So, why cast a circle? The main reason is to build a bridge between this realm and the inner realms, or astral plane. to create magickal or sacred space. Many people and respected authorities will carefully explain that the circle is for your protection. Well, if you think it will keep out the ghouls, ghosties and evil spirits, well it did in the Dennis Wheatly novels. Just remember that the nastiest thing that you will ever meet is already in that circle - YOU (no offence intended LOL). The real purpose of the circle is to contain the magickal energies. It is a vessel, a cup, which you fill with magickal energy. You then pattern this energy within the space, free from any external disturbance. The circle is also a tool that allows you to focus yourself more fully on the task in hand. It is a tool that focuses your awareness on the job in hand rather than letting you mind the dog's business! The aim of most ritual is to capture your attention and keep your mind on the job. So, what is sacred space? Well we all create sacred spaces, areas where we feel we can go to rest, to renew ourselves. It is a simple human need. Whether we use a room in our home, the garden, or a natural place it is somewhere in which we can feel comfortable, safe and secure. It is a place where we feel we can be ourselves. A place to express our inner selves, to feel emotion, to sit and think. Aware that in this place we are safe enough to bare our inner selves, here we do not need the masks of the outer world. This is our place of security. It is not the space itself that makes us feel safe, how can it unless we have locked ourselves in an impenetrable room. This sense of safety, or value, of sacredness comes from within us. Nothing is sacred unless you make it so. You yourself are the centre of your sacred space. That space rests within you, within your awareness. It is something that you do not even have to manifest in this world. Many people talk about themselves as being a temple. They mean their bodies of course. All that they mean is that they think of their body as a sacred space, in which they dwell. But that, like any manifest place, can be violated. True sacred space cannot, it exists in your awareness, that is its root, not in the physical. You can create a personal sacred space very easily. Sit quietly in a place of your choosing (the surroundings do not need to be quiet, only you do. You can even do this on the bus!) Imagine coming out from you a ball of blue light. Imaging a paintbrush or pencil drawing the blue light can sometimes be helpful. Now without moving use this blue light to draw a circle around yourself, imagine it encompassing you. This circle can be any size you want to make it. Remember that whatever you put into the circle will be part of your scared space, so if you do not want the man sat next to you on the bus in your circle, don't draw it to big. When you have drawn your circle of light, including everything you want in your space, imagine your circle becoming a sphere around you. This is your sacred space. Spend a few minutes thinking about why you want this space, what is your intention? Reinforce the sphere with that intention: to recharge, to feel safe, to get away. When you are ready to come back to the real world unspin your sphere and absorb your blue light circle into yourself, after all it came out of you. If you forget to do this, the circle will fade away in time, but it will not help with your social life! Since it may well make you appear socially invisible. And a Circle? All a circle does is to create sacred space. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. The circle is the place for your magickal operation. It is where you do it, although it does have other purposes. As for formal ways of casting a circle, they are very useful to groups, as they let everyone know what is going on, but that is what ritual is for. We all like to do a bit of play-acting and dressing up don't we? Part of the act of circle casting involves summoning or calling the elements (also known as watchtowers - confusing all this different terminology isn't it!) so you should first study, meditate and come to terms with each of the four tangible elements (air, fire, water and earth) before casting a circle - let me know if you want anything further or series of exercises to do this. So, casting a circle is a very old magickal act, and a great deal of fuss is made about it by witches in covens and some other occult groups, who have lengthy speeches and a love of waving swords and wands about and so on. But if you think about it, the ancient Shaman or Village Wisewoman would not have dared keep their kitchens full of 'magickal knives' and carved wands or pentacles, kept specially for working magick. Each individual would probably have had some special, natural objects which were imbued with magickal power, like polished stones, strangely shaped wood or corn dollies, but these would not be noticed in the event of a witch finder choosing to search the place. Today, many people forget how little privacy and wealth to buy possessions like expensive iron knives the old Cunning Men might have had. In their simple cottages and huts there just would not have been cupboards to keep swords, wands, chalices, pentacles and all the other paraphernalia that many modern practitioners (including me!) use in rituals. The oldest and simplest way of creating a circle is by setting up 'wards'. These are four objects, which can be as simple twigs cut from a bush and stuck into the ground, at the four points of the compass, or they might be four items which represent the elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. If you are indoors these could easily be a stone or piece of wood for Earth, a candle for fire (but make sure it can't catch anything alight) a glass dish of water, and incense or a few sweet-scented flowers for Air. Most pagans attribute Earth with North, Air with East, Fire with South and Water with the West. The main object of the four wards (watchtowers or whatever) is that they help purify the atmosphere and cut out distractions by being the edges of a circle around you and the work you are doing. This is only a temporary defence, though it is necessary to banish the power of these at the completion of the work or you will become mentally and physically isolated, because you banish all feelings, communications from people and energies too. Within Ceremonial/High Magick the elements are also used to bring energy into the circle that is in perfect balance (have a look at the article on my website if you want to know more about this - I recommend you do, but then I would wouldn't I!). Now, to begin casting the circle, stand facing North. Hold your athame (magick knife) if you have one, or simply point with your index finger if you don't. Walk slowly around the circle's perimeter clockwise, charging it with your words and energy. Create the circle - through your visualisation - with the power flowing out from your knife's blade or finger tip. As you walk, stretch the energy until it forms a complete sphere around the working area, half above the ground, half below. As you do so, charge (see and feel) the energy with protection and love. Now you need to place the elemental wards and there are two ways of doing so depending on how much space you have. If you are out of doors, there should be no problem. It is best to start from the elements Earth as it is the safest, most solid basis for any sort of magick. Take your stone (or whatever else you use to represent Earth) and hod it up towards the north and ask the Lady or Earth (or Angel or Elemental) to bless the symbol and bring you security and protection while you are working. You should then walk clockwise (Deosil) around the circle until you arrive in the East. Light the charcoal or incense or lift the flowers and ask the Lord of the East to breathe through you the power of Air, and sustain your work both day and night. Then you walk clockwise to the South. Pick up the matches and light the candle, then raise it to the sky and ask that the Lord of Flame illuminates and purify your efforts. Go to the West where you take the cup of water and ask the Lady of Water to cleanse and sanctify you and your working space. You can then walk round to wherever you are going to sit or stand during your working and get on with it, perhaps first calling the Goddess and God using whatever words seem fit to you. At the end of the spell or divination, you should always allow a few minutes of silent meditation so that if the Gods and Goddess you are working with wish to speak to you, or teach you anything, there is an opportunity for them to do so. It is always important to say a fervent Thank You, even if you have seen or felt nothing. You may now eat and drink something, first asking the Lord and Lady to bless it. This is important so that you ground yourself and close down your psychic centres (remember the Chakra exercise? You can do that as well). Now walk clockwise back to the North and thank the Lady or Earth, Mother Nature, and give her thanks for providing your home, base and food throughout your life. Walk to the East, say 'Lord of the East, thank you for your light and power. Please be in my heart always'. Go to the south and thank the Lord of Fire in a similar way. Finally to the Lady of the West, thanking her for her inspiration and purity. Finally cut the circle by standing in the North and placing your athame blade or finger tip near the floor and cut through the energy by sharply bringing your athame blade (or finger tip) up as high as you can (but watch the ceiling if you are working indoors). See the energy fly out into the Universe and be used for the greater good. When working High Magick, I cast a circle using the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. This is one of the few truly powerful rituals devised by the Golden Dawn. The function of the ritual, though capable of extension in several other directions, is pre-eminently one of banishment and used by the magician as a precursor to all magickal work. The ritual sets the watchtowers of the elements. Beyond this it makes the operator a channel of grace between heaven and earth. As such, it should always be performed fully, that is using the body and forms of gesture. Since no magick is real until it makes contact with this level of manifestation. No less so this ritual of spiritual power. |
