CIRCLE BASICS
The circle is the sacred space in which magick is
worked, where Witches can meet with the Goddess and God. The word
"circle" may be misleading, though, because actually what you are
creating is a sphere that encompasses all participants and the altar.
The Circle is formed with personal power that is felt and visualized as coming from your power hand (the one you write with), athame, or wand, to form a sphere of energy around you. Most like to "mark" their circle on the ground or floor prier to casting (see blow for some ideas). Once the energy is coming through, walk the Circle three times deosil, (clock-wise) while envisioning the energy trailing after you to form the Circle. When you are done making the Circle, shake your hand to shut off the energy flow. Next you can call the Quarters. There are many types of Quarters. Some of which are; Angels, Elementals (completely different from "Element energies"), Watchtowers, Fairy, Element energies (completely different from "Elementals") etc. You should use the one you feel the most comfortable with, and the one with whom you feel affinity toward. To call the Quarters, you should imagine a door allowing the Quarter to come in and guard your Circle. All quarter energies should be thanked and released in the same manner they were called.
AN EXAMPLE
Here is an example of the one type of quarter call used during New Moon rituals.
As each quarter is called, you face that direction and hold out your
athame, wand, with both hands, feeling the energy from that element
flowing into your body, you would say:
To the East, I invite the powers of Air
To blow out the old and bring in the new
on your winds of change
To the South, I invite the powers of Fire
To burn away regrets
And shine your gentle rays upon me for growth
To the West, I invite the powers of Water
To cleanse me of negativity
And purify my thoughts
To the North, I invite the powers of Earth
Let your renewing strength bury all ills
And open new paths before me
Remember!!! When you are
finished with your spell or ritual, release the circle exactly opposite of the
way you cast it. Pull the circle back into your athame or whatever tool you used
in your casting, and release and thank any spirits or
elementals you called.
There are literally thousands of ways to call quarters and cast circles. This is just an overview, because it's always best to figure out what works for you. I enjoy element energies, but you might have an affinity for something else.
WAYS TO MARK YOUR CIRCLE
Stones: Create your circle out of white stones or
pebbles for protection. This works great on a flat surface. For healing, paint the
white stones with a light blue to enclose around yourself and meditate within. While meditating, place a crystal before you to help amplify the
healing.
Flowers: To draw love to yourself or for a meditation
on loving yourself, surround yourself with red rose petals. To cleanse your mind
and to rid bad blocks from a previous bad relationship, surround yourself with white rose petals. For calming and relaxing, surround
yourself with chamomile flowers. For energy and strength, use
dandelions.
Shells: Shells symbolize fertility and creation. If you wish to become pregnant, either with child or with ideas, sit within a circle of shells and meditate/relax.
Circles for Sleep time: For those of us who have nightmares, consider circling your bed with herbs. One night, I was getting terrible visions and so I circled my bed with salt and the visions went away and I was able to sleep. Some herbs you can use are: Bay Laurel, St. John's Wort, Basil, Fennel, and even pepper.
For the Home: Circle your home with salt, if possible, to provide protection from outside negativity.
Seeds and Nuts: Create your circle out of seeds or nuts
if your desire is to begin/create/or give birth. Surround yourself with almonds to help
arouse mental abilities. Lemon seeds can be used in healing meditations
and for cleansings. Use Juniper berries for protection. Apple seeds for love. After you are finished with your meditation, take the seeds or nuts and
bury them into the Earth.
NOTES
1) As a general rule: if you're practicing Magick then Cast a Circle, if not, then don't Cast a Circle.
2) The message is that creativity and responsibility go hand in hand for Circle Casting.
3) Do not be "uptight" if you mess-up, just continue on....the gods understand :)
4) Keep it simple to start with, there will be plenty of time for the more dramatic as you progress
5) Tools are great, but they are just that tools. You are the magic. Your tools will be presented to you, either bought or hand made by you, as you need them
In is towards the center of the circle.These are also the standard directions for handling power in magical activity. When you are in the circle, power flows deosil unless you are seeking a reducing or negative effect.
A "negative effect" is not always a
"curse". For example, you can seek to improve health or you can seek
to banish illness. The end result is the same, but you work deosil during a
waxing or full moon, and widdershins during a waning or new moon.
The "cardinal points" of the circle are the 4 points where the 4 main compass directions (east, south, west, north) intersect with the outer boundary of the circle.
Each cardinal point is connected to a specific elemental power and is represented by a color and element. When invoking these powers, a "gift" indicative of this element is offered.
South: Represents the power of Fire. Its' color is Red. When invoking this power, you could use a burning brazier or a large red candle.
West: Represents the power of Water. Its' color is Blue. When invoking this power, you could use your chalice or a bowl of water.
North: Represents the power of Earth. Its' color is Black. When invoking this power, you scould use a bowl of salt or dirt. (iv used deep blue here because, well, black isn't going to show on this black background :)
References:
The Craft
Silver Ravenwolf's "To Ride A Silver
Broomstick" & "To Stir a Magick Cauldron" (advanced study)