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New To The Path: Is Witchcraft for Me? - Seeker Questionnaire - Study Grove - Energy Working - Center & Ground - The Chakras - Personal Shields - Charging Objects - Spellcasting 101 - Casting Circles - Tarot Reading - Pendulum Dowsing - Making Altars
Casting Circles
(Around Yourself & Others)
It is advisable to create a consecrated space around yourself when you are preparing to cast spells or perform other magical workings. By cleansing and activating ("making sacred") a space you dispel negative energies clinging to that physical location. Just as it is good to center and cleanse your body before a magical working, so it is also useful to do so to the space you will be working in. Witches call this "casting a circle". Once within this sacred space you can use its boundary as a protective shield to keep negative energies and entities out of your casting. Having created this enclosing "circle" you will also be more able to focus and direct the energies raised inside it. Circle casting is a component of most rituals, but it can be practiced separately.
A few notes on taxonomy... A circle is not necessarily circular, and is definitely not two dimensional. Most circles that Witches cast are actually spherical, totally enclosing - top, bottom, and sides - the ritual space. The reason that this is an important concept is because one of the functions of a circle is as a barrier to keep bad things out. If your circle is just a flat line drawn on the ground it's not going to do much good against menaces approaching form above or below then, eh? The concept that you want to engrain in your mind is that the circle surrounds and protects the ritual space, in all directions, from all things. Again, your circles don't necessarily need to be spherical, they can be elliptical, cuboid, etc., whatever shape it needs to be to fit your space.
In summary, the three main functions of a circle are: (1) To create a consecrated space. (2) To keep bad things out. (3) To keep good things in. A circle can be any shape or size, according to your need, but it's most important feature is that it is a barrier between your casting space and "normal" space.
There are many techniques you can use to cast a circle and the best way to learn what techniques work best for you is to try them out. Experiment with the examples given below and try out your own ideas.
Drawing From Within
Some witches prefer drawing the energy for their circles from their own energy centers. Using your internal energy to cast a circle is similar to creating personal shielding, only you extend it outward to encompass more than your own being. The advantage to this kind of casting is that the circle will be very connected to your mood and your physical responses. This is also the disadvantage. Be careful about using this technique when you are circling with other people in a casual atmosphere or whom you do not trust completely.
Example No. 1: I found this to be the easiest way of casting a reliable circle when I first started out. Center and ground yourself. Concentrate on a point in the center of your abdomen (around the 3rd chakra) and imagine your body's energies spiraling inward to this point. Envision a ball of energy spinning and growing until it is about the size of a grape fruit. Infuse it with the color most appropriate for your casting. Expand the ball, continually filling it will colored energy as it grows. Push the edges of the ball out past your body, past your aura and personal shielding, until is encompasses the entire working space. As you expand the ball imagine all negative energies being pushed aside.
Example No. 2: Center and ground yourself. Face North. (Why? Just 'cause.) Hold your athame, wand, or other tool in your hand and concentrate on pure white energy flowing through your arm and hand and into your tool. Raise your tool skyward and imagine that you are projecting a white lance of light from the tip of your tool. Use your tool to draw a line down to the ground, visualizing that the path of the tool is creating a slice of pure white energy. Rest your tool along the slice, then push it around you, widening the slice as if it were one of those accordian folded paper mache decorations, until the leading edge meets the beginning of the slice and it becomes a solid white ball surrounding your casting area.
Calling on Outside Forces
It is sometimes appropriate to call on forces outside of yourself to aid in your castings. Drawing energy and strength from a god or goddess, nature spirits, or just the general forces of the universe can lend the solidity of your belief in those powers to your circle. If you fear that you will not be able to concentrate on maintaining your circle, you can use your faith in these external beings/forces to lend assistance and bolster your confidence. Instead of drawing all the energy for your circle from within, call on the powers beyond your physical being. These energies can be pulled into yourself, to be filtered and transformed using your energy centers as a conduit, or its raw stuff wielded and molded by the power of your will alone.
Example No. 1: I got the idea for this circle casting from the Celtic Reconstructionist Pagans. Center and ground yourself. Call to the Earth to reach up and support the base of the circle. Imagine Earth energies reaching up like hands to cradle the space you are working in. Make a few appropriate comments, like: "The earth; body, flesh, salt and stone; support this circle and enfold it in your nurturing hands." Envision the bottom third of your spherical "circle" resting in the Earth's embrace. Call to the Sky to reach down and embrace the crown of the circle space. Imagine Cosmic energies reaching down and coming to rest like wings to shelter the top of the space you are working in. Make a few appropriate comments, like: "The sky; your winds are the breath that gives us life; shield this circle and let your breath fill us with inspiration." Envision the top third of your sphere glowing with swirling Sky energies. Call to the Seas around you to surge forward and enclose the sides of your circle. Imagine waves rushing towards you from the seas to your east, west, north and south. Imagine those waves meeting the edges of your circle and blending to form the final closing of the barrier. Make a few appropriate comments, like: "Vast seas of the west and east, cold waters of the north and south; embrace our circle with your caressing waves and keep all dangers distant." Imagine the three powers holding the boundary of the sphere in unison. Call to the Fire within you to fill the circle. Imagine the flaming spark at your core growing to fill the inside of the sphere. Make a few appropriate comments, like: "Fires from my core; my emotion, my inspiration, my will; grow to fill this sacred space with my intent and energize this working." The space is now ready. The circle will remain in place, maintained by the Earth, Sky and Sea powers. When you are done casting be sure to dismiss each power, recognizing and thanking it for it's support.
Example No. 2: Choose an object to symbolize each quarter/element; north/earth, east/air, south/fire, west/water. Center and ground yourself. Face north. Look at the Earth object, handle and fondle it, think about its nature and what it means to you. Imagine it glowing with swirling brown or green lights. Appeal to the powers of the Earth and say something appropriate, like "Earth, element of the North, Mother and Nurturer, lend your power to this circle!". Visualize and feel the warm, green energy flowing into the shape of a circle around your casting space. Face east. Look at the Air object, handle and fondle it, think about its nature and what it means to you. Imagine it glowing with swirling golden or white lights. Appeal to the powers of the Air and say something appropriate, like "Air, element of the East, strong winds and inspiration, lend your power to this circle!". Visualize and feel the cool, golden energy flowing into the circle, adding to its power. Face south. Look at the Fire object, handle and fondle it, think about its nature and what it means to you. Imagine it glowing with swirling red or orange lights. Appeal to the powers of the Fire and say something appropriate, like "Fire, element of the South, bright wielder of passion, lend your power to this circle!". Visualize and feel the hot, red energy flowing into the circle, adding to its power. Face west. Look at the Water object, handle and fondle it, think about its nature and what it means to you. Imagine it glowing with swirling blue or purple lights. Appeal to the powers of the Water and say something appropriate, like "Water, element of the West, crashing waves and murky depths, lend your power to this circle!". Visualize and feel the cold, blue energy flowing into the circle, adding to its power. The space is now ready. The circle will remain in place, maintained by the elemental powers. When you are done casting be sure to dismiss each power, recognizing and thanking it for it's support.
Creating Rapport
Witches working in regular groups or covens sometimes choose to cast a circle together. This kind of circle casting usually requires a little discussion beforehand to settle the casting procedure and objective. We may be witches, but we're not always telepathic! Everyone should agree upon the key phrases that are to be used when moving from one phase of the casting to another. One person can start the casting and pass it off to the next person in the circle, who adds to it then passes it to the next person, and so on. Or, everyone can contribute to building the circle in unison while one person verbalizes the visualizations.
Example No. 1: Decide in which order each of you will control the circle. Everyone center and ground. Witch No. 1 casts the circle by whatever method preferred. Witch No. 1 describes for the other Witches the qualities of the circle. When everyone's sense of the circle is solid, Witch No. 1 announces that s/he is ready to hand it off. Witch No. 2 extends her/his energies, feeling and holding the circle and replies that s/he is ready to take control of the circle. Witch No. 1 responds that she will now release her hold on the circle and waits for Witch No. 2 to confirm that she has hold of it. Witch No. 2 confirms that s/he is ready and Witch No. 1 releases control of the circle. And so on, each Witch taking turns holding, adding to, then passing on control of the circle. This techniques is a working in itself and greatly assists the ability of a group of witches to work together.
Example No. 2: Choose a deity/archetype for each participant. Discuss your choices and what they will mean to the casting. Decide on visualizations for each part of the casting. Stand in a circle, facing inward. Everyone center and ground. Witch No. 1 steps forward into the center of the circle and invokes their deity's protection of the casting area. Say something appropriate, like "In the name of Vesta, keeper of the hearth, I proclaim this space sacred. Our workings here will grow and prosper." Witch No. 1 returns to his/her place in the circle. Witch No. 2 faces outward and invokes their deity's protection of the casting area. Say something appropriate, like "In the name of Janus, keeper of the doorway, I close the door on the mundane world. None may enter or remain here who bears this working ill intent." Witch No. 2 returns to his/her place in the circle. Witch No. 3 steps to the edge of the circle, faces inward and invokes their deity's protection of the casting area. Say something appropriate, like "In the name of Mars, master of the outer realms, I lend my strength and that of my minions to this working. Let our power bolster your intent." Witch No. 3 returns to his/her place in the circle. The space is now ready. When you are done casting be sure to dismiss each deity/archetype, recognizing and thanking them for their support.
Most of these examples are rather detailed, with complex visualizations and a conscious movement of the energy involved. There are certainly simpler and even more extravagant methods for casting circles! These examples are provided to illustrate the basic concepts and hopefully give you ideas for developing your own ways of working.
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