Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear Friends,

From time to time I like to take a moment to step back and reflect on the basic elements of our craft. Those of you who have been practicing for many years have probably cast so many circles that you could literally do it in your sleep. Novice witches naturally often feel a bit unsure and intimidated about performing their first rituals. Taking the time to carefully cast a circle does wonders for your energy level, concentration and ritual’s power. In addition, a properly cast circle is important for keeping negative and unwelcome energies out of your ritual or spellwork.

Casting a circle does not always have to be done with extravagant invocations and a bag full of tools, though it certainly can be. I know many witches who cast their circles with just chalk, salt, incense, soil, or even by simply envisioning the circle with no physical representation at all. As with many things, the methods that you choose to create your circles will likely be highly individualized and may often depend on the type of ritual or spell you are performing. You may have to experiment with different types of circles before finding what works best to enhance your individual power and concentration.

Circles are opened deosil (clockwise) and closed widdershins (counter-clockwise) when your work is complete. For a solitary practitioner, a three- to five-foot-diameter circle is sufficient for most spellcraft. If you are practicing with your common or a larger group the size of the circle will need to be adjusted accordingly.

Rituals for casting and opening the circle vary among practitioners and covens, but most typically begin at the North, drawing to the East, South and West before finally drawing back up to the North to seal the circle.

One of my favorite circle-casting incantations is:

Guardians of the North, I call upon you
to watch over the my rites.
Powers of endurance and strength, guided by Earth,
I ask that you keep watch over me
tonight within this circle.
Let this circle be cast under your guidance
in perfect love and perfect trust.

Guardians of the East, I call upon you
to watch over my rites.
Powers of knowledge and wisdom, guided by Air,
I ask that you keep watch over me
tonight within this circle.
Let this circle be cast under your guidance
in perfect love and perfect trust.

Guardians of the South, I call upon you
to watch over my rites.
Powers of energy and will, guided by Fire,
I ask that you keep watch over me
tonight within this circle.
Let this circle be cast under your guidance
in perfect love and perfect trust.

Guardians of the West, I call upon you
to watch over my rites.
Powers of passion and emotion, guided by Water,
I ask that you keep watch over me
tonight within this circle.
Let this circle be cast under your guidance
in perfect love and perfect trust.

Use whatever incantation speaks to you as you call upon the elements. Many witches choose to use various magickal tools, such as a wand, staff, athame or candle while pouring energy into the opening of the circle. You may choose to light a candle at each of the four points of the circle. These can be color coded to represent the elements: Brown or green for the North (Earth), yellow or white for the East (Air), red for the South (Fire), and blue for the West (Water). Other witches choose to place physical representations of the elements at each of the four points, such as soil or a stone for Earth; incense or a feather for Air; an oil burner, candle or lantern for Fire; and a bowl of water or a piece of ice for Water. Again, do what feels right to you for the particular ceremony or spell you are performing.

To close my circles, I typically begin at the North again and close widdershins (counter-clockwise) while imagining the energy shrinking back around the circle. I stop at each point and vocalize a short thanks to the element for blessing my circle and aiding my magick. Of course, if you are more comfortable thinking this “thank you” to yourself, rather than saying it aloud, by all means do so.

I hope this has been a good refresher for all of you on the various ways and importance of casting our circles. As always, if you perform your casting with love and the absence of fear and negativity your work should be a success!

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”