Cardinal Points

This is where magic takes place, within a circle cast inside the square of the cardinal points. Some traditions add a fifth direction, called the zenith or center. An obelisk represents dominion over the four quarters, plus the zenith.

The Egyptian Amulet of the Tet was also called the Backbone of Osiris. The four crossbars at the top of the Tet represent the cardinal points. A symbol of great religious importance, the Tet Amulet enabled reconstitution of the body in the afterlife. A tet made of gold was steeped in flower water, empowered with these words, then worn as a necklace:

Rise up thou, O Osiris! Thou hast thy backbone, O Still-Heart! Place thou thyself upon thy base, I put water beneath thee, and I bring unto thee a Tet of gold that thou mayest rejoice therein.

NORTH

North is the most powerful direction, the location of magic, and the source of Otherworld powers.

ELEMENT: earth, air

SEASON: winter

TIME: midnight

TOOL: pentacle

COLOR: brown, black, green

ANIMAL: white buffalo

RULES: lungs, the body, rudeness, mystery, silence, secrets, purity, clarity, renewal, vision, the unseen, the power to listen and know what not to say

INVOCATIONS:

Hail, thou beautiful Power, thou beautiful rudder of the northern heaven.

Goddesses: Athena, Baaltis Zapuna, Belili, Earth goddesses, Meretseger (Friend of Silence), Nebhet, Neith, Nephthys, Nerthus, Uatchet

Gods:

Baal Zebul (Lord of the Mansions of the North), Baal Zephon (Lord of the North), Bel, Hapi (Lord of the Watchtower of the North), Jupiter, Osiris, Seth (Lord of the Northern Sky), Soma, Uriel, Zeus

NORTH WIND

The Silver Castle, the Corona Borealis, is at the back of the north wind.

INVOCATIONS: Aquilo, Atemu (for cool breezes from the North), Boreas, Cardea (Queen of Winds), Erichthonius, Ophion

Northwest.

INVOCATIONS: Mahabala, Tiksnosnisa, Vayu

Northeast.

INVOCATIONS: Isa, Soma, Ulu'tuyar, Uru'n Ajy Toyo'n

SOUTH

ELEMENT: fire, water

SEASON: summer

TIME: noon

TOOL: wand

COLOR: red, orange

ANIMAL: lion, coyote

RULES: liver, energy, spirit, will, love, gentleness, trust, innocence, warmth, hospitality, rapid growth

INVOCATIONS:

Hail, thou who dwellest in the temple of the bright-faced ones, thou beautiful rudder of the southern heaven.'

Goddesses-

Fire goddesses, Isis (Queen of the South), Mahamantranusarini, Mahapratisara, Meretseger, Nirrti, Satet, Satis, Satjit, Tin Hau, Vajrapasi

Gods: Ea, Imset (Lord of the Watchtower of the South), Michael, Ninib, Prajnantaka, Ra, Sachiel, Saturn, South Star, Yama, Zocho

SOUTH WIND

INVOCATIONS: Auster, Cardea, Ninurta, Notus, the Breath of Set (Lord of the Chambers of the South)

Southeast.,

INVOCATIONS: Agni, Takkiraja, Tejosnisa

Southwest.,

INVOCATIONS: Niladanda, Niffti, Surya

SOUTHWEST WIND: Auster, Notus

EAST

The world direction of the new day

ELEMENT: air, fire

SEASON: Spring

TiME: dawn

TOOL: athame/sword

COLOR: white, violet, pastels, green

ANIMAL:

RULES: stomach, spirit, mind, illumination, passion, wisdom, begin- nings, the power to know

INVOCATIONS: all dawn god/desses

Hail, thou shining one, who livest in the temple wherein are the gods in visible forms, thou beautiful rudder of the eastern heaven

Goddesses:

Aja, Aurora, Eos, Hesionë (Lady of Asia), Mahamantranusarini, Neith, Nephthys, Saimaone, Zorya

Gods:

Chac (Lord of the East), Duaniutef (Lord of the Watchtower of the East), Horus (Lord of the East), Indra, Mars, Morning Star, Raphael, Shar, Sopedu (Lord of the East)

EAST WIND

Invocations: Cardea, Eurus, Voltumus

WEST

ELEMENT: water, earth

SEASON: autumn  

TIME: twilight

TOOL: chalice/cauldron

COLOR'. sea green, blue, gray, purple, white

ANIMAL: fish, dolphin, sea serpents

RULES: intestines, emotions, guts, introspection, undercurrents, vitality, daring, strength, endings, the courage to face deepest feelings

INVOCATIONS. all sunset god/desses

Hail, thou who goest round about heaven, thou pilot of the world, thou beautiful rudder of the western heaven .

Goddesses:

Amenti, the Hesperides (Daughters of the West), Hsi Wang Mu Gong (Royal Mother of the Western Paradise), Isis, Meretseger, Sekhmet (Lady of the West), Selkis

Gods:

Cteryon (King of the West), Ehecati-Quetzalcoati, Favonius, Itzam Na, Gabriel, Hastehogan, Khenty-amentiu (Foremost of the Westerners), Sachiel, Salim, Thoth, Qebehsenuf (Lord of the Watchtower of the West), Ra, Varuna

WEST WIND

lnvocations: Cardea, Favonius, Zephyrus

from Eileen Holland, "The Wicca Handbook"