Acircle, whether physically drawn or symbolically created, marks an Otherworld place within which the restrictions of time and space do not apply. Here the four elements combine to create the energy and magickal substance Aether, or Akasha, in which thoughts can be transformed into actuality in the material world.
Also coming together within the circle are deities; angels; the four elemental Guardians of the directional Watchtowers, as the four directional marker points of the circle are called; the wise ancestors; and nature essences in outdoor rituals. The circle becomes a sacred extension of the altar space.
As a place of power, the circle excludes any negative energy from the everyday sphere. Because you are working with spiritual powers, it also prevents anything less than benign entering the sacred space, where you are spiritually open and vulnerable.
If you are carrying out a formal ritual, you may wish to bathe, adding salt or essential oils to your bath, and put on a special loose robe specifically for ritual, or, if you are in a hurry, anoint your higher four energy centers using fragrance as I described at the end of the previous chapter (page 10).
If the ritual uses smudge in the way described in the previous chapter, you should physically and psychically cleanse the circle area beforehand. You may wish to do this before bathing or anointing your chakras with fragrance or essential oil.
Alternatively, sweep or asperge (sprinkle with water and a small branch) where you will cast your circle. Keep a special broom, perhaps a traditional besom, for this purpose. A besom is a broom made of twigs tied around a stick.
You can also cleanse the area by passing your hands in counter-clockwise circles as you walk in ever-larger counter-clockwise circles around the intended ritual area if the flooring is delicate.
Ringing a bell or striking a singing bowl, again while walking in counter-clockwise circles, will also cleanse the area.
Mark the center of your planned circle. A centrally positioned altar is good if you are carrying out a mainly altar-centered ceremony, as you then receive directly the concentrated power of the central axis. Alternatively, you can place the altar about a third of the way within the circle toward the north of the planned circle area.
A circle, always cast clockwise, should enclose yourself and anyone working with you, your altar, and your tools if you are using them.
Traditionally circles are nine feet in diameter, but the exact measurement isn’t required. If there are many people in the circle, or if you and others want to dance, move around, or face the four directions in turn to greet the Guardians, then it is better to create a circle with a larger diameter. Go with what feels right. It is better to have a larger circle than to be short of room. In time, you won’t worry about measurements but will know instinctively what feels right. You can create a really large circle if you are inviting lots of people to a collective ceremony, perhaps to celebrate a seasonal change point.
For guidance, set four flat stones in advance around the envisaged circumference at the main directions. You could also place directional candles in advance (all white or beeswax, or torches).
CIRCLE-CASTING IN RITUALS
In the Northern magickal tradition, circles are generally cast north to north, but if you prefer, you can start with the east.
Whatever form of circle is cast, even if you are not personally creating it (like at a public ritual), visualize the circle of light spreading as it’s cast. This will strengthen it as well as create a personal connection.
If you are casting the circle, whether actual or visualized, to tap into the power, first raise light throughout your whole body from the root chakra energy center to the crown.
Picture light pouring in from all around: red upward from the earth for the root or base; silver or orange from the moon for the navel sacral; yellow from the sun, the central top of the stomach for the solar plexus; green from nature for the heart; sky blue from the angels for the throat; indigo or purple from the archangels and Elemental Guardians for the brow chakra; and white, gold, or violet from the deities for the crown energy center.
Visualize the rainbow colors merging into pure-white light within you and radiating from you.
Wiggle your fingers, and you will sense if not see them glowing.
Then, also before circle-casting, you would make your opening blessing, standing in the center and turning slowly to face all directions as you speak. This is sometimes referred to as the call to ritual and might alternatively be blowing a horn, using a singing bowl, or using bells to make sound. Other people begin with a poetic piece from their own or a traditional Book of Shadows, a special book in which you record your magickal rituals and associations.
Before a spell or ritual, you can create a permanent circle made of stones, shells, or crystals, or construct one from herbs, flowers, or branches as a communal activity. This circle is to be empowered before commencing the spell or ritual. The stones from which you build your circle don’t have to connect but give an outline.
You can also paint a circle on the floor in a room you regularly use for magick and cover it with a large rug, find a special large circular carpet, or chalk one outdoors on pavement.
Alternatively, use tea lights indoors or outdoors to make a circle. Light these clockwise in a circle shape at the start of the ceremony before empowering the circle, or make the lighting the casting activity. If you have several people, or a coven, the tea lights can be lit by participants. Each person lights their own tea lights and speaks a blessing or wish in turn, clockwise, one after the other, after making the body of light and the opening blessing.
Use a natural existing outdoor circle, such as a grove of trees. Always ask permission from the natural essences of the place.
Draw a circle clockwise in the earth, snow, or sand with a long stick or a sword. Try to do it in a single sweep.
Best of all is the circle of people linking hands one by one, starting in the north. While this is happening, the person carrying out the ritual stands in the center, turning slowly. Each participant can make a spoken blessing, one after the other, saying, for example: The circle of love knows no limits.
Even with a physical circle, unless you use the joining hands or tea-light method of casting, you will need to empower and so activate the circle in one of the ways described in this section. However, a Wiccan circle can be cast purely symbolically or clairvoyantly, which involves walking around the visualized circle area clockwise with a sword, wand, pointed quartz crystal, or athame to create a psychic circle of light.
Form this psychic light circle in the air, about waist or knee high, whichever feels more natural.
Hold your crystal, wand, athame, or sword in your power hand, the one you write with. Direct the point at about a 45-degree angle, casting the circle in front of you so you step into the emerging light and become empowered.
Enclose the circle by stepping inside the completed circle yourself and turning your body to close the circle afterward (at the north).
Make a circle-casting chant that you repeat either aloud or in your mind as you walk. For example: May the circle be cast and remain unbroken. May the love of the Goddess be forever in my/our heart(s). Blessings be on this rite and all present.
All includes the deities, nature essences, wise ancestors, etc.
You may wish to create a dome of light over the top of the circle with the wand or athame. From the center of the circle, turn on the spot, moving the athame in an arch upward and outward in clockwise spirals, or leave your temple open to the sun, moon, and stars.
MAKING A TRIPLE ELEMENTAL CIRCLE
Another method is to use salt water, incense, and the flame of a candle to cast your circle.
Light the candle and incense in advance at the altar and then carry them outside the visualized circle, placing them on a rock or small table.
Consecrate the salt water for the circle at the altar (as you did when you were dedicating the tools and altar after the opening call), and again, take it outside the circle. For additional power, some practitioners use the triple elemental casting after drawing the circle of light around a symbolic circle.
If the circle is an existing physical one, you can empower it psychically by walking around the outline three times deosil (clockwise), once with each of the three elemental substances: sacred salt water, incense, and candle flame, or salt, incense, and water. With a group, three people can walk clockwise around the circle in procession, one after the other, carrying the three substances in that order.
Make the circles one on top of the other, and end the triple elemental casting by sprinkling each person present with a few drops of the sacred salt water. After you have entered the circle, again walk clockwise around its inside, saying: You are blessed and welcome.
If you are working alone, end the triple circle–casting by taking the salt water and sprinkling yourself, saying: May the Lord and Lady, Goddess and God, bless my spell/ritual.
VISUALIZING THE CIRCLE OF LIGHT
You can do this when you want a quick spell or if you are in a place where you can’t physically walk around a circle area.
If there is little privacy, visualize the circle appearing around you as though drawn with a glowing wand of golden light while standing or siting still, facing north.
However, if you do have some privacy, stand in the center of your area facing where you think north is. Holding a pointed quartz crystal, your wand when practical (I have a very tiny crystal one), or subtly extending the index finger of your power hand at waist height, turn your body and feet slowly in a circle, but remain in the same spot. Picture light flowing outward, creating a circle around you. Make the circle of visualized gold, white, silver, or blue light in one sweeping (and, if necessary, subtle) continuous movement of your hand.
UNCASTING THE CIRCLE
Some people do not uncast a circle but consider closing the four elemental Watchtowers at the four directions and blowing out any directional/elemental candles before making a closing blessing sufficient (see page 36). This is especially so with a natural circle of trees or a circle made of stones or shells, in which case you would remove the final piece that was set down in order to allow the energies to flow freely. The energies will soon dissipate, and you can replace the stones after twenty-four hours.
However, uncasting the circle after a ceremony is a way of restoring the ritual place and participants to their earlier state even though they’re now blessed, which, in the case of an altar room, will make it harmonious and peaceful rather than buzzing.
Uncasting circles counter-clockwise, or moonwise—or widdershins, the Wiccan term for counter-clockwise—completes what was set up clockwise, or deosil/sunwise.
To uncast any circle, however cast, after the ceremonies and all present have been thanked and asked to return to their own place, walk around counter-clockwise from north back to north in the Northern magickal tradition (or east to east as others prefer) with the wand/athame, etc., behind you. All the while, picture the light returning to the source, finger, crystal, or wand. As you do so, say a closing chant, such as: May the circle be open yet remain unbroken in our hearts and in our lives. Blessed be. or Blessings be on all.
Alternatively stand in the center facing north and turn counter-clockwise in one spot, drawing the light back into its source, or picture the radiance sinking into the ground as you turn.
In the next chapter, we will explore the world of the elements and the elemental Guardians who bring their energies to any magick.