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Casting a Circle
There are many, many ways of casting and closing the Circle. Here is one that I find very complete. Make sure you choose the deity/angel/spirit you invoke carefully. You don't want to call an Agriculture Deity for a binding spell, nor do you want to invoke demons who might linger on a bit longer than they should!
Casting the Circle
Take your athame (or wand) in your power hand and, beginning and ending in the East, moving clockwise, cast the circle...
Once round, the circle is cast; no harm shall enter here.
Cast the circle a second time... Twice round, the circle is cast; a sacred space to dwell.
Cast the circle a third time.. Thrice round, the circle is cast; Divinity, I welcome thee.
Draw the invoking pentagram... By my will, So Mote It Be!
Return the athame to its place on the altar and light the altar candle. Ring the bell once to signify the circle cast.
Again, take your athame in your power hand. Stand center circle, facing North, in the invoking stance... I, (state name), am the Divine Lady incarnate. I, (state name), am perfectly aligned with Her Lord. I, (state name), am Daughter, Sister, and Witch of (state name of deity to whom you are dedicating).
(The invocation for a male dedicating to the God might be as follows... I, (state name), am the Divine Lord incarnate. I, (state name), am perfectly aligned with His Lady. I, (state name), am Son, Brother, and Witch of (state name of deity to whom you are dedicating).
Use your own discretion and say what feels right to you.) Light the candle of the East, then go to the East gate. Stand in the invoking stance, with athame in hand... Watchtowers of the East, Elementals of Air, Guardians of free thought, I do summon, stir, and call upon you now to witness this rite and guard this circle.
Return to the altar and light the incense...
Powers of Air, residing in the East, I light this incense in offering to you. Welcome to the circle. Blessed Be!
Light the candle of the South, then go to the South gate. Stand in the invoking stance, with athame in hand... Watchtowers of the South, Elementals of Fire, Guardians of primal energy and will, I do summon, stir, and call upon you now to witness this rite and guard this circle.
Return to the altar and light the candle...
Powers of Fire, residing in the South, I light this candle in offering to you. Welcome to the circle. Blessed Be!
Light the candle of the West, then go to the West gate.
Stand in the invoking stance, with athame in hand...
Watchtowers of the West, Elementals of Water, Guardians of emotional realms, I do summon, stir, and call upon you now to witness this rite and guard this circle.
Return to the altar and pour the water offering...
Powers of Water, residing in the West, I pour this liquid in offering to you. Welcome to the circle. Blessed Be!
Light the candle of the North, then go to the North gate. Stand in the invoking stance, with athame in hand...
Watchtowers of the North, Elementals of Earth, Guardians of physical manifestations, I do summon, stir, and call upon you now to witness this rite and guard this circle.
Return to the altar and add offering of herbs... Powers of Earth, residing in the North, I give these herbs in offering to you. Welcome to the circle. Blessed Be!
Return the athame to its place on the altar.
Light the Spirit candle, then stand center circle, facing North,...
As Above, (reach your arms upward)
So Below, (reach your arms downward)
Spirit unites the whole. (cup your hands together, outstretched from heart)
Spirit Without, (reach your arms outward)
Spirit Within, (cross your arms over your chest)
Spirit never ends. (draw a circle in front of you with your fingertips starting at the top and meeting at the bottom)
Take the athame in your power hand once more and take the invoking stance center circle...
As your Witch, (state deity), and as a Witch of the One Power, I call on you to join me in this circle, to guide me in this work, to bless these rites. Thank you God/dess.
Blessed Be!
CLOSING THE CIRCLE
Stand at the East gate, arms outstretched...
Watchtowers of the East, Elementals of Air, thank you for joining this circle. Go if you must, stay if you will; I bid you farewell.
With the index finger of your power hand, draw the banishing pentagram. Return to altar and extinguish the candle of the East. Stand at the South gate, arms outstretched...
Watchtowers of the South, Elementals of Fire, thank you for joining this circle. Go if you must, stay if you will; I bid you farewell.
With the index finger of your power hand, draw the banishing pentagram. Return to the altar and extinguish the candle of the South. Stand at the West gate, arms outstretched...
Watchtowers of the West, Elementals of Water, thank you for joining this circle. Go if you must, stay if you will; I bid you farewell.
With the index finger of your power hand, draw the banishing pentagram. Return to the altar and extinguish the candle of the West.
Stand at the North gate, arms outstretched...
Watchtowers of the North, Elementals of Earth, thank you for joining this circle. Go if you must, stay if you will; I bid you farewell.
With the index finger of your power hand, draw the banishing pentagram. Return to the altar and extinguish the candle of the North.
Stand center circle, facing North...
As Above, (arms raised up)
So Below, (arms pressed down)
Spirit unites the whole. (hands cupped together outstretched from heart)
Spirit Without, (arms pressed outward)
Spirit Within, (arms crossed over chest)
Spirit never ends. (draw a circle with fingertips starting at the bottom and meeting at the top) (This is a reversal of the process used when opening the circle.)
Return to the altar and extinguish spirit candle.
Take athame in power hand and uncast the circle...
By my Lady and Her Lord, by (state deity), I hereby close this circle and give thanks for the work that is done.
Return the athame to its place on the altar. Stand center circle with arms outstretched...
Go if you must, stay if you will; I bid thee farewell. May the circle be open but not unbroken; may the love of the Goddess be ever in your heart. Merry meet, and merry part, and merry meet again.
Extinguish all candles (except dedication candle, which you should allow to burn fully down).
With athame in power hand, draw the banishing pentagram...
By my will, So Mote It Be!
Follow with wine and cakes, or whatever celebration you see fit.
CASTING THE CELTIC CIRCLE
Taking your athame or using your power finger, move clockwise from the east drawing a boundary. While you are drawing the circle, say: I consecrate this circle of power to the Ancient Gods. Here may they manifest and bless their child. Move back to the altar, facing east. Raise your wand or dagger in greeting, say: This is a time that is not a time, in a place that is not a place, on a day that is not a day. I stand at the threshold between the worlds, before the Veil of the Mysteries. May the Ancient Ones help and protect me on my magical journey.
Set the water chalice on the pentacle disk. Hold your athame over it and say: Great Mother, bless this creature of Water to your service. May I always remember the cauldron waters of rebirth. Hold the athame over the salt and say: Great Mother, bless this creature of Earth to your service. May I always remember the blessed Earth, it's many forms and beings. Sprinkle a little salt in the water, then hold the chalice up high, and say: Great Mother, I give you honor!
Begining in the east and moving clockwise, sprinkle the water-salt mixture lightly around the edges of the circle. Replace the chalise on the altar. Now hold your athame over the lighted incense burner, saying: Great Father, bless this creature of Fire to your service. May I always remember the sacred Fire that dances within the form of every creation. Hold the dagger over the incense, saying: Great Father, bless this creature of Air to your service. May I always listen to the spirit winds that bring me the voices of the Ancient Ones.
Touch the incense burner briefly to the pentacle disk, then raise the incense burner high, saying: Great Father, I give you honor. Carry the burner around the circle clockwise, beginning in the east. Return to the altar. Go to the eastern quarter of the circle. Light the red (yellow) candle and hold your hand (or use your athame, wand, or sword) up in greeting: I call upon you, Powers of Air, to witness this rite and guard this circle. In the southern quarter , light the white (red) candle and greet the Element: I call upon you, Powers of Fire, to witness this rite and guard this circle. Move to the west and light the grey (blue) candle and hold up your hands in greeting: I call upon you, Powers of Water, to witness this rite and guard this circle. End up by going to the north; light the black (green) candle and greet the Element: I call upon you, Powers of Earth, to witness this rite and guard this circle.
Move back to the central altar, and stand facing east. Raise your hands in greeting: This circle is bound, With power all around. Between the worlds, I stand With protection at hand.
To take down:
Once you have finished your spellwork, hold your hand or athame over the altar and say: By the powers of the Ancient Gods I bind all power within this circle into this spell. So mote it be. When you are ready to end the ritual, go to the east and extinguish the red (yellow) candle and say: Depart in peace, O Powers of Air. My thanks and blessings. Go to the south and extinguish the white (red) candle and say: Depart in peace, O Powers of Fire. My thanks and blessings. Go to the west and extinguish the grey (blue) candle and say: Depart in peace, O Powers of Water. My thanks and blessings. Finish by going to the north and extinguishing the black (green) candle; say: Depart in peace, O Powers of Earth. My thanks and blessings. Return to the altar in the center and say: To all beings and powers of the visible and invisible, depart in peace. May there always be harmony between us. My thanks and blessings. Cut the circle with a backwards movement of your athame or sword to release all remaining traces of power for manifestation. Say: The circle is open, yet it remains a circle. Around and through me always flows its magical power.
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