הָיָה אוֹר, בְּמוֹשְׁבֹתָם
have light in our dwellings ... Shemot 10:23
Traditionally, a witch's ritual circle measures nine feet in diameter. A protected sacred space within which the witch and her coven raise energy, cast spells and perform rituals, creating a magic circle is called circlecasting. Similar to a mandala, a ritual circle also serves as a microcosm of the Universe, focuses attention for meditation, and enables access to progressively higher and more unified states of consciousness. Similar to a yantra, the circle subdues, integrates and controls chaotic magical forces, creating purposeful structure and organization with them. We can see then that the witch's circle brings order (tikun) to chaos (tohu) and fulfills the kabbalistic teaching regarding the rectified and whole Light of chaos:
The purpose of creation and of our being in it is to integrate the worlds of tohu and tikun into a third order of existence much greater than either tohu or tikun of itself. [Adin Steinsaltz, In The Beginning, Discourses On Chasidic Thought]
The Hebrew phrase written above (translated as to "have light in our dwellings") has a total gematria of 1017 and a digit sum of 9, the diameter of the witch's circle. Thus, witchcraft's sacred circle corresponds to and represents fulfillment of the purpose of creation as taught in magical kabbalah regarding the sacred Light of chaos.
Within the witch's circle, there is Light.
So mote it be, אמן.
Related writings:
Shalshelet HaKabbalah, The Filled Nine
Jewitch Shabbat Ritual
