| Circles |
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| Circles? A circle is very basically a sacred space that is created around you for protection, when you feel threatened or exposed you can cast a circle around yourself to avoid being noticed.The purpose of a circle is to protect and to contain. It is created from your own energy, so it is best not to cast a circle when you are tired or drained, Also, once in a circle, it is important to stay focused, otherwise the circle will start to weaken and fade. A circle should ideally be cast before doing any magickal working, as it says in the Wiccan Rede, Casting a Circle First off, circle casting, like all these things, can be done using many different methods. There are no right and wrong ways to go about it. Some methods are more effective than others depending on the witch who casts them. Circle Casting #1 - The Bryonia Method The first thing to do, if you can, is to cleanse the area where the circle will be, using a besom (broom), to sweep any negativity out, then the circle is consecrated by sprinkling salt and water around the circumference. If it makes things easier, the circle boundaries can be marked with chalk, a ring of stones, or whatever suits you. Sit, stand or lie in the centre of your circle and concentrate on your breathing. When you breathe out, visualise ripples expanding out from you and stopping at the edge of your circle - I generally see my edge as a ring of blue fire, obviously not everyones will be the same - when the walls of your circle feel strong enough, let them rise up into a protective sphere, in whatever colour and form you feel like. Circle Casting #2 - The Aryanna Method The first thing to do is to cleanse the area, i use salt and water and sprinkle it all over the ground saying the words "I cleanse consecrate and empower this space" I make no physical boundaries for my working circles, but i have no objection to doing so. Stand in the middle of your working area, relax your body and free your mind. Ground and center if you find that helps. Lift the object of your choice: dominant hand, wand or athame and hold it in your hand. Imagine a ball of energy inside you, around your navel area. The colour will come to you, some people see it as blue, others golden yellow - but dont force the colourlet it come naturally. Start to move the energy up throught your body and out your dominante arm throught the object of your choice. Hold your arm out at shoulder height and turn around on the spot projecting the energy out through your object and becoming a wall around you. That is your circle. As you practise you'll be faster at creating the circle and it will become stronger. While inside a circle, it's best not to leave, but at some point you'll discover that although all your candles are neatly set up in front of you, you've left your matches on the table. In which case you should 'cut' a door in the circle, prising open a gap physically with your hands and sealing it up behind you. Some witches choose to be alot more ceromonial when casting, or at least on Sabbats, Esbats or other important rituals. Another way of casting (and this is very rough) is to, once you have cleaned and consecrated the circle, either walk around the circle Deosil (in the direction of the sun; clockwise in the Northern hemisphere, anti-clockwise in the Southern) or use an athame/index finger to run around the circumference of the circle, maybe chanting some appropriate words like "Circle of Power, Circle of Might, I call you now, As is my right, By Earth, By Air, By Fire, By Water, I call you now, As I desire, Oh mighty line that has no end, Protect me now, From without and with in!". Where you have traced, imagine a ring of fire springing up,and closing over you into a sphere. Now you are ready to invoke the elements..... Invoking the Elements There is a lot more on the elements (also known as Watchtowers) on our Elemental Correspondences Page, so it can be used to get more ideas, for example, as the wand is the tool symbolising Fire, it can be placed in the south, the direction of fire. Usually the first element to be invoked is Earth. This can be one by facing north and tracing a pentagram inthe air. Some choose to do a different pentagram for each element, but I prefer to cast circles/invoke the elements and so on from memory, without having to dip into a book every few moments. For this reason, I use the Earth pentagram to invoke all the elements, but I have included the different pentagrams for those who decide to use them. So, the Earth pentagram. This is going to be a little hard for me to explain, I will try to work on some proper diagrams, but until then.... You move your athame/finger from point 1 to 4, then to 2, 5, 3 and back up to 1 You may choose to say a few words, such as..... I evoke the spirits of the North, spring up from the Earth and aid me in my work. Hail and welcome, so mote it be The next element is Air, so you turn to the East, and draw either the Earth pentagram above, or the Air, which goes from 2 to 5, 3, 1, 4 and back to 2 again. You could say something like...... I evoke the spirits of the East, appear from the Air and aid me in my work. Hail and welcome, so mote it be Next, Fire. You turn to the South and the pentagram goes from 1, to 3, 5, 2, 4, back to 1. You could say I evoke the spirits of the South, arise from the Fire and aid me in my work. Hail and welcome, so mote it be Lastly, Water. Turn to the West, and draw from 5 to 2, 4, 1, 3, to 5. An example of an invocation is I evoke the spirits of the West, emerge from the Water and aid me in my work. Hail and welcome, so mote it be Releasing a Circle Releasing the circle is very important, if not done properly it can leave you feeling exposed and depleted - it is done by drawing the energy back into yourself and absorbing the sphere, by my method, I pull the energy back by breathing in, visualizing the ripples contracting and absorbing them, exacting the opposite of casting, maybe saying This circle is open, but never broken The ceromonial way would be the walk/trace athame or finger Widdershins (opposite to the direction of the sun, anti-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, used when banshing while Deosil when summoning or creating) around the circumference of the circle, pulling up the energy as you go. The elements should also be thanked and dismissed - for example..... I do thank and hail the spirits of the [element], merry meet, merry part and merry meet again. Blessed be Now the best bit. Clear up |
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| 'Form a circle thrice about, To keep unwelcome spirits out' |
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