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26-498: A magic circle is a ritually defined space in a number of magical traditions. Magic circle or Magic Circle may also refer to: Magic circle Traditionally, circles are believed by ritual magicians to form a protective barrier between themselves and what they summon. One text known as the Heptameron says of the circle, 'But because the greatest power is attributed to the circles; (for they are certain fortresses to defend

52-400: A cord . Some traditions include tracing or circumambulation . The Sumerians called the practice of using ritual circles zisurrû , meaning "magic circle drawn with flour ", and inscribed ZÌ-SUR-RA -a . This was an ancient Mesopotamian method of delineating, purifying and protecting from evil by the enclosing of a ritual space in a circle of flour. It involved ritual drawings with

78-649: A concept in the Buddhist philosophy which has an ancient history in China. Some Western modern occultists equate the Chinese classical element of metal with air , others with wood due to the elemental association of wind and wood in the bagua . Enlil was the god of air in ancient Sumer . Shu was the ancient Egyptian deity of air and the husband of Tefnut , goddess of moisture. He became an emblem of strength by virtue of his role in separating Nut from Geb . Shu played

104-419: A different explanation for the elements based on pairs of qualities. The four elements were arranged concentrically around the center of the universe to form the sublunary sphere . According to Aristotle, air is both hot and wet and occupies a place between fire and water among the elemental spheres. Aristotle definitively separated air from aether . For him, aether was an unchanging, almost divine substance that

130-430: A doorway is cut in the circle, at which point anything may pass through without harming the circle. This opening must be closed afterwards by reconnecting the lines of the circle. The circle is usually closed by the practitioner after they have finished by drawing in the energy with the athame or whatever was used to make the circle including their hand (usually in a widdershins : that is, counter-clockwise fashion). This

156-463: A knife or a sword near the bed, and likewise Johann Christian Georg Bodenschatz describes a sword placed near the pregnant woman in the eighteenth century, indicating the likelihood that this custom continued through the centuries. Oral accounts from 20th century Baden-Württemberg in a publication by the Jewish Museum of Switzerland also reference circling movements with a knife in order to protect

182-495: A person dominated by the blood humour); hermaphrodite (combining the masculine quality of heat with the feminine quality of moisture); and the northern point of the compass. The alchemical symbol for air is an upward-pointing triangle, bisected by a horizontal line. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn , founded in 1888, incorporates air and the other Greek classical elements into its teachings. The elemental weapon of air

208-779: A primary role in the Coffin Texts , which were spells intended to help the deceased reach the realm of the afterlife safely. On the way to the sky, the spirit had to travel through the air as one spell indicates: "I have gone up in Shu, I have climbed on the sunbeams." According to Jain beliefs, the element air is inhabited by one-sensed beings or spirits called vāyukāya ekendriya , sometimes said to inhabit various kinds of winds such as whirlwinds, cyclones, monsoons, west winds and trade winds. Prior to reincarnating into another lifeform, spirits can remain as vāyukāya ekendriya from anywhere between one instant to up to three-thousand years, depending on

234-408: A single substance. However, Empedocles of Acragas (c. 495-c. 435 BCE) selected four archai for his four roots: air, fire, water, and earth. Ancient and modern opinions differ as to whether he identified air by the divine name Hera , Aidoneus or even Zeus . Empedocles’ roots became the four classical elements of Greek philosophy. Plato (427–347 BCE) took over the four elements of Empedocles. In

260-470: A variety of powdered cereals to counter different threats and is accompanied by the gloss : SAG.BA SAG.BA , Akkadian : māmīt māmīt , the curse from a broken oath, in The Exorcists Manual , where it refers to a specific ritual on two tablets the first of which is extant. Examples of Jewish customs showing the use of the magic circle can be found in the birth protection rituals of Alsace and

286-625: A woman in childbirth. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn , which has had one of the largest influences on contemporary Western esotericism , introduced the practices of the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram and the Opening by Watchtower . The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) is typically used as a daily practice and is also performed before any magical working, while the Watchtower ritual

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312-499: Is believed to be close to that of air. Qi is believed to be part of every living thing that exists, as a kind of " life force " or " spiritual energy ". It is frequently translated as "energy flow", or literally as "air" or "breath". (For example, tiānqì , literally "sky breath", is the Chinese word for " weather "). The concept of qi is often reified , however no scientific evidence supports its existence. The element air also appears as

338-455: Is called 'closing the circle' or 'releasing the circle'. Air (classical element) Air or Wind is one of the four classical elements along with water , earth and fire in ancient Greek philosophy and in Western alchemy . According to Plato , it is associated with the octahedron ; air is considered to be both hot and wet. The ancient Greeks used two words for air: aer meant

364-413: Is much more involved. Both rituals are now used by a wide array of practitioners, including ceremonial magicians , Hermetic Qabalists , Neopagans , and Thelemites . In Wicca , as also in traditional European grimoires, a magic circle is typically nine feet in diameter, though the size can vary depending on the purpose of the circle, and the preference of the caster. Some varieties of Wicca use

390-415: Is the dagger which must be painted yellow with magical names and sigils written upon it in violet. Each of the elements has several associated spiritual beings. The archangel of air is Raphael , the angel is Chassan, the ruler is Ariel, the king is Paralda, and the air elementals (following Paracelsus ) are called sylphs . Air is considerable and it is referred to the upper left point of the pentagram in

416-565: The Timaeus , his major cosmological dialogue, the Platonic solid associated with air is the octahedron which is formed from eight equilateral triangles. This places air between fire and water which Plato regarded as appropriate because it is intermediate in its mobility, sharpness, and ability to penetrate. He also said of air that its minuscule components are so smooth that one can barely feel them. Plato's student Aristotle (384–322 BCE) developed

442-544: The Enochian elemental tablets. Air is associated with the east, which is guarded by the First Watchtower. Air is one of the five elements that appear in most Wiccan and Pagan traditions. Wicca in particular was influenced by the Golden Dawn system of magic and Aleister Crowley 's mysticism. Air is not one of the traditional five Chinese classical elements . Nevertheless, the ancient Chinese concept of Qi or chi

468-527: The Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram. Many of these associations have since spread throughout the occult community. In the Golden Dawn and many other magical systems, each element is associated with one of the cardinal points and is placed under the care of guardian Watchtowers. The Watchtowers derive from the Enochian system of magic founded by Dee. In the Golden Dawn, they are represented by

494-430: The circle would weaken or dispel it. This is referred to as "breaking the circle". It is generally advised that practitioners do not leave the circle unless absolutely necessary. In order to leave a circle and keep it intact, Wiccans believe a door must be cut in the energy of the circle, normally on the east side. Whatever was used to cast the circle is used to cut the doorway, such as a sword, staff or knife ( athame ),

520-456: The common ceremonial colour attributions for 'quarter candles': yellow for air in the east, red for fire in the south, blue for water in the west and green for earth in the north (though these attributions differ according to geographical location and individual philosophy). The common technique for raising energy within the circle is by means of a cone of power . The barrier is believed to be fragile, so that leaving or passing through

546-489: The contrary. Making sacred space is among the most primal of rituals, such intentional actions are as worthy of the term psychoactive as any substance.' Circles may or may not be physically marked out on the ground, and a variety of elaborate patterns for circle markings can be found in grimoires and magical manuals, often involving angelic and divine names . Such markings, or a simple unadorned circle, may be drawn in chalk or salt , or indicated by other means such as with

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572-428: The dim lower atmosphere, and aether meant the bright upper atmosphere above the clouds. Plato , for instance writes that "So it is with air: there is the brightest variety which we call aether , the muddiest which we call mist and darkness, and other kinds for which we have no name...." Among the early Greek Pre-Socratic philosophers, Anaximenes (mid-6th century BCE) named air as the arche . A similar belief

598-420: The operators safe from the evil spirits); in the first place we will treat concerning the composition of a circle.' Moreover, as magician and historian Jake Stratton-Kent writes, 'In short a circle is not an obsolete symbol of a superstitious fear of spirits, but an intentionally created ritual space for various purposes. It is not always required for all kinds of ritual work, but neither is it of no value, quite

624-428: The surrounding area. As early as 1560, a text by the rabbi Naphtali Hirsch ben Elieser Treves notes a custom in which a circle is drawn around the birthing woman to protect her from Lilith and demons. This was done using a Krasmesser (circle knife) which would be wielded by the midwife or the father of the child. Paul Christian Kirchner’s description of Jewish birthing customs from 1734 includes an illustration showing

650-510: Was attributed by some ancient sources to Diogenes Apolloniates (late 5th century BCE), who also linked air with intelligence and soul ( psyche ), but other sources claim that his arche was a substance between air and fire. Aristophanes parodied such teachings in his play The Clouds by putting a prayer to air in the mouth of Socrates . Air was one of many archai proposed by the Pre-socratics, most of whom tried to reduce all things to

676-426: Was found only in the heavens, where it formed celestial spheres . In ancient Greek medicine , each of the four humours became associated with an element. Blood was the humor identified with air, since both were hot and wet. Other things associated with air and blood in ancient and medieval medicine included the season of spring , since it increased the qualities of heat and moisture; the sanguine temperament (of

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