Ch.9 The Mighty Ones (WMB 9.h)

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

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(The Magick Circle from the Steganographia of Trithemius, 1500)

There is an interesting illustration in Trithemius’ work Steganographia from around 1500, which shows a magick circle quartered, with the Latin words for East, South, West and North (Oriens, Auster, Occidens, Septentrio) in the four quarters, along with the names of the spirits associated with the respective directions. This image graphically displays the idea of calling spirits from the four cardinal points.

Now we need to return again to the fourteenth century grimoire, the Heptameron. In the circle casting described in the Heptameron, pentagrams are marked on the floor outside the outer circle at the cardinal points as wards. This practice may be the source of the subsequent marking of pentagrams at cardinal points in the magick circles in later grimoires, and even the drawing of pentagrams at the cardinal points in the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. Another significant component of the magick circle casting in this important work is the calling of the:

“angels from the four parts of the world that rule the air”.

An interesting aspect of this calling of angels is that they are ones that “rule the air”. All four of the angels from the different directions are of one type, who “rule the air”. Looking at other grimoires we see the same is true of other rulers of the directions. In Dee’s writings the four kings of the watchtowers are all angels of earth. The four demon kings ruling the directions who are called for assistance in some of the grimoires are likewise all specifically airy beings (fallen angels).[1]

[1] The Keys to the Gateway of Magic, Skinner & Rankine, 2005

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.