Saturday, August 25, 2018

How To: Solomonic Style Circles.

I've been doing this a long time. I can't say this is the best way, but it's the summary of my 20 years of experience:

Image result for magic circle heptameron
A circle in the style of the Heptameron of Peter d'Abano, which I adore.

If you are not confident in your ability to cast an energetic circle, I HIGHLY recommend Ivo Dominguez's
Casting Sacred Space: The Core of All Magickal Work.

The most important parts of circle construction in almost any style are:
1) The "circle" be large enough you can comfortably perform the ritual inside it.
2) The "circle" be small enough that there is direct line of sight from any point inside to any other.
3) The "circle" be energy-tight and not leak.
4) The "circle" not have sharp corners (because they create little energy vortices which are hard to clean.

Not only does a "proper" circle not have to be 9 (or 13) feet across (probably, the smart demons use the metric system anyway, lol) it doesn't even really need to be circular.

To lay this out, lay on your floor at the center of where you want the circle. Spread eagle, and then, with a piece of chalk, reach as far as you can in each direction, and make a mark. Add at least a foot of buffer on each side, and enclose the circle. That should be the size of the inner circle.

For average height men, that give a circle about 9 feet across. Since I'm only 5 feet tall, and my arms are very short, a 7 foot circle works fine for me (although, these days, because I also host group ritual, I also use a 23 foot circle, which is the biggest that will fit in my basement). My friend who is 6'4", needed an 11 foot circle just for him.  The point of the circle is that the spirit not be easily able to "trick" you into crossing it. Pro tip: some Solomonic rituals can go very long. Put a chair and small table, or at least a cushion, inside. Nothing persuades demons to stop blustering so effectively as just waiting them out. I have a whole desk inside mine.

If you decide you like this style of work and want to make a permanent circle, here is what I recommend:

1) Ideally, choose a room with only one entrance, with a door.
2) Purchase pre-painted white pine baseboards to fit all four walls. (If you already have baseboards, you don't have to take them down.  But, if you don't, its easier to do all the writing etc before they're on the wall, so you don't have to crawl as much.
3) Use black sharpie markers to draw out the names, characters, etc on the baseboards. Take time to think about how the room lays on a compass, and where the corners will be. Be cognizant of where the door(s) are.  You will almost undoubtedly have extra room, which you can use to add names, characters, seals etc of your personal protective spirits and gods. I use other colors to also add elemental/directional quarters. If you're not sure what to put, just leave some space, and you can add them as you figure it out.
4) Consecrate the baseboards in your usual way.
5) Install the baseboards (or pay a handy person to do so)
6) Complete the circle across the bottom of the door.
7) I recommend casting a smaller energetic circle inside your permanent one while in use, because otherwise you will get weird energy vortices in the corners, which are hard to clear. The inner circle, honestly, doesn't have to be very good; it's ok if it leaks a little.

WARNING:  I am told it is not healthy to sleep inside a Solomonic circle, but I have never tried it.

Want a triangle? Buy the biggest, coolest mirror, and draw the triangle on it with black magic marker. If you use a dresser with a mirror on it for this, you then also have a table of practice and some storage. Even permanent marker will come off of a mirror with windex and some elbow grease. Either wash off the triangle every time or else cover it. If you make a permanent circle, use a curtain rod for the drape; they have a tendency to "accidentally" fall off. Be sure to hang the mirror VERY securely.  I have had a mirror fall mid-rite, and it was a disaster; flying glass shards went everywhere like shrapnel ("luckily" they missed me entirely.) Broken LCD screens (ie "black mirrors") work even better than mirrors, and don't shatter if they fall. Ask around until someone is throwing out a broken flat screen.

I recommend putting kosher salt (and other crystals if desired) on the windowsills of a temple space as well.

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