Ch.8 The Magick Circle (WMB 8.l)

Extract from: Wicca: Magical Beginnings written by d’Este & Rankine, 2008 (Avalonia.) PB / Kindle @ https://amzn.to/3Ay4HJr.

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Those familiar with the personal recorded history of Gerald Gardner, will know that he spent a great deal of time in Malaysia prior to his return to retirement in England. It is generally believed that during his time amongst the Malay people, Gardner learned a great deal about their magical practices and that this in turn would inspire some of his own work years later. An example of this is recorded in Gerald Gardner: Witch:

“Gardner himself frequently visited the séances which were held in kampongs close to Mawo Estate”

Though not constructed in the same way, circles are still considered auspicious shapes by the Malay magicians, who Mircea Eliade records employing them when conducting séances in his classic work Shamanism:

“The séance proper takes place inside a round hut of a magic circle, and the object of most séances is cure, the discovery of lost or stolen objects, or knowledge of the future. Usually the shaman remains under a covering during the séance. Censing, dancing, music, and drumming are the indispensable preparatory elements in any Malayan séance”

Extract from: Wicca: Magical Beginnings written by d’Este & Rankine, 2008 (Avalonia.) PB / Kindle @ https://amzn.to/3Ay4HJr. Shared here with the intention to inspire and inform the now and future generations interested in Wicca and other Pagan traditions inspired by it.