Although quarter calls can have a variety of associations, they are basically linked to the four directions and the four elements (see Part 4, Elements, for exercises and discussions of the elements). The most simple call, and perhaps the most well-known, is the following, said at the respective quarter after the circle is cast:
Hail guardians of the north, element of earth, and all ye in the realm of Faery, I, (say your name), do summon, stir, and call you forth to witness this rite and protect this sacred space.
So mote it be.
Hail guardians of the east, element of air, and all ye in the realm of Faery, I, (say your name), do summon, stir, and call you forth to witness this rite and protect this sacred space. So mote it be.
Hail guardians of the south, element of fire, and all ye in the realm of Faery, I, (say your name), do summon, stir, and call you forth to witness this rite and protect this sacred space. So mote it be.
Hail guardians of the west, element of water, and all ye in the realm of Faery, I, (say your name), do summon, stir, and call you forth to witness this rite and protect this sacred space.
So mote it be.
Quarter calls are designed to call only that energy you will allow in your magick circle. For all others, there is a No Trespassing sign. Nothing can come into your circle unless you, yourself, invite it, which is why there are so many different types of quarter calls that address various kinds of energy. There are calls that invoke the elements, angels, totem animals, deities of a particular pantheon, dragons, airts, winds, the dead, ancient archetypes, one’s lineage, and/or the Watchtowers (stellar/ceremonial).34
The quarter call creates a one-way passage into the circle for that which you have called to enter. It must wait in the circle until you are finished, and you must provide a way home for that energy. Therefore, you can’t forget to release the quarters when you are done. Think of it this way: it’s like asking your best friend to meet you at a party. She says, “That’s cool, but I don’t have a ride.” You tell her that’s not a problem, you’ll provide the transportation. When the party is over, you can’t just leave your best friend sitting there. You gave your word that you would provide the transportation both ways—that’s the essence of a quarter call. You agreed to bring the energy in, and it is your responsibility to make sure that the energy returns to whence it came. There’s no “Gee, I forgot” allowed!
In the standard quarter call above, you are inviting the following into your circle:
• Summoning the element related to that quarter.
• Stirring your ancestral dead in a positive way.
• Calling deity energy related to that quarter.
Once the four quarters are called (beginning at the north for those who practice shamanic Wicca, or beginning at the east for those who like more of a ceremonial flavor), the circle energy is fine-tuned, cleaner than before, and prepared for the entrance of deity, which occurs when you speak the invocation you’ve chosen aloud.
Quarter calls are often accompanied by physical motions and visualization. Some magickal people draw pentagrams in the air with their wands, athames, or fingers, where others simply hold the tool pointing toward the quarter. In both cases, the center of the circle is at their back. If you want a smoother opening and transition of energy, stand with your feet apart, facing the appropriate direction, with the center of the circle at your back. Cross your arms over your chest. Bow your head (this is the God position). As you say the quarter call, slowly raise your head and open your arms, as if you are parting a curtain. Visualize a portal opening through which what you have called can enter, and visualize your concept of them coming into the circle. With the last words of the quarter call, your arms should be like a Y, with palms facing toward the quarter (this is the Goddess position). Other Witches open the quarters by lighting a candle that matches the quarter color while intoning the quarter call. Colors are governed by tradition (what the group has chosen). Standard colors are green for north, yellow for east, red for south, and blue for west.
Unless they are fortunate enough to have a ritual room (a room used only for magick), most Witches do not have a shrine at each quarter to represent the elements and other energies they normally call into their circles. Decorations at quarters are often temporary, put in place before the circle is cast and removed when the circle is released. Quarter decorations can include candles, items that relate to the specific energies called at that quarter (a bowl of water in the west quarter), or things important to the type of ritual they are doing (for example, seasonal decorations that match a sabbat).
Each type of quarter call (angelic, dragon, etc.) has its own release that matches the original call. For example, the standard release to be said at each quarter is:
The God (left) and the Goddess (right) positions.
Guardians of the (direction), element of
(element), thank you for participating in my
circle this night (day). Go if you must,
stay if you like. Hail and farewell.
Again, some sort of hand motion is often involved. If you used the crossed arms, you would begin with your arms open, then slowly cross them as you visualize the portal through which they traveled closing. Quarters are released after deity has been thanked and before the circle is released, and you always begin with the last quarter opened. This means that if you opened with the north, then called east, south, and west, you would close first with west, then move to south, east, and finally north. If you began in the east and moved to south, west, and then north, you would begin in the north, then move to west, south, and finish with east. Quarters are conjured clockwise, and released counterclockwise. If this is confusing, think of a spring—you tightened it up (clockwise) going into the ritual, now you are going to release it by letting the energy go back the way it came, which means it would travel counterclockwise when allowed to follow its original path. Remember, in Wicca clockwise is deosil, and counterclockwise is widdershins.
What happens if you forget to release the quarters? The energy begins to decay and, in that breakdown, causes chaos—sometimes minor, sometimes not so minor, depending on how many people worked within that circle environment. Although some people say, “Oh, heck, I forgot. It’s an hour later, I’ll just forget it,” this is considered by some to be magickally irresponsible. You might want to go back and release those quarters no matter when you realize you’ve made the error. In doing so you will not be so apt to forget next time, and you will also be cleaning up your own mess. To avoid forgetting, some Witches call the quarters within their circlecasting. That way, when the circle goes down, the quarters automatically close. However, separating the circlecasting and quarter calls is standard procedure within the current community because each action requires its own visualization, and separating them eliminates the possibility of error, especially if you are working with individuals new to the faith.
Why must you call the quarters in the first place? If you remember that calling the quarters is an act of fine-tuning the energies in your circle and asking for reinforcements in your work, then you can make the decision whether or not you wish to use them. In most magickal training programs, students are required to learn all about quarter energies and use them in every spell and ritual they conduct for at least a full year. If you skip this repetition, the work eventually suffers. Once you’ve been studying for a while, you might want to open only one quarter in a spell or ritual. For example, maybe you are working on personal transformation and letting go of upsetting emotions. You may feel that west quarter energy is all you need for that working. By this time, however, since you have been working with all four quarters for over a year, you will naturally compensate for that which you haven’t called. Here is a list of when quarters are definitely called in almost every Wiccan tradition:
• Sabbats.
• Esbats.
• Wiccanings (baptisms).
• Handfastings (marriages).
• Crossings (funerals).
• Dedications, initiations, and elevations.
• All magicks for first- and second-year
students.