The next logical magical symbol
is the circle. Effectively an expansion of the dot, the circle
represents the spirit and the cosmos. Further, the circle itself is
constructed from “some thing” (the unbroken line) and “no thing” (the
space inside and outside this line). Therefore, the circle unifies
spirit and matter. The structure itself has great strength—think of the
cylindrical shape of a lighthouse, built that way in order to withstand the fiercest attack by a stormy sea.
The physical and spiritual strength of this symbol are
there because the perfect circle has no beginning and no end; it is
unassailable. This power is the reason why the circle is used in magical
practices such as spell-casting. The magic circle creates a fortress of
psychic protection, a physical and spiritual safe haven where unwanted
or uninvited entities cannot enter.
Hermes Trismegistus said of the circle:
God is a circle whose center is everywhere and circumference is nowhere.
Where would ancient man have seen the most important
circles? Obviously, in the Sun and the Moon. As the Sun, the circle is
masculine, but when it is the Moon, it is feminine. Because the passage
of time is marked by the journey of the Sun, Moon and stars in orbit
around our Earth, the circle is a symbol of the passage of time. In this
form, it commonly appears as the wheel.
Because the circle has no divisions and no sides, it
is also a symbol of equality. King Arthur’s Round Table was the perfect
piece of furniture for the fellowship of Knights who were each as
important as each other. Similarly, the Dalai Lama has a “circular”
Council.