Circle Casting (Submitted by Alastar)

Preparation: Prepare the altar with the God and Goddess candles and the supplies for casting the circle. Prepare the perimeter of the circle with the Element candles.

Supplies: Pentacle, silver chalice, athame, wand, salt, water chalice, incense, burner, God and Goddess candles, and the four Element candles.

Casting the Circle

With your magickal athame in your power hand, draw the sacred boundary clockwise from the north. Visualize the bright silver-blue flame emitted from the athame, and say:

I consecrate this Sacred Circle of power to the Elder Gods, the Great Moon Mother and Great Sun Father. I am reborn from the cauldron waters of the Great Mother and the airy breath of the Great Father.

Facing north at the altar, raise your wand. 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 gate between the living and the dead on this day/night of magick. May the God and Goddess help and protect me in all my magickal workings.

Hold your wand over the salt. Say:

Great Moon Mother, bless this creature of Earth. May I always remember and honor this element of the flesh.

Hold your wand over the water. Say:

Great Moon Mother, bless this creature of Water. May I always remember and honor this element of the emotions.

Sprinkle three hefty pinches of salt into the water. Set the water chalice on the pentacle. Light the Goddess Candle. Say:

The Great Mother provides the Earth and Water, and when combined, She manifests. Great Mother, I rejoice in your gifts of life and love. I ask your blessing and your help in dedicating and consecrating this Circle to you and your Lord.

Lift the chalice of water high.

All hail the Elder Gods!

Beginning in the north and moving clockwise, sprinkle the saltwater lightly around the Circle. Replace the chalice on the altar. Hold your wand over the incense. Say:

Great Sun Father, bless this creature of Air. May I always remember and honor this element of intelligence.

Hold your wand over the lighted incense burner. Say:

Great Sun Father, bless this creature of Fire. May I always remember and honor this element of inspiration.

Put a little incense on the lighted charcoal. Place the burner on the pentacle. Light the God Candle. Say:

The Great Father provides the Air and Fire, and when combined, He manifests. Great Father, I rejoice in your gifts of thought and theory. I ask your blessing and your help in dedicating and consecrate this Circle to you and your Lady.

Lift the burner high.

All hail the Elder Gods!

Carry the burner around the Circle clockwise, beginning in the north. Return to the altar and light the green candle in the northern corner, visualize earth or trees or mountains, and greet the element:

I call upon you, O sacred gnomes of Earth and the Northern Quadrant, the element of solidity and practical thought, join me! I call upon the Earth in and about to ground me, to witness this rite, and to guard this Circle.

Light the blue candle in the eastern corner, visualize water, and greet the element:

I call upon you, O sacred undines of Water and the Eastern Quadrant, the element of emotions, join me! I call upon the quality of Water within and about me to control my emotions, to witness this rite, and to guard this Circle.

Light the yellow candle in the southern corner, visualize air or clouds, and greet the element:

I call upon you, O sacred sylphs of Air and the Southern Quadrant, the element of thought, join me! I call upon the qualities of Air within and about me to guide my thoughts, to witness this rite, and to guard this Circle.

Light the red candle in the western corner, visualize fire, and greet the element:

I call upon you, O sacred salamander of Fire and the Western Quadrant, the element of desire and my will, join me! I call upon the qualities of Fire in and about me to supply my inspiration, to witness this rite, and to guard this Circle.

Move back to the altar. Raise your arms in greeting:

Salt and Sea, of ill stay free. Fire and Air, draw all that's fair. Four points of the Circle, weave the spell, North, East, South, West, hark this magickal bell.

Tap the athame against the silver chalice three times to signify and illustrate the full consecration of the Circle.

Three times around the Circle's cast. The three existence circles of the past. Abred, Gwynedd, and Ceugant, Through which with magick my True Will is wrought. Eight words the Witches Creed fulfill: An harm ye none, do as ye will! I thus dedicate and surely consecrate This Circle to the beloved Lord and Lady. So mote it be.

Proceed with your planned magick, ritual, or ceremony. When everything is completed, ground and close the circle.


Closing the Circle

When you are ready to end the ritual, go to the west and extinguish the red candle. Say:

May you go in peace, O Lords of Fire and of the Western Quadrant.

Go to the south and extinguish the yellow candle. Say:

May you go in peace, O Lords of Air and of the Southern Quadrant.

Go to the east and extinguishing the blue candle. Say:

May you go in peace, O Lords of Water and of the Eastern Quadrant.

Finish by going to the north and extinguishing the green candle. Say:

May you go in peace, O Lords of Earth and of the Northern Quadrant.

Return to the altar in the center. Concentrate upon the God Candle and the God in all His forms. Say:

Great Father, in all your aspects of Green Man, Sun God, and Dark Lord, I thank you for blessing me with your presence in my life and in my circle.

Extinguish the god candle. Concentrate upon the Goddess Candle and the Goddess in all Her forms. Say:

Great Mother, in all your aspects of Maiden, Mother, and Dark Crone, I thank you for blessing me with your presence in my life and in my circle.

Extinguish the Goddess Candle. Open the Circle by extending the borders to the infinite to enclose all. Standing in the center of the Circle, point the athame at the north and trace the Circle Widdershins while raising your arm higher until the athame is pointed at the heavens. Do this in an "upward spiral" format pulling the energy of the Circle itself back into the athame. This will open the borders to include oblivion. The powers of manifestation will be released to complete the spell by working in the world around us. Say:

The Circle is open, yet unbroken. Around and through always flows its magickal power. Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again.

Clear the altar of everything except the God and Goddess Candles which are to remain. The rite is done.
 

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