In
modern Paganism, one of the facets common to many traditions is the use of a
circle as a sacred space. While other
religions rely on the use of a building such as a church or temple to hold
worship, Wiccans and Pagans can cast a circle pretty much any place they
choose. Bear in mind that not every
Pagan tradition casts a circle - many Reconstructionist paths skip it
altogether, as do most folk magic traditions.
A magic circle is circle or sphere of space marked out by
practitioners of many branches of ritual magic, which they generally believe
will contain energy and form a sacred space, or will provide them a form of
magical protection or both. It may be
marked physically, drawn in salt or chalk, for example, or merely visualized. Its spiritual significance is similar to that
of mandala and yantra in some Eastern religions.
Traditionally,
circles were believed by ritual
magicians to form a protective barrier between themselves and what they
summoned. In modern times, practitioners
generally cast magic circles to contain and concentrate the energy they believe
to raise during a ritual. Rituals usually
include a combination of meditation, invocations, movement, music and the use
of magical tools. Creating a
magic circle is known as casting a
circle, circle casting
and various other names.
There are
many published techniques for casting a circle, and many groups and individuals
have their own unique methods. The
common feature of these practices is that a boundary is traced around the
working area. Some witchcraft traditions
say that one must trace around the circle clockwise three times. There is variation over which direction one
should start in.
Circles may
or may not be physically marked out on the ground, and a variety of elaborate
patterns for circle markings can be found in grimoires and magical manuals,
often involving angelic and divine names. Such markings, or a simple unadorned circle,
may be drawn in chalk or salt, or indicated by other means such as with a cord.
The four
cardinal directions are often prominently marked, such as with four candles. Some varieties of Wicca use the common
ceremonial color attributions for their quarter candles: yellow for Air in the
east, red for Fire in the south, blue for Water in the west and green for Earth
in the north. Other ceremonial
traditions have candles between the quarters, i.e. in the north-east,
north-west and so on. Often, an
incantation will be recited stating the purpose and nature of the circle, often
repeating an assortment of divine and angelic names.
The barrier
is believed to be fragile, so that leaving or passing through the circle would
weaken or dispel it. This is referred to
as 'breaking the circle'. It is
generally advised that practitioners do not leave the circle unless absolutely
necessary.
In order to
leave a circle and keep it intact, Wiccans believe a door must be cut in the
energy of the circle, normally on the East side. Whatever was used to cast the circle is used
to cut the doorway, such as a sword, staff or athame; a doorway is 'cut' in the
circle, at which point anything may pass through without harming the circle.
This opening must be closed
afterwards by 'reconnecting' the lines of the circle.
The circle
is usually closed by the practitioner after they have finished by drawing in
the energy with the athame or whatever was used to make the circle including
their hand (usually in counter-clockwise). This is called closing the circle or releasing
the circle. The term 'opening' is
often used representing the idea the circle has been expanded and dissipated
rather than closed in on itself.
Find a safe place
to cast your circle. It can be indoors or outdoors, at midnight or
early in the morning. There's no perfect
place to cast. The best place is
somewhere you'll feel comforted and at ease, able to commune in the way you
wish, and in the appropriate way for whatever ritual or ceremony you hope to
perform.
Start by
determining how big your space needs to be. A ceremonial circle is a place in which
positive energy and power are kept in, and negative energy kept out. The size of your circle will depend on how
many people need to be inside it, and what the circle’s purpose is. If you’re hosting a small coven meeting for a
few people, a nine-foot-diameter circle is sufficient. On the other hand, if it’s Beltane and you’ve
got four dozen Pagans preparing to do a Spiral Dance or a drum circle, you’ll
need a space significantly larger. A
solitary practitioner can work easily in a three- to five-foot circle.
Mark the
circle upon the floor or the ground. Place
a candle in each of the four quarters. All
necessary magical tools should already be in place upon the altar in the
center. Once the Circle is designated,
it is usually navigated by the Leader, High Priest or High Priestess, holding
an athame, a candle or a censer. Before
entering the circle, participants are purified as well.
Physically
marking the circle is not needed. White
light is considered symbolic of pure protective energy. To begin, sit quietly with your eyes closed,
imagining a white light surrounding first you and then the area where you are
working. It is easiest to envision this
light as coming from above you as sunlight does. As you see it clearer in your mind, allow the
light to grow brighter, you may begin to feel warmer and the room may seem
quieter or different than when you began. This indicates that you have done it
correctly. Visualization works well for
those working alone or in a small space indoors.
The leader enters the circle from the east
and announces, “Let it be known that the circle is about to be cast. All who enter the Circle may do so in perfect
love and perfect trust.” Other members
of the group may wait outside the circle until the casting is complete. The leader moves clockwise around the circle,
carrying a lit candle or a lighter. At
each of the four cardinal points, she calls upon the Deities of her tradition
(some may refer to these as Watchtowers, Dwarfs or Guardians).
At this
point, the leader will announce that the circle is cast, and other members of
the group can ritually enter the circle. Each person approaches the leader at the east
and states: I enter in perfect love and perfect trust
or In the light and love of the Goddess
or whatever response is appropriate
to your tradition. If you are in a
circle alone this step is skipped.
Once all
members are present within the circle, the circle is closed. At no time during ritual should anyone exit
the circle without performing a ceremonial 'cutting.' You need to create a 'door' in the circle,
which you may now walk through. When you
return to the circle, enter it in the same place you exited, and 'close' the
doorway by reconnecting the line of the circle with the athame.
The ritual
can now be done within the protection of the circle. When the ceremony or rite has ended, the
circle is usually cleared in the same manner in which it was cast; only in this
case the leader will dismiss the Deities or Guardians and thank them for
watching over the group. Pay respect to
whatever deities you invited and thank the elements before you remove their
representative objects. In some
traditions, the temple is cleared simply by having all members raise their
athames in salute, thanking the God or Goddess, and kissing the blades of the
athame.
It’s a basic
framework for ritual and you can make yours as elaborate as you like. If you’re a very poetic person who likes lots
of ceremony, feel free to use creative license. If your tradition associates various deities
with the directions, call upon those Gods or Goddesses in the ways that they
expect you to do so. Talking to your
deities should come from the heart. Just
make sure that you don’t spend so much time casting the Circle that you don’t
have any time left for the rest of your ceremony!
The circle, open,
is not unbroken.
It remains to
protect from what is unspoken.
In perfect love and
perfect trust, we leave to do what we must
Merry we met and
merry we part
Till we meet again with joy in our heart.
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