I am a solitary, ecletic neopagan witch. The information I share with you here is gathered and distilled from books, articles, other webpages, other Pagans, other witches, meditations, visionary journeys, and listening to my inner voice. I am not a...
Most rituals and all spell work should begin with the practitioner casting a circle of protection. I also know some psychics and tarot readers who prefer to cast a circle of protection around themselves and anyone they are reading for before opening a reading.
This is a very general outline for the circle casting ritual. Different schools of thought will do it somewhat differently but this is a good all round starting point for any ritual, reading, or spell work.
A circle can be of any size, as long as you don't have to step out of it during the ritual, reading or spell. So if you need a lighter for the candles or other tools, make sure they are in the circle. You can break a circle and step out, if you must, but I find it breaks my concentration.
You may use your fingertip, the end of a stick of burning incense, a candle, or your athame or wand to create a circle. Which you chose would depend on where you are, and what in particular you are going to be working on.
Begin with the words "In the name of the Goddess, I create this circle of white fire." Pointing with your left hand, or holding the athame, wand, etc. in your left hand pointing the tip, walk in a circle, moving clockwise – to your right. Imagine a wall of white flame roaring up from the floor or ground to the tip of your pointer and up to the sky. Hear the flames roar and know that nothing can penetrate this wall.
Sometimes I will chant some of the Goddess' many names as I walk the circle, depending on my purpose.
When you reach your starting point, see the wall sealing shut with you safe in the center. I bow to the Lady. Walking to the right, I return to my altar or working area and proceed with the spell work or reading.
When you have finished, open the circle by going back to the starting point. Insert the tip of your finger of your right hand, or indicator held in your right hand. This time move to your left, counter clockwise, with the words "In the name of the Goddess, I open this circle of white fire." Visualize the flames puffing out as your pointer touches them, opening them like a curtain as you walk the circle back to your starting point again.
Here I always bow and thank the Goddess and all the spirits who have attended my ritual.
"Thank you Beloved Goddess, and all who have attended my call. May you ever be honored in my home"
If you must open a circle to leave, simply use your pointer to "cut a door" into the circle, step through and close it behind you (were you born in a barn, I hear my mother saying). To return, cut a door again and close it behind you again. To close it, just imagine the flames leaping back up with a roar behind you.
If I am going to sit and meditate, chant, or do a tarot reading, and need only a small circle, I will just stand in the center and turn in a circle, my pointer held out at arms length rather than walking a full circle.
This is a very basic technique. Feel free to fancy up or customize as you desire and for your specific use or needs.
Although most witches will have a cleared sacred space for their spell craft, you can create a circle of protection anytime, anywhere and the space within will be sacred space for the period of time you have the circle set.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
