With the Sun, or Against the Sun...

 

 

  F. Marian McNeill in volume 1 of her Silver Bough series discusses the different directions in Scottish tradition, which she refers to as the "airts", something easily compared to the similar Irish beliefs. She relates each of the compass direction points to a season starting with spring in the east and moving clockwise around to the north. Additionally she mentions that this progression was seen as being connected to the path of the sun through the sky, but that she believes this clockwise movement may also connect to the constellation of Ursa Major. This constellation, which is also called the Farmer's Clock, points in each of the directions in the corresponding season. According to McNeill, clockwise, or deiseil, movement is always seen as good luck and positive while moving against the sun is viewed as unlucky and "evil". She relates that the Druids in their rituals moved clockwise, while witches "danced tuaithiuil" (counter-clockwise) and that in the past warriors approaching a fort would walk either clockwise or counterclockwise to indicate whether they were friend or enemy. In particular she emphasizes the practice of walking three times clockwise around a space for blessing: "expectant mothers went thrice round a church to ensure a safe delivery; fire was carried thrice round an infant before baptism to save it from the fate of a changeling; at a wedding, the company went thrice round the house before entering; sick persons thrice circulated a holy well before drinking the healing water; boats putting out to sea thrice rowed about sunwise in order to ensure a safe passage or a good catch; even coffins were carried thus to the grave." (McNeill, 1956). 
   In the Carmina Gadelica we see several references to actions being done in specific directions for either blessing or cursing in Scotland. In one of the Hogmanay prayers we see a reference to a house being blessed by a group of singers walking around it clockwise, and likewise being cursed by the group walking around it counterclockwise while reciting a maladiction. The emphasis on the actions make it clear that it is not the words alone that have power but the words and the actions together.
    In Daithi O hOgain's book the Sacred Isle the author discusses the Irish belief surrounding the power of going with or against the sun and the related beliefs of the relative goodness or badness of both the right and the left hands, and south and north. As he explains when facing the rising sun a person's right hand is to the south-side, both then being associated with positive energy while the left hand is to the north making both associated with going against the sun and the negative. Even the words for these things in Irish relate to these concepts: "in Irish the word deas and its derivitaves are used in the sense of both 'south' and 'fortunate', whereas the word tuath and its derivatives are used to mean both 'north' and 'dangerous'." (O hOgain, 1999). Like McNeill, O hOgain also connects the idea of warriors turning in different directions as significant, mentioning that in literature a warrior might turn to the right to bring good fortune while turning to the left indicated a threat to his enemies. Positive magic was done by turning or circling to the right, while cursing and destructive magic involved turning to the left. Even Saint Maodhog was said to have cursed two men by turning his sandals around to the left three times against them; and a very simple but enduring belief was that a person could be cursed by turning a stone in your hand counterclockwise against them. In Ireland, as well as Scotland, the custom is to walk clockwise around a healing well before approaching it. 
  In short it is a deeply ingrained idea in the Irish and Scottish tradition that certain directions have associations and that to move in a direction - with or against the sun - is significant. Go with the sun to bring luck and blessing, whether it is walking around a well or sacred place, or stirring your food as you cook. And when you need to curse someone...well...go the other way. 

 References:
Carmichael, A., (1900). Carmina Gadelica volume 1
McNeill, F. (1959) The Silver Bough volume 1
 O hOgain, D., (1999). The Sacred Isle