Circle Of Stones

The Circle of stones is used during indoor rituals, for energy raising, meditation and so on. First cleanse the area with the ritual broom. For this circle you will need four large, flat stones. If you have none, candles can be used to mark the four cardinal points of the circle. White or purple candles can be used, as can colours related to each direction - green for the North, yellow for East, red for South and blue for West. Place the first stone (or candle) to the North, to represent the Spirit of the North Stone. In ritual when you invoke the Spirits of the Stones you're actually invoking all that resides in that particular direction, including the elemental energies. After setting the North Stone (or candle), place the East, South and West Stones. They should mark out a rough square, nearly encompassing the working area. This square represents the physical plane on which we exist - the Earth. Now take a long purple or white cord and lay it out in a circle, using the four stones or candles to guide you. It takes a bit of practice to smoothly do this. The cord should be placed so that the stones remain inside the circle. Now you have a square and a circle, the circle representing the spiritual reality. As such, this is a squared circle; the place of interpenetration of the physical and spiritual realms. The size of the circle can be anything from 5 to 20 feet depending on the room and your desires. Next, set up the altar. The following tools are recommended: * A Goddess symbol (candle, holed stone, statue) * A God symbol (candle, horn, acorn, statue) * Athame * Wand * Censer * Pentacle * A bowl of Water (spring, rain or tap) * A bowl of Sea Salt (it can also be placed on the pentacle) * Incense * Flowers and greens * One red candle in holder (if not using point candles) * Any other tools or materials required for the ritual, spell or magickal working Set up the altar according to the plan shown here or according to your own design. Also be sure to have plenty of matches, as well as a small heat-proof container in which to place them when used. A charcoal block is also necessary to burn the incense. Light the candles. Set the incense smoking. Lift the athame and touch its blade to the water, saying: I consecrate and cleanse this water that it may be purified and fit to dwell within the sacred Circle of Stones. In the name of the Mother Goddess and Father God, I consecrate this water. As you do this, visualize your athame blasting away all negativity from the water. The salt is next touched with the point of the athame while saying: I bless this salt that it may be fit to dwell within the sacred Circle of Stones. In the name of the Mother Goddess and Father God, I bless this salt. Now stand facing North, at the edge of the cord-marked circle. Hold your athame point outward at waist level. Walk slowly around the circle's perimeter clockwise, your feet just inside the cord, charging it with your words and energy. Create the circle - through your visualization - with the power flowing out from your athame's blade. As you walk, stretch the energy out until it forms a complete sphere around the working area, half above the ground, half below. As you do this say: Here is the boundary of the Circle of Stones. Naught but love shall enter in, Naught but love shall emerge from within. Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones! When you have arrived back at the North, place the athame on the altar. Take up the salt and sprinkle it around the circle, begining and ending in the North, and moving clockwise. Next, carry the smoking censer from the altar, and finally sprinkle water around the circle. Do more than carrying and walking; sense the substances purifying the circle. The Circle of Stones is now sealed. Hold aloft the wand at the North, at the edge of the circle, and say: O Spirit of the North Stone, Ancient One of the Earth, I call You to attend this circle. Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones! As you say this, visualize a greenish mist rising and writhing in the Northern quarter, over the stone. This is the elemental energy of the Earth. When the Spirit is present, lower the wand, move to the East, raise it again and say: O Spirit of the East Stone, Ancient One of Air, I call You to attend this circle. Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones! Visualize the yellowish mist of Air energy. Lower the wand, move to the South and repeat the following with your upraised wand, visualizing a crimson Fire mist: O Spirit of the South Stone, Ancient One of Fire, I call You to attend this circle. Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones! Finally, to the West, say with the wand held aloft: O Spirit of the West Stone, Ancient One of Water, I call You to attend this circle. Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones! Visualize the bluish mist, the essence of Water. The circle breaths and lives around you. The Spirits of the Stones are present. Feel the energies. Visualize the circle glowing and growing in power. Stand still, sensing for a moment. The Circle of Stones is complete. The Goddess and God may be called, and magick wrought.

CUTTING A DOORWAY

At times you may have to leave the circle. This is fine, of course, but as previously mentioned, passing through the circle dissipates it. To prevent this from occurring it's traditional to cut a doorway. To do this, face Northeast. Hold your athame point downward near the ground. See and sense the circle before you. Pierce its wall of energy with the athame and trace an archway, tall enough to walk through, moving counter-clockwise along the circle for about three feet. Move the point of the athame up at the arch's center and down the other side until it is near the ground. As you're doing this, visualize that area of the circle's energy being sucked back into the athame. This creates a void, allowing passage in and out of the circle. Pull the athame out of the circle's wall. You're free to walk outside. Once back inside, close the door by placing the athame at the lower North-Eastern point of the archway. With your athame trace the circle's perimeter clockwise, as if redrawing that portion of the Circle of Stones, again visualizing blue or purple energy flaring out from the blade and converging with the rest of the circle. It is done.

RELEASING THE CIRCLE

Once the rite is ended, face North, hold aloft the wand and say: Farewell, Spirit of the North Stone. I give thanks for your presence here. Go in power. Repeat this same formula to the East, South and West, substituting the proper direction in the words. Then return to the North and hold the wand aloft for a few moments. Lay the wand on the altar. Take up the athame. Standing in the North, pierce the circle's wall with the blade at waist level. Move clockwise around the circle, visualizing it's power being sucked back into the athame. Literally pull it back into the blade and handle. Sense the circle dissolving, shrinking; the outside world slowly regaining its dominance in the area. When you arrive at the North again, the circle is no more.

VISUALIZATIONS FOR THE CIRCLE OF STONES

If you wish, you can back up the circle casting with the following visualizations as you form the circle itself: Prepare as usual. Approach the North and set the North Stone (or the candle) on the ground. Then, visualize a stone slab standing upright two feet to the left of and behind the North Stone. Visualize this as being bluish-grey, two feet wide, two feet thick and six feet tall. This stone represents the Goddess. When the stone is really there - in your visualization - create another stone of the same size and colour two feet to the right of and behind the North Stone. This represents the God. Now visualize a capstone resting on top of the two upright stones. It is about two feet by two feet by six feet. This represents The One before the Goddess and God, the source of all power and magick. The Northern Trilithon is now complete. The stones form an archway, a symbol of the gateway to the realm of the element of Earth. Firmly visualize this, then gaze through the arch formed by the stones. See the greenish haze of the Earth energy. Repeat the entire procedure to the East, South and West. Visualize the appropriate elemental colour within each trilithon. Now purify salt and water, cast the circle as usual, and carry around the salt, censer, candle and water. As you approach each quarter to call its Spirit of the Stone, see the trilithon firmly in your mind. Visualize it in all its Pagan splendor. See the elemental hazes within them, boiling and writhing in unmanifestedness. Stretch out with your feelings; sense the arrival of the spirit of each stone, then go on to the next. With practise this comes easily, but such visualizations are never necessary.