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🕉 Witchcraft 101: Casting the Circle 🕉

Cast the Circle thrice about

To keep unwelcome Spirits out.

Bind it whole, and bind it well

To serve as altar for my spell.

Mark this ground with all my soul

To consecrate with my control.

The sacred Circle is one of the oldest and most powerful tools of witchcraft. The shape of the Circle symbolizes the unity of nature; the unending cycle of life, death, and rebirth; and most importantly, a structure with no corners, no weak spots, no vulnerability. Casting a magick Circle can provide protection, seclusion, power, focus, and a host of other benefits. It is arguably the first piece of magick a witch should learn when exploring ritual work, and it can serve you in an endless number of ways.

In short, a Circle is a place of power designated by a Witch exclusively for a spell or ritual. The Witch consecrates this space with their energy and declares it to be theirs and theirs alone for the duration of the spell. This area is bounded by a physical circle which no energy can cross without the permission of the Witch.

Circles have been utilized by various magickal traditions for thousands of years, and over that time they have taken many different forms. Almost every tradition has a different method for designing a Circle, casting a Circle, and using a Circle. In this post, I will be discussing my own personal method of Circle casting, along with some traditional methods.

What are Circles used for?

Traditionally, a Circle is cast at the very beginning of any ritual. Before any spirits are summoned, before any gods are invoked, perhaps even before any candles are lit, a Witch will cast a Circle around the area they’ll be performing magick in.

When utilized like this, a Circle has three functions:

1) Establishing a Place of Power

A Circle designates a specific area as separate from the world around it. In a way, you are taking this physical space and removing it from space and time. Outside of the Circle the world continues to go about its unending business, but within the Circle, all energy is dedicated towards the completion of the spell.

This aids the witch in achieving the state of gnosis required for the spell. By removing yourself from the human world around you, you are declaring that you are more than human. You are reclaiming a piece of your spiritual godhood, and I find that this is very lucrative for tapping into that special “energy” of magick (if you’ve experimented with deep states of magickal gnosis, you’ll know what I’m talking about).

2) Protection

This is possibly the oldest use of the Circle, which can be traced back to Ancient Greek and Zoroastrian Craft. In some ways, a Circle is the most basic form of a Ward. You are creating an energetic barrier around yourself and your space that prevents any random energies or spirits from wandering into your spell.

Some of the earliest known rituals involving Circles were summonings and evocations. In this function, the magician would enclose themself in a special protective Circle before conjuring a spirit or deity. As long as they remained within the Circle, the being could do them no physical or spiritual harm.

3) Focusing Energy

This function partially relates to the first function I mentioned, creating a place of power. When performing a spell or ritual, you are essentially constructing a special, high-vibrational energy to be released into the universe. Utilizing a Circle helps to encase this special energy, allowing you to freely manipulate it without interference and without the energy dissipating into the environment around you.

How do you cast a Circle?

A precise method for casting a Circle is hard to pin down, just because they are so unique to each individual practitioner, and there are so many different methods that exist already. In general, though, a basic Circle can be cast with three simple steps:

1) Purify the space

Using any preferred method of purification, purify the space you’ll be performing your ritual in of all disruptive energies. One of the most effective and traditional methods is to burn a purifying incense, such as sage, thyme, frankincense, sandalwood, etc.

For those of you who can’t burn incense for whatever reason, this can also be achieved with sound vibrations (singing, ringing bells, etc.), visualization (manually clearing the space with your own energy), spraying herbal water in the area (a common new age type of cleansing), or any other type of purification you may utilize.

2) Mark the Boundary of the Circle

Mark the boundary of your Circle on the ground. This can be done with salt, chalk, a crystal grid, sticks, leaves, oil, water, or any number of other methods. A Circle can also be traced in the ground if you are standing in sand, dirt, gravel, etc.

A common misconception about Circles is that they have to be physically marked on the ground. This simply isn’t true, though. If you lack the materials, space, or ability to physically create a Circle around you, you can also mark the ground with a Circle through visualization.

Close your eyes, and visualize your energy tracing a Circle in the ground around you and your sacred space. A visualization thats often helpful for me is imagining a Circle of fire igniting around me, but use whatever visualization works best for you.

3) Enchant the Circle and Make It Yours

This step is the most unique from practitioner to practitioner. Every Witch does things a bit differently, but essentially, the last step is to consecrate your Circle to protect this space from invasion and to focus the energies within towards your will.

I commonly perform this step with a simple spoken spell that goes something like:

Hear my words, for they are sacred.

Feel my power, for it is manifest.

I consecrate this Circle as my place of power, wherein I and I alone have total dominion.

I mark its border upon the ground, and by my power, I declare that nothing may enter here without my invitation.

As I command, so must it be.

Final Thoughts on Circles

• This is a very simple type of Circle. While it is perfect for keeping out stray energies and weaker spirits (like ghosts or nature energies), it is reliant solely upon your own strength. Depending on how effectively you cast it, it may not be enough to keep out stronger or more malevolent energies.

• A Circle can be strengthened through any number of methods, such as marking its border with charged crystals or designing an intricate Circle using sigilcraft. Research, experiment, and find out what works best for you.

• A very common method of strengthening a Circle is by evoking the Four Elements/Watchers, which I will discuss in a future post.

• After casting a Circle, make sure to invite in any spirits/deities that you evoke in your ritual. If you summon them to you but don’t invite them into your Circle, they may be present but will be unable to interact with you or your spell.

• After completing your ritual working, be sure to unbind/release your Circle. This will deconsecrate the space and release the energy you’ve created into the universe for manifestation.

Be safe, and Happy Witching! 🕉

A Lesson for Young Witches

If you cannot find representations for a given element, remember…

You are supported by a rigid skeleton made of minerals. You are earth.

Your body is over 70% fluid. You are water.

Your lungs take in and expel breath. You are air.

Your blood is warm and your brain runs on electrical impulses. You are fire.

Your essence, however you describe it, resides within you. You are spirit.

You are composed of gifts from every element, and every element is given marvelous life in you.

Never feel that you are insufficiently magical for lack of icons or accoutrements or accessories.

You are ALWAYS magic. You are ALWAYS enough.

ANDREW GARFIELD 2021 | Behind the scenes of Netflix Queue Photoshoot

New Witches: IMPORTANT Tip

Research everything before doing it. Ensure a practice is not closed before doing it. Ensure a tool or item is not closed before doing it. Make sure to only rely on sources who are part of the culture the practice is from.

When something is "closed," this means it is specific to a culture and/or practice, and anyone outside of that culture should not use it. In some cases, someone who is part of the culture can invite you to use that practice, but not often. And don't beg them to either.

"But shouldn't we be sharing?" No. BIPOC cultures have no obligation to share anything. Not after the millennias of oppression, genocide, and worse.

Stealing more of their cultures is racist. It is oppressive. It is perpetuating colonization. Do. Not. Do. It.

When in doubt, don't do it. Find some other way to achieve your goals.

make sure to eat something today! it's important to nourish your body! 🍓

#let nature heal us