Walking in a Sacred Circle Garden: Instructions, Notes, Links, Bibliography, Resources, Quotes

I often "Walk in the Sacred Circle," with the primary intention of relating to the meanings and associations of the Eight Energies (Eight Elementals, Eight Dimensions, Eight Bagua Trigrams) symbolized in our backyard outdoor Sacred Circle Garden. This is a practice of quiet meditation; and, working on the integration of mind/energy/spirit (Yi/Qi/Shen) by means of a physical practice, ritual, and use of the active imagination. There are also many bodily benefits of this practice: warming up and awakening the body, conditioning and strengthening the legs and cardio-vascular system, learning to maintain a relaxed and upright posture, breathing deeply and properly, improving balance, and enhancing general awareness and sensitivity. Just being outdoors has numerous benefits for the body, mind, and spirit.

To provide variety and to relate to the meanings and symbolism of the Eight Elementals (Energies, Dimensions, Forces), I hold my hands in different positions while walking the circle. I think that each of these hand positions (i.e., mudras, symbolic hand positions, palm postures) help bring mental focus on one of the eight essential energies/dimensions of the cosmos, highlights those energies, and helps the mind concentrate and focus more readily. The Heart-Mind-Spirit-Energies (Hsin-Shen-Qi)
Circle Walking ritual practice helps to build and circulate the vital energy, Qi-Prana-Chi or Life Force in the body/mind of the practitioner; and, repeated and consistent work with this type of ritual exercise is Bagua Qigong.

My decision as to how I view Walking in the Sacred Circle ritual practice is based on my interpretation of the Eight Energies and Eight Dimensions of the Cosmos. My interpretations are based upon my research into Daoism, Neo-Paganism, Druidry, shamanism, rituals, geomancy, Trigrams and I Ching, divination, nature mysticism, and styles of walking mediation; as well as practical experiments in these areas.

My wife, Karen, and I have constructed a "Sacred Circle Garden" (Nemeton Grove, Reflection Circle, Serenity Circle, Circular Sacred Garden, etc) which can be used for this kind of Heart-Mind-Spirit-Energies (Hsin-Shen-Qi) Circle Walking ritual and meditation practice as well as for other ritual, magickal, mystical, seasonal, outdoor relaxation, and celebratory activities.

Adults and Children, Hawks, Owls, Birds, Cats, Dogs, Lizards, Snakes, Toads, Bats, Insects and other Critters have visited our Sacred Circle Garden thus far. We welcome all Fairies, Elves, Unicorns, Dragons, Phoenixes, Spirits, Guardians of the Four Directions, Gods and Goddesses, and Wee Folk to our Sacred Circle and we leave offerings of food, water, gifts, and incense to welcome all of them. We would get very unnerved if a real Lion or Bear appeared in the Nemeton while we were present; but we do hope that they are thriving somewhere else in the Wild on this planet. We live in a rural area near Red Bluff, California, in the Northern Hemisphere.

Consider Wang Shujin's Baguazhang advice that, "The definitions above are just rough explanations of a much larger picture. As for the details, it depends upon the learner himself to study, question, consider, analyze, and practice in order to find deeper meaning. The eight forms should also be examined and practiced individually. In conclusion, the more diligently you study the greater your return. Bagua Zhang forms imitate the nature of heaven and earth. Follow the principles of yin-yang and harmonize with the seasons, and you will benefit humanity by developing a more universal view of life. Embracing the yin-yang fish and treading the ba gua diagram you will walk the circle as though striding through the cosmos."
- Wang Shujin, Bagua Linked Palms, Translated by Kent Howard, 2009

A Daoist monk at the Baiyunguan temple in Beijing practices his Bagua stepping
in one of the many courtyards tucked away in the compound.

I begin by standing, facing N12 towards the Green North Pole, opening bagua zhang style, turning to face S6, taking the first The Unicorn Emerges from the Canyon in the Moonlight #1 posture. Then I step out with the left foot to begin walking, bagua zhang mud step style, in a counter-clockwise direction (N12, W9, S6, E3, N12).

My waist is turned towards the Center of the Circle. The center of my walking circle is a round brick fireplace, 3 feet in diameter. I walk along the edge of a circle that is from 4 to 8 feet in diameter. I walk on hard clay dirt.

When I get to N12, I turn, bagua zhang single palm change style, and walk clockwise (N12, E3, 6S, W9). I stop at the NE 1.5 Position in front of the Lime Green Northeast Pole, turn, take The Green Dragon Strectches Out Its Claws at Dawn #2 posture, walk counter-clockwise back (N12, W9, S6, to NE 1.5), turn, return clockwise to E3 in front of the Yellow East Pole, turn, take the Owl #3 posture, and walk back counter-clockwise. This pattern continues with stops at each Pole and changing to the Animal Posture for that position (Unicorn N #1, Dragon NE # 2, Hawk E #3, Monkey SE #4, Lion S #5, Phoenix SW #6, Snake W #7, Bear NW #8). I walk around the circle 2 times (counter-clockwise and clockwise) for each of the Eight Animals.

I end at N12, turn to face S6 and hold for a good while in a San Ti Shi, Embrace the One, or some another standing meditation posture.

1. The Unicorn Emerges from the Canyon in the Moonlight
Qilin (Unicorn, Lin, Chilin) Gentle Herbivore, Earth: Kun, Body, Physical World, Winter, North, Receptivity, Night, Darkness, Moon, Midnight
Yin-Yin, Green North Pole, 12-3 am, Birth & Childhood: Ages ?-0-10. A Qilin (Unicorn) appears at the birth of a person who will become a Sage.

2. The Green Dragon Stretches Out Its Claws at Dawn
Chinese Dragon, Thunder: Zhen, Rain, Winter-Spring, Northeast, Lime Green Northeast Pole, Early Morning and Daybreak, 3-6 am, Ages 10-20.
Identical to "Green Dragon Stretches Its Claws," Posture 8, Allen/Zhang (2007), p. 77, and the Windmill Posture.

3. The Red Hawk Streaks Across the Clear Morning Sky
Hawk (Rooster or Owl), Air, Fire: Li, Spring, East, Yang-Yin, Mind-Intellect, Sword, Knowledge, Morning,
Yellow East Pole, 6-9 am, Ages 20-30.

4. The Monkey King Offers the Early Fruits
Monkey, Monkey King: Sun Wukong, Lake/Wet Valley: Dui, Spring-Summer, Southeast, Orange Southeast Pole, 9-12 am, Ages 30-40.
Identical to "White Ape Presents the Peach," Posture 4, Allen/Zhang (2007), p. 76.

5. The Fierce Lion Leaps Out in the Summer Sun
Lion (Tiger, Cat, Wolf/Dog) Carnivorous Predator, Heaven: Qian, Will, Forceful Power, Summer, South,
Yang-Yang, Fire, Wood, Noonday, Sun, Red South Pole, 12-3 pm, Ages 40-50.

6.   The Phoenix Appears at the Harvest Festival in Peaceful Times
           Fenghuang: Chinese Phoenix, Wind: Xun, Summer-Autumn, Harvest Time, Southwest, Purple Southwest Pole,
           Afternoon, 3-6 pm, Ages 50-60.

7.   The White Snake Becomes a Beautiful Lady at Dusk
           Snake, Water: Kan, Autumn, West, Yin-Yang, Emotions-Feelings, The Well, Blue West Pole, Sunset and Evening, 6-9 pm, Ages 60-70.
           Legend of Madame White Snake.

8.   The Bear Enters Her Den to Hibernate
           Bear, Mountain: Gen, Autumn-Winter, Northwest, Metal, Turquoise Northwest Pole, Night, 9-12 pm, Old Age: 70-Death-?.
           Identical to the basic Bear Posture in the Yin Style of Bagua, as presented by Xie Peiqui and He Jinbao.

The Psychology of Ritual. By Murry Hope. London, Element Books, 1988. Appendics, glossary, index, 310 pages. ISBN: 1852300434. VSTLC.

Sacred Circle at the Valley Spirit Center Chart of Associations, Attributions, Elementals, Spirits, and Symbolism Eastern and Western Magicks
Valley Spirit Sacred Circle Symbolism	Eastern Cosmos Trigrams	Five Elements 五行 Wǔx�ng	Western Cosmos Magick	Daily Cycle Human Age

North Green Earth Winter Body Oaks	K'un Earth North Winter 土	Earth Center Yellow Dragon Spleen, Smell Mother Valley Spirit	Body, Flesh, Beings Sensations Touch Earth, Soil, Stone Birth and Death Night New Moon Pentacle, Coins North Winter Trees and Shrubs Salt Oak Trees	Midnight 12 am - 3 am Conception to Birth to 10 Years Old: Babies, Childhood, and 90-100+ Years Old Birth and Death

Northeast Lime Green Cypresses	Chen Thunder	Wood East Blue Dragon Liver, Sight Oldest Brother		Early Morning Sunrise 3am - 6am 10 to 20 Years Old

East Yellow Air Birds Spring Mind Spirit Olives	Li Fire Spring East 火	Fire South Red Phoenix Heart, Sound Second Son	Mind Thinking Air Smell Metal, Swords Childhood and Youth Dawn Crescent Moon Spring East Incense, Bells Olives, Aspens	Morning 6am - 9am 20 to 30 Years Old Young Adults

Southeast Orange Bottlebrush	Tui Lake Valley Irrigated Field	Metal, Lake West White Tiger Lung, Taste First Son		Mid-Morning 9am - 12pm 30 to 40 Years Old

South Red Fire Summer Will Action Bay Laurel	Chien Heaven South Summer	Metal, Sky West White Tiger Lung, Taste Father	Will, Spirit Intuition Wood Fire Sight South Adult and Middle Age Midday Summer Full Moon Staff, Stave Red Candle Almonds Walnuts	Noon 12 pm - 3pm 40 to 50 Years Old

Southwest Purple Redwoods	Sun Wind	Wood East Blue Dragon Liver, Sight Oldest Sister		Afternoon 3pm - 6 pm 50 to 60 Years Old

West Blue Water Autumn Emotions	K'an Water West Autumn 水	Water North Black Tortoise Kidney, Touch Second Daughter	Emotions, Blood Feelings Water, Cups Taste Middle and Old Age Evening Waning Moon West Autumn Cauldron, Chalice Willows, Laurels	Late Afternoon Sunset 6 pm - 9pm 60 to 70 Years Old Wise Elders
	Inner Entrance
Northwest Turquoise Liquid Ambers	Ken Mountain	Earth Center Yellow Dragon Spleen. Smell First Daughter		Evening 9pm - 12 pm 70 to 80+ Years Old Wise Elders

Center White	Tai Chi Grant Ultimate		Wholeness Harmony Interdependence Individual Self Circle Web White - All Colors

Sacred Circle at the Valley Spirit Center Chart of Associations, Attributions, Elementals, Spirits, and Symbolism Western Emphasis
Valley Spirit Sacred Circle Symbolism	Western Cosmos Magick	Daily Cycle Human Age	Annual Cycle Neo-Pagan and Secular Holidays Liturgical Rites	Deities Spirits Ancients Elementals

North Green Earth Winter Body Oaks	Body, Flesh, Beings Sensations Touch Earth, Soil, Stone Birth and Death Night New Moon Pentacle, Coins North Winter Trees and Shrubs Salt Oak Trees	Midnight 12 am - 3 am Conception to Birth to 10 Years Old: Babies, Childhood, and 90-100+ Years Old Birth and Death	December 21st - March 19th Yule New Year Christmas	Goddess Mother Ceres Demeter Gaea, Rhea Dionysos Pan Gnomes

Northeast Lime Green Cypresses		Early Morning Sunrise 3am - 6am 10 to 20 Years Old	February 2nd - March19th Imbolic Chinese New Year

East Yellow Air Spring Mind Spirit Olives	Mind Thinking Air Smell Metal, Swords Childhood and Youth Dawn Crescent Moon Spring East Incense, Bells Olives, Aspens	Morning 6am - 9am 20 to 30 Years Old Young Adults	March 20th - June 20th Spring Equinox, Ostara Memorial Day	Son Aradia Athena Minerva Hermes Zeus Sylphs

Southeast Orange Bottlebrush		Mid-Morning 9am - 12pm 30 to 40 Years Old	May 1st - June 20th Beltane

South Red Fire Summer Will Action Bay Laurel	Will, Spirit Intuition Wood Fire Sight South Adult and Middle Age Midday Summer Full Moon Staff, Stave Red Candle Almonds Walnuts	Noon 12 pm - 3pm 40 to 50 Years Old	June 21st - September 21st Summer Solstice Lithia Labor Day	Father Hestia Vesta Horus Vulcan Salamanders

Southwest Purple Redwoods		Afternoon 3pm - 6 pm 50 to 60 Years Old	L August 1st - September 21st First Harvest Festival, Mid-Summer Harvest Festival, Lughnasadh, Lammas Lithia Labor Day

West Blue Water Autumn Emotions Evergreen Shrubs	Emotions, Blood Feelings Water, Cups Taste Middle and Old Age Evening Waning Moon West Autumn Cauldron, Chalice Willows, Laurels	Late Afternoon Sunset 6 pm - 9pm 60 to 70 Years Old Wise Elders	September 22nd - December 20th Autumnal Equinox Mabon	Daughter Aphrodite Poseidon Neptune Undines

Northwest Turquoise Liquid Ambers		Evening 9pm - 12 pm 70 to 80+ Years Old Wise Elders	October 31st - December 20th Halloween Samhain Thanksgiving

Center White	Wholeness Harmony Interdependence Individual Self Circle Web White - All Colors		Year Annual Cycle A Human Life

"The definitions above are just rough explanations of a much larger picture. As for the details, it depends upon the learner himself to study, question, consider, analyze, and practice in order to find deeper meaning. The eight forms should also be examined and practiced individually. In conclusion, the more diligently you study the greater your return. Bagua Zhang forms imitate the nature of heaven and earth. Follow the principles of yin-yang and harmonize with the seasons, and you will benefit humanity by developing a more universal view of life. Embracing the yin-yang fish and treading the ba gua diagram you will walk the circle as though striding through the cosmos."
- Wang Shujin, Bagua Linked Palms, Translated by Kent Howard, 2009

"It is surely to the shaman that all ritual owes the concept of role-playing, or the temporary assumption of the nature of the divinity whose good offices are being sought through the energies of the rite. Role-playing in ritual is, of course, an integral part of sympathetic magic, although many may not see it this way. Psychologically, it evokes the particular aspect of the representative god-essence within the self. In other words, by undertaking, for example, the role of Nephthys in an Egyptian Rite, the player is search for correspondences hidden deeply with his or her own subconscious, and submitting the appropriate archetypal figure for conscious scrutiny by both the self and the group."
- Murray Hope, The Psychology of Ritual, p. 28

Red Bluff, Tehama County, North Sacramento Valley, Northern California, U.S.A.
Cities and small towns in the area: Oroville, Paradise, Durham, Chico, Hamilton City,
Corning, Rancho Tehama, Los Molinos, Vina, Tehama, Proberta, Gerber,
Manton, Cottonwood, Olinda, Cloverdale, Dairyville, Bend, Centerville, Summit City
Anderson, Shasta Lake, Palo Cedro, Igo, Ono, Redding, Shasta, Colusa, Willows,
Richfield, Fall River, Montgomery Creek, Alturas, McCloud, Dunsmuir, Yreka, Happy Camp,
Shingletown, Burney, Mt. Shasta City, Weaverville, Williams, Chester, Orland,
Susanville, Weed, Gridley, Marysville, Yuba City, NorCalifia, CA, California.

Eight Trigrams Boxing, Palm Boxing, Eight Diagrams Boxing
PaQua, Pa Kua, Pakuachang, Pa Kua Chang, PaKua Ch'uan, Pat Kwa Ch'uan
Baguaquan, Ba Kua Ch'uan, Ba Qua, Bagua, Ba Gwa, BaGua, Ba Gua Quan, Ba-qua,
Tai Chi Chuan, Taijiquan, T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Tai Chi, Tai Ji Quan, Taiji, Tai Ji Chuan, Tie Jee Chewan
Chi Kung, Qi Gong, Qigong, Chee Gung, Qi, Chi, Tu Na, Dao Yin, Yi, Neigong, GongFu, Kung Fu

Walking in a Sacred Circle Garden
Ba Gua Zhang Style 八卦拳
Eight Trigrams Circle Walking - Internal Martial Art (Neijia Quan)
Meditative Walking Practices in a Sacred Circle (Nemeton Grove, Serenity Circle Garden)
Daoist/Zen/Shamanistic Circle Walking Meditation Practices

Introduction Instructions Bibliography Links Quotations

Eight Animals Ba Gua Zhang Trigrams of I Ching

Research by
Michael P. Garofalo

Walking in a Sacred Circle Garden Ba Gua Zhang Style 八卦拳 Eight Trigrams Circle Walking - Internal Martial Art (Neijia Quan) Meditative Walking Practices in a Sacred Circle (Nemeton Grove, Serenity Circle Garden) Daoist/Zen/Shamanistic Circle Walking Meditation Practices

Introduction Instructions Bibliography Links Quotations

Eight Animals Ba Gua Zhang Trigrams of I Ching

Research by Michael P. Garofalo

Walking in a Sacred Circle Garden
Ba Gua Zhang Style 八卦拳
Eight Trigrams Circle Walking - Internal Martial Art (Neijia Quan)
Meditative Walking Practices in a Sacred Circle (Nemeton Grove, Serenity Circle Garden)
Daoist/Zen/Shamanistic Circle Walking Meditation Practices

Research by
Michael P. Garofalo