Widdershins

Counter-clockwise in the northern hemisphere, clockwise in southern. Direction of motion for banishing magic to some, bane (harmful) magic to others.

This is a term used to describe the action of going backwards or counter clockwise.

Within the practice of Witchcraft this is an important concept because different kinds of magic will call for different kinds of focus.

If one wants to go forward in a spell in order to create more or new things for them, they would walk clockwise in their circle. When going backwards, one must focus on banishing or getting rid of unwanted energies.

In Britain in former times it was considered exceptionally unlucky to travel in a counter clockwise manner because one would not want to incur the retrograde energies which one might find confusing and sometimes even debilitating. However in the Craft, all energies are sacred and useful depending on how one goes about it.

The most common location in which the term Widdershins is used is in a Magical Circle.

Usually when one initially casts the circle, they walk clockwise so that the energy is building up within the circle allowing the protection to run in a feasible way.

All participants must walk in a clockwise fashion while in the circle so as to perpetuate that continual energy. When one closes the circle, one can opt to walk Widdershins in order to close it out and let it fade into the energy that existed, so that it may be recycled by the Earth and turned into something more creative and beautiful.