#circle casting

[witch--tips]

🌿 WITCH TIP 🌿

We know we can’t do salt circles on the ground outside because salt kills everything, but some good replacements that look similar are flour (which is actually an incredible fertilizer! highly encouraged), sugar (which is good for the ground when not used too much), and sand (which can also be great for lawns, apparently).

Also consider using entirely different materials (most of these you should pick up after btw), such as ribbons/string, herbs, more dirt, safe crystals, and water (especially charged/enchanted water).

[roaenexists]

CIRCLE TIP:

I know books from the seventies would have you believe otherwise, but you don't have to mentally hold circle for the whole ritual, and you don't have to physically mark the whole circle boundary, nor do you need a coven member to hold space. You can put regular old rocks at each of the cardinal directions along the walls of your room or along the outer perimeter of the sacred space and use those as anchor points for the energy you lay.

Start by gathering, cleansing, and sanctifying/consecrating/blessing/charging/whatever four stones of any shape and size that suits your needs. Larger stones are good if you want them to be a visible reminder of the boundaries of circle, but smaller ones are good for discretion. Anoint them with a protection oil if you'd like (I only recommend doing this if you are using them indoors with no animals around), and/or pencil protection sigils on them. Cast circle but make sure your energy hits each stone and runs through it. If you call in the quarters, invite them to reside in their respective directional stones. Boom, done, now you have an easily marked sacred space that doesn't need constant maintain.

And, fun fact, circle doesn't HAVE to be round. Round is easiest when you're using mental energy to hold the space, but if you use physical barriers like existing walls then your cast energy resides in that physical block and is held automatically. I especially love doing this as a quasi-permanent marker to sanctify an entire room because any doorways become defacto entrances/exits that spiritually open and close when physically opened and closed.

Okay but isn't this being lazy? NO you rude hypothetical, it's not. It's being resourceful. Using these physical anchors allows a solitary practitioner to put their focus towards other things. I use this method when I'm studying magic texts, or so I can hang out with my ancestors and spirit friends casually for extended periods of time, or if I am going to be attempting astral projection. And by "I use this method," I mean it is one of the permanent protections I have in place in my home.

Has anyone else tried this? Please share any experiences or circle hacks you might have!

[crazycatsiren]

I've never felt the need to cast a circle or a box or whatnot every time I do anything that resembles witchcraft.

Sure, it comes in handy for certain things under certain circumstances.

But all the other times I've been just fine without doing that.

[nexusofsorcery]

Learn How To Properly Cast A Circle

How to Cast a Circle: A Step-by-Step Guide to Witchcraft Are you interested in practicing witchcraft and want to learn how to cast a circle? Casting a circle is a fundamental technique in witchcraft that helps create sacred space for rituals, spells, and other magical workings. In this guide, we will take you through the step-by-step process of casting a circle, providing you with all the…

[rosecoloredtarot]

Can you please tell us how to cast and close a circle??

Yea, absolutely! Circle casting is one of those rituals many beginner witchcraft sources have some version of, and because of that there are A LOT of different ways to do it. In my opinion, no one way is the best or correct way, you just need to try them out and find the one that you vibe with most. So, this is not THE way to cast a circle, it is simply MY way of casting a circle.

Circle casting comes from the Wiccan tradition and is typically thought of as a protective barrier, to keep malevolent spirits or energies from interfering with the spellwork the caster is performing. However, I have always thought of it as a way to amass power more than a protective measure. I am also not Wiccan and I believe my method is not necessarily traditional.

Anyhoo, first step is to designate an area large enough for you to comfortably work in. If I am doing a meditation exercise, my circle will be about an arm's length in radius, but you could theoretically make it as large as you'd like. You want to make sure that everything you need for your spell is inside the circle before you cast it. I use the elements and corresponding cardinal directions to create my circle, so next you need to identify which direction you are facing. Easiest way for me is using the sun, in the morning it will be in the east, in the evening it will be in the west. Or you could use a compass.

For me, each element has a corresponding cardinal direction. East for air, south for fire, west for water and north for earth. I will usually use a candle in each direction because I'm a sucker for the witchy vibes a bunch of candles create. You could also use an elemental signifier, like incense, a glass of water, and a plant for air, water and earth respectively.*

Once your space is set, face the east and ask the spirit of air to be present and lend its power to you. Do the same for south, west and north. I always do it in that order, but you could probably start with whichever direction you want. The important part is to work clockwise when greeting the spirits. I have a specific incantation I use for each element, and I encourage you to create your own. "Spirit of X, please be present at this working" is sufficient, but a little bit of panache never hurt anyone. After you have petitioned the elemental spirits for their help, do a similar petition to any other spirits or deities you would like present as well.

Congrats! Your circle has been cast. After this point, it is important to not cross the circle's barrier (which is one of the reasons I like physical objects in each direction, it helps me keep track of my bounds). To get some extra oomph from a specific element, face its direction as you're casting.

Once you have completed your work, thank your other spirits or deities for being present first, then face north. Working counterclockwise, face each direction and thank the elemental spirit for being present and helping your spellwork. If you picked a different direction to start, just make sure you work counterclockwise and end on the direction you started with. Thanking the spirits is the key to closing your circle properly.

That's the nuts and bolts of it. Try it out and play with your own methods. Let me know how it goes!

*Note: if you would rather, you can use the 5 element model (including spirit). If you do, skip the cardinal directions and place the signifiers in the shape of a star. Starting from the top point going clockwise, my associations are Spirit, Air, Fire, Earth and Water.

[starwitch777]

Cleansing Space and Circle Casting

A ritual to cleanse your space of all negative energy and create a sacred circle of protection before spell casting, performing rituals or communicating with spirits. You can cleanse your space just before casting the circle both in the same ritual. It’s efficient and easy and you know the space and energy within your sacred circle is cleansed and fizzing with magic. Think of this as a bubble of protection you put around yourself before you go on to do further magic making, you wouldn’t want to “trap” negative energy inside it. This ritual is compatible with any other rituals, spells, and spreads and is easy to customize to many deities/pantheons/belief systems that you may work with.

Materials:

Your favorite incense stick

Black candle

Matches/lighter

The Ritual:

Light your candle and then use this to burn your incense stick with your non-dominant hand.

Take your incense and follow the diagram to create the sign of the pentagram lightly over your body.

Start at your forehead and glide down to your left hip as you say “Earth,” imagine the smell of rich soil grounding you.

Come back up to your right shoulder as you pronounce the first syllable of water “wa—” imagine the feeling of water cleansing your skin.

Pop on over to your left shoulder on the second syllable of water “—ter.”

Down to your right hip as you say “fire” imagine a powerful warmth filling and energizing you from your heart space

Then sweep back up to your forehead to complete the five-pointed star as you say “air” and imagine a gust of wind sweeping into you, clearing your mind.

Lastly sweep a big circle anti-clockwise, completing the pentagram as you say, “Energy of the Ether” (you can customize this to any word choice to better serve your belief system).

Come down to your heart as you start to draw the left half of an infinity symbol on its side and say “protect me.”

Draw the right half of the infinity symbol as you say, “for an infinity.”

Now walk around your space (a 7 ft circle is the tradition, but if you’re in a small space you can just turn around on the spot) clockwise drawing it with your incense as you say “cleanse and make sacred this space for my magical workings. Banish all negative energy and allow only positive energies through this circle to aid.”

You are done!

[myrtleturtlee]

Casting circles with herbs?

[thetriunepath]

Basic Ritual Template || The Triune Path

Ritual casting is personal and practice-specific, but there are basic formats which many pagan rituals take. Specifically with opening a circle or ritual space, there are steps which most will take.

This template covers these possibilities in a basic script which can be adapted and altered as the individual practitioner chooses, and works for both group and solo rituals (just change out the pronouns and such).

No actions are described, to allow for freedom of individual expression -- this is merely a basic script as a jumping-off point for any looking to include the Path format in their ritual practices.

We gather today / I stand today in reverence and peace, and call upon the universal powers to guide and protect us / me.

≻─────────────────── ⋆✩⋆ ──────────────────≺

The Corners

We call to the Eastern Wind to greet us with its breath, which carries all the gentle gifts of spring. Hail and welcome.

We call to the Southern Fire to protect us with its warmth and all the power of summer. Hail and welcome.

We call to the Western Waters to gift us with its patience and all the bountiful blessings of autumn. Hail and welcome.

We call to the Northern Earth to gift us with its patience and blanket us in the resiliant darkness of the winter. Hail and welcome.

≻─────────────────── ⋆✩⋆ ──────────────────≺

We call the corners of the vessel we reside upon, but also to the threefold Gods residing over us.

The Archetypes

We welcome the Sky and Stars, the mother who provides us with fierce love and careful warmth. Grant us Your wisdom and share in our Love. Hail and welcome.

We welcome the Sea, the father of secrets who keeps all knowledge. Grant us Your patience and share in our discoveries. Hail and welcome.

We welcome the Middle-Air, the space between mystery and mastery who guides us to divinity. Grant us Your balance and share in our philosophy. Hail and welcome.

Finally, we welcome the Self. We who carry each corner of Earth to anchor us here, and a spirit to tie us to the divide. We grant each other our minds and share in our spirit. Hail and welcome.

[SOLO ALTERNATIVE]

Finally, I welcome the Self. I carry each corner of Earth to anchor me here, and a spirit to tie me to the divine. I know my own mind and trust in my spirit. Hail and welcome.

≻─────────────────── ⋆✩⋆ ──────────────────≺

Closing the Ritual

To the Sky who guards our bodies, we thank you. Hail and farewell.

To the Sea who guards our minds, we thank you. Hail and farewell.

To the Middle-Air who guards our souls, we thank you. Hail and farewell.

To all else under our command: the Self and the corners of our current home of Earth. we thank you. Hail and farewell.

We close this circle in love and gratitude as above, so below, and in all life in-between.

[gladstones-corner]

On the Magic Circle, Part 3

This is Part 3 of a three-part post. Part 1 here. Part 2 here.

In Part 1, I gave an example of a simple Circle-casting method.

Part 2 contains prerequisite information to the complex method. That turned out longer than planned, so this final part will detail the complex method without any excess commentary.

COMPLEX METHOD

Declaration of Commencement

Stand in the eastern quarter of your space, facing East. Say "let any and all energies and spirits be made aware that I am about to open the Temple. If you wish to leave, please do so now."

Banishing Ritual

Still facing East, perform your tradition's version of the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. The standard can be found in Essential Golden Dawn, but a Hellenic example can be found here. A Druidic example can be found on the AODA's website.

Strengthening the Circle

Slowly walk clockwise around the edge of your ritual space three times. Imagine the energies left behind after the banishing ritual growing in strength and swirling the space with you. Let the energies form a large, hollow sphere that surrounds your space.

Invoking and Balancing Ritual

If using the SOP as found on the AODA website (see above) then this step can be skipped. Otherwise, do the following:

Stand in the eastern quarter of your space, facing East. Using your hand or a wand, trace a yellow elemental symbol for Air before you. As you do, imagine the sphere filling with the energies of Air and strengthening it.

Move to the southern quarter of your space and face South. Trace a red elemental symbol for Fire before you. Let its energy fill and strengthen the sphere.

Move to the western quarter of the space, facing West. Trace a blue elemental symbol for Water before you. Let its energy also fill and strengthen the sphere.

Finally, move to the Northern quarter of the space and face towards the North. Trace a green elemental symbol for Earth before you. Like all the others, let its energy fill and strengthen the sphere.

Return to the middle of your space and face East. Imagine all four elemental symbols around you, shimmering and balancing until they are all the same size and brightness.

Main Working

Perform your spell, divination, or other magical working here.

Invoking and Balancing Ritual

Once finished working, it's good practice to re-balance the energies of your Circle in preparation for taking it down. It's like the Scout tradition of Leave No Trace, but with magic. Simply repeat the steps above.

Taking Down the Circle

Walk counterclockwise around the edge of your ritual space three times. Imagine the energies moving with you, slowly dissipating outwards as you walk. When finished, there should be no trace of the sphere's energy.

Banishing Ritual

Again, this just really scrubs the area of any lingering traces of energy that you don't want hanging around the space. Just repeat the steps above.

Declaration of Completion

Stand in the eastern quarter of your space, facing East. Say "I now declare this Temple duly closed. I give thanks to all energies and spirits who gave witness and aid. Go now in peace."

And that's it! If you're religiously inclined, you can add prayers during and between steps. I like to shoot for prayers of praise before the working and prayers of thanks after.

Please feel free to take these methods and run with them. I'd love to see how you like them and how you modify them.

As always, stay safe. Blessed be~

[witchy-thongs]

Witchy Topics to Study (General to Niche)

Crystals

Incense

Color magick

Protection/circle casting

Candle magick

Auras

Dream work

Shadow work

Astral projection

Herbology

Ancestor work

Mythology/deities

The fae

Just for those of you (and me) who are looking for some new study areas! :)

[jaguarandleopardcauldron]

[unfortunatelyevent]

aabria iyengar in golden make up, 575 killed, 5386386 injured

[innervoiceartblog]

The Circle is Cast. We are between the worlds. And what happens between the worlds Affects all the worlds.

~ Traditional Circle casting

[jaradraws]

posts for exactly three ppl in the world: two high status failgirls playing sycophantic second fiddle to ungrateful space war criminals become besties

[rosecoloredtarot]

Hola !!! I have a question. In the casting of circle with 5 elements , what do you keep in the place of spirit??

Good question. I've never actually cast it that way, so I haven't really thought about it.

My initial thought would be some kind of statue/figure of a person. Or maybe a tarot card that is significant to you; the High Priestess comes to mind, she is often related to spirituality. I'm sure there are others that fit too. You could use a skull or bones, a crystal, a book, or a lock of hair. If youre religious, maybe a symbol from your religion.

The important part is it feels significant to you. What do you think of when you hear "spirit" and how can you condense that down into an object?

[commsroom]

you're remembering this wrong. (by @hehearse)