Circle Casting and Ritual Working

The following is a guide or instructions and information for the solitary (lone) practitioner, or is also adaptable to a group...

Try to make rituals around the overall purpose of making positive thinking with your spirit more interesting and to enrich your life, and therefore, you'll also be better to others; and that will have a positive ripple effect outward. Think. And also, you can look at things more metaphorically, if some rite, or a religious thing you read somewhere doesn't make much sense, otherwise; things are usually in layers.

Make sure to visualize (and/or sense) throughout, the various deities, and purifications, and energy working, and magick energies, and so forth. You can modify basic ritual verses to suit your taste and desires, unless it's complicated, ceremonial magick, that should be exact. Most things in this article can be modified to fit you. Wicca should be a personal path to the individual.

Find a place for your sacred space, indoors or out, though, out in nature tends to compliment Wicca's being an Earth or Nature Spirituality. Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed, and people won't walk through, at least during ritual. Note, a rite is a specific ritual.

You can mark a circle, for your physical circle, on the ground or floor, with stones, or set a stone or candle at each Quarter point (north, east, south, and west), or dig a trench, or as you wish. Standard size is 3 to 21 feet, but 9 or 13 feet in diameter is great.

Place an altar, usually made of wood or stone, in the center of the physical circle, facing east (some have it face north, or face a different direction at a certain season -- east and autumn, south and summer, spring and west, and north and winter [some people use different associations here]).

The five elements are: earth, air (or wind), fire, water, and Spirit. Spirit is represented by the center of the magick circle.

Remember that the divine, or part of the God and Goddess, or the One Spirit, are within you, and you are within Them. And therefore, Nature is sacred. Note, there are ancient, ancient gods, who, shall we say, are primal forces, and deserving of utmost respect; and also, one should use caution with most things in life.

If you wish, you can use your besom, or Witch's broom, to sweep the circle of astral debris, and visualize that, or it being purified with the element of air, beforehand, and speak out loud what you're doing. The broom is usually placed across the northeast side, the traditional side for entering and leaving a circle, to guard it.

For your ritual, stand in center of physical circle, and/or your sacred space, by an already set-up altar, facing east. To ground and center your self: arms at your sides, imagine that your feet grow roots deep into the ground, like a tree, and draw up white or green energy from the Earth Mother, through you, and up to your waist; then, visualize that you draw white or golden light from Spirit, and/or God/Goddess, and the heavens, or sky, through the top of your head, and down through you, to your waist. Take your time, and see this all clearly, in your mind sight, and/or sense the energy. Then, draw the energy from both directions at once (it's also said by Witches: as above, so below), and mentally see it form together at your center (slightly above your navel/belly button), and fuse completely. When you're ready, extend your arms out a little from your sides, palms upward, and visualize and feel some of the energy flow to your fingertips (they should be kind of tingly). Then, you're grounded in the Earth, and free to "fly in the Sky," so to speak, also.

The physical circle is whatever you wish to mark it with, and the magick circle is the energy you will send out, to form a circle, or even a sphere, of protective light-energy, around you (often visualized as blue flame). The sacred circle serves as a place between worlds -- the physical and spiritual realms. It is also your temple, and a temple for the gods, and a place to work most magick. It is a protective area for you, as well.

There. Take your time, and don't rush it. Let it be natural, loving, and let it flow. You are learning the ways. Remember the Wicca rule: harm none.

Ring consecrated, brass bell once to begin ritual (set on north altar side), if you have one.

Always move clockwise, called Deosil (pronounced "jes-el"), within a cast, magickal circle.

If you use a candle at each Quarter/directional point (you should MARK the points using a compass to find them, and setting something at each point, if you're going to do a ritual): move to the east candle, which can be yellow, or white, and light it (use a lighter or matches, usually, though, lighters tend to not work outside), and say something like, "Here do I bring light and air in the east, to bring my circle the gift of insight." Move to the south, and light the southern candle, a red or orange one, and speak, "Here do I bring light and fire in at the south, to provide the gift of passion." At the west, a blue or purple candle, "Here do I bring light and water in the west, to bring my circle intuition." And at the north, a green or brown candle, and "Here do I bring light and earth in at the north, to build my circle in strength, and give it the giving of nurturing, and foundation."

Return to altar, again, always moving clockwise. Note, an altar with a trapezoidal-shaped top, could be really good. Light your altar candles (pillar candles could work well here, whereas, taper candles work better at the quarters): usually a white one on the left (the left side being the Goddess side), and a yellow one on the right (the right side being the God side), and a white or silver one in the middle of those two (representing Spirit, and the union of God and Goddess). Light Spirit candle (some people also have a red candle in the center of the altar, called a "fire candle"), and say, "the blessing of Spirit be here," so similar, then, the Goddess candle, and say, "in the name of the Goddess," and then, the God candle, and say, "in the name of the Horned God."

It's important to speak about all that you're doing, out loud, or in, at least, an audible whisper, if necessary.

Then, take your athame (a double-edged knife, an extension of the Witch, with a black, wooden handle, usually, and used for directing energy), or your projective/sending hand (the hand with which you write; [the other hand is your receptive hand]), and draw an Invoking Pentacle (five-pointed star, with in a circle, that you start drawing at the top point, down the bottom left, and so on) within a green, perferably glass or ceramic dish, or salt, or sea salt, that is set on the north side of the altar, saying, "Salt is life, and purifying. I bless this salt, in the names of the Goddess and God {if you work with particular deities, you can state specific names, such as, Isis and Osiris, or Aradia and Cernunnos, or Artemis and Apollo, or Diana and Pan, etc.}, to purify within the circle." Have a white or blue or clear bowl of water at the west side of the altar, of course, on top of it, and take three pinches of salt, and sprinkle them into the water. Stir it nine times, clockwise. Place the tip of your athame, or your index and middle fingers, into the water, and imagine it glowing brightly, becoming brighter and brighter -- as bright as you can make it -- while you say, "In the names of the Goddess and God {or specific deity names}, I bless this water, and cast out all impurities from it. It is now become holy {or "blessed"} water. So mote (must) it be! Blessed Be!" And that's how you make holy water. Remove your fingers or whatever from it (you don't want a magic knife/athame that will rust, just to note, so try a stainless steel blade, which should still be wiped off), and shut off immediately, then, the flow of energy into it. Spiritually, it's become a glowing portion of water, then.

Let your incense (you'll probably need an incense holder, and burner), and stick incense can work well for it, and carry it around the circle, clockwise, starting at the east, making a full circumabulation, saying, "With elements of air and fire, I purify this sacred space." Visualize it happening. Visualize all elements swirling together, as you "call" upon them, and building a cone of power, like a vortex, up, kind of above, the center of your circle, as you go on through the ritual purifications. Take the bowl of blessed water around, in the same manner, and speak that the circle is purified with water and earth. The salt represents earth, and if you can't have fire, a red feather could represent it, or something else. The incense smoke, or at least that it drifts on the air, and the lit end of the incense stick, or the charcoal block for resin incense, or for herb-incense, represent air and fire, though, a yellow feather could be used for air, or something similar. Of course, return your items to the altar, again.

Interesting to note, sometimes ritual can be done without any items, when you've done a few dozen rituals, like for Sabbats and full moons, and so forth. A lit candle, and a few spoken verses, and a couple gestures (you need to pronounce what they mean, out loud, sometimes, though), could be a nice ritual for the intermediate Witch or Wiccan.

Raise your hands to the sky, palms up, and say, then, "I purify this circle with the element of Spirit," and visualize white light swirling around in it.

Then, very important, take your athame and move to the north side of the circle (or the east), and visualize or sense, too, blue flame shooting out of it, as you walk the circle, deosil, and chant, "Here the boundary of this sacred circle. Only love shall enter in and depart from it. Charge and guard this by your power, ancient Ones!" Make sure you mentally see the circle as round, and full, and complete. You can visualize and speak about it being a full sphere or bubble, around you, if you want. Draw three invoking pentagrams with your athame (or a ritual sword, which can cast the circle, too) at the north, to seal the circle, and mention out loud that the circle is sealed. You've just cast a magick circle. Feel great.

Stand at the altar, feet spread apart, and arms at your sides, palms up, at right angles to your body, in Goddess position, and visualize the Goddess, such as, in Her Green Goddess aspects, or silvery, Full Moon Goddess, aspects, and invoke, possibly with your magick want raise, "Gracious Goddess, Goddess of the moon, the earth, and the waters, I call upon you, help me here {this night}, and guard and protect me. Be present, I ask you." Visualize Her arriving. Stand with your feet together, and arms crossed -- right over left -- in God position, and call upon the Green God, or the Sun Lord, or so forth, speaking, "Gracious God, Horned Lord of the forests, and god of the sky, and the sun, I call upon you, be present here {this night, or whatever}, and guard, help, and protect me, I ask." Visualize His arriving. Images for the deities you can find in books about Wicca, or about mythology, or just use your intuition, or how the Gods, themselves, may lead you. Be open to that.

Note: other items, such as, a seashell for the Goddess, and an acorn and oak leaves for the Gods, can represent the deities on the altar, or use deity statues, and so on.

If you will, invoke, then, any particular deities, such as, Aradia, the Goddess of the Witches, and any spirit guides, etc., that you will. Do not call who you do not really care if they're present, and remember to thank them, later, at the end of ritual. Always be very respectful, and reverent, but also, confident. Wiccans usually don't grovel before anything, nor do they show disrespect, however, as they are human mortal creatures, of course, who are addressing immortal, timeless, gods! And other beings. When you call to the Goddess, you can stand in Goddess position: legs spread (feet apart), arms bent at right angles, and palms upward, or angled toward the moonlight (if a Full Moon). When you call to the God, you can stand in the God position: feet together, stand straight, and arms crossed -- right arm over left arm. * You can make up your own gestures for various parts of a ritual, and to show different things, and different stages of it, too!

Elemental forces and spirits, at least, within basic Wicca, are seen as old friends, and as your kin, or family, because the five elements are within us all, and we share things in common with them, etc. You might want to give your personal Craft practicing, say, a bit of time, or more, before you start calling the Guardians of the Watchtowers, or also, the Four Sons of Horus, or entities like that. You can't really be mature enough to start out with primal forces, so much as when you've been in practice a while, and I have to add, especially if you're under 20-years-old. You don't need to, even, per se, call specific spirits -- though, one specializes in certain areas of the occult (occult deals with mysteries, and finding truth, etc.) over time, after they proceed over the years, such as, tarot cards, or certain cultures, or magicks, or what have you -- but if you just want the elements to guard you and aid you, you might not want to call something you know nothing about.

Face east, raise your wand, or your projective arm, and call, "Powers of Air, and east, I call you to aid me in my magickal workings. Be present here, I ask," and notice that you ask, not usually demand. Visualize a yellow mist, or an eagle, or a hawk, or fairy, or angel, or something, arriving at the eastern point. Then, call energies of fire and south, at the south, and water and west, at the west, and earth and north, at the north, always moving deosil, and raising your want, at each "station." Visualize like a red dragon (man, you're not thinking of movie, now, are you?) at the south, and a blue dolphin at the west, and a green bull, or a wolf, or a stag (it's either a deer, or a male horse, or perhaps, a centaur, or half-man/half-horse), at the north. Set want down as you return to the altar, facing east, again.

Anyway, take annointing oil, or olive oil in a dish, and bless it (I like gardenia or sandalwood), and annoint your forehead with a solar cross with a circle, or with an ankh (looped cross, symbol of life), or Goddess symbol ")O(" or a God symbol, like a circle with horns, or like the symbol for Taurus, which, incidently, is a Tau, or cross, a holy symbol in all cultures; and say, "Goddess and God, purify my spirit. Absorb that which is unworthy," and visualize your soul purified, and then, speak, "I am purified by the Goddess and God." Draw a pentagram (five-pointed star), invoking, over your heart. Dab your, shall we say, lower abdomen, then, your right breast (well, men too, you get it), then, left breast, then, down to lower abdomen, again, making the sacred triangle. Then, hold your hands up the sky, forming a sacred triangle with them, energies of the Sun, and lower them in positive, down the altar, in blessing. A pentacle or pentagram is a positive, protective symbol, and represents the five elements, including the human spirit as part of Spirit (the top point of the star), and represents magick, and generally, a Witch. The solar cross (like a plus sign "+", sometimes within a circle) also represents the five elements, plus, the power of the sun, and of purification.

Draw, in the air over your altar, a symbol of Infinity, like a figure-eight ("8") laying on it's side.

Ring bell three times.

You can do the Drawing Down the Moon, or Sun, Rites, now, if you wish (I imagine you could adapt a rite to draw down star power, too). See the Lunar Magick, Esbats, page, of this web site.

Now, you can do your ritual, or rite, or Sabbat celebration, or full moon magick, or rite, or other workings, etc.

Don't worry if you mess up a little, especially at first, just start over that particular part. And don't be afraid to sometimes laugh at your self. The gods like some humor, I think. Laughter is the best medicine, after all.

If you use it, probably at a Sabbat, if you can afford one, the cauldron is set at the north side of the altar -- it probably won't fit on top. You could even use TV trays as altars, if need be. And the athame is set at the south side of the altar, and the incense at the east, and the wand is laid across the east side. Remember to remember candle holders, too.

If you need to cut a doorway, to leave the circle to go pee, or something, do thus: step to north east circle part, cut two lines across it, that you can step through, or cut a full doorway, moving your hand and athame, widdershins, or counter-clockwise, to remove that area of the circle, or sphere's, energy, and make sure it's big enough for you, and step through. When you come back, enter the circle, exactly in that spot, again, and send energy back into it, clockwise, if applicable, 'til the circle's whole, again, and draw three pentagrams, to seal it. Note: a banishing pentagram starts at the bottom left point; it banishes, or gets rid of, things. Return to ritual. But come on, remember to go to the bathroom before ritual. You must NEVER walk through a cast circle -- it dissipates it. Children and animals can, but not adults, or teens. Then, you'll have to re-cast it, plus, any leaving of the circle takes your focus away from ritual. Also, you can take a herbal, ritual bath, perhaps, with some salt added to it, before ritual, to purify further, and wear a special robe, like a green, and maybe sandals (optional), or some work skyclad (i.e., "clad, or clothed, only with the sky"), or nude/naked.

Ring bell seven times.

Next, to celebrate the symbolic Great Rite (toward the end of ritual), dip your athame (or have a male do it, if available, and have a female hold the chalice), held in your right hand, into a chalice, goblet, or cup (usually a silver or crystal chalice, or sometimes glass), of fruit juice, or wine, and say, "As male unites with female for the pleasure and fruitfulness of both, let wealth and abundance be spread throughout all lands, and let peace and plenty reign on Earth!" Obviously, it's symbolic of male and female union, or the actual Great Rite. You can pour a little or somein an offering bowl, or on the ground, first, to toast the deities.

Ring bell nine times.

Then, the Simple Feast, or Wiccan Communion -- hold the chalice aloft, and say, "Gracious Goddess of Abundance, bless this juice, and infuse it with your love. In your Names, Great Deities." And sip some. Feel the love the Goddess slide down your throat, and into you. Then, hold a cake (doesn't have to be large, could be like a cookie, or a round wafer, even, symbolic of the sun) up, and say, "Powerful God of the Harvest, bless this cake, and infuse it with your love. In Your Names, Great Deities. And let us share what we have with those who have nothing." Eat the cake, feeling the love of the God enter you, and finish the wine, or whatever. Pour the libation/offering bowl out on the ground, after ritual. Try not to use much metal or plastic in rituals. Metal has it's own good properties, though, and should match the desire of your ritual, first. And, however, I've used plastic just fine, so, whatever you like.

Thank the deities, and make any other requests you may have, out loud, and being like prayer. End that with: "I call you now. I ask, attend to me. This is my will. With no harm to me. So mote it be." Or even repeat anything you want, three times. Or/for the Power of Three.

Move widdershins, now counter-clockwise, to each quarter, starting at the north, and say fairwell to the elementals, like they're your family, such as, "Hail and fairwell, powers of the north and earth. Thank you for your presence and help, here. Go in power." And see them leaving. Go to each direction like that: north, west, south, and then, east, substituting the proper words at each point. Note, a circle is divided into quarters; it has no points. However, there's the directional points, around it.

Take your athame, and draw the energy of the circle of blue flame, into the knife, or into you, as you walk it, starting in the north, widdershins, and go around it, completely. Or, just walk, and gather up the energy into a blue ball, and so, when you return to the north, use your hands to mentally send it up to the universe, pushing out and far up, to it's work, and seeing it dispersing into everything. And say something about it, as you do it. Trust that you ritual has been successful. Take a deep breath, and feel proud.

Ring bell once to signal end of the ritual.

Then, stand in middle of circle, face east, hold athame aloft, or both of your hands and arms, palms up, and say, "We are the people, We are the Power, we are the change. Merry meet, merry part, 'til we merry meet, again! The ritual is ended. So mote it be. Blessed Be!"

Place your hands or palms on the ground and allow any excess energy you don't need, to leave you, into the dirt, or channel it into some items on your altar, or even, draw in more energy from the Earth Mother, if you feel you need it. Note, the earth is always purifying, in most places, and you do not need to do so much purifying for ritual, when you're outside in Nature, on the good ground. The good, clean dirt, you know. :-)

Pick up whatever you need to. If it's a permanent circle, you may wish to leave some items there. Note, a backpack works well to carry things outdoors. You really struggle to carry everything by your self, though. And don't use too many pillar candles in summer -- moths fly into them and drown in the wax, and then, the candles go out, and june bugs are attracted to the light, and you're being dive-bombed, then, etc. ::grin:: It happens. Too, small animals may show up, and even all kinds of cool other things, you may find out. It's a blessing.

If it's a permanent space your have set up (just the physical area, I mean), then, you could say a verse as you enter, and then, reverse it, as you leave, to keep the area extra special. Something like, "Into the realms of infinity," at the beginning, and, "Into the Earth of eternity," as you leave.

Clean up whatever requires it, after ritual.

Note, a Witch with a good life, magick aside, has the most chance of staying in their religion, or their spiritual path, as with anyone in any religion, and being a productive member of the community. You need balance between "fun" and order, in life.

"To conquer others is to have power -- To conquer yourself is to Know the Way [of Love]."

Blessed Be! Good luck! :-)