The Western Gate

The Witches Oracle.|
The Stang.

Foreword: Example of Interpretation to a random card of personal “Witchcraft Oracle” deck (as introduced here. )

The Stang is the watcher of the moon. It is the timepiece and measurer of the ‘tides’. Held aloft, the Moon within its horns,

The Stang represents, if I may be old, One of the Seven so called ‘passive’ tools. Strictly speaking of course nothing is passive but merely the means and polarity of dynamism. It belongs to the group that have been called viz;- The Seven Passive tools, or The Seven vessels of reception or the seven receptacles of Stillness.
This groups consists of;- The Stang that measures, The Bell that forms, The Chain that holds, The Orb that offers, the Urn of rememberance, The Besom that clears and the Mace/Sceptre that protects.
The Stang is held aloft at an ascribed spot where it measures the moon, and within it, wishes, praises and asks are given towards the shape of the horns.
In a ceremony performed outside, the Stang is often interlocked with the Staff, that the Moon pole, and the Staff of the witch are inherently linked.

The Stang card denotes movement and tides which we are not in control of but must respect and follow and even worship, it is the widdershins where others dance deosil, it is the land of the Fae where others walk the path of men.
Where, in a later card, LAchesis appears as the holder of the witches Cords and Measure-these are measures definitive to the witch. The Measure of the Stang however measures ulterior time, the tides themselves.

In the theatre of the witches dance, the Stang is reflective of the Queen of Elphame, the Stang IS that queen, to refer to workings we need not talk of the Stang, but can merely state ‘The Queen of Elphame’ as a pseudonym. “HAil queen of the Elphame assist me in this endeavour”.
She sits atop the sacred mound, this represents reverence of all things past, in which the heroes of old are interred. It is also the entrance to the land of Fae, for where else can we venture into the kingdom of spirits born of nature than through the avenues and corridors where our carcasses are but jewels and relics.

Elphame (Elf Home) a tad ambiguous, but we are in the realms of the unnerving and aswaying, we are not upon a steady path. We walk with deepest respect as we are ‘abroad’

The Stang is made of wood, and the horns and heel of Iron must be crafted by a blacksmith. The Fae, it is said, detest Iron, but is used here as our minimal means of protection.
The wood therefore should be those ascribed as especial to the Fae and of these The Elder is particularly favoured, also the HAwthorn/MAytree, and OAk and Ash.
The Stang is composed of three parts, The Crown/Horns, of Iron, The Axis/body of wood and the Heel/foot of Iron.
Markings upon the Axis should be lunar. The host should carve it with the moon that was positioned at their birth, be it waxing, waning, New or Full, and within what constellation were it. A full Moon in Aries therefore would be a sigil of a White Circle and rams horns atop it. A waning Moon in Pisces would see two fishes above and below the Crescent as it appears in the sky, and so on.

Before Use !
The Stang should be weathered no less than a year and a day outside, affixed to the same spot where the eastern horizon and the western horizon are most visible. If it is placed in shrubs, bushes, flora familiar and favoured traditionally by the FAe, then all the better that it be placed there. Should it fall or be windswept, crack or chewed, leave it and do not touch for one year and one day, when it can be bought inside, cleaned, polished, shined, and coated with liberal essential oils of choosing.

The Female is naturally attuned to the procession and tides of the moon. Man holds the Stang, and nightly adjusts, feeling the new to waxing, to Full to waning, the ceremony of observance upon the lunar influence. Measuring, adjusting and knowing.

Brief Outline of card interpretation.

For the purposes of illustration I have used the five card plus cross spread
(See illustration below)

If the Stang is revealed as a significator card, this is time over which you have no control, it is the influence too of the moon, a cyclical motion that ebbs and wanes, nothing will be straight forward, there are no paths as the crows fly.

If the Staff is revealed as a negator, it shows a false path, the querent is trying to go from a to b as quickly as possible, but there are too many distractions.

If the Staff is revealed as a positive influence, it shows the querent is taking heed of the austerity of their path, dealing with obstacles and not letting them interfere with their journey. They whom are taught to be cautious progress.

If the Staff is revealed as a Crown influence, The Stang as the crown heralds a humble witness, and humble indeed should the witness be. It is the finite and insignificant self under the canopy of the stars.

If the Stang is revealed as a base influence, timing is crucial. This not your time, but the natural order of things to be. All things taken into account that are known to occur cannot be dismissed. “I’m going to India next week for a holiday in the sun.”, “But it’s Monsoon season?”, “Aye but the flights and hotels are cheaper.”

And in a five card spread, to cross the significant, Your plans will be foiled, hampered and even destroyed. It is the worker not meeting the deadline, the journeyman not starting the trek early enough when traffic jams are known and thus missing the handshake.

1. Significator; 2. Negator; 3. Positive; 4; Crown Influence; 5; Base influence; 6, Polarity/Deflector
   

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The next card discussed, will be The Sword (of Justitia)