Creating Sacred Space

Creating Sacred Space
Casting the Circle:

The actual casting of the circle can be very simple, or very ritualistic. We’ll explore a few different possibilities, but how ever you choose to create your sacred space, remember this...it should reflect something about yourself, it should emanate your individuality. You could do this in how you outline the physical circle itself. For instance, if working out of doors, you would walk about until you come to a spot that speaks to you, and then you might create a circle with tree branches that have been blown to the ground by the wind, or you might mark it with stones. You could also draw it upon the ground with salt or use a rope.

Indoors you can do several things. Some folks use tarot cards to outline the circle, or pictures that mean power to them. Candles, crystals, bowls of herbs, rice or soil can be placed in the north quarter of the circle to represent the element earth. Incense or potpourri can be placed in the east to represent the air. In the southern quarter you might have a candle or handheld mirror representing fire and in the west a chalice of water or a sea shell to represent the element of water. The possibilities should be as unique and endless as your imagination.

Starhawk in her book The Spiral Dance says: "Casting the circle is an enacted meditation. Each gesture we make, each tool we use, each power we invoke, resonates through layers of meaning to awaken an aspect of ourselves. The outer forms are a cloak for inner visualizations, so that the circle becomes a living mandala, in which we are centered."

Traditionally, prior to casting the circle, the space is ritually swept with a besom broom. Since it is used to purify the ritual space it is linked with the element of water. The bristles don’t even have to touch the floor. The area just needs to be lightly swept to get rid of negative energy to promote smoother ritual work.

Some props you might like to have available:

An altar, made of any substance, preferably wood, marking the center of the circle.
An altar cloth, usually black or white, but other colors may be used depending on the work.
A earthenware or silver pentacle, one that can endure heat is always good to have to meet all occasions.
A chalice or bowl to hold water.
A bowl of Salt
Altar candles, (color and number depending on the work planned)
Two figures, one representing the Goddess and one for the God. (Optional)
Athame (ritual dagger)
A censor for incense
A candle snuffer (we don’t blow out candles)
A compass to be able to locate the four cardinal directions (North, East, South and West)

Other items you might need depending on the ritual work that will be done.

The first thing you would need to do is to determine where North, East, South and West are because you will be calling the powers of those directions in to witness your rite. You would do this with your compass. Some begin in the East, others in the North, the direction of the earth which is excellent for grounding. For our purposes here, we will begin in the North.

The altar is usually the center of the circle, but it can be placed in one of the quarters if it is appropriate for the work you intend to do. Usually, if you are practicing with a group, for space sake it is easier to move around and for everyone to see if it’s in the center. Also, when working around the altar, you will only move clockwise (earthwise) around it, not counterclockwise (widdershins). Clockwise is for invoking…widdershins is the direction of banishing as when you banish the circle at the end of the ritual.

Usually casting the circle is done with the athame (ritual dagger) along with some sort of chanting or invocation. The first step would be to consecrate the salt and water. You would place some salt on the pentacle and touch it with the tip of your athame. You might say some words like:

I call upon you oh creature of earth, to protect this circle and aid in my rites. Wherefore do I bless and consecrate thee. So mote it be.

Then insert the tip of your athame into the water and say something like:

I call upon you oh creature of water, to protect this circle and aid in my rites. Wherefore do I bless and consecrate thee. So mote it be.

Put a pinch of the salt in the water and stir it. Place your hand over it saying:

I call upon you oh creature of water and earth to protect this circle and aid me in my rites. Wherefore do I bless and consecrate thee. So mote it be.

Next take your athame and walk deosil (earthwise) around the circle and as you do visualize a bluish light coming from the tip. Visualize psychically the circle being formed. This is one instance where practicing creative visualization becomes a benefit. If you can’t see it...you can’t form it. You may also say something similar to the following as you are walking around the circle:

O THOU CIRCLE, BE THOU A MEETING PLACE
OF LOVE AND JOY AND TRUTH,
A SHIELD AGAINST ALL WICKEDNESS AND EVIL,
A RAMPART OF PROTECTION
FOR ALL WHO STAND HEREIN.
WHEREFORE DO WE BLESS AND CONSECRATE THEE
BY THE HOLY AND SACRED NAMES OF GAIA AND PAN.

(The names used for the Goddess and the God would depend on your chosen tradition and the purpose of the circle.)

Depending on your preference, you would either walk around the circle three times with your athame to cast the circle, or you would walk around once with the athame, the second time with the incense or a candle and the third time with the bowl of consecrated salt water sprinkling the perimeter of the circle with it. As you can see, in casting the circle, all four elements are used...the four elements that all living things are made of...Earth, Air, Fire and Water. In all, you go around the circle three times. Now the circle is cast.

The next step would be to invite the guardians of the four directions to witness the ritual, and the invoke the Goddess and the God’s participation.

O THOU CIRCLE, BE THOU A MEETING PLACE
OF LOVE AND JOY AND TRUTH,
A SHIELD AGAINST ALL WICKEDNESS AND EVIL,
A RAMPART OF PROTECTION
FOR ALL WHO STAND HEREIN.
WHEREFORE DO WE BLESS AND CONSECRATE THEE
BY THE HOLY AND SACRED NAMES OF GAIA AND PAN.

(The names used for the Goddess and the God would depend on your chosen tradition.)

The following are some ideas from Laurie Cabot from her book Power of the Witch.


CASTING A CIRCLE (Laurie Cabot)
1. Remove all animals & small children from the area & any furniture that you do not want to be inside your circle.
2. Set up your altar before you cast your circle.
3. Locate magnetic North with a compass & holding the wand out from your body, go into alpha & see the wand's aura extending out from it, especially at the tip.
4. Visualize the tip of the wand creating a circle of light & energy, like a laser, as you walk clockwise three times around the area. The circumference drawn by the wand's tip will be the edge of your circle. Project white light out from the wand to create the circle as geometrically perfect & say to yourself that it is.
5. Walk the circle the second time around & say out loud: "I cast this circle to protect me/us from all negative & positive energies & forces on any level that may come to do me harm. I draw into this circle only the energies & forces that are right for me & the most correct for my work."
6. Walk the circle the third time & say: "I create sacred space. So mote it be."
7. Invoke the four directions & energies of the elements, angels & powers that reside in them by using the athame, wand, sword or index finger to draw an invoking pentagram as you face each direction. Use a ritual spell of invocation or one you write for yourself.
8. To open a circle hold the wand out over the circumference of the circle & beginning at magnetic North, walk once around the circle counterclockwise as you say, "I send this circle into the cosmos to do my bidding. the circle is undone but not broken."
CASTING A CIRCLE IN A HURRY
Stand, sit or lie, according to the situation. raise energy by tightening your muscles. Visualize it glowing as a ball of purplish-blue flame within you. Using your projective hand, direct this energy out from you into a small magic circle. The hand acts as the energy director. Alternately, send out the energy in a clockwise circle around you without moving your hand. feel the circle shimmering & pulsing. If desired & possible, sprinkle salt &/or water around you to bless the area before creating the circle.

After your circle is cast, it would then be time to proceed with the ritual work you had planned, whether magickal, or to honor the current Sabbat if that was the purpose of the circle.

The one thing to remember is that once the circle is cast, you shouldn’t leave it. If working with a group, this should be discussed with other members in advance, particularly those new to circle; however, should it be necessary for someone to leave the circle, simply take your athame or wand and cut a doorway (counterclockwise direction) to open a space for the person to pass through. Once they have returned, close it (clockwise direction). You want the energy that is raised within the circle to remain there, and you don’t want unwanted energy to enter.

When your work is complete, it is time to banish the circle. First you would bid the Lord and Lady, god and goddess farewell if they were invited to participate. Then you would dismiss the elements, at each of the four quarters formally, or you might just bid them farewell and thanks from the altar.

Traditionally, this might all be done in the following manner:

Face North
HAIL TO THEE,
GUARDIAN OF THE WATCHTOWER OF THE North,
WE THANK THEE FOR THY PRESENCE HERE,
AS GUARDIAN OF OUR CIRCLE
AND WITNESS TO OUR RITE.
GO IN PEACE, O MIGHTY ONE OF THE North,
WITH OUR BLESSING AND OUR THANKS.
HAIL AND FAREWELL!

Face West
HAIL TO THEE,
GUARDIAN OF THE WATCHTOWER OF THE West,
WE THANK THEE FOR THY PRESENCE HERE,
AS GUARDIAN OF OUR CIRCLE
AND WITNESS TO OUR RITE.
GO IN PEACE, O MIGHTY ONE OF THE West,
WITH OUR BLESSING AND OUR THANKS.
HAIL AND FAREWELL!

Face South
HAIL TO THEE,
GUARDIAN OF THE WATCHTOWER OF THE South,
WE THANK THEE FOR THY PRESENCE HERE,
AS GUARDIAN OF OUR CIRCLE
AND WITNESS TO OUR RITE.
GO IN PEACE, O MIGHTY ONE OF THE South,
WITH OUR BLESSING AND OUR THANKS.
HAIL AND FAREWELL!

Face East
HAIL TO THEE,
GUARDIAN OF THE WATCHTOWER OF THE East,
WE THANK THEE FOR THY PRESENCE HERE,
AS GUARDIAN OF OUR CIRCLE
AND WITNESS TO OUR RITE.
GO IN PEACE, O MIGHTY ONE OF THE East,
WITH OUR BLESSING AND OUR THANKS.
HAIL AND FAREWELL!

Note: The above is written for a group. Substitute I and my where appropriate if doing this solitary.

The circle is ended.

Just a note: Usually on a holiday before closing the circle, there would be a period of partaking what is known as cakes and ale. It could be cookies and punch, or muffins and wine, it doesn’t matter. You would consecrate and bless them first and then partake. The leftovers would be left out of doors for the little people or animals to enjoy. What isn’t used is returned gratefully to the earth.

Well, that’s it…the circle in a nutshell. The only thing I will suggest and keep suggesting is that you read as many books as possible. Explore all different traditions and see what feels right to you. You may like a piece from one and something different from another. That’s the beauty of Wicca. You can combine and create anything that feels right and works for you.



Hail and Farewell!