The Circle is a sacred space, cleansed and blessed for spiritual and energy work. The Circle protects those inside, amplifies energy, and creates a space “outside” the mundane world where we can invite Deity and spirit helpers. Witches cast a circle for rituals, ceremonies, and to perform formal magic.
Here is a guide to casting a circle:
Step One:
Begin with a clean body and mind.
Step Two:
Ground and center yourself.
Step Three:
Cleanse the space. The manner in which you cleanse your space is up to you. You can smudge the area (possible with sage and sweetgrass), you can use sound (such as bells or chimes), you can asperge with blessed saltwater… what ever feels most comfortable for you.
Step Four:
Make sure that you and anyone else who will be working in the circle have completed everything they need to do before casting the circle. Once the energy barrier is raised, it is not good to break it until the energy has been released.
The circle itself is drawn with the athame. If you do not have one, your pointer finger will work just as well. Begin at the eastern boundary of the circle, and point the athame toward the ground. Visualize a beam of bright light and energy (like a bolt of lightning) appearing on the ground, marking the boundary of your Circle.
Continue to walk in a clockwise direction around the circle, visualizing the band of energy as you go. A chant or incantation helps to build the energy, and also helps to shift your own consciousness for magical work.
Something as simple as
“Now I cast this circle bright
Protected in Her sacred light;
With love and power I charge this space
To work my magic in sovereign grace;
By my will the circle is cast.”
When you return to the starting point, see the end of your boundary linking to the starting point, creating a glowing ring.
Step Five:
Call the Quarters. You may want to place a symbol at ash of the four cardinal points of the circle such as a candle of corresponding color, or an item to represent it (e.g. a feather for East, a candle for South, a seashell for West, and a rock for North)
Now stand in the center of the circle, and turn to the east. Imagine a column of bright white light rising toward the sky at the eastern point of your circle.
Invoke the Quarter with words to this effect:
“Hail unto You, O Guardian of the Watchtower of the East, power of Air and intellect. We pray that You will be with us this night in our circle, and that You will give Your blessing and Your aid to this our undertaking! We bid You hail, and welcome!”
Now go to the South.
Again imagine a column of white light rising up before you. Invoke the Quarter with words to this effect:
“Hail unto You, O Guardian of the Watchtower of the South, power of Fire and manifestation. We pray that You will be with us this night in our circle, and that You will give Your blessing and Your aid to this our undertaking! We bid You hail, and welcome!”
Now go to the West.
Imagine a column of white light rising up before you. Invoke the Quarter with words to this effect:
“Hail unto You, O Guardian of the Watchtower of the West, power of Water and emotion. We pray that You will be with us this night in our circle, and that You will give Your blessing and Your aid to this our undertaking! We bid You hail, and welcome!”
Finally come to the North of the circle.
Again imagine a column of white light rising up before you. Invoke the Quarter using words like these:
“Hail unto You, O Guardian of the Watchtower of the North, power of Earth and integration. We pray that You will be with us this night in our circle, and that You will give Your blessing and Your aid to this our undertaking! We bid You hail, and welcome!”
The circle is now complete.
Devoking the circle.
Once your work in the circle is complete, you must devote and close the circle. This is done in backwards steps from the way it was cast.
Begin by thanking and releasing the North Quarter.
Face the North, and again see the column of white light you raised when you invoked the Quarter. Speak words to this effect:
“Guardian of the Watchtower of the North, power of Earth and integration, we thank You for Your presence here tonight -we thank You for Your aid, and Your guidance. may there be peace between Us now and always. Go if You must -stay if You will. We bid You hail, and farewell!”
As you say this imagine the column of white light sinking back down into the earth.
Now move to the West. Again, see the column of white light you raised before.
Speak words to this effect:
“Guardian of the Watchtower of the West, power of Water and emotion, we thank You for Your presence here tonight -we thank You for Your aid, and Your guidance. may there be peace between Us now and always. Go if You must -stay if You will. We bid You hail, and farewell!”
Now see the column of light sink down into the ground.
Move now to the direction of the South. As before, see the column of white light you raised when you invoked the Quarter. Speak words to this effect:
“Guardian of the Watchtower of the South, power of Fire and manifestation, we thank You for Your presence here tonight -we thank You for Your aid, and Your guidance. may there be peace between Us now and always. Go if You must -stay if You will. We bid You hail, and farewell!”
See the column of light sink back into the Earth.
Finally, return to the East. See the column of white light you raised when you invoked the Guardian of the East. Speak words to this effect:
“Guardian of the Watchtower of the East, power of Air and intellect, we thank You for Your presence here tonight -we thank You for Your aid, and Your guidance. may there be peace between Us now and always. Go if You must -stay if You will. We bid You hail, and farewell!”
See the column sink back down into the Earth.
You are now ready to uncast the circle.
Take up your athame and return to the East.
Again point your athame toward the East and imagine a beam of light shooting out from the tip of the knife to the very edge of the circle, connecting with the barrier of white light you created earlier. This time you will walk counter-clockwise, imagining the circle of light disappearing back through the beam of light into the athame. Continue around the circle until you return to the East, and the whole of the barrier of white light is gone. An incantation to use could be:
“As above, so below.
As the Universe, so the soul. As without, as within.
The circle is open but unbroken.
Merry meet, merry part and Merry Meet again.”
The circle is now open.
