While we have progressed in so many ways since 1692, persecution can still happen. In May 2005, a young woman in England was dunked repeatedly in the river and nearly drowned because her family and neighbors believed she was practicing witchcraft. So while we believe these dark times are over, we must be ever vigilant. We must never forget.
I meant to find her when I came
Death had the same design.
One need not be a chamber to be haunted,
One need not be a house;
The brain has corridors surpassing
Material place.
—Emily Dickinson
Dark Moon magic embraces women’s wisdom, and in its essence is a celebration of the Dark Sacred Feminine. If you look at magical culture, men also embrace their feminine sides and fully express them. Dark Moon magic remembers the “Burning Times” with their torture and negation of the female spirit. Dark Moon magic expresses what was once made silent.
As a modern primitive or urban pagan, it is important to establish a sacred space and arm yourself with magical tools. In so doing, you can create a magical place where the mundane world is left behind. It can be in your home or your own backyard, where despite the noise of the day-to-day, you can touch the sacred. There is no need to ascend to the top of a mountain, a silent retreat, or a deep dark dungeon in search of the sacred. Nay—anywhere you choose can become the place of magic where you cast the circle.
You can create the magic circle by “casting” or drawing in the air with concentrated energy. Inside the circle you have created, rituals are performed, your spells are worked, and special energy is raised. This sacred space of your very own is where you call on the gods and goddesses and become attuned to your deities. By giving this space real attention and focus, you can make it a truly intense experience. For the first time in your life, all your senses will come alive, and you will feel, see, and hear the energies as you come into the circle because you will have created a tangible sphere of power.
Cast a circle anywhere—out in the woods, on a lakefront, or in the comfort of your own crypt. Wherever the circle is cast becomes your temple. If you are in your bedroom or living room, stack the chairs against the wall to create the limits of your circle. The Goddess tradition specifies that the circle must have a diameter of nine feet, which is the number of the Goddess. That said, a circle can be any size, accommodating a very large group with dozens of people or just yourself. Many witches only cast a circle when they are ready to engage in spell work, while many neopagans cast a circle to celebrate every sabbat holy day. Dark Moon variations on circle casting can include playing hypnotic and rhythmic music, thereby enhancing the creation of sacred space. Covens with which I am acquainted use both live and recorded music to great result and also read from their collective Book of Shadows. One group daringly holds their sabbats in a cemetery because for them the space is doubly hallowed.
Sacred Tools
Casting a circle is only limited by the imagination or by the function you ascribe to it. The magic begins at your altar with your sacred tools—athame, bolline, cord, censer, and a cauldron, among other things—for crafting rituals. To fully imbue your tools of magic and ritual with energy, they should reside on your altar. Collecting your ritual tools is best when it is a joyful and careful search—don’t rush out and get everything at once! As you work to refine your practice, your needs will undoubtedly change, so building a proper tool collection is a process that can take months or even years. Many a magician has acquired a full complement of antique ritual tools; the aforementioned Kat, for example, collects tools from New Orleans used by voodoo practitioners. Actor Nicholas Cage, who follows the teachings of Aleister Crowley, collects his writings, tarot cards, and tools, because they are imbued with the energy and magic of the founder of the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO). So, again, the use of historic and antique tools of magic can deepen the potential for magical power in Dark Moon magic.
You can also find ritual tools in flea markets, metaphysical five and dimes, and craft fairs around the country. Always make sure you cleanse and purify your new tools of magic whether they are antiques or brand new, to ensure that the energy is yours and yours alone. Think of your ritual tools as energy conductors that absorb the energy of the ritual work that you and your circle perform. If you want to craft tools that are custom made to fit your needs, you can also take the do-it-yourself approach to making magical implements. You may well want to laminate the handle of your knife with skull beads made of bone or take a walk in the woods in search of just the right fallen branch for your wand.
Using Your Tools for Magic
Ritual tools are sacred to an individual who is performing the actual ritual act. Whether you find your tools in a store or they are given to you as a gift, each tool should hold special meaning to you and should feel absolutely perfect to you as you use it. Keep this in mind as you search for just the right tool for your Dark Moon ritual ceremonies; perhaps your athame will look like a medieval dagger or your Book of Shadows will resemble an ancient tome from the twelfth century. Usually, you are able to “recognize” tools that are meant for you with your inner knowing. I highly recommend using a pendulum while shopping!
ATHAME—YOUR DAGGER FOR DESIGNING MAGIC
Pronounced “a-THAW-may,” this is your magical knife. Even though it can be used as a ritual dagger or sword for spells, it is mostly symbolic and is not necessarily a cutting knife. Your athame represents the yang energy or the male aspect of God. Ritual knives are also associated with the south and the element of fire, and as such, they should be placed on the right side of your altar. The athame is used to direct the energies that are raised in your ritual. One old witching tradition very much in keeping with a Dark Moon sensibility specifies that the handle of the athame should be black or very dark in color, since black is the color that absorbs energy.
BOLLINE
The bolline, which is usually a white-handled knife, is used for making other tools, such as carving your wand, whittling your own runes, and cutting materials such as cords and herbs. You are creating a magical tool by using a magical tool. You should also use your bolline for carving sigils, symbols, names, and images of deities into your candles and wands as well as your other crafted tools. Usually, a bolline has a curved blade and a white handle to distinguish it from the athame. It is similar to the athame in that it also embodies yang energy. It can be used only within the magical circle, the boundary you form by marking the four corners and the four directions through a speaking ritual.
YOUR BOOK OF SHADOWS
The Book of Shadows is a record of your ritual work and is a very important part of your spiritual journey, as it encompasses the complete body of your magical thinking and magical workings. It is in essence a history of all your energy work, circles, spells, dreams, and the magic you have manifested over time. It is essentially a diary of all that you have practiced and wrought. In your Book of Shadows, you should keep a journal of your research and the lore you have discovered. For example, is there a particular phase and sign of the moon that works especially well for you? By documenting this type of information, you will be building a practice that you can apply to future spells and circles. Also, many a Book of Shadows has become a published book! This will also be a great aid in analyzing and learning from your ritual work as you evolve and develop as a ritual designer. For example, I have discovered that the new moon in Virgo (the opposite of my natal new moon in Pisces) is currently the best moon phase for me to work rituals of change. Through trial, experimentation, and much practice, you, too, will discover these secrets of the universe for yourself via your personal records.
Your Book of Shadows will be the most helpful