The Sphere of Protection: Phase 5

By now, I hope those of you who are following along have been practicing the Opening and Closing of the SoP daily for a couple of weeks and the Callings of Air, Fire, and Water for a week. (If you're just joining us now, you can find those here, here, here, and here.) Now it's time to add in the fourth of the elemental phases, the Calling of Earth. This comes after the three Callings you've learned already, and before the closing.

If you're using divine names in this practice, you'll need one that's associated with the element of earth. If you're using Judeo-Christian symbolism, the standard divine name to use is אדני , ADNI which is pronounced "Adonai." In the Druid Revival traditions I work with, this element is associated with Elen, the goddess of dawn and dusk and of the old straight tracks. If you work in a different theistic tradition, choose a relevant name from your tradition; if you don't, don't worry about it -- you can also invoke the element of earth as is. The Calling of Earth is done as described below: 

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First, perform the Opening phase of the Sphere of Protection, and then perform the complete Callings of Air, Fire, and Water, including both the invoking and the banishing aspects. 

Then face north. Using the first two fingers of your right hand, trace the symbol on the right, starting from the point where the circle and line join and going clockwise around the circle, then down the line. Imagine that symbol drawn, just as shown here, in a line of green flame or of blazing green light. This is the invoking form of the symbol of earth. 

Point to the center of the symbol and say an appropriate invocation. Here's the one I use when I'm practicing this ritual in a Druid context: "By the green gate of the tall stones and the great bear of the starry heavens, and in the great name ELEN, I invoke the Earth, its gods, its spirits, and its powers. May the powers of Earth bless and protect me this day and always, and further my work. May my body thrive according to the ways of nature." (Yes, you can use this one as written; you can also come up with one of your own. The SoP is flexible that way. The divine name, if you use one, should of course be vibrated; see the explanation in the post on the Calling of Air if you need a reminder of how this is done.)

As you finish the invocation, imagine as intensely as possible a night scene lit only by the midnight stars. See the great dim shapes of mountains in the distance. Make it look like winter in the place where you live. Engage all your senses, so that you smell and feel and hear as well as see the imagery. Draw the energies of earth into yourself. Take a little while at this, and then say, "I thank the powers of Earth for their gifts."

Then trace the same symbol in the same place, but this time draw the circle counterclockwise. This is the banishing form of the symbol of earth. It doesn't banish earth -- it banishes other things with the help of earth. Point at the center of the symbol and say words such as the following: "And with the help of the powers of Earth, I banish from within me and around me and from all my doings all harmful influences and hostile magic, and every imbalance of the nature of Earth. I banish these far from me." Spend a little while imagining every imbalance and unwanted influence being buried, crushed, and absorbed by the immense quiet weight of earth. . 

Finally, face the same way you faced in the Opening, and perform the Closing of the SoP. 

Do this sequence daily for the next week or so. Notice the change in the energetic balance between this phase and the previous ones.