Why do people turn and point at the four quarters when the priesthood are calling them?
As we explained back in 1.10, Wiccan ritual relies heavily on the symbolism of the quartered circle, with the cardinal points aligned with air, fire, water and earth. Different traditions represent this in different ways, but in this tradition we generally first carry the symbols of each of the elements around the circle to purify it, and then the priest and priestess go to each quarter in turn and call the spirits of that element, inviting them to share in the ritual and aid its purpose. As they make the calls, they trace a pentacle in the air with their athamés. When the calls are made, the rest of the people in the circle turn to face that element, as a sign of respect for the spirits who are being called. In a small group such as a coven, the people might raise their own athamés to show that they are lending their energy to the calls that the priest and priestess are making. However, as we mentioned above, this is a very bad idea in a large public circle, because even though an ath
