pieces of smashed symbology! Each must meditate on what the

natural inclination is, what method of centering the sacred space seems right for that

ritual.

    The sacred place of ritual must be centered somehow, however one wishes to do

it. "The Lotus must have the Jewel in the center," and it is consciousness  that resides

here. When the sacred space has been cleared, created and then centered, no matter where

you are in the world, no matter what culture you are in the midst of, then you are at the

center of the universe, the place of power. It is from here that the ritual work unfolds.