The moment of union bringing supreme order, an explosion of potential. This potential force is of a mystical Oneness, greater than either. From this fusion of Divine energies comes our own true Spiritual nature - our magickal personality.

This magickal personality encompasses all there is, because it is conceived at the centre of the sacred point within the Circle (i.e. The Great Rite). It is Divine and perfect, and is within us, asleep, until such time as we are called to awaken into our true understanding that we, ourselves, are this perfection. This force is the powerful essence within ourselves, yet constantly in a dreaming state, until magically awakened through the force of true Initiation. Spiritual progression (Initiation) comes about when we face the harsh reality of our own nature, and accept that all parts of us, even the dark shadowy side, is of this wholeness. This awakening cannot be described, only felt and experienced.

Humankind, as we know it, is deeply asleep. The Path of the true Witch requires us to wake up to what is happening in the external world as merely an illusion, knowing our true magical personality exists on an equal level as that of the Gods. It is one thing to "know" this, yet a totally different understanding to actually "feeling" it as absolute truth, and only then, will it become reality.

The Old Ways of the Pagan requires us to assess reality within a differing perception than that of the dominant society. We need to see the world through Pagan eyes, a vastly different mindset than that of the mainstream. Even though we are anchored to the physical world by the stability of our body, there is really no difference between the world of Spirit and that of the physical realm of Earth.

We are here to grow and mature and learn the lessons placed in front of us to progress to a higher level upon our next incarnation. Each time we return to the physical realm, we are a little more awakened in our spiritual maturity. However, the only way to break through into an enlightened state is to go headfirst into our fears and shadow side of our nature, confronting all manner of negativity, and then to deal with it on a conscious and physical level. This will bring our repressed unconscious hidden fears out into the open to deal with, and finally, to move on.

The Craft is hard work for exactly this reason, of many years worth of solitary trials, turmoil and tears, and so it should be. It sorts out the wheat from the chaff, those that have staying power, those that persevere and have a quest for the truth, not for those who wish to be handfed. It is for those with a relentless urge to uncover the real meaning of why we are here, and who will go to great lengths to find out for themselves. A truly wise teacher should merely point the way while the student walks his own path, over his own fears and personal issues, until such time that he sees for himself the light at the end of the darkness.

The only true way to achieve peace, is to plunge headfirst into chaos. With supreme strength of self, and viewed with the correct attitude of spiritual trials as a form of a "schoolroom", the student will not sink, but swim. A good teacher will provide the keys, but only the student can open his own Gate.

A good teacher will also be there for the student when times get tough. It is very bad policy to throw the student into the deep end, and then to leave him/her to their own devices. That would be a sign of absolute negligence. An effective teacher goes beyond merely being a teacher, as they are fully responsible for the student's spiritual wellbeing.

This is what the Craft is all about. It is not to do cute spells packaged in plastic, to win the lottery or a lover's heart. It is gritty, hard, constant work on yourself. When finally you have reached the Light through the realms of utter Darkness, you will then understand why this is called the Great Work, the most amazing act of Magick you will ever do.

The greatest work of all is to make "gold" out of "base metal", and this is what the Alchemists of old were working to achieve. I am not speaking of the physical act of changing the structure of metal alloys, it is all about creating the best for us on both spiritual and physical planes by the refinement and development of the Will.

Life is magic. We are pure Spirit, confined within bodily form, placed here to simply grow and experience the nature of the physical world. Feel the gentle breeze on your face. Soak up the rays of the Sun and breathe in deeply the beauty of the natural world. Look into the eyes of the one that you love. Now THAT is magick! When we eventually depart from this world, it is these "feelings" we will take with us, and not a full encyclopaedia of facts and figures. Knowledge without "knowing" is of little importance.

It is with this in mind that we focus on Ritual work and the reasons why we create sacred space. Ritual can be simply a performance, or it can inspire deep and meaningful insights. The Circle itself represents the wholeness of our physical lives here and now. Everything, which is part of your life, therefore, is within your very own individual Universe.

I see the Circle itself as similar to a magnifying glass, or a spotlight, which automatically highlights aspects of our life. You cannot hide from your true nature. What you try to hide will be brought out for the whole world to see. It is all spiritual progression in the long run, and by outwardly confronting these issues, they will be finally dealt with and there not be an issue any longer. Therefore, you must do serious ritual.

It is definitely not something to fill in a bit of time or as a source of relieving boredom. Be sure that you are in it for the right reasons and with intent to fully grow and mature as a result of your ritualistic actions. You are setting the wheels in motion for your life to become more intense.

Stepping into the Circle is akin to unlocking the door to anything that needs attention in your life. You will become like a magnet, drawing events to you that really need to be confronted and worked through. The energies of the Universe are setting these events up in order to see what you are made of, to see if you are worthy of true spiritual progression, and as a result, maturity and inner peace. Just be prepared for your life to become, well, …"interesting"… and, hold on to the rollercoaster!

The ultimate aim of any ritual work is to achieve oneness with that of the Divine consciousness, in whichever way we wish to view it/he/she/them. Working within the confines of a cast Circle is the way in which mind is focused upon in order to create change in the outer physical world. It is very interesting to note that the more serious ritual work we do, the more our lives will flow in alignment with that of the Wheel.

We very well may find new beginnings at Midwinter, introspection at Autumn Equinox, and decline at Samhain. Uncanny? No, simply truth that what we are doing, is definately for real. Spellwork then becomes more of a quest for enlightenment, rather than an egotistical means of gaining for our own physical purposes. It is a quest for power within, rather than reaching for some force outside of ourselves. In truth, we should be working on empowering ourselves, building up our own energy in order to be more effective, both within our Craft and of our mundane day-to-day lives.

A lot of people work with the assumption that we have to protect ourselves from virtually everything - but the driving force behind any form of consciousness raising involves empowerment, for without strength of self, how can we hope to achieve our dreams? If we go around worrying that this or that might "get" us, then we are wasting valuable energy which should be going into the true Work itself.

Can you imagine the ancient Viking or Celtic warrior worrying if they have a protective sphere of white light first before going into battle? Sure, they might have had some form of Ritualistic energy raising beforehand, but they were sure of their strength and who they were, and it was that fearlessness which drove them relentlessly onwards.

We simply cannot live our lives being afraid. If you view your Ritual tools as spiritual weapons, (helping you confront and work through negative but entirely natural parts of our true nature), you can blend into their full qualities of pure elemental form to empower and enhance your life.

An Altar, ready for ritual, is an item of great beauty, and so it should be, since it is the representation of inspiration, the focus of knowing, and the physical anchor and mirror of our Spirits.

In reality, it is found within our heart, the reflection of an even greater beauty inside of us. It is a place to focus on attaining consciousness change to a more subtle awareness in order to open oneself up to the Earth energies.

One other thing which is important to remember, is that we must ground out after any ritual work is over, because excess energies may still be hovering within you, therefore being like a magnet attracting yet even more of the same towards you.

This sounds like it would be a powerful thing, but it isn't, because it tends to highlight chaotic aspects of our life, rather than of the serene and spiritual. Remember always, that those chaotic aspects only come up as a spiritual testing ground. It is one thing though to say yes, I want to become stronger and spiritually more mature, but when it manifests upon the physical, it does, and will, cause all Hell to break loose.

You can ground out and verbally direct that energy to a positive cause, which is spellwork in its purest form. If you use this energy wisely, it will only enhance your life. It is all a matter of wisdom.

We are made of the same matter as all the stars in the Universe, there is nothing that is not separate. The Universe exists in a state of abundance and possibilities, since it holds all there is. Therefore, there is nothing we cannot achieve, because we have that same state of abundance within our nature. All we have to do is simply believe it.

People often say that the darker side of their nature excludes them from experiencing this abundance, since they feel "lesser than". A very important thing to remember, is that even those darker shadow side aspects of ourselves, exists within that Universal perfection. We are automatically blessed with the same abundance, and even our darker selves are fully encompassed by the acceptance of simply being alive and aware.