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How to Properly Cast a Circle for Spell Work & Rituals
Circle casting is an art form in and of itself. It has been sorrowfully neglected.
Many introductory books on Wicca and Paganism give a general overview for casting a sacred circle for craft workings. It has been my experience that these fail to give the true gist of the art. The reader is told to sprinkle water and salt in a circle while saying some simple chant to draw positive energy and banish negative energy.
My own personal experience bears this out as well. It took me forever to get the feel for a well cast circle. I have also personally witnessed a number of new seekers who have had no idea how to cast a simple circle when they are faced with a real time situation calling for the act. It can be a very daunting task. It is monumentally more intimidating when a new Witch is asked to do so in front of others.
How does the circle become a reality? There is more to it than a little sprinkle and chant. Real energy must be raised. Real energy must be harnessed and directed. And real effort must be given to make it hold while a magical working is in progress.
One of the very first things a Witch must master is visualization. There are many exercises that will help develop this. I won’t go into visualization practices here for the sake of brevity. You can look them up for yourself on the Internet if you are inclined to master visualization. If you want to be an effective Witch, I highly recommend you do. Starhawk has some simple and quite thorough exercises in the first chapters of her timeless classic, The Spiral Dance. I recommend it to all who would step out onto the magical path.
One clue to an effective circle that gets overlooked is in the Wiccan Rede. This is a lovely, poetic directive that too often goes ignored by those who claim to espouse it as belief. The poem itself is actually titled “The Rede of the Wiccae”. We do not know who actually wrote the poem. It made its public appearance in Green Egg in 1975, submitted by a Lady Gwen Thompson. * Controversy surrounds it to this day. We have accepted it as a basic document of our faith and so it continues to guide us.
Do you know the stanza I am talking about? Allow me to help you:
Cast the circle thrice about to keep all evil spirits out.
Three is a sacred number in our tradition (s) . So there is our first instruction on visualizing the circle. It must be cast in three layers to be effective. One way to accomplish this is to use a tangible object to mark the perimeter first. Flower petals or chalk are good markers. It aids your visualization to have a solid form from which to work. You could even paint it on the floor if you own the property you will create the space upon. I do not recommend renters put paint on the flooring of their apartment or rented home. The owner would probably not be appreciative of your vandalism.
Layer one is laid down. In future castings simply follow the painted line with a staff or athame if you have chosen to lay a permanent circle. Your second and third layer of the casting is the use of a combination of elements. I use water and salt, blessed beforehand. You might prefer to use burning incense (fire and air) . Regardless of the order, the combined elements help you visualize the bonding of the energy. This would be the simplest form that could be used.
Some Witches get a bit more creative in their castings. Sound can be used. Any musical instrument may be employed to great effect. The unaccompanied human voice is a beautiful instrument. Scent may be used in the form of oils and perfumes. Streaming ribbons may be tied to wands for a wonderful visual effect. Anything that your heart sings to may be used to cast your circle. Imagination and daring to try new things are your only limitations here.
Those are the physical elements. Remember I said that visualization is all important? You must engage your visualization alongside these tools. You must see the circle growing around you. You may see it in your mind as lovely vines growing around you. It may become a solid earthen cave, a watery globe, a fiery sphere, a hollow pearl. Again, let your own imagination run wild with this. You must see it though. It must be as real as possible to be effective.
Breathe evenly and deeply to push your energy into the visualization. It will be there for you. Your circle will be a sacred place that is not a place, in a time that is not a time. You will be protected from those harmful energies that you banished and subject to the positive forces you have called to your aid.
Some people say that you may open your circle if you need to go out once you have begun. I disagree with this teaching. I think it disturbs your thought process too much to exit your carefully crafted sacred space. The thought process is the magical working. If you disturb it, your results may be negatively affected. So, I would advise that you make sure that you have all your supplies and tools with you when you begin. Make a checklist if you are forgetful. Check it and then check it again. Check it a third time and then begin your working.
Once your work is done, you will want to deconstruct your circle in just as thorough a manner as it was constructed. Fortunately, not as much work is required to disrupt the circle as was required to build it. You simply have to use a method that scatters the energy, brings it back into you, and then ground it (or release it into the earth) .
Bells and clapping are commonly used to take down the circle. I clap and I visualize the circle flowing back into me as I inhale. I then exhale the energy into the ground at my feet. I also touch the ground and feel the energy flowing through my hands into the earth if the circle has been an especially strong one.
The circle is an important component in any magical working. I would not want to say that it is the most important part of the spell, but it certainly makes for a more potent spell. I hope this has helped some of you who may have been struggling with understanding the basic circle casting and its mechanics.
Happy spelling!
Footnotes:
* Information taken from (believe it or not) The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft. (Second Edition) Zimmerman, Denise and Gleason, Katherine A. 2003 Amaranth
Many introductory books on Wicca and Paganism give a general overview for casting a sacred circle for craft workings. It has been my experience that these fail to give the true gist of the art. The reader is told to sprinkle water and salt in a circle while saying some simple chant to draw positive energy and banish negative energy.
My own personal experience bears this out as well. It took me forever to get the feel for a well cast circle. I have also personally witnessed a number of new seekers who have had no idea how to cast a simple circle when they are faced with a real time situation calling for the act. It can be a very daunting task. It is monumentally more intimidating when a new Witch is asked to do so in front of others.
How does the circle become a reality? There is more to it than a little sprinkle and chant. Real energy must be raised. Real energy must be harnessed and directed. And real effort must be given to make it hold while a magical working is in progress.
One of the very first things a Witch must master is visualization. There are many exercises that will help develop this. I won’t go into visualization practices here for the sake of brevity. You can look them up for yourself on the Internet if you are inclined to master visualization. If you want to be an effective Witch, I highly recommend you do. Starhawk has some simple and quite thorough exercises in the first chapters of her timeless classic, The Spiral Dance. I recommend it to all who would step out onto the magical path.
One clue to an effective circle that gets overlooked is in the Wiccan Rede. This is a lovely, poetic directive that too often goes ignored by those who claim to espouse it as belief. The poem itself is actually titled “The Rede of the Wiccae”. We do not know who actually wrote the poem. It made its public appearance in Green Egg in 1975, submitted by a Lady Gwen Thompson. * Controversy surrounds it to this day. We have accepted it as a basic document of our faith and so it continues to guide us.
Do you know the stanza I am talking about? Allow me to help you:
Cast the circle thrice about to keep all evil spirits out.
Three is a sacred number in our tradition (s) . So there is our first instruction on visualizing the circle. It must be cast in three layers to be effective. One way to accomplish this is to use a tangible object to mark the perimeter first. Flower petals or chalk are good markers. It aids your visualization to have a solid form from which to work. You could even paint it on the floor if you own the property you will create the space upon. I do not recommend renters put paint on the flooring of their apartment or rented home. The owner would probably not be appreciative of your vandalism.
Layer one is laid down. In future castings simply follow the painted line with a staff or athame if you have chosen to lay a permanent circle. Your second and third layer of the casting is the use of a combination of elements. I use water and salt, blessed beforehand. You might prefer to use burning incense (fire and air) . Regardless of the order, the combined elements help you visualize the bonding of the energy. This would be the simplest form that could be used.
Some Witches get a bit more creative in their castings. Sound can be used. Any musical instrument may be employed to great effect. The unaccompanied human voice is a beautiful instrument. Scent may be used in the form of oils and perfumes. Streaming ribbons may be tied to wands for a wonderful visual effect. Anything that your heart sings to may be used to cast your circle. Imagination and daring to try new things are your only limitations here.
Those are the physical elements. Remember I said that visualization is all important? You must engage your visualization alongside these tools. You must see the circle growing around you. You may see it in your mind as lovely vines growing around you. It may become a solid earthen cave, a watery globe, a fiery sphere, a hollow pearl. Again, let your own imagination run wild with this. You must see it though. It must be as real as possible to be effective.
Breathe evenly and deeply to push your energy into the visualization. It will be there for you. Your circle will be a sacred place that is not a place, in a time that is not a time. You will be protected from those harmful energies that you banished and subject to the positive forces you have called to your aid.
Some people say that you may open your circle if you need to go out once you have begun. I disagree with this teaching. I think it disturbs your thought process too much to exit your carefully crafted sacred space. The thought process is the magical working. If you disturb it, your results may be negatively affected. So, I would advise that you make sure that you have all your supplies and tools with you when you begin. Make a checklist if you are forgetful. Check it and then check it again. Check it a third time and then begin your working.
Once your work is done, you will want to deconstruct your circle in just as thorough a manner as it was constructed. Fortunately, not as much work is required to disrupt the circle as was required to build it. You simply have to use a method that scatters the energy, brings it back into you, and then ground it (or release it into the earth) .
Bells and clapping are commonly used to take down the circle. I clap and I visualize the circle flowing back into me as I inhale. I then exhale the energy into the ground at my feet. I also touch the ground and feel the energy flowing through my hands into the earth if the circle has been an especially strong one.
The circle is an important component in any magical working. I would not want to say that it is the most important part of the spell, but it certainly makes for a more potent spell. I hope this has helped some of you who may have been struggling with understanding the basic circle casting and its mechanics.
Happy spelling!
Footnotes:
* Information taken from (believe it or not) The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft. (Second Edition) Zimmerman, Denise and Gleason, Katherine A. 2003 Amaranth
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