Our Wiccan Altar: The PentacleInner Circle Sanctuary To practice your magical art, you need a sacred space. Many Wiccans and witches set up an altar for their craft working, and this can be anything from a small end table, or a lap desk on your bed, to a 9-foot marble behemoth. Inner Circle Sanctuary is somewhere in between. We enjoy our craft and all the tools associated with our religion; therefore, we have a nice 6-foot table we like to use to hold all of our ritual accoutrement. If you’ve ever been to one of our sabbats or public esbats, you’ve no doubt noticed our big and beautifully decorated altar as the centerpiece to all of our rituals. It’s full of deity statues, seasonal decorations, and tools. Lots of magical tools.  The Altar Pentacle The pentacle is the first thing you’ll notice on our ritual altar. It might be made of wood with the pentagram burned into it…..along with some candle wax stains. Sometimes, you’ll see a hand-painted pentacle that was lovingly traced and painted…… with a few water spots. There’s even a huge and ornate, but scarred, altar pentacle that was designed and crafted by our founder, Lady Morgana. All were handmade and all are well-used. The scars they have only add to their beauty and power. The pentacle is the symbol for earth, so what better element to be the foundation of our altar? It is the focal point where all the magic happens. For many Wiccans, the pentagram is the symbol of our religion and our magic: the four elements in dynamic balance, ruled by spirit, and enclosed in a circle to contain and amplify the power. This is how magic is created, so the altar pentacle is where we perform our magic.
It is truly the focus of our altar and it brings everything together. Look at your altar pentacle. Is it scratched? Does it need a new paint job? Is it discolored? Good. Let it be imperfect. Let it be well-used and loved. Let it be the tool of your Craft. by Lady Anwyn  Follow Inner Circle Sanctuary on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.
If you are interested in learning more about us, please don't hesitate to Contact Us. If you are interested in joining our classes, please start with our questionnaire here. Want to see how we do things? Try out a sample test: Follow this link to a Google Doc: https://forms.gle/7oaQ5GF3d8k4CsA37  There are five things needed to start with Inner Circle Sanctuary (ICS). Something you may already have is the pentagram pendant, ring, or other jewelry. The pentagram is not only an ancient protective symbol, it is also the premiere symbol of our religion and ICS has specifics in regards to its appropriate style. Our specifics are definitive for us and may differ for any other Wiccan group.
The star must be an openwork woven line star. Non-woven stars may be acceptable but it cannot be a solid star. Each point of the star represents one of the five elements and those elements work in synthesis with one another as represented by the unbroken line traveling through each element. The star must have one point at the top. The circle must be complete and unbroken as it is the symbol of unity linking each point with one another. The star must be WITHIN the circle with the points of the star touching the edge of the inside circle. A closed circle amplifies and directs energy back into itself creating a stronger, more powerful symbol. In our tradition, we believe the walls of our magical ring is a barrier that should not be broken by human, animal, or a paper plate on the wind. To create a 'boundary between the world of men and the realms of the Mighty Ones' we must be secure in knowing that the 'place that is not a place and a time that is not a time' is a secure precinct. We choose to have the symbol our members wear reflect this understanding. In the photo, one through four are unacceptable as a pentacle for our group. 1. The points extend outside the circle breaking the secure barrier. 2. The pentacle rests ON the circle instead of being in conjunction with it. 3. The star is neither woven or within the circle. 4. Same as number two. In the photo, five through eight are acceptable as a pentacle for our group. 7. As decorative as this pendant is, all the criteria is met. The star is with the circle and the the circle itself is unbroken. 8. The star within the circle is a complete piece. The overlay of the symbol of the goddess makes it pretty but more importantly, does not interfere with the symbol itself. During the first year, we administer a long lecture on the history & symbology of the pentagram. For the other items needed to start in our classes, please see the 1st degree class page on our website: http://www.innercirclesanctuary.com/1st-degree-classes.html |
Inner Circle SanctuaryInner Circle Sanctuary is a school for traditional style Wicca and holds eight sabbat festivals every year. Categories
All
Archives
July 2023
|
RSS Feed
|
Inner Circle Sanctuary
An Eclectic Traditionalist Oath-bound, Initiatory Wiccan Coven |
|