The Path of the M’agelet

Posted by Ketzirah on Apr 22, 2011 in Spiritual Practices | 2 comments

I got a wonderful email from someone on Facebook that I’ve chatted with a little over time.  In it she told me she identified as a M’agelet, which is fabulous, but that got me thinking.   Since it’s not really a common term, and I’m propagating it — I should probably better define what I mean by it.  I also wanted a way to open a dialogue with her and others who have been interested in this part of my practice.

Basics:

• Spelling: M’agelet – מעגלת (feminine) or M’agel מעגל (masculine)
• Pronunciation: [meh ah ghel et] a soft “a” as in “open up and say ahhhh,” and a hard “g.”  For the masculine versoin it’s [meh ah ghel]
• Definition: A person who has studied and practices the arts of Jewish magick to deepen her or his connection to the Divine, and uses those skills for the betterment of the community
• Origin: Hebrew, derived from Hebrew word for “circle” (M’agel / מעגל) and from the ancient holy man Honi haMagel

Keys to the Path of the M’agelet

• M’agelet is a Jewish woman and a M’agel is a Jewish man
  In English we might say “circle maker,”  which could be masculine or feminine.  Hebrew is a gendered language, you have to choose masculine or feminine.  There is no neutral form.  For me I take this to mean, someone who identifies and lives as a woman, whether born that way or not.    A M’agelet or M’agel must also be Jewish by some reasonably acceptable claim.  The most widely accepted is that you either converted or your mother is Jewish.
• Study of Jewish practices of magick & folk traditions
  I can’t emphasize this enough.  A M’agelet understands the role and practice of magick in Judaism through the ages — to the best of her ability. Before you can call yourself a M’agelet, you should have a working knowledge of ancient Hebraic, medieval and modern Jewish magickal practices, as well as the various Rabbinic objections to many of them.  By the way, there is no prohibition on studying any kind of magick — just certain types of practices. I think a healthy knowledge of other cultures’ magick and folk-traditions is pretty handy too, but that’s a secondary priority. Whether you consider these things folk traditions or magick, I’ll leave up to you.
• Practice of Jewish magick
  It’s not enough to just be a scholar of Jewish magick, you need to be a practitioner.  There are many forms this may take, as we each have our own unique talents and it manifests differently in each culture.  We also all interpret the Torah and later teachings in our own way, and will have different understandings of what is acceptable and what is not.  I am mostly an energy-worker, ritual maker and amulet maker(segulot & kamiot).   What’s the difference between and amulet and segulah?   Many define segulah as some kind of action, but it’s also commonly used to reference objects that otherwise would be called an amulets or talisman.  You may see in some of my work that I don’t limit the practice of my skills just to the Tribe.  Like many of those who came before me, I use these skills for Jew and Gentile alike.

Once you have walked the path for a number of years, and are recognized by others for your knowledge and skill — then you may ask to be called a M’agelet or M’agel.   You don’t have to ask me, I don’t own that power!  But when you truly feel that your skills and knowledge have matured, you should assemble a group of wise women or men and have them ritually confer the title upon you.  Don’t rush ahead either, this is something that may take years — and it’s worth the wait.  I walked this path for more than ten years before I not only felt I had the knowledge and skill, but also the right people and situation to accept the mantle.

Needless to say, the path never ends.  The moment of accepting a mantle is just the end of one leg of a journey.  The study and practice goes on, and on and on….

So.  Thoughts?  Feelings?  Concerns?  Questions?

Related posts:

What if We’ve Gotten It Wrong Upcoming Workshops at Free Spirit Gathering Praying in the Feminine Here I Am Goddess / Divine Feminine in Judaism