Usually performed near the start of a ritual, the practice of evoking protective entities, deities, or powers that correspond to the specific energies of the cardinal directions as determined by the beliefs of the tradition being followed.
Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Sandra Kynes, author of several books, including The Herb Gardener's Essential Guide, Plant Magic, and the new Witches' Encyclopedia of Magical Plants, among many others.
Although a few old books...