Читать книгу The Real Witches’ Garden: Spells, Herbs, Plants and Magical Spaces Outdoors - Kate West - Страница 10

In an ideal world you could have a lawn shaped as the triple moon, or as a circle with the pentagram picked out in flat stones or bricks. I even know of one garden where the owner has created a pentacle with small paving stones and has planted different plants and herbs in each of the different sections. You could also perhaps place elemental markers at the appropriate points, either plants or actual physical representations such as wind chimes in the east for Air, an outdoor flame or torch for Fire, a pond or fountain for Water in the west and a large stone in the north for Earth. This stone could also double as your Altar, or you could have a second Altar stone in the centre. If the area is not overhung with trees, or otherwise likely to suffer from fire damage, you could dig a permanent fire pit in the centre, or even have a permanent cauldron. If you wish, and can find reasonable ones, you could also place a statue of the Goddess and the God in the north of your Circle. Traditionally, the Witches’ circle is 9 feet (2.75 m) across, but if you will be working on your own it can be smaller. Around your circle you could place plants which act as screens for privacy, as well as those which are related to the elements, the Goddesses and Gods of your choice, or even those which are associated with the Wheel of the Year. Chapter 10 gives lists of plant associations.

However, most of us do not have the luxury of being able to not only start from scratch but also of being able to let our Craft dominate the use of even a part of the garden. In this case you may like to take ideas from the above and incorporate them into your existing space or use some of the following suggestions.

Firstly, you need to determine where the four quarters lie. This can be achieved precisely by using a compass, or more simply by noting where the Sun rises (in the east) and sets (west) and working from there. You do not have to be precise. In each of the quarters place a single plant in the colour of that element; yellow in the east, red in the south, blue in the west and green in the north. Of course they may well not be in flower all year round but nevertheless they will be present as reminders. If you really do not have the room to make these permanent fixtures, keep your plants in pots and put them in place only when needed. Alternatively, you could have a plant which rustles in the east, a sundial in the south, a birdbath in the west and a special stone or rock in the north.

Try to incorporate a permanent Altar, although it need not be too obvious. Whilst you do not need a large area onto which you can put a great many things, at the very least it is a good idea to have somewhere safe to place a candle, usually in a jar to protect it from the wind. This could be a small flat stone or rock. The Altar can be placed in a number of parts of the Circle, for example, the east as the point of beginning, or the centre, or the north, which is known as the place of power. Generally speaking, a rock in the centre of your area is likely to be an inconvenience, as it may well get in the way of any outdoor activities. If it is in the centre of a lawn it will cause complications when mowing, and it will almost certainly give rise to comments from friends and neighbours. So this leaves you with the choice of north or east. If you really can’t leave something permanently then try to choose something you can easily and safely move from one place to another. A small outdoor table or even a stool can make a good substitute for a rock or stone, and is much easier to move around!

Privacy is a much harder problem to overcome. If you start erecting screens in your garden, you are more likely to increase the interest of your neighbours than decrease it. If you try to grow plants which will effectively obstruct their view of you, these may well give rise to complaints about the amount of light their garden receives, not to mention cast your area into the shade. And whilst it would be nice to think that it’s none of their business what you get up to in your garden, you will still have to live alongside these people. A little eccentricity may well be tolerated, but a full-blown Witches’ gathering is almost certainly going to be too much! In reality, the only solution is to temper what you do and how you do it. So, if you are overlooked, you may have to give up ideas of working skyclad or even robed, and you may also have to consider whether Circle dancing, chanting and drumming are going to be acceptable. Of course, if you work on your own you probably don’t do all these things anyway, as solitary Craft does not require you to wave your arms or speak aloud, but do give some thought as to how you may appear to someone looking out of their window on a moonlit night. For the Witch on their own, simple screening, such as encouraging a climber or two in the direct line of sight, is often enough to give you the peace you need.

Once you have determined where and how to mark your Sacred Space you need to bless, dedicate and consecrate it. This is done in several steps. Firstly, before you start any work on the area, ask the blessing of the Goddess and the God. Secondly, as you work, dedicate your efforts to the Goddess and the God. Thirdly, perform a Ritual to consecrate the space. The best time of year to do this would be Spring, when nature is ready to put fresh effort into growth. But there is no reason why you should not commence at other seasons and continue the work thereafter. Chapter 8 gives advice on the seasonality of sowing, planting and reaping.