Chapter 4 – Making Space
“Calling the Quarters” is one of the most easily recognized parts of Wiccan ritual. It seems that everyone knows that you’re supposed to go to each quarter and call…what? A guardian? An element? A “watchtower?” The idea that you’re supposed to do something at the cardinal points is a lot more widespread than any understanding of what it means.
There are basically two parts to quarter invocations; in part, you are recognizing a direction, and in part, you are recognizing some kind of being in that direction. Let’s take these one at a time.
Marking a Direction
We’ve just finished creating a space between the worlds — about as middle-of-nowhere as you can get. It floats freely in spaceless space and timeless time. It isn’t anywhere, it’s just where we are. In order to proceed, we need orientation, we need to have a firmer sense of location, and so we must have direction.
Theologically, this has a lot to do with Wiccans seeing ourselves as a part of the natural world. When we place ourselves, we place ourselves in relation to nature, to Mother Earth; Her geography and Her poles. We don’t just have a ritual, we have a ritual that is oriented around its place in nature.
How many directions are called? I have seen four, five, six and seven, which is quite a range. Here are all the possible directions:
1. East 2. South 3. West 4. North 5. Center 6. Up 7. Down
In the system I am teaching, of four elements, four directions are called. In a system of five elements, including Spirit, the center is invoked as the direction of Spirit. Once again, consistency is your watchword — why invoke five now when you’ve been doing four all along? On the other hand, if you’ve thought it over and decided to work with five elements, it would probably be a mistake to leave out the direction that corresponds to one of them.
A six-direction system is the four cardinal points plus up and down, and seven adds back the center as a direction. The use of both six and seven directions originates in Native American tradition, and should only be used if your ritual is heavily influenced by Native American ways throughout — in other words, don’t work a fully European system (Wicca) with Native American directions. Remember that the ritual should work as a cohesive whole.
Who or What Are We Calling?
When we “call the quarters” we are calling something or someone, we are summoning. It is vital, then, to know who or what we are summoning — otherwise we have no business issuing the invitation. There are basically three possibilities, or at least three terms that are bandied about:
- We are calling elements.
- We are calling elementals.
- We are calling guardians.
Many people simply call the elements, i.e. they call Air in the East, Fire in the South, and so on. If you examine the ritual, however, you’ll see that you have already “called” the elements when you consecrated them. Not only are they already present in the ritual, but they’ve already been used in the ritual, so it’s really too late to call them
You might still wish to greet the elements in their directions. You might want a very naturalistic ritual, one that doesn’t call on any “otherworldly” or magical entities. Maybe you don’t even believe in other kinds of beings; in which case, summoning them would probably make you feel kind of silly. If you want to use just the elements, though, you shouldn’t call them. If you’re calling another entity, someone or something not already in the circle, then a summoning or an invitation is appropriate. But if you’re talking about something already present — as the elements are — then an acknowledgment, a placement, or a connection is more appropriate. In other words, you’re not saying “O Air, Come to our circle!” Instead you’re saying “O East, be in our circle. You are the direction of Air!” What you’re calling is the direction itself, and the element is being placed there, its connection with the direction is being used and reinforced.
Whenever we invoke anything or anyone, we use as many different images, associations and connections as possible to create a powerful and effective call. For example, suppose you were invoking me. You might just say “Deborah” and I might answer. Or not — it’s a common name. You’ve got a better chance with “Deborah Lipp.” But if you said “Deborah Lipp with the dark curly hair, Deborah Lipp mother of Arthur, Deborah Lipp the writer” you have definitely gotten my attention, and made one hundred percent certain that I know I am definitely the one you want. If you threw in a bit of flattery, and a sense of urgency, of why you want me, I would be even more inclined to come. These factors; specificity, descriptiveness, praise and need, are the makings of excellent and powerful invocations.
