Disclaimer: The following document fragment is presented from an in-character perspective, it should not be taken as the truth of the setting.
Context: Considering that I’ve done some decent work on magic circles recently, it is a bit odd I didn’t think to post this as lore somewhere around that time. Oh well, there’s always a chance to fix these things. The text below presents some information on the meaning of various elements found within a magic circle, or at the very least one interpretation of such.
The chalk-drawn magic circle is a staple of our culture. Rarely do we really consider the way in which they function and the way in which we invoke their effects.
The humble magic circle is a very fickle beast, each tradition having its own beliefs about the ways in which they should be drawn or made. Mages who receive more formal training in the arcane arts recognise it for a symbol of power – that is to say, something that holds power due to the power we give it, rather than having any inherent power.
If we think about it – why would a magic circle have any power of its own? It is, after all, but a vibration within the wider vibration of the waking world. A mere part of the whole. The power it displays comes from us.
Thus the first, most important property of a magic circle emerges: to be effective it must hold meaning to the one it will affect. That is to say, a circle that is designed to work internally must hold meaning to the mage using it, a circle that is designed to work externally must hold meaning to the target.
As a simple example, in order to bind an entity within a magic circle, the entity must recognise the circle as having a binding property. How can such a thing be achieved? We will get to that in time.
For internal work, it is fine to inherit patterns from someone else and in some cases, we can find deeper meaning in external symbols through the process of understanding them. For many mages, those who are less fortunate in the education they receive, this is how circle practices are most often developed. Their patterns learned from a master or discovered in arcane texts. Before the Modern Age, this was a standard practice across the world.
Currently, however, we see the circle very differently. By properly placing the emphasis on the source of a circle’s power and applied autohypnosis the way in which a circle can be used expanded considerably.
The Shapes
Several geometric figures seem to hold a rather peculiar place in the human psyche and, as far as we know, the psyche of many other beings we have encountered. They form the core components of many circles and are often the most striking, recognisable elements.
1: The line
When constructing a pattern, lines most often serve one of two main roles. They divide or they connect. I do believe not much has to be said here. If two things, be they part of the pattern or anything else relevant to the craft in question, are divided by a line, located on opposite sides of it they are divided from each other. If they are located on opposite ends of the line, they are connected.
2: The circle
Similarly to a line, a circle serves to divide, no longer one thing from another though, as much as a thing from everything else. It brings attention to something, separating it from everything else. That is why circles are used to both protect and bind, as both of those are a form of isolation.
In the context of other shapes and forms found within a pattern, circles often have the secondary meaning of signifying cyclicality, the repetitious nature of a pattern that loops back onto itself. This is sometimes referred to as an ouroboros among European mages.
3: The triangle
The triangle is the only polygon which cannot be deformed. Due to this, the equilateral triangle is often used as a reinforcing element of a structure. If the triangle is pointed down it can imply power, pointed up it implies stability. Isosceles triangles, on the other hand, can be used to give something direction. Larger patterns can also be arranged from triangles and triangles become part of other figures, which is also a form of reinforcement.
The triangle is also one of the symbols used to represent the Rule of Three (“where there are two, there is a third”).
Triangles and other polygons are also used as the general layout of a pattern, expanding the vertices into circles or other figures.
4: The rectangle
Rectangles in general and squares in particular strongly imply an order of some sort, especially when arranged in repeated patterns (a grid for example). A rectangle with writing inside of it is called a tablet, it’s often used to place emphasis on certain words or fragments of text.
5: Other regular polygons, including star polygons
Five-sided polygons and star polygons (called pentagrams) are also a common pattern. As are seven-sided regular polygons in all three forms. These symbols generally hold highly subjective meaning, though their widespread use can be traced back to certain early texts such as “Cosmic Geometry” and the “Book of Whispered Names”. Though these texts have fallen out of favour in modern times their influence can still be felt in more traditional practices.
In such a context the number five holds the meaning of success, while the number seven holds the meaning of power. Such usages of the shapes would thus be to strengthen a circle’s effect and were most often combined with a five-word or seven-word incantation.
6: Words
The ability to write down words holds great power to humans, thus our circles often include them, sometimes in great abundance. Realistically speaking the language these words are written in does not matter as long as the entity they are to affect can understand them, however, some people can place special meaning on specific languages or codes. Latin and Greek are still used and various systems inspired by or derived from Futhark remain popular.
The words in a magic circle most often follow the lines of a geometry. In certain cases, it is also important on which side of the line they are written. For example, to return to the usage of circles to protect and bind. A protective text would be written following the inside of the circle’s line, while a binding text would follow the outside line instead.
A text that was written around a circle and can be read in a very repetitive fashion is a type of mantra used for meditative and autohypnotic effect.
7: Names
A specific type of word, a name is, in essence, a symbol representing a person (or another type of entity). Most often it will only have any effect if the bearer of the name strongly identifies with it, though in some cases it can be enough for the mage using the circle to associate it with the entity.
This is where the practice of secret names comes from – a very widespread practice of mages taking on additional names that hold special meaning to them. This practice would, of course, have a practical effect on reducing the efficacy of certain types of magic.
Names hold power over the Elb, though due to the nature of their dendriform writing system using it can be difficult to use by humans. Such writing produces a recognisable style of magic circle. Names are also very effective against conceptual beings and the usage of names belonging to so-called “gods”, “demons” or “angels” can be very commonly found within texts originating from before the XIX century.
Esoteric Musings... 