North

From Traditional Witchcraft Wiki Project

The North is one of the four cardinal directions, and is associated with the colour black and midnight in the system of the airts. This is common-sense when it is understood that the word North comes from the Old English nord, and possibly originates in the root word *ner, meaning "left" and also "below/underneath" (north being to the left when facing the rising sun). The root *ner also gives rise to narakah ("hell") and enerthen ("from beneath"), which associates the north with the powers of the Underworld in Old English custom.

In witchcraft the north is commonly considered the direction of greatest power, hence its association with the witching hour in the system of the airts.

It is worth noting that the north is considered of prime importance by many in the northern hemisphere, the whole of the heavens seeming to rotate about the pivot of the North Star (Polestar). Accordingly the north is linked with the concept of "up", which is a paradox when one considers its derivation from the root word meaning "underneath/below".

In Irish mythology the Tuatha De Danann, come from the north (Tuatha being Gaelic for "north"), these being mighty beings, somewhere betwixt heroes and gods, and associated with the Fair Folk.