Do I need a protection circle

You won’t need protection from Raphael, and I personally don’t use circles at all these days (I do a lot of work sitting on our bed!) BUT to be fair I have spirit allies who I ask first, about whether a new spirit is wise to work with, and also I treat them all as distinct personalities, not generic “Grrr Evill Demonz” or anything, which I think directly affects the “interface” they then create with the magician. They’re spirits to me, powerful beings deserving of respect, so that’s my paradigm.

My advice would be to do, or have done, a reading on this, there’s some links in this post that might help: #msg82593.

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My advice would be to do, or have done, a reading on this, there’s some links in this post that might help: #msg82593.

I Ching says: “Difficult times have beset you. Remain in charge of your direction. Do not dwell on unpleasantries. Remain proud and carry on in these difficult times. You will be burdened by difficulties for awhile. When new opportunities arise, take them with confidence, you will do well. Maintain your integrity throughout your difficulties.”

Tarot, I pulled Universe and World from two different decks, lol…

Now what?

Ashtkerr on here knows the I Ching better than me, but not sure if he’s around - I’ll give it a shot:

“Difficult times have beset you.”

Fact, based on what’s happened so far. Possibly asserting that this is a real problem and not something partly psychological, that can be improved with a change in attitude.

“Remain in charge of your direction. Do not dwell on unpleasantries. Remain proud and carry on in these difficult times.”

Looks like a green light for enacting magickal work on it to me, it’s not saying “surrender to this trial” or whatever. So that’s encouragement.

“You will be burdened by difficulties for awhile. When new opportunities arise, take them with confidence, you will do well. Maintain your integrity throughout your difficulties.”

If you asked this specifically about working with Buer and without the circle, to me this says yes, it will work, if you are able to stay in a confident mindset of asking the spirit if it will help, without coercion or fear.

“Tarot, I pulled Universe and World from two different decks, lol…”

They’re positive cards - The Tower or 10 Swords for example would have been NO.

Looks like a green light for enacting magickal work on it to me, it’s not saying “surrender to this trial” or whatever.

If you asked this specifically about working with Buer and without the circle, to me this says yes, it will work, if you are able to stay in a confident mindset of asking the spirit if it will help, without coercion or fear.

Although I wrote Buer, in my mind I thought of and am drawn to Gusion…I had part of the name when I awoke this morning…Would it matter?

Possibly not, if you did have that clear intent, and were kind of asking about the overall wisdom of working with these spirits and without a circle.

I’ve never worked with Gusion at all, so can give you no comments based on experience there, hopefully you’ll get other peoplee’s input. :slight_smile:

What was the specific I Ching hexagram that you drew?

And I agree with Lady Eva’s interpretation of the Tarot cards. World and Universe are the same card from different decks, they both means attainment.

It was 54.

54 is a neat one. Thunder above the lake, or thunder striking the lake. This hexagram is also about marriage, the woman freely accepting her husband into her life (as the phallic thunder penetrates the vaginal lake). It’s about a positive momentary choice that spills out after effects, as when the thunder strikes the lake and then waves ripple out. It’s about looking forward past the momentary pleasure to the goal and not getting distracted along the way.

It really depends on who you ask. The tradition im part of doesnt use any protection circles in evocation however some magicians insist upon them. The only circle i like to use is the universal circle personally

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I’ve always used a circle, but I realize it’s because I’ve always read/been told, it’s what you should do. In the year and a half or so that I’ve been a member here, I’ve seen that many people don’t. I’m finding myself rethinking it, and wondering if maybe using a circle has been counterproductive? Next time I attempt evo, I’ll forego the circle. Interestingly, for things like sigil and candle magick, I’ve never used a circle, and those types of low magick have been, overall, successful for me.

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I think it depends on your reasons, the UC seems like a statement of intent and an assertion of the magician using it taking a specific approach, more than (not that I even believe in this) as a circle to “protect you” from the demonic foorces roaring for blood outside - or anything! JMO. :slight_smile:

There’s a vivid scene in The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley where our godly protagonists huddle in a circle of the fortress type, with evil forces trying to get sinde, it always stuck me as silly (though quite exciting when I first saw it) and I think that’s the old-fashioned and mainstream image of circles, then there’s other ideas that they basically situate you for the spirit to lock onto, which would make sense if spacetime is perceived differently by them, or something.

I think it is, my research so far suggests they see things in chains of cause and effect, so plonking your Godlike butt inside a UC (or, as I do, a cowskin representing Auðhumbla, the primeval cow in Norse mythology) is a statment, made within spacetime and also registering as a cause for subsequent effects, of your intent to affect reality, as the god of your own creation.

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No my friend dont think of it as counterproductive, its just an added boost. A circle can add a boost to materialization like the Universal circle. It’s just basically a question of preference.

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E.A. just put up a video about this topic, replying to a question on YouTube:

What Pisses Me Off About Protection Circles

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[quote=“blackcashmere, post:1, topic:7762”]I have very limited space, my king size bed takes up most of the room except kitchen, bathroom, closet…
I put wards around my two small dogs and cat, front and back door, above/below…
I have called Raphael…
I don’t have a circle, I surround myself and car with white light…
If I evoke Buer, for instance, what do I need to do to protect before and after? I am approaching this as if “x” will come in truth and no harm will come to anything I hold dear? Am I too ignorant?
Thank you…[/quote]

Generally speaking, a protection circle is not necessary against human-compatible angels and demons and such.

Odds are good these spirits will be truthful to you, because they don’t really have any reason not to be, unless your history goes deeper than one life with them.

A protection circle is necessary when summoning more violent, unrestrained things, like parasite gods, though. And even then, if it really wants to burst your bubble, it’ll just poke a hole in it until the energy is all drained… and then you’re nothing better than prey.

I have a story about that. One of my magical coworkers, in his bumbling youth, had thought it was wise to try and summon and fuse his being with that of the oversoul of mosquitoes, for vampiric purposes.

Well, he summoned it.

Nothing happened in the ritual, he claims, but the day after the ritual, he lost his left arm up to the elbow in a brutal car accident.

Of course, he maintains that the intelligence didn’t cause this, however, I looked into it. I summoned it myself less than two weeks after, with full protections and bound the entity to a stone. Since those days (six years ago) I have since made peace with the entity, however, for the first three years of our relationship to one another, I kept it in a box, under guard.

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[quote=“Lady Eva, post:14, topic:7762”]E.A. just put up a video about this topic, replying to a question on YouTube:

What Pisses Me Off About Protection Circles [/quote]

Ah, seems I’m late to the ‘circle is not necessary’ party.

To be fair, you’re always in a circle, you’re on a ‘somewhat round’ planet (it’s actually more of and ellipsoid). You can draw the circle that will contain your own energy thus amplifying and concentrating your energetic ribbons that will draw the entity.

This is not the time for fear. And if you fear what you evoke, don’t evoke it. Start with divination to check if this is the right entity for you to be working with at this point.
You don’t want to be evoking one entity and calling to the ‘oh dear Macaroni God! Save me from this terrifying manifestation’ at the same time in your mind. Spirits tend to get jealous. Imagine calling someone else’s name during some very intimate acts :slight_smile:

Take your time, this is neither quick nor easy thing to achieve.

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As part of my research into a specific entity, I read about the way Solomon treated him in the Grand Grimoire.

And I’ll tell you what …

If you treated me that way, smote me with a heated metal rod, and threatened to torture me for eternity … you’d damn well better tuck yourself into a steel cage or I’m going to rip your fuckin’ head off.

In other words, a circle of protection isn’t necessary unless you’re being a dick. Life lesson #311: “Don’t be a dick. Don’t be a pussy. Don’t be genitalia.”

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People think the circle is all about protection when its actually more about balance. Balance is what protects the operator and avoids him to crash and burn.

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Who’s telling u a circle is for or going to protect u?? If a demon wants to hurt u it will regardless of a circle, I’ve worked with dozens of them and got a slap once so if your respectful and not using blasting rods and threatening with God names I’m sure you will be fine Buer I’ve evoked no problems and most other Goetic Demons including Belial, Paimon, Beleth, Azazel, no problems Asmoday is the only one I had some minor trouble with once that’s it all the others were more than happy to be evoked and carry out a task some asked for offerings some didn’t.

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Hey Eva… (naff question I know nut…) would that be because Raphael is an angel not a demon? I’ve never used a magical circle and if I do it’s literally an evoked circle of protection. Perhaps I too a being naive?
ThuCo

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Could be, I think angels are so full of bliss and adoring love for their particular work that they have no motivation or desire to “coliur outside the lines” - I base this on my own experiences: The Angel Of Lost Things - Sigil & Information.

If you have a trekkie holding forth about his favourite Captain of the Enterprise, you really don’t need to remind him not to break and start doing something completely different. The level of passion and flow is very similar! :heart: