magickandthecircle

Magick is mind over matter. It is being aware of your environment (both physical and spiritual) and knowing it well enough to change it. Magick is the art of manipulating consciousness at your will. One might say that magick is only a theory and does not actually exist (as it has not been scientifically proven to exist, or "work"). There are so many forms of magick, so many ways to practise, so many concepts to learn.

Please understand that I've described some simple magickal techniques on some of these pages, and many are "Wiccan" magick techniques that I no longer incorporate into my practise. If you are interested in high magick (the act of elevating the mind and soul to unite with the universal energies, or higher self- however one chooses to see this concept) you are welcome to email me if you want to know a bit more about the techniques I've discovered and developed.

Below is an explanation of casting the circle. Circle casting is simply creating a protective sphere of energy around you and anything involved in your magickal rite- spell or ritual. The circle serves as a protection, nothing more. It does not give you power, doesn't cause your magick to be more successful, etc. It's simply a way to be protected from negative energies of any sort while performing your magickal rites.
I prefer not to cast the circle......it really is not necessary to protect yourself in this way unless you are working with spirits of some form. If you are conjuring, summoning, etc., then yes, I would suggest casting a circle or using some other form of protection. If you are not planning to work this sort of magick, then you really have no reason to protect yourself as such.

During the time I considered myself a Wiccan, I did cast the circle before most magickal rites. Below is an explanation of my way of casting from some years ago, as well as my explanation of rasing energy, and some other random information. This info might prove useful for those of you who are interested in Wiccan magick......

CASTING THE CIRCLE:
I first light my altar candle.

I stand at my altar (mine is the size of a coffee table) facing North. I then walk to the North and stand for a moment. I then walk doesil (clockwise) around my area- a circle about 9 feet in diameter, ending in the North. I then walk back to my altar, facing North, and I begin to visualize a sphere of white light (energy) surrounding me, covering the same area as the circle I "drew" around me- surrounding me, the altar, and giving me some space to move around if needed. The sphere is around me, above me, and below me. I then say, "The circle is cast and I am between worlds." At this point, I would light some incense to honor the god and incense to honor the goddess. I would also say a few words to welcome the god and goddess and ask them to witness my rites. If I plan to ask for the assistance of a particular element, I would do this as well. Each element has a different correspondance and each is called upon for different purposes. I also would have something placed on my altar to represent the particular element. A candle for fire, bowl of water for water, incense for air, a bowl of soil for earth.

RAISING ENERGY

Once the deities and elements have been invited and I am ready to begin the actual spell, I then raise my energy. This is one of the most important parts of spell casting. Raising your energy is bringing forth all your energy inside you and preparing to release it at the end of the spell to go out into the world and create the change you desire. Without raising energy, there can be no change. To do this, I simply stand at the altar and imagine a white light (energy) flowing into my body through the top of my head, as well as up through my feet. I imagine the energy coming together and forming a ball of light at my chest. As I do this, I tense every muscle in my body, focus completely on building up every bit of energy I have, and sometimes say a simple chant. When I feel I have raised all of my energy, I then relax and sit before the altar and proceed with the spell.

After the spell is complete, it is necessary to send out the energy that was raised. This energy is released into the world to create the change you desire. To do this, I stand at the altar and imagine the ball of light at my chest once more. I tense all my muscles and begin to "push" the engery upward. Then, I thrust my arms into the air and exhale, imagining sending this energy out into the air. When this is complete, I then ground and center my energies, thank the god and goddess for witnessing, bid them farewell, and close the circle.

Casting the circle, rasing energy, etc., can all be personalized. Develop your own ways of performing these rites. My ways will not suit everyone. You can create your own circle casting ritual, develop your own technique for rasing and sending out your energies, etc. Your magickal practise will be most effective if you personalize it and make it your own.