A magickal circle is an energetic construct that you build or envision around yourself before working magick, doing a ritual, some like to cast a circle before meditating or reading tarots. For a solitary practitioner the circle is typically 5-6 ft in diameter, but the size expands based on the size of the group. It can be defined physically, energetically, or both.
Circles provide protection and serves as a container for your personal energy as well as the energy you conjure.
Please remember that this is just what i personally like to do when casting a circle, but that there are many methods.
Preparation for circle casting
1. Determine how much space you will need.
2. Cleanse your area. Vacuum, sweep, throw away any trash in the area.
3.Make sure you have everything you need for your ritual! Theres nothing more frustrating than having your circle casted and realizing you’ve forgotten an herb or any supplies you need for the work you’re about to do.
4. Purify your area. Light purifying incense, sage, sprinkle salt and holy 💧. Most importantly, Visualize the negative energy dispersing. If you don’t focus & visualize, your physical actions will have little effect. Visualization is hands down one of the most important things in any and all magickal workings!
5. Now its time to cast your circle!
Visualize protective energy coming from within you and direct it towards your casting arm. Focus it through a casting tool (Athame, wand, or ✋) and visualize a beam of energy coming from it and settling on the ground. Trace your circle with this energy, 3 times in a clockwise direction. Once for protection, once for focus, and once for power.
Face North and say “I call to the North, to the element of Earth. Grant me (us if not practicing alone) your endurance, your strength.” Sprinkle salt onto your altar or crumble soil into a bowl on your altar.
Face East and say “I call to the East, to the element of Air. Grant me your creativity and your intuition.” Light incense, wave a fan,or drop feathers onto your altar.
Face south and say “I call to the South, to the element of Fire. Grant me your passion and your energy.” Light candles.
Face west and say “I call to the West, to the element of Water. Grant me your empathy and your emotion.” Pour blessed/storm/moon/natural water into a bowl or into your chalice.
Now would be the time to call on any deities you’d wish to work with. You can call any Goddess or Angel by personalizing this to them. I typically do not personally work with deities, but if you were to want to, Call to them similar to how the Elements are called. Ex. “I call to Gaia, Mother Goddess, Spirit of Earth.” and then place an offering symbolizing them, so for Gaia you might place grain on your altar as an offering.
If not solitary, now would be the time to invite others to the circle. The group leader typically invites others in by a series of phrases, although i know every coven has their own method fine tuned for themselves, This is just the method i’ve seen used and am familiar with. Group leader:”Children of the Goddess, I now invite you to enter our circle.” Each member will be asked “How do you enter this circle?” The response should be “In perfect love and perfect trust.”
Now its time to raise energy. This is the most important part of this process. It is so important because when you open your circle at the end of spellwork, You release all of your energy you have filled with intent out into the universe to go manifest whatever it may be you have called to. You want as much energy as possible to be released carrying your intent!
Here are a few ways! There is no wrong way to do this part, and there are SO MANY ways. You can fine tune this all to you. Remember that this is your ritual, and you want your energy fully behind everything you are doing. This is all customizable, most of all the energy raising.
“Darksome night and shining Moon,
East, then South, then West, then North,
Hearken to the witches’ rune;
Here i come to call thee forth.
Earth and Water, Air and Fire.
Wand and pentacle and sword,
Cords and censer, scourge and knife,
Power of the witches blade waken all ye unto life,
Come ye as the charm is made.
Queen of Heaven, Queen of Hell, Lend your power unto my spell,
and work my will by magic rite.
By all the power of Land and Sea, By all the might of Moon and Sun,
As I do will, So mote it be;
Chant the spell, and be it done.
-Meditating to raise energy. Visualize energy building and building by visualizing warm, yellow light fill your body until its expanding out of your body and filling the dome above your circle. visualize it filling with energy until you are content.
-Music or Drumming, Dancing and Chanting.
Once you reach your desired energy level, it is time to get into whatever spellwork or ritual you desire to preform!
After your spellwork, its time for Cakes and Ale. I like to make little spirit cakes and have some red wine after a ritual. Expelling all of that energy from your body is draining, and you should take your time to enjoy this part of the ritual. Set a cake and some wine aside for the entities who have lent you their energy as thanks. Cakes can be anything, from saltine crackers to cupcakes. Ale can be water. Anything that works for you is ok. For my cakes, i bake a shortbread and mix whatever ingredients i want into the dough. This way, I can craft them with the intent for whatever ritual i may be doing.
ONCE YOU FINISH YOUR WORK SAY GOODBYE TO THE ELEMENTS AND THANK THEM FOR THE POWER THEY BROUGHT. ALWAYS SAY GOODBYE AND THANK ANY DEITIES CALLED ON.
-Farewell to Goddess. ex. “I thank you, Gaia, for gracing me with your glory. Farewell and Merry met.”
-Farewell to Quarters (Counterclockwise).
“My thanks to the element of Water, Your compassion was a gift. Farewell & Blessed be.” Now cover your dish of water or pour it out, Physically say goodbye as well.
“My thanks to the element of Fire, Your fierceness was a gift. Farewell & Blessed be.” Douse your candle.
“My thanks to the element of Air, Your wisdom was a gift. Farewell & Blessed be.” Douse incense/flip fan/turn over feather.
“My thanks to the element of Earth, Your protection was a gift. Farewell & Blessed be.” Cover earth with a cloth, or return it to ground.
I like to walk the circle the opposite way of its casting three times, and voila!
Keep in mind that this is just my method! There are many methods and this is just one of them.
I hope this is helpful to you!
-Love and light, @lapiscat
