Castle of Stone

Castell Dinas Bran

4-Cornered Castle
Mont & Bailey
Top open to the sky
Seige-place
Warriors' Fort (training, defense, offense, strategy)
Hillfort (castillo)
Not a place of luxury
Guarded by legged creatures (crawlers, walkers)
Home of Cernunnos
Summer Solstice
Noon
Mysteries of Rebirth


The castles of our system are based on Grail Lore, but they also have representations in the none world. These castles are symbolic of the energies inherent in their names and attributed to them by myth and legend. In the Arthurian cycle, the knights journey to seven castles, but most mythographers interpret this imram as an Otherworldly voyage, akin to the shaman's journey into the soul, using the World Tree as a ladder. Robert Graves, in The White Goddess, indicates that each of the seven castles is synonymous with the Spiral Castle, Caer Sidhe (or Caer Arianrhod).

Graves' interpretation makes good sense to us. Each of the castles is so intimately connected in symbolism and meaning, and it is impossible to separate any one of them from gestalt of Caer Sidhe. It is based on this concept that, while we talk about the castles as separate places, we ultimately view them each as a tower or turret on the great Spiral Castle.

The Castle of Stone is the home of Cernunnos, in our system. He is the keeper of the castle and the guardian of its treasure, the Stone Bowl. Cernunnos is honored at Summer Solstice as the Oak King, and the totems present in his time of honor are the Oak, Stag, and Robin.


One of the names of the Castle of Stone is the "4-cornered castle," in Welsh Caer Bannawg. This name became Carbonic or Carbonak later. Graves suggests that this castle is in fact a burial place like a kristvaen (which is formed from four stone slabs that make a stone box). It has also been suggested that "4-cornered" refers to the castle rotating four times, which certainly ties it symbolically to the Spiral Castle.

Carbonak is an important locale in Grail myth, as it is the home of Elaine (the Grail Maiden, wife of Lancelot, and mother of Galahad). It is here that the Grail is revealed in the saga, when Elaine shows it to Lancelot.

Carmarthen -- a 4-cornered castle

The Old French version of this name is cor beneoit, meaning both 'blessed horn' (alluding to the Grail as a horn of plenty) and 'blessed body' (referring to the Grail as a Eucharistic vessel). The reference to horn also works nicely as an allusion to the Horned God of this keep.

Carbonak is also heavily associated with ravens and with Bran the Blessed. Corbin, which the castle is called in certain parts of the myth, is the Old French word for "raven." Bran means raven in Welsh and Cornish. An extent hill-fort in Penwith, Cornwall is associated with Carbonak, and it is called Caer Bran. The Brythonic possessive version of this name is Kernowek. Castell Dinas Bran ("Castle of the City of Crows") in Wales is assumed by scholars to be the most likely site of Carbonak, however. Bran is inescapably tied to the Grail mythologies in the sense that he, too, went on a voyage in search of a sacred vessel, The Cauldron of Rebirth. Like the Grail-King, he was pierced by a spear and the land suffered until he was healed. Bran is honored and remembered in the Arthurian cycle as Brons, one of Arthur's knights, the son-in-law of Joseph of Arimehtea (who, of course, is said to have brought the grail -- as cup of Christ -- into Celtic lands).


The Stone Castle is no palace, no place of luxury or entertainment. It is a fortress, a place of training and of siege. It is the Vault of the Mysteries. It is a place of safety, and it is a storehouse. It is a seat of power and is built at a site of strength (or one with protective needs).

Several castles and forts spring to mind when envisioning Caer Bannawg for oneself. The Krak de Chevaliers, for instance, is a wonderful example of a medieval fortress. It is a "Mont & Bailey" castle, and it is practically impenetrable. It is functional and foreboding, and it takes very little manpower to defend it.

Cliffords Tower (in York), the Alamo (San Anotnio, TX), and the Castillo del San Marcos (St. Augustine, FL) are all great examples of the Stone Castle.

Krak de Chevaliers

Faces of the Oak King

Names
Cernunnos, Green Man, Woodwose, Vindos, Pwyll, Freyr, Lugh, Apollo, Lucifer, Herne the Hunter, Karnayna, Faunus, Cern, Dianus, Sylvanus, Edric, Orfeo, Tapio, Dusio, Derg Corra, Green George, Jack in the green, John Barleycorn, Robin Goodfellow, Gwythyr ap Greidawl

Station of the Wheel
Southeast, Summer Solstice (Midsummer), June, Stone Castle, Mead Moon

Totems
Stag, Oak, Robin

Tools
Stone Bowl

Cernunnos in Celtic iconography is often portrayed with animals, in particular the stag, and also frequently associated with a the ram-horned serpent, besides association with other beasts with less frequency, including bulls (at Rheims), dogs, and rats. Because of his frequent association with creatures, scholars often describe Cernunnos as the "Lord of the Animals" or the "Lord of Wild Things", and Miranda Green describes him as a "peaceful god of nature and fruitfulness".

The Green Man motif has many variations. Found in many cultures around the world, the Green Man is often related to natural vegetative deities springing up in different cultures throughout the ages. Primarily it is interpreted as a symbol of rebirth, or "renaissance," representing the cycle of growth each spring.

The wild man or woodwose is a mythical figure that appears in the artwork and literature of medieval Europe. Images of wild men appear in the carved and painted roof bosses where intersecting ogee vaults meet in the Canterbury Cathedral, in positions where one is also likely to encounter the vegetal Green Man. The wild man, pilosus or "hairy all over", and often armed with a club. The image of the wild man survived to appear as supporter for heraldic coats-of-arms, especially in Germany, well into the 16th century.

There are several examples of the Romano-Celtic God Vindos maq Noudons which can be easily referenced within texts. Most deal with the root "vin" which means "light" or "white."

The Stone Bowl

In our tradition the Summer Solstice is associated with the Castle of Stone, the King of which is the Oak King Cernnunos, and the treasure of which is the stone bowl.  The stone bowl is a very real working tool in this tradition, and is one of the first tools a witch procures.

Within this tradition of Craft, we recognize the demand for energy exchange when working magic. This exchange, or sacrifice, happens whether we are aware of it or not. It varies beyond our understanding, as sometimes a small charm can require a great sacrifice, whereas a huge spellworking may not require any exchange at all. It is because of this element of chance that we choose to be aware and actively involved in this sacrifice whenever we perform magic. Furthermore, we understand that every act of magic (whether selfless or selfish) requires this sacrifice, and we perform this divination prior to every spell.

The three stones (see below) are cast into a shallow dish bearing the markings shown above. These markings form a central glyph  representing both the laying of the compass and the wheel of the year.  It is divided into quadrants, each with a circular symbol that represent the solar holidays and the four castles. In the center of the design is a triskle, representing the Spiral Castle, the axis on which the compass turns.

The three stones are one of white, one of black, and one of red.  They may be found naturally in these colors, or may be ordinary river pebbles painted the appropriate colors. The three stones represent the White and Black Goddesses and Tubal Cain. The red stone, or Tubal Cain stone, is the indicator stone when casting into the bowl.

To use the stone bowl

Cast all three of the stones into the bowl. Whichever stone the red stone is closest to indicates to which Goddess the sacrifice will be made. This will flavor the nature of the sacrifice.

The distance between the black and white stones indicates the time and/or severity of the sacrifice to be made.

Types of sacrifices

Glass Castle (the light blue circle) – fasting/discomfort
examples: performing a no-kill fast, sleeping on the floor, walking somewhere outdoors barefoot, etc.

Stone Castle (the green crossed circle) – money/material
examples: gifting a personal item to someone, donating money to a charity, volunteering on a project without compensation, etc.

Castle Perilous (the red halved circle) – blood/pain
examples: shedding of own blood with intent, running an endurance race, lifting heavy weights, submitting to flogging, etc.

Castle Revelry (the golden circle with a central point) – abstinence
examples: abstaining from sexual stimulation for a period of time, giving up smoking, alcohol, caffeine, sugar or another addiction for a period of time, etc.

The Spiral Castle (the silver triskle) – no sacrifice necessary

Examples

Figure 1: The red indicator stone is nearest to the white stone, which is in the Castle of Stone. A material/monetary sacrifice to the White Goddess is called for here. The white stone and the black stone are far apart in the bowl, so the sacrifice must be large.

Figure 2: The red indicator stone is nearest to the black stone which in in the Spiral Castle, so no sacrifice is necessary for this working.

 

Figure 3: The red indicator stone is nearest to the black stone in the Castle of Revelry. A sacrifice of abstinence is called for in honor of the Black Goddess. The black and white stones are near to each other in the bowl, so the sacrifice is minimal.

Witch's Stones

The Casting Stones are used in conjunction with the stone bowl to divine appropriate sacrifice before an act of magic.

The Hag Stone is any stone with a natural hole through it.  Small versions of the hag stone may be strung on cords and worn for luck. Larger hag stones may be used to peer through to see into other realms.  The largest hag stones are used to promote prosperity and fertility by crawling though the hole.  The hag stone represents the feminine magical principle. Also known as a holy stone.

The God Stone is any single standing stone set in the ground.  These stones are phallic in appearance and in nature. They are often used as an axis for treading the mill and laying the compass. They also serve as markers and conduits for the natural dragon-energy in the land. The god stone represents the masculine magical principle.

The Oath Stone is certain stone used by witches to bind them to Tubal Cain and the Mighty Dead of their Craft, creating the red thread.  The oath stone is kept at the base of the stang and is sometimes represented as an anvil.

The Troy Stone is a stone with spiral and serpentine markings or carvings upon it.  It is used to mark portals in liminal space and to bind spirits. Also known as the gate stone.

The Fairy Stone is a stone with a small depression in the surface in which liquid offerings can be made to the spirits of the land and the ancestors.  Also known as a cup stone.

The Sun Stone is a clear quartz crystal used to hold or direct energy, or for scrying, in which case it is known as a keek stone.

The Thunder Stone is a flint arrowhead created by the ancestors.  It was once thought that these stones came from lightning strikes and that they could protect against storms. Also known as elf shot.

The Touch Stone is a volcanic stone with a slight magnetic charge used in the construction of the besom. Also known as Balanite or Basalt.

The Toad Stone is a mythical stone of great virtue said to be found in the head of a toad.  It may actually refer to the toad bone, a specific bone in the skeleton of a toad that confers magical abilities on its bearer.

The Bezoar is a stone found in the stomach of some mammals. The bezoar is said to bestow great magical virtue on its bearer, including protection from poison.