The Society of Guardians

 The Universal Rite of the Square Earth Cross

Society of Guardians

The making of a Square Cross is one of the most ancient rites of magic, and it exists in parallel forms in both West and East. This symbol is seen throughout the world in art, architecture and landscape gardening. The making of the Square Earth Cross centres that individual within the Space and Time of their local universe. It is therefore the first step towards mastery of one's personal and local universe.

The symbol which is at the heart of this rite is an equal armed cross surrounded by a circle. In ancient times, it represented the daily path of the Sun around the Earth, therefore it is called the Solar Cross. In modern times, it represents the annual path of the Earth around the central Sun and so it is also known as the Earth Cross. The arms of thee Square Cross represent the four cardinal directions, East, South, West and North. It also symbolises the monthly path of the Moon around the Earth.

In the Qabalah

The most familiar use of the Square Earth Cross for Western magicians and wiccans is the Qabalistic Cross, which opens every rite of the major traditions of the Western Mysteries. The wording of the Qabalistic rite is:

'Atah ha-Malkuth w'-ha-Gevurah w'-ha-Gedulah le"olam Amen.

This translates into English as: "Thou art the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever Amen."

This Gnostic phrase was inserted into the Greek text of the Christian scriptures in the second century C.E. in a slightly distorted form as a doxology for the Lord's Prayer, translated as "Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory for ever and ever. Amen." There is considerable difference in meaning to be found between the two versions, especially if one meditates on who is referred to by the word "Thou" in the Gnostic original; and who by the word "Thine" in the Christian reversion. The Christian version is attached to a prayer which is addressed to God and is directed towards that which is Other than the Self. The Gnostic version can be interpreted differently, especially if you consider that esoterically, the right thumb is referred to the Sun, which is referred to the central Sefirah of the Tree of Life and to the Ruach, the essential Self or Spirit.

Stance

Feet 1-1/2 foot lengths apart, directly beneath the shoulders. Knees relaxed and body centred at the navel.

Visualisation

Which you make the Encircled Cross, you should imagine that you can see a line of brilliant white fire traced by your hand. When your middle fingers meet at its centre, imagine a brillant amethyst spark bursts forth as they make contact. When you have completed the encircled cross, imagine that the fiery white Encircled Cross, with its tiny, brilliant amethyst sun at its heart. It is growing in size, until you stand with your head at its centre and your feet on its lower circumference.

Then imagine that you rise up its middle column until your feet stand at its centre and your head is on its upper circumference. The numbers in this section correspond to letteers in the Breathing instructions, so that breathing and visualisations can be co-ordinated.

Breathing

Before you begin, take a slow complete breath in, out and in. Try to say the whole phrase reasonably slowly on one out-breath. After you have made the Cross:

1. take another slow breath in as you visualise it growing
2. breathe out as you visualise your lower stance;
3. breathe inn as you rise through the cross
4. Finally, take a slow complete breath out, in and out.  
   

Making the Qabalistic Cross