Music Theory - "M"Theory -

This won't be a post about chord construction or the applications of the circle of fifths; it's going to be about how i connect to the world around me and, by that virtue, to magic, to god, and to the great web that encircles us all.

I've always fancied myself a musician. i can play the piano, and sing, and even my latest love, the violin, i play fairly well, but its the reason that im drawn to music that is the topic of discussion here. I believe that in the beginning god, whatever god is, (lets look at the divine here as simple a sentient power in the void) reached out and in doing so sent out a ripple of power, a vibration in the stillness, a sound that would condence and be modled by new sounds, some its own, some its echo, some likewise from the divine. this this would have been the first song, the first chorus, from which the Creation myths of the world are derived. The voice of god manifest as the physical universe. Now, bear with me, in christianity, the christ is considered to be the word of god (who was present in the beginning). note that words are by definition constructs of the will, shaped by power, and directed by sound to become understood.  This is how i believe the divine functions in the physical universe; by way of song.

Thus it stands to reason that each aspect of creation is composed, of at least, one piece of a greater composition, each new aspect coming into existence to subtly or magnanimously alter the tonal quality of the whole. Now you may be wondering how this applies to the topic at hand and its actually quite simple for anyone who's read sheet music. You can call out the beauty, sadness, jubilation, or frenzy of a composition if you have the skill to do so, and likewise i believe that every aspect of creation has a corresponding musical value. By tracing tonal paths along the web of life, and connecting to those aspects which are involved you can draw their influences closer to you. This is simple form of magic, the power of words, of vibration. But it's more than that as well.

I seek out the divine in beauty, which in and of itself is a complicated discussion, but suffice it to say i find music to be beautiful. it is our small, sometimes futile, sometimes exceptional means of magnifying the chorus that surrounds us. Music, you must understand, in connecting to creation, in adding to its beauty, is to me, the most perfect form of prayer ever conceived of. God is above all else a grand architect and composer. we are all instruments in that way being led, and leading off in new directions. Entropy is after all another from of beauty. The harmony of dissonance. none of us can truly know the mind of god, and truly i dont think i would want to. But still, i find it funny, that even now as i type, these worlds which i derive in my mind are turning and becoming real, and even before i post this a new strand of music is calling out. this my creation, to be read and understood, or be tossed aside. either is beautiful, one is preferable. The choice is yours and yet it isnt, because either way your reaction will ripple in the ether as a new note in the grand chorus. In this way i think that god fixed the election. no matter what we do, and this is the dangerous part of my theory, could be considered beautiful by the mind of god. because there is beauty of creation and destruction, and all of it adds to the chorus which ultimately is praise to god. In this way i believe that Anne Rice got it right in Memnoch the Devil  , i cant seem to find the quote but it was something to the effect of, [the universe is being run by madmen..] i really have to find the rest of it. Lestat was explaining his experiences of having traversed between heaven and hell. maybe ill look for it again in the morning; these late nights are not my favorites.

Pleasant Dreams All,
Solstice                 

The Circle: On Constructing Sacred Space

Well, I'm back in Florida and can I find the essay I wrote up for this post...

Anyways, the circle is a basic component of magical systems derived from the western traditions and can be broken down into several layers of corresponding depending on the tradition you are working in. As i see it, the basic circle has three functions; 1. to provide a place within which to focus, raise, and ultimately direct energy back into the universe. 2. as a place of protection, cut off energetically from whatever might cause you harm or interfere while working, and 3. as a place set "between the worlds" where you can commune with the divine. I'll begin next with a break down of its physical construction followed by its psychological underpinnings.

To clarify i should state that i generally don't construct a circle for ritual purposes but on occasion will if i need the extra focus or protection, either way I use the East South West North : Air Fire Water Earth alignments. Begin with physically cleaning the area, a besom is best i think, especially if it was a gift ( i don't believe in having things if you cant use them for a practical purpose), but i use an old orange dry mop and a dust cloth. you want to cleanse the area and stir up any stagnant energy and blockages in the room. Having a window open is always a plus, as well as a door.  Similarly, you can use floral sprays (florida water) to much the same effect. 

With the room ready, gather any tools you need and place them on your working table. 

(disclaimer: this is one of my methods and is not in any way the only way)

Once grounded, the basic circle, often called walking the compass, three or more times deosil (clockwise) around a central fire. the number three because its the number of manifestation being the sum of power, wisdom, and understanding which we will investigate further in a later discussion involving Kabbalah. The central fire relates to the place of the hearth as a seat of protection, energy, and light.  It is the energy of the hearth that we channel initially to construct the shape of the circle and sustain it. 

It's sometimes called walking the compass because you are symbolically creating a miniature of the universe, demarcating the 4 cardinal directions and becoming the axis mundi of a microcosm (insert scan here). In essence you are becoming the world tree Yggdrasil, your roots reaching down to tap the wisdom of your ancestors, your mind reaching out to the heavens and the realms of the divine, and your trunk, your arms reaching out to the four corners of the universe and connecting to the web of creation. In doing this you center your physical and spiritual being in preparation for your working.   

Once grounded and centered, this is then proceeded by a ritual purification of the circle, usually by smudging with sage or using salt water.  Calling quarters, beginning in the east, and inviting the guardians of each quarter to attend aid and watch over your work. And finally by calling upon the divine and consecrating the circle to the task at hand.

As a tradition, the circle is ceremoniously taken apart in reverse to release the energies gathered and ground any excess that may be present. I should not here that ultimately the purpose of ritual is to achieve an altered state of consciousness within which we can tap into the web more effectively. this is also why it is a good practice to do something entirely physical afterwards, usually eating or drinking something to reassert yourself in the physical; otherwise you end up a bit like someone half awake and not really all there. So with that in mind i put emphasis on the "cakes" in what we affectionately call the cakes and ale portion of post ritual celebrations. its like a buffer between working in the physical and spiritual worlds... Think of coffee hour after church.  Even if you don't fall into the shamanistic side of things and remain firmly planted in the psychological underpinnings of ritual, the donut is still a nice way to tell your subconscious its over, time to take a break.   

As Always,

Solstice  

July - The Blessing Moon

Blessed Be to all who wander into my little corner. I may be stereotyping here, just a bit, but it is true. Ultimately i believe that the goal, the charge of all witches is to honour and preserve the balance. this of course means we accept the good and the bad of life. July brings us the Blessing moon, a tranquil companion and a great time for reflection and mediation on the blessings in our lives. For me, my family obviously, my nephew on the way, (although signs point to it being a niece despite the ultrasounds), good health, and more recently thrifting for witchy finds. it may sound funny but i think its one of those things we all do. you'd be surpised just what you can pick up at thrift stores, from tools to full cabinets, bottles of every shape and size, and candles of course. Did a simplified esbat in the pool under the moon  listening to some music. Actually got to see the moon rise and arc across the sky, which was actually a first for me as its not possible from home.

Contemplating a small besom i opted not to buy while i was out... my mom's friend jean actually bought me a bleated birthday present. Its a rustic, sudo-gothic jewelry box straight from one of grimms fairytales. really just a small cabinate with 8, 5x6 drawers. great for stroing little things i come across. not really deep enough for storing bottles, maybe essestial oils, maybe, but i doubt it. all the same i love it and will find a purpose for it when i get it home.

gonna end it here and continue on in the morning with a brief discussion on circles.

all the best,
Solstice 

Beltaine

Granting that most, if not all of you reading this already know about this wonderful festival, i'll be brief. Beltaine, no matter the pronunciation, is a cross quarter day that falls between Imbolc (the Spring Equinox) and Lughnasadh (the summer solstice), and lies directly opposed to Samhain. As such it is a feast day of love and life. It is the rise of summer to greet spring and take the throne as God, embodied in the life giving sun, joins in union with the earth below to grant life.

Workings related include fertility, prosperity, blessings, and purification. This is a time of joy and mirth no matter where you are, which is hard at present, as it's been raining since this morning and through the night. I would have entirely missed it had i not been presented with an over the top and in your face reminder of its power. There is a bush i pass every day on the way home from work, the gym, or the grocery store. I remember it because it blooms incredibly vibrant purple flowers, which it had not yet...  until today.  i had been stopped at the stop sign down the street and was taken aback by it. Up until then i had been straining against the tiresome and depressing atmosphere outside, and the work i still have to do. But then, in that small instant, everything was good. It suddenly hit me that it really was Beltaine and there would be no ifs ands or buts about it. I had no party to get to, or shmancy ritual prepared, but all in all, it was a good day, and that's enough for me to be grateful for.

Solstice

Divisions and New Beginnings

Easter has come and gone and i have to say that it finally feels like spring. the trees finally have that golden green glow that means new life. So far, my garden is lackluster and truth be told, im not sure what im going to do with it just yet. my blueberry bushes are sprouting leaves, as are the blackberries, and the wedding-bells are just over a foot tall. They had been spreading like crazy over the years and earlier, around mid march, i corralled them in with a recycled brick circle ( affectionately called a crop circle by my sister).

But on to Easter. To the ancient greeks, it meant that Prosephone, daughter of Demeter, had once again returned to the world, and to the (pardon the generality) wiccan community the goddess is once again youthful and full of life as the now reborn god is growing into adolescence. The generic myth is actually quite poetic and beautiful. To Christians, this is a time of rejoicing in the Resurrection of Christ after his crucifiction and death. Again, the promise of life.

Now you might be asking where i'm going with this. In the Orthodox Church there is a great emphasis on Mary the Virgin Mother of God, who we call the Theotokos. Always she is referenced as our greatest protector, consoler, and emmisary to God.  She takes the role of the balancer in my mind. There is iconography of herself arms open, the infant Jesus within a circle within her. It is through her that we were given a mortal born but deified creation; and i cant help but wonder if her role would have been different had the church not been patriarchal.

In any event,  ive gone off on a completely different tangent that i had planned... i was actually going to talk about powders and folk beliefs... meh, next time. But anywho, i gues what im working on conceptually is the nature of the holy spirit as a femenin principle. In the way the Trinity, for me, gains some clarity. God as Father, Child, and Spirit, where that spirit gives rise to creation and takes on the role of Mother.

... I'll get back to you
Solstice

Solstice En Absencia

I first wanted to apologize, not that anyone really follows this blog or anything, but it felt like i should just to clear the air. Ive been away from this blog for months now and it actually began because of a login problem between google accounts. Still, i have a hard time imagining it's been this long. what began as an irritation soon lapsed into me considering my path, as i often do, and what it means to me; why i do what i do. It's funny because i have pictures i should post from Samhain.

i remember back in early November, during that odd period just after the 31st. i was reading up on bogs on a different blog site and was putting together a piece for my refference bos. i had been making a lot of head way in my personal one as well and had just purchased a replacement as it was just about full. and then, everything just stopped. i had just bought new candles, cleaned my altar, scraped off the old wax to get ready for the new, and then nothing. i had lost touch with my path; because i realised ive always been following two.

Tradition is a big deal to me, especially family traditions, and that means baking the new years bread, dying the eggs fro the easter breads, easter dinner at one in the morning with my family, church on sundays, festivals, and dancing. and i began to realize i want that same thing for my children one day, that feeling of community that comes from our traditions. we have a lot of folk beliefs too, that get intermingled with magick from the old days, so i had that to look to as well.

its an odd sensation when you wear a cross after wearing a pentagram for so long. i found that the pride, balance, and strength i drew from my star has lessened over the months. ive become quieter, more irate at times too, but i blame that on my lapse in communication with the divine. ive felt lost too, trying to capture the feeling i had, that connectedness, from when i was in third gear. i really want to strike a balance between the two paths so i can be content again, but its not easy, as im sure anyone whose ever tried can reiterate. but im trying, so that has to count for something.

If youve taken the time to read this far, i wanted to thank you for entertaining my ramblings. ive been burnt out, i recognize that now, and i hope that should you ever find yourself in need of guidance, look to the gods, to god, to the divine, or what ever you call it, because when all else fails, They will always listen and speak to you.

As always,
Solstice