Example of a Magical Circle
Example of a Magical Circle
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law
I want to elaborate somewhat on this magical circle which I thank Frater Nshyh for doing the graphics with. It should be noted as an example only. I disagree with where the Names are placed on this example. Well, where are you supposed to point your altar in this particular example? Where Nuit is placed should be where Boleskine is situated is where you have your altar for our Path is Unto Nuit. It is otherwise unclear why you have Babalon without the balance of the Beast using Therion. Instead you have Perdurabo, one of the magical mottos of Aleister Crowley situated in the north. So, Babalon is in the West and you have Perdurabo in the north. How does this symbolism work? In addition, you have the Name Laylah which as everyone notes was Leila Ida Nerissa Bathurst Waddell, a concubine or scarlet woman of the Beast. Say, was this a speculative graphic image of Layah's old circle or Perdurabo's? Perhaps this is the circle which you speculate might of existed if they have lived together sharing a Temple. Well, never you mind all that! When the aspirant sees the circle as an example they will surely will have the sense to put it together where the balances are adjusted.
Well, one or the other is perfectly acceptable where you place your altar, in the East, or facing Boleskine, or in front of the Name of Nuit painted on the outer rim. The altar has to be moved with specialized magical gestures, in some cases, where I might set my entire altar on the Netzach square to Invoke Ahathoor. All this depends on how large the Tau squares are and if the size of the altar does not set evenly on the square of the altar it has to sit on another square, at least partially. At least make the Squares so both feet can fit for the size of the room does determine the size of everything. Everyone does not have a large room for their private Temple so the circle, altar, and squares will vary in size from aspirant to aspirant.
Another area that must be considered is the Name Ra-Hoor-Khuit should be in the East. In this example it is in the south I take it to correspond with fire. I would go for the Name Ra-Hoor-khuit in the East rather than the south. It is clearly an image and this is in compliance with those words in the Book of the Law. Shin Teth (ShT) could be in the West or Babalon could be in the West. Hadit could be south and Nuit could be north. I state only possibilities that would be more of a correspondence of symbolism. We all set up the Names in accordance with what makes sense to us for balance and idiosyncrasies that would involve our lens.
If it all balances out, fine. Yet, where the Names are nested on the outer rim in this graphical image would not make sense for me. This does not diminish its value as a real guide for those who are painting their circle for the first time. The snake is supposed to go through all the squares of the Zodiac as was clearly the intention of creating the snake the way it is done.
It is unfortunate that the circle is not in color in those official publications of the past. We have descriptions only - and unless you have a Superior of Lineage you are clearly not going to do it the way it was done. I am comfortable that I have had a teacher who already went through this issue and was able to answer my question about the pending zodiac cross from Malkuth. The symbol for the front of the Zelator's robe in Equinox Volume One, Number One is not only not in color it does not describe the colors it is supposed to have or the golden Tau in the Middle. In fact, I was passed on a series of Robes of the Grades directly from my Superior, Marcelo Motta which I in turn pass on today. It is all somewhere in the writings of Aleister Crowley, true, but I do consider it necessary to assist the novice by this official graphic image of the magical circle.
In addition, the graphic image spells Nuit incorrectly as NVIT. Not only are the Names changing the style of a letter by being in violation of Liber AL, Chapter II, verse 54 by being in upper case you do not spell Hadit, and Ra-Hoor-Khuit correctly either!! I had one clever Neophyte send me a photo of his Temple circle where he painted these names identical to the original manuscript. Again, these objections of mine do not diminish the value of the graphic image as an example. My only real objection are the Names where the ingenuity of the aspirant will come into play when studying the above graphic image will put it all together where the symbolism is satisfactory for them.
My point being your circle is your circle and how you set up the names should, if nothing else, make sense to you in the manner of balance of symbolism. Be that as it may, this is clearly the best example of the magical circle presently done in our Hierarchy. Some work might be done on the Tiphareth Star and the Names arranged might be a good idea. Such examples clarify the magician's plans when they begin to paint the circle.
My method is to take a tiny tack or nail and tap it into the center of the circle. I then tie string to the central nail or tack and tie a pencil on the other end of the string. I then bring the pencil out until I reach my first line. I carefully trace the outer line of my circle with the attached pencil & string to tack or nail and go around the circle. Then I wrap string around the nail and make my next line where the outer two lines are ready for paint and names. The tiny hole from the tack or nail is the the center of the Tiphareth square where I build my Tau from Tiphareth up to Kether and then build down carefully measuring my squares until I have a complete penciled Tau ready to be painted.
The best option that I have experienced is a white tarp not used for camping but for covering the contents of a loaded truck. You are looking for a canvas tarp and not a vinyl. The white canvas tarp should be measured and cut wall to wall. After the tarp is wall to wall you need to screw down the eastern edge of your wall to wall tarp so you can stretch it taut and tight to smooth the long line of creases. You will note that the holes that you are screwing down at the eastern wall to wall are too large for screws where you’ll need washers. When your wall to wall tarp is screwed down you can measure the middle of the tarp which you place a dot which will be your Tiphareth Square. It is best if the room is too small to have a Sephira Square to have an altar fit neatly upon an Square to at least have your two feet together to fit in the Sephira. You measure the width of your feet; and add an inch. It might turn out that your chosen Sephira is ten inches on all sides to fit both feet. You simply go half with the square of your Cross of the Zodiac which is five inches.
The three base colors will create any of three colors mixed for your Cross of the Zodiac squares. If you are not an artist your mixed colors will not be perfect. Yet, it is best that magically you do it all yourself even if you are not an artist. The Cross of the Zodiac Snake will be especially difficult for those not accustomed to art projects. No one gets its perfect that is not an artist. The Snake in the Cross of the Zodiac should have an outline of the petals of a Rose and noted that the Snake goes through all the signs of the Zodiac.
My idea for the three paints being red, white and green to emphasize and to align my aspirations to the higher is to put one drop of Abramelin Oil in each can of paint. You might state that this creates symbolically a magical paint as well as spiritual.
Acrylic paint is easily mixed and you use it for the Cross of the Zodiac. Anything painted acrylic on your circle you should lightly spray paint with clear paint. Clear paint will cloud your colors so do it lightly for the idea is to keep the wear down from doing magick in your Temple over a long period of time. For the green rim, white background and red Tau get the type of paint you paint your back porch with. This will more expensive that the acrylic paints from the art store but remember that this paint will last far longer.
The balance of Names which can be seven or eight Names is very important. Do not change the style of a letter in your Names; and have your Names balanced with each other.
Any deviations from the standard Book 4 Circle are only tolerable if you are the only person using the Temple. For example, I have one student who was obsessed with using the Queen Scale on each Sephira. This is not the standard Book 4 Circle. If you have a Priestess who shares your Temple the Tau should be the standard red or if you have group work going on. For any deviation from standard is imposing your will of a circle on another star.
Although this article is about the painted circle I should also mention if you are creating a circle you’ll need a few ideas about the walls. A.C. recommends a neutral color for the Temple walls and the color gray might immediately come to mind. I, however, recommend Ash; and to see this color the code would be BEBAA7. Years ago, one clever aspirant painted Egyptian Gods on the walls of his Temple but when he moved he painted the walls over. This although quite spectacular to behold was done in a rented house. I would prefer Ash but would settle for gray. For myself, I should point out to those who are not artists that color mixing does take skill. The code for Ash is interesting. We have - be + b + AA + 7. As a magician observing a hidden meaning I have to translate this as “be the magician in the A∴A∴”, with the number seven which invokes the images of the correspondences of Love, Venus and note the number seven on the A∴A∴ Seal. Ash with gematria is 1 + 60 + 5 = 66 which gives you all sorts of interesting insights and correspondences without even “stretching the kabbalah”.
Love is the law, love under will