My All Purpose Circle Casting Ritual
Firstly prepare your mind.Sit quietly for a while and acknowledge all your everyday worries,then say to yourself that for the next hour or so you are going to leave them outside the circle,and outside your mind...use a worry bowl if it helps (a bowl of water to which salt has been added while stirring widdershins into which you say "Into this bowl I cast my worry about....",be as specific as you like...and chuck it in!).Pass the bowl to the person on your right when you are done.I always start,putting in my worries out loud so others can hear,and then adding my own private worries silently.This shows trust and also that not everything is for everbody to know.I make sure the newcomers know what the pause is for and stress that if they want to silently use the bowl then that's fine,just don't sit there and pretend to use it!!When the bowl comes round to me again I get up and dispose of it in running water...kitchen sink usually (unless I forgot to do the dishes!!)
THIS IS YOUR CUT-OFF POINT
Anyone who was supposed to be present but isn't there yet is left out.It does no good to have someone appear just as you are calling the second quarter!!They knew the time of the kickoff and blew it!!Better luck next time!!
Check everybody is ready,cigarrettes out,bladders empty,phone off the hook,then it is time to begin.Remove shoes and socks,and I let it be known that no money is to be bought into the circle...leave it outside...money causes wars,jelousy,worry etc and has no place in a circle.The same with watches and clocks,remove watches and cover the clocks.Mirrors I also remove from the room or turn to the wall( this is a throw back to my time working High Magick when demons and shades could be reflected in them,or malevolent spirits hide in them,so avoiding the banishing ritual at the end of the circle)
Light the centre candle for Spirit.
All people to be present gather around the Spirit candle.
Face North....Pause and collect your thoughts on the coming cast,and the tasks to be performed.Ground yourself,calm yourself,focus yourself.When ready say...
"Earth Below,and Sky above,Bless me ever with Thy love.Power of Nature,strength of Earth,help me find my own true worth.
Guardian of the Northern Light,known to me as Auriel,please be here now"
Light the green north candle.
Pause...ground yourself,calm yourself,focus yourself.When ready move deosil (clockwise) around the circle until you are facing West.All the while "seeing" a ribbon of gold light starting to work it's way around the circumference of the circle as you move.
Pause....ground yourself,calm yourself,focus yourself.When ready say.
"Flow of Water,Rain in Spring,Grant in my heart the joy to sing,
Guardian of the Western Light,known to me as Gabriel,Please be here now"
Light the blue west candle.
Pause...ground yourself,calm yourself,focus yourself.When ready move deosil (clockwise) around the circle again until you are facing South.All the while "seeing" the ribbon of gold light following you as you work your way around the circumference of the circle .
Pause....ground yourself,calm yourself,focus yourself.When ready say.
"Fire of Summer,Light of Flame,Guide me towards my life long aim.
Guardian of the Southern Light,known to me as Michael,Please be here now"
Light the red south candle.
Pause...ground yourself,calm yourself,focus yourself.When ready move deosil (clockwise) around the circle again until you are facing East.All the while "seeing" the ribbon of gold light continuing to follow you as you work your way around the circumference of the circle,notice how it overlaps and merges with the gold ribbon that you layed down the last time you passed this point of the circle.....filling any gaps.....
.Pause....ground yourself,calm yourself,focus yourself.When ready say.
"Wind in Autumn,Breathe of Air,Show me Peace beyond compare.
Guardian of the Eastern Light,known to me as Raphael,please be here now"
Light the yellow east candle.
Pause....ground yourself,calm yourself,focus yourself.When ready move to the centre of the cicle and say
"Circle round and Light within,Guard me now,your humble kin"
Light the alter candle or candles.
Pause....ground yourself,calm yourself,focus yourself.When ready turn once deosil (cloxkwise) completely round on the spot.Check that you can see the Guardians at their posts looking outwards,defending your quarters.Check that you can see the gold shield triple wound around your circle.Look up...see the the top of the gold shield meeting above your head,look down,see the gold shield meeting below your feet.When ready say...
"The Circle is cast,we are between worlds,
Beyond the bounds of Time.
Where night and day,
Birth and Death,
Joy and Sorrow,
Meet as one.
So mote it be"
Graphic by Mjolnir
I always start the actual circlework by either reciting The Charge of the Goddess or getting one of the others in the circle to do it..read or from memory,it doesn't matter.This gives us all a final chance to tune in and tells us all again who we actually are,who we actually pray to and what we are actually doing in the circle.
Ok then,this is my own prefered circle casting method,I have others for different occasions,but this was my first type,and is still my favourite.The reason it is done in such a way is that I don't like casting widdershins (anticlockwise) but feel that as the Earth revolves that way,and that as The Craft is basically an earth based religeon circles "ought" to be cast in harmony with the earths' rotation and not against it.However,I still feel that anything widdershin(anti-clockwise) to do with circle work is negative and therefore not good,so I cast a widdershin circle by moving deosil...thereby acheiving both positivity in the circle and harmony with the earth at the same time.
On prodounciations......
Auriel......OR-REE-ELL,
Gabriel....GAB-REE-ELL,
Michael...MIK-AYE-ELL,
Raphael....RAF-AYE-ELL
On Dress Code......
Ok,as a new witch you may be struggling with the idea of working "skyclad"(naked)....flabby bits,cellulite,stretch marks and scars.As a man there is the added worry of penis size,the erection problem etc etc.....So,be sensible...leave your clothes on!!After all,it's a pretty weak witch who can't raise or feel the power through a couple of layers of cotton!!All I do is work bare foot..I have worked skyclad,and in full cerimonial robes..both work so dress how you feel comfortable.But remember,always have an eye on the new members,for they may be less happy about skyclad,so to save weakening the effectiveness of your circle as the High Priestess/Priest let it be known that others should respect your choice to just bare the feet.After all,you are all there to do a job,healing,worship whatever,so to have half your mind on worries about appearence isn't harmonious to the circle.
NOW,HERE IS THE IMPORTANT BIT,WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED YOUR CIRCLE.
When the circle is to be uncast face east and say in a clear firm voice,
"Oh Good and Happy Spirits,We/I give thanks for the granting of what you have given.Go then in Peace,To rule the Element which is your divinely ordained abode"
In your mind (or outloud if you wish),thank Raphael for his coming,and ask that he appear again at your next circle.Bid Him well and goodbye.
Visualize the quarter cleared.
Extinguish the candle...do not blow it out...snuff it out.
Move widdershin until you are facing south and say in a clear firm voice,
"Oh Good and Happy Spirits,We/I give thanks for the granting of what you have given.Go then in Peace,To rule the Element which is your divinely ordained abode"
In your mind (or outloud if you wish),thank Michael for his coming,and ask that he appear again at your next circle.Bid Him well and goodbye.
Visualize the quarter cleared.
Extinguish the candle...do not blow it out...snuff it out.
Move widdershin until you are facing west and say in a clear firm voice,
"Oh Good and Happy Spirits,We/I give thanks for the granting of what you have given.Go then in Peace,To rule the Element which is your divinely ordained abode"
In your mind (or outloud if you wish),thank Gabriel for his coming,and ask that he appear again at your next circle.Bid Him well and goodbye.
Visualize the quarter cleared.
Extinguish the candle...do not blow it out...snuff it out.
Move widdershin until you are facing north and say in a clear firm voice,
"Oh Good and Happy Spirits,We/I give thanks for the granting of what you have given.Go then in Peace,To rule the Element which is your divinely ordained abode"
In your mind (or outloud if you wish),thank Auriel for his coming,and ask that he appear again at your next circle.Bid Him well and goodbye.
Visualize the quarter cleared.
Extinguish the candle...do not blow it out...snuff it out.
As you move around the circle collect in the gold ribbon.
Lastly offer a prayer to the Goddess(and God if you worship Him also) at the alter and extinguish the alter candles and the Spirit candle.Do not banish the Goddess/God or Spirit.
Then lastly say
"The circle is open but unbroken
So mote it be"
Well done,you have done your first circle,go and eat something,get back to reality...oh ,and put on a jumper or jacket,because if you were like me you will notice the temperature in the room suddenly appear to be colder than it was...it isn't it is just that you have come back from a place of warmth and safety,and the first few times you will notice the difference.
I know that the Guardians are at different quarters if you happen to have read my Elements page,but as I have said before,read all,ask all,and adopt what feels comfortable,I had been "working" for many years before I read "Spiral Dance" so didn't see the need to alter their stations,they seemed quite happy where they were!!
More to be added
Kaizen
