I was about to do a summoning spell but Idon't know how to do any protective circles or wards so that unwanted entities don't slip through. If anyone can teach me or lend some knowledge on how to do this it would be greatly appreciated.
Which tradition are you following for this ritual? That would be the best place to start to learn the specifics of a circle for this specific endeavor.
If it is a Goetic entity, remember: The circle is for the practitioner. The spirit appears in the Triangle of Art. Just an example.
You should probably do a lot more research before summoning anything. There are a ton of really good basic circles and wards online for you to practice with for more basic spells, and as you improve you'll be able to enhance and build upon the wards yourself.
Agreed, start by casting circles and doing shieldings before summoning. [you write the driving test before going on the highway]
There are tons of articles on here and other sites about circle casting, but the steps are the same, Charge energy, direct it towards the ground, walk around in a circle. You can call on whatever you work with to assist in protection. I'll give a basic one I use, but find one that works for you or edit as you see fit:
Start in the East [not everyone starts in the east, find what works for you. I start in the east because I was taught to start in the east. Logistically, I view it as sunrise, start of the day, so start in the east] Raise your hands to the sky, feel the energy enter your body. Say:
Hail to the guardian of the East, of air and intellect. Please watch over my circle and keep it safe from those who wish harm.
Point Athame at the ground [want or finger works too] and visualize/feel the energy leaving your body and shooting into the ground. Walk towards the southern point. Raise your arms and say:
Hail to the guardian of the South, of fire and passion. Please watch over my circle and keep it safe from those who wish harm.
Point to the ground, send energy down, walk to the west. Raise hands and say:
Hail to the guardian of the West, of water and emotion. Please watch over my circle and keep it safe from those who wish harm.
Arm down, visualize/feel energy, continue to the north. Arms up and say:
Hail to the guardians of the North, of earth and stability. Please watch over my circle and keep it safe from those who wish harm.
Direct the energy again and continue to walk in a circle until you feel the circle is there. [I usually chant the song "we are a circle, within a circle, with no beginning and never ended" as I do it. It puts me in a bit of a trance. You don't have to, but you can] When ready, stomp your foot, or tap the ground to signal that the circle is cast.
When you are finished with your circle, walk in the opposite direction [starting in the north] thanking each one, and visualizing/feeling the energy disappearing as you go [thankyou guardian of (element) for watching over me. I wish you well on your journey home in the lands of (direction)] At the very end I go around once or twice more to make sure it's all gone and say "There circle is open, though unbroken. Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again."
If you work with other deities or even other elements, you can change it to suit your needs. What matters is you're comfortable with the casting. When I'm doing something specific [say I'm working with Dragons] I will use a different circle casting. But for your run of the mill "just popping in to say hi" circle, that does the trick [and yes, it is based off the casting from The Craft. It has worked for me for years]
When it comes to summoning, research beforehand. It's better to plan for the worst-case scenario instead of walking into a fire unprepared. When I began, my first book was Wicca for Life by Raymond Buckland. I read that thing cover to cover before trying anything [and even then I had the book at my side] I may not be Wiccan anymore, but I"m grateful for the solid footing. I'm not saying read Wicca for Life, but you should read a good beginner guide for whatever path you follow so you have a basic start point instead of being tossed into the middle of a lake and being told to swim.
