“Deosil” ( sometimes spelled deosil or deiseal ) is a term used primarily in magical, pagan, and Wiccan traditions. It means clockwise or sunwise, referring to movement in the same direction as the sun’s apparent path across the sky (from east to west via the south in the Northern Hemisphere).
Key Points:
- Opposite of widdershins: Deosil is considered the opposite of widdershins, which means counterclockwise or anti-sunwise. Widdershins is traditionally associated with banishing, undoing, or dispersing energy.
- Symbolic meaning: Deosil movement is generally thought to be constructive, invoking, or positive. It’s often used in rituals for invoking blessings, casting circles, raising energy, or consecrating objects.
- Etymology: The word comes from Scottish Gaelic “deiseil”, which means favorable or right-hand direction, and traditionally carried a sense of good luck or blessing.
- Common use in rituals:
- Walking around an altar or sacred space deosil to invoke divine energy.
- Stirring mixtures or drawing symbols deosil when aiming to attract or create something.