Does anyone have any tips/sources on conjuring circles, such as preparation, common tools, or patterns to use, specifically for demon summoning? Any help is welcome, and please feel free to mail me, if you like!
The specific tradition you are following will give you the best guidance. I would start there: Reviewing the methods described in whichever method's books you have been studying and practicing.
That said, beware the images of using a circle to summon anything, if those instructions claim to be Goetic in nature. The Goetia -- the most commonly copied set of works -- describes the magician as using the circle for the magician. The spirit is called and contained within a triangle, outside the circle. Other traditions may vary.
The goal is to be familiar enough with methods -- even do dry runs (not actually calling any entities) through the process until fluent, and surety that every letter is being understood thoroughly beyond the 'what.' KNow the 'why.'
Prsona makes a good point, not only to look into your paths traditional casting, but also practicing casting, and understanding why you cast circle.
I have cast many circles in many variations for years [half my life actually, I'm at the age where I can say that lol] I began following the book [straight up reading from the book at first] then I stepped out a bit to edit down the chant to be easier, then I changed it, then I didn't bother calling quarters but focusing my energy and calling on the spirits around me, after that it was elemental Dragon energies, and now I use one I kind of took from the movie The Craft [it works for me ok?!]
Then there's also marking the circle, candles are my go-to, but I don't always use them. I've used rocks, sand, Dragon statues, crystals, and shells, but I usually go with nothing unless I'm having people over or am spell casting. Otherwise it's just me, and I tend to cast either on my balcony, the whole bedroom, or [if I'm alone and my cats asleep] I take up the living room, and in all instances I know where the circle ends, and I don't need to worry about others stepping 'out of bounds'.
I would try casting a circle and just sitting in it, get the feel for the energy around you. I would also try [provided you just cast a circle to relax in and not call on any energies] try breaking the circle, sitting for a minute, feeling any difference, then closing it back up. [this is something my coven do all the time, even with a list we always forget one item outside the circle] you can 'cut' a hole in it by taking your athame/hand/wand and waving it back and forth in a zig-zag then cutting up, this gives you an opening to exit [try and make it bigger than you] when you are done, zig-zag the other way and cut down to the floor to 'sew' it back up.
But trust me on memorizing the chant, you need to focus/feel the energy forming the circle and pausing to remember a line stops the flow and you need to start over [one time my coven and I were laughing up a storm while casting the circle, took up almost half an hour to do it right]
