How to Cast a Sacred Circle

One of the basic requirements of many Wiccan rituals, spellcastings, and workings is the ability to cast a magick circle.
In casting a circle, you create a sacred space for yourself and a doorway to the Divine. The circle's intent is to protect the area from negative energy and help you direct your magick towards your intended purpose.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• besom or purifying incense such as sage (optional)
• wand or athame
• incense, feather, or fan
• red candle, red scarves, or red glitter
• water bowl or chalice
• salt or earth on a dish
• gold and silver or white candle
• Book of Shadows
• cakes and ale (optional)

1. 

   Choose a space in which to cast the circle. The size varies depending on the occasion, but keep in mind that circles that are meant for a lot of movement require more space than circles cast solely for the purpose of meditation or prayer. Be sure to also choose a place that's out of the way and at a time in which you would not be disturbed. Nothing breaks your concentration like working in a high traffic area.

2. 
   Besom (Ritual Broom)

   Purify the area in which you're casting your circle. To do so, you can burn a purifying incense like sage and spread the smoke around, lightly sprinkle salt or water or a combination of both around the area, or take a besom (ritual broom) and sweep the ground, visualizing negative energy being cleared out of the area.

3. Have your tools cleansed and ready before casting your circle around them. Circles are always cast in the deosil direction (clockwise) for invoking and attraction, and widdershins (counter-clockwise) for banishing and closing. Before drawing your circle, it is sometimes easiest to represent where it will be with a cord or rope tied in a circle. Start at the northernmost part where your circle will be and imagine a thin, but steady stream of light emit from the tip of your wand or athame. (If you do not have a wand or athame, use your index finger on your projective hand, which is usually the one you write with.) Visualize the light emerging from the tip getting brighter and falling across the ground as you walk, drawing your circle. As you walk the second time, the light from the ground should rise up and create a protective shield. When you finish, close the circle completely by knotting the rope or cord or pointing your wand or athame directly upwards into the heavens.

4. 
   Air, The East Quarter

   The next step would be to invoke the deities or elements that you want to work with, once again going deosil. Start at the east quarter of the circle and call upon the spirits of air. The element of air is normally represented by incense smoke and the color yellow, so try saying something to the effect of "Guardians of the East, Spirits of Air, I now call upon you" and then imagine yellow mist swirling around as you light the incense.

5. 
   Fire, The South Quarter

   The southern quarter is Fire, so "Guardians of the South, Spirits of Fire, I now call upon you" would be appropriate. Fire is represented by burning candles, but if there is a possible fire hazard that does not allow you to burn candles, try representing fire with bright red scarves or red glitter, anything that reminds you of fire. Light the candle or hold up the scarf/glitter and imagine red glittering flames igniting around the circle, providing a shield and circling with the swirling yellow mist.

6. 
   Water, The West Quarter

   The west quarter, Water's invocation would be "Guardians of the West, Spirit of Water, I now call upon you" and should be represented by a bowl of water or a chalice (a drinking vessel designated for ritual use.) Before pouring water, visualize blue waves gushing over the rim of the cup or bowl and joining with the yellow mist and glittering flames, spiraling around your circle.

7. 
   Earth, The North Quarter

   The last invocation, Earth, can be represented by a dish or salt or earth. Say your invocation ("Spirit of the North, element of Earth, I call upon you now") and imagine green orbs of light erupting from the ground and being drawn upwards, with its energy being soaked into your salt or earth. The excess energy should join the other elements traveling around the circle. Visualize the elements being braided together and then forming into a bright white wall of light around your circle. Your circle is now cast. You can recite some incantation to indicate the circle being cast such as "This circle is now cast as a symbol of completion and eternity. Let it be a place in which the realms touch."

8. You can, although it's not required, decide to invoke deities of your choice now, such as the God and Goddess in a similar way in which you invoked the elements. As you light their chosen candle (Gold for God, Silver or White for Goddess), draw their presence from their sky downward, asking (never demanding, like the elements) for their presence in your circle tonight. For instance, call upon the Lady by reciting "Lady of the Moon, Mother, Maiden, and Crone, I now invite you to join me in this sacred rite" and then lighting her candle, visualizing silver light pouring down from the moon and resting in the candle. For the Lord, you may say "Lord of the Sun, Ruler of the Day, I now invite you to join me in this sacred rite" and then lighting his candle, drawing his energy from the sun the same fashion. Most invocations in this way call upon first the God, then the Goddess.

9. If you have any Sabbat or ritual observances to do, they are usually done first with a summary of the folklore associated with it and a symbolic representation associated with it. Afterwards, you can choose to do some spellwork, make an amulet, talisman, or charm, or simply try divination or meditation. The circle is your personal time and space, however you use it is up to you.

10. 

    When you finish, record in your Book of Shadows if you need to, and close the circle, starting with saying goodbye to any deities that you have invoked. Bid them farewell in the opposite order that you invited them, as well as bidding the elements farewell. (A sample would be "Lady of the Moon, Mother, Maiden, and Crone, thank you for your blessing and presence in this circle tonight. Stay if you will, go if you must, I bid you farewell" and blow out their candle.) The order for this opening this circle would be in opposite order: Lady, Lord, Earth, Water, Fire, and then Air. When all of the elements and deities is bid farewell with the candles snuffed and the incense ground out, close the circle by starting at the northernmost point and going counterclockwise (widdershins) three times around the circle, drawing in energy from the protective wall in to replenish your energy the first time. The second time around, visualize drawing the energy to be stored in your wand or athame, and the final time, let the circle be completely erased and the residing energy disperse into the ground naturally or float up to the heavens. You can choose to recite a well-known Wiccan chant like "May the circle be open, yet unbroken. May peace be ever in your heart. Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again." Some choose to celebrate afterward with cakes and ale/wine or, honey tea and cookies. Any sort of food should be fine if you leave a small piece out for the deities that you have wished to commune with tonight.

Tips & Warnings

• Feel free to make substitutions or add and take away parts of circle casting. Although there are many ways to do it, the best ways are the ones that are more personal to the caster themselves, using symbolism to evoke meanings and visualization, which are all important for spellcasting.
• The steps mentioned are general guidelines and are in no way strict set rules. Go with what you feel is right and the rest should follow.
• A besom is a broom that is used to sweep away negative energy. An athame is a ritual dagger that can direct you energy and intentions, in a similar way to a wand, but the athame tends to be more direct and commanding than the wand.
• If you can't use a certain tool, substitute it for another! You can still designate a butter knife or letter opener as an athame if you can't obtain an authentic one as long as it's cleansed and used only for the purpose of an athame. If you don't have incense, try using a fan or feather to represent Air or use a coin for Earth.
• Never ever break your circle by leaving it when it's still cast! The effect can be similar to popping a bubble and would require you to cleanse, purify, and cast it again. If you need to leave the circle, use your athame to cut a doorway from the ground, up with an arch, down to the right in a counter-clockwise direction and erase the door immediately when you enter again by retracing it in a clock-wise direction using the blunt side of the athame.
• You may know this, but you must never use your athame for violence or brandishing like a weapon. Doing so would stain it with negative energy and would become counter-productive in sacred magickal workings. If this happens, the athame should be cleansed and consecrated again for ritual usage.

Resources

• WitchVox

[amberdusk]

on 5/17/2009 I really like your article! Thanks for the information and tips...

[tugboatgrandma]

on 3/10/2009 very informative, thank you!

[hollie1974]

on 1/22/2009 Excellent tips! Ty and Blessed Be!

[italeona]

on 9/19/2008 Great tips.