Witchykitten's Collection of Spells

Circle Casting

Source: www.bewitchingways.com

Sacred Circles are a must for any spell or ritual work. The purpose of a circle is to contain the energy you are raising until you chose to release it. It also works well at keeping negative energy out.

A circle is regarded as a space "between the worlds," neither in this world nor yet in the next. It is a place to commune with the deity and be at one with the gods. (Raymond Buckland)

The circle is constructed with personal power which is felt (and visualized) as a stream from the body through the Athame and out into the air. When completed, the circle is a sphere of energy which encompasses the entire work area. (Scott Cunningham).

There are several ways to cast a circle. You can write an all-purpose one or you can refine it to fit the specific work you are doing. There are circle calls for specific spell work, rituals, healing etc.

Although referred to as a circle, what most Witches deal with is really a sphere, a 3-D circle. You want your energy to be protected from all points.

Some believe that a proper circle should be 9 feet across. But for those of us city dwellers with apartments, that's not always possible. As long as the circle is big enough to encompass your work area, you are good to go.

Before you begin to cast your circle, always make sure that you ground and centre. The main goal is to connect yourself with the energy of the Earth and your surroundings. If you don't properly ground, you will be using your own energies and this can get very draining very fast. It also helps you mentally prepare for the work your are about to do.

There are several ways to do this. My personal favourite is the tree method. There are many variation, but the basic principle is this. Imagine yourself as a tree, your legs are the roots and they draw up the energy from the Earth into your legs and up your body. The energy then sprouts from the top of your head and your hands (your branches) as it flows down to the ground, completing the circle. It's best to really get the energy flowing before starting.

Once you are ready, it's time to cast the circle. Click here to see some sample circle castings. As always, feel free to modify them in any way.

Once a circle is cast, it is best not to open it until all work is done. But, life is not perfect and there will be times you need to exit the circle. To do this, you must create a door. A simple way is to take your athame, sword or wand and cut a doorway. Some Witches automatically create a door when casting a circle and then place their besom at the base of the door.

And remember that every circle must always be reopened and all energies must be grounded when you are finished. A good way to ground energy is to go back to the tree scenario. This time, instead of drawing up the energy, send all the extra magickal energy back into the Earth. Excess energy can also be stored in a tool for future use.