Why Witches Work In A Circle

Why Witches Work In A Circle

“All energy moves in a circular manner, that is, in a spiral. We represent energy as moving in waves, but a wave is actually a two-dimensional image of a three-dimensional configuration. (If you can’t picture this, take a spring and uncoil it slightly, or wind some wire or a twist tie around a pencil, then pull it off.  Squint at the coil or spring, or look at its shadow, and you’ll see that, in two dimensions, it looks like a wave.)  So, by working within a circle, you are working within the greater model of how energy moves in the Universe. From the invisible quantum level of subatomic particles whirling in their orbits, to the glory of galaxies spinning in theirs, the Universe moves in circles.

“When you work with energy within a circle you are working in harmony with the organic flow of all energies.   That’s how magic works – you learn from Nature and harness the natural flow of energies in the Universe.  A circle symbolizes infinity, for it has neither a beginning nor an ending.  When we say that ‘Our circle is cast – we are between the worlds’, the means that our circle is actually a nexus joining the worlds of spirit and matter, divine and human – it is the point of connection between the two.  A circle joins the infinite with the immediate – and literally shows us the meaning of the old occult maxim, ‘As above, so below.’

“We work in a circle because we live in the eternal circle of life – the cycles of the seasons, the Moon, the Sun, the tides, and the heavens moving above us.  Working within a circle helps our psyches attune to the natural rhythms of divine energy that animate and regulate the order of the natural world.  As we work within the circle, and as we study Nature, we see how its cycles relate to the cycles of our own lives, and we begin to recognize divine patterns of change and transformation at play ….

“When you take your place in a circle, the physical shape – the roundness – literally and immediately changes the energy dynamics with which we have been conditioned to approach spirituality.  When we work together in a circle we create a new model of social relationships.  In the old biblical traditions, the passive parishioner sits in a pew, and is subordinate to the spiritual professional at the podium, who is subordinate to the transcendental God in his heaven above.  The structure of the church reflects the power relationships, and the energy dynamics, of patriarchy.  But everyone is equal in a circle – there is no elevated podium separating the Priestess and Priest from the rest of the community, and no hierarchy between you and the Divine.

“The shape of the circle also places each individual within view of everyone else, so just by participating in this simple organic form we create an immediate intimacy, connection, and sense of community.  And even in some of the enormous circles that I have participated in, with hundreds of people, the circle connects everyone present – it creates community.

“And indeed, the physical shape of a circle facilitates the movement of energy, for just as cooking pots are round to provide for equal distribution of heat throughout whatever is being prepared, a circle distributes divine energy equally throughout the practitioners, though each of us responds in uniquely personal ways.”

Excerpt from Witch Crafting by Phyllis Curott

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