In another thread, I asked savodonger to explain this statement he made:
" you will then be closer to spirit and natural law, don’t try and block it out as that is abit like some of those magicians who use a circle for protection! A circle made correctly and understood, will contain energy…it is designed to keep in, not keep out."
Like others, I have always thought of a circle as a way to define your working space, and keep the “bad stuff” out. He respectfully asked that I start a new thread, so as not to derail the other thread. I agree, so here it is. I’m always open to learning what I don’t know, or other perspectives. I’ve posted it in this sub forum because I feel it will benefit many of us who are new(er), and maybe at least be food for thought for the more experienced.
He is only half right. You can see and understand this with the Nyd Rune. When you learn to create your own world or space it consists of a certain set of rules enforced by your Will. That is in essence the line of your circle. Your beliefs are the line of the circle. Your beliefs and enforced thoughts are what both Draw in and contain energy, as well as what Repulses other types of energy. The Nyd Rune is a weavers Rune of Matrices. This means between the energy within your circle and that which is outside is considered a Polar opposite which in a sense empowers the goal within the confines of your circular reality as well as holds its form Rigid. The Nyd Rune in this respects as a Weaver Rune of ones reality is thus about intelligently utilizing all forces in the world to help Bring one what one Needs of Fortune…as shown of a crafted future of a Wheel of Fortune (Tarot) as Nyd like Tarot is the 10th. Keeping in mind NEED is not defined by Moral Rules, but rather what your circle is crafted with which is actually your beliefs.
The magical circle is another extension of mans desire to dominate. A sorcerer standing in the middle of a circle clearly suggests he is indeed ready to take control and responsibility for his actions. The circle is simply a space where the magician controls his world.
Interestingly, performing rituals without a circle has on many occasion got spirits drawing sexual fluids from me to raise energy as there wasn’t enough without the circle to hold it. I have also had trouble concentrating at times and maintaining awareness, the spirits presence was also weakening in these situations. The circle therefore holds whatever energies are within from leaving, it will NOT however in my experience stop any force or physical aspects from entering!
The circle is usually surrounded by the four elements from which all of life is composed. Their natural positioning is in honour of the supreme power of the universe, which is Lord Sol himself. To explain this, the sun and all other celestial bodies rise in the east, therefore this cardinal point is given to that first stage of manifestation, which is air. At midday when the sun is at its zenith, the world is bright and hot so fire is attributed to the south. At sunset as the world sinks into darkness, the light of day can only be extinguished by water so west is its station. Midpoint between sunset and sunrise, the sun is in the earth thereby donating north as the cardinal point of earth (Fire and earth would of course be switched if the magician was working in the southern hemisphere, where he would also follow a more anticlockwise route of circle set-up).
A circle universally represents ‘eternity’ as it has no beginnings or endings but as a personal symbol I regard it as mentioned above. It isn’t needed at all if that is to your liking as it’s just a tool, a point focus or a symbol to represent however… points of focus allow my mind to connect and open to my intentions so I choose to use it for these reasons as without it, my thoughts can drift which clearly suggests again the circles ability to contain energy.
Our biggest circle is the earth itself which is (in my opinion) the true nature of the magical circle. Our earth, our planet contains our energies very well indeed as without this facility, we would perish but would it stop another force such as aliens breaking that barrier and coming through to us?
I imagine primeval man, or proto-humans even, standing on a flat plain, maybe in Africa, or elsewhere (funny how Stonehenge is on a VERY flat plain, nothing to mess up that sense of the operator at the centre of the “What Is”) casting the first circle, it may be poetically inaccurate :o) but I like it!
The circle (as a symbol) is one of the four essentials of creating/manifesting(whatever you call it). It symbolizes that which they call womb/space/place…, that bounds everything that are considered causes of an effect/creation/manifestation(actually, there are only the other 3 that are in the circle just made complicated by illusions)