Casting a Circle

Here is the Circle Casting ritual that I put together. It is pieced together from many souces both online and off. Bits and pieces are mine. The one thing I can claim as mine is how the pieces are put together. Let me know what you think.

A GENERAL RITUAL OUTLINE

All steps included for Sabbat, Esbat or Working. The rituals that you write for yourself will always have the most power. Use your "power hand" (usually the one you write with) in your work. When moving about within the Circle, always move deosil except when taking up the Circle or for removing negativity. Some people say dismiss the elements widdershins as well. How you do each step is up to you. Try rearranging some of them until they feel right to you. Of course not all steps are needful and everyone does things in their own special way and order. Don't be afraid to toss out what feels unnecessary.

Pre-Ritual Preparation:

Define Purpose for Ritual (Sabbat, Esbat, Working)
Write/Research Ritual
Gather Necessary Tools and Materials
Clean and Prepare Circle Area and Equipment

Gather the equipment you will need, and clean/clear the area you wil be using. Any place can be transformed into sacred space, by pushing the furniture in a room to the walls or by selecting an empty spot in the woods or on a beach. Mark the Circle with chalk. Have the Quarter candles and altar in place prior to the ritual or ceremony, with the altar set up in the center of the Circle so that the practitioner faces North, and the Quarter candles in each Cardinal direction. Decorate the Quarters with symbols relevant to the appropriate element - a feather for Air, a lamp for Fire, a shell for Water, and a rock for Earth. The besom should be propped against the right side of the altar with bristles up so that the magick doesn't fall out. No candles should be lit at this time. After all is set up, face North and hold your hands over the altar, saying, "I cleanse and consecrate these tools in preparation for this night's work. May no evil or negativity abide in them. May the blessings of the Horned Lord descend upon this altar and all these things. As I will it, So Mote It Be."

Cleanse and Prepare Body and Mind (Cleansing and Centering)

You need to prepare for a ritual by cleansing yourself both physically and psychically. This is done by taking a ritual bath, donning your robe and ritual jewelry, and spending some quiet time in meditation. This will allow you to be calm and centered before the ritual begins. Going into a Circle with a clean body and clean robe is also a way of showing respect to the Great Stag. This bath is intended to cleanse away mundane thoughts and worries and prepare you mentally for ritual. You can bless the Water with the four elements and/or add magickal herbs to the bath, such as basil, fennel, lavender, rosemary, thyme, and vervain. Brushing your teeth before ritual is another way of making a distinction between the saced acts you are about to perform and the rest of your day. Take a few moments now to review what it is that you want to do. Take a taper and lighter with you, and light the taper before you leave the bathroom.

Ritual Preparation:

Processonal

The Processional is your candle-lit walk through the house, from the bathroom to the place where your altar is laid out. Walk slowly, solemnly and rhythmically, with your breathing, your heart and your thoughts centered on your purpose for the coming ritual. Once you reach the ritual area, light the outer-circle candles.

Cleanse the Circle Area

Sweep the Circle cleansing it of unwanted influences. This is done by sweeping around the Circle three times, deosil, with the besom. While the Circle is being swept direct your energies to sweeping the Circle clean of all negativity. As you work, say, "As I sweep, may the besom chase away all negative and chaotic energies from within this Circle that it may be cleansed and made ready for this night's work. As I will it, So Mote It Be." The Circle is then ritually cleansed and purified with the four elements in order to make ready a place for the powers of those elements to enter. Perform an elemental purifiacation before the Circle is cast. Carry each elemental tool from your altar deosil around the Circle, starting with Air (incense) in the East, Fire (a candle) in the South, Water in the West, and Earth (soil or salt) in the North, lighting incense and candle, and filling the salt dish and water cup in turn. The tool is raised in salute as you pass each of the Quarters. Replace each tool on the altar upon completion.

Cast the Circle

Stand before the altar. Raise your arms and say, "All hail Lord Cernunnos! The Circle is about to be cast. I freely stand within to greet my Lord. May He manifest and bless His child." Now disrobe, placing your robe outside the Circle area. Begin casting the Circle. The Circle may be cast using any of the "masculine" tools, like the athame, wand, or staff. Holding the ritual tool in your power hand and beginning in the Eastern Quarter of the area to be Circled, aim the selected tool at the ground or floor while visualizing an intense silver-blue flame shooting our from the point and forming the Circle boundary. "Draw" a Circle deosil (clockwise) around the area prepared for the ritual three times. The first Circle is made with the selected tool pointed to the ground level, then to waist level, and then raised above the head level. The flame should overlap the ends in the East when you finish. While the Circle is being cast, visualize an increasing amout of protection in the form of a sphere. As you do so, say, "I conjure thee, O Circle of Power. Become a boundary between the mundane world and the sacred space within. I cast this Circle to protect me from all harm. I cast this Circle as a container for the power I raise. I cast this Circle and invite in only the most perfect spirits. I cast this Circle and create a sacred space, a temple between the worlds. Only love shall enter in and only love shall leave it." When you finish the third Circle, hold up your tool and seal it by saying, "As above, so below. This Circle is sealed. I shall not leave it but with good reason until the Circle is cleared. As I will it, So Mote It Be."

Leaving the Circle

Once the Circle is cast do not leave it until it is dispersed, with the sole exception of an emergency. If you really must leave the Circle, you must create a doorway. To do this, you must cut a door in the Circle. You can cut a doorway anywhere around the perimeter of the Circle, but it is traditionally done in the northwest. Using your athame, outline an archway at the perimeter of the Circle. Cut from left to right. Imagine as you do so that the energy draws back around it so that it creates a portal. Seal the opening with the sign of the pentagram drawn with the athame. Remember that your invited guests are waiting there for you, so you should politely excuse yourself. Lay the athame on the ground across the threshold, blade pointed outward, and step out of the Circle. Return as promptly as possible, otherwise end the ritual and begin anew at a better time. When you re-enter the Circle, pick up the athame and retrace the archway in reverse, from right to left. Imagine the portal closing in on itself and sealing once again. Again seal the opening with the sign of the pentagram.

Consecrate the Circle Area

Bless and consecrate the Circle with sage. Frankincense or other types of incense can also be used, but don't just grab any old stick of incense for your Circle. Know what is in it, and know the magickal significance of each ingredient. Incense is also considered to be an offering to the gods and/or a means for carrying messages to the gods. Place the incense in the censer and carry it deosil around the Circle starting in the East, swinging it from side to side as you walk. Say, "I consecrate this Circle of Power in the name of the God Cernunnos. Let this aroma and smoke purify the atmosphere within the Circle that it may be pleasing and welcoming." Once done, return to the altar and place the censer on it. Raise your arms and say, "This Circle is conjured a Circle of Power that is purified and sealed. As I will it, So Mote It Be."

Consecrate Self

Once the Circle is cast, annoint yourself with special oil. Anointing is usually done by dipping a finger in the oil and drawing a pentagram on the forehead (third eye) or over the heart. Remember: essential oils are highly concentrated and should be diluted with a vegetable oil before using or they can burn or cause allergic reactions. Alternatively you could asperge (sprinkle) yourself with some other special preparation such as blessed and prepared holy water. Say, "I, (say your name), am now consecrated in the name of the God Cernunnos, in His sacred Circle. Blessed be."

Calling the Quarters

Calling the Quarters invites the spirits of each direction and element into the Circle. Really feel the characteristics of each element as you invite them in. Light a taper from the altar candle.

Go to the East Quarter candle and light it with the taper. Facing East raise your athame and say, "Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East. Powers of Air and invention. Hear me!"
Go to the South Quarter candle and light it with the taper. Facing South, raise your athame and say, "Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South. Powers of Fire and feeling. Hear me!"
Go to the West Quarter candle and light it with the taper. Facing West raise your athame and say, "Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West. Powers of Water and intuition. Hear me!"
Go to the North Quarter candle and light it with the taper. Facing North raise your athame and say, "Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North. Powers of mother and Earth. Hear me!"

Extinguish the taper and set it down. Looking skyward raise both arms, athame in hand, in welcome and say, "I, (say your name), do summon, stir and call you forth to witness my rites, guard my Circle, and aid me in my magickal workings here tonight. As I will it, So Mote It Be."

Deity Invocation

At this point of the ritual, you will call upon the God to enter the Circle. Pour some wine into the goblet. Pour some of the wine into the libation dish from the goblet, saying, "To the Lord." Then raise the goblet and say, "O Mighty Cernunnos, I invoke thee and call upon thee, Great Horned One, Ancient God of the forest deeps, brother of all creatures wild and free, I invite thee to join me in this sacred Circle to witness and bless these mystic rites which I perform in Thy honor tonight. Enter this Circle in peace, make an altar of my body, and grant me wisdom and guidance as I perform my rites. Be with me to guide me and guard me in all things I do within this Circle and without. Hail and Welcome Lord Cernunnos. Blessed Be." Take a sip of the remaining wine and return the goblet to the altar. Light a taper from the altar candle and use it to light the God candle to signify His arrival. Light any remaining candles on the altar as well as the incense.

Ritual:

Statement of Purpose

When finished, return to the altar and stand before it. Pick up your wand and draw an infinity symbol in the air above the altar. Lay down the wand. Ring the bell, open your Book of Shadows and light the altar candle. Rase your arms and say,"Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the Four Quarters! Hail to thee, Great Stag o' the Wood! The bell is rung. The book is open. The candle is lit. The Circle is cast. The ritual is begun. In this time that is not a time, in this place that is not a place, on this day that is not a day, I stand at the threshold between the worlds, beyond the bounds of time, where night and day, birth and death, joy and sorrow meet as one. I stand here this night before the veil of mysteries with love and power all around, to (state the purpose of your ritual - to celebrate a Full Moon, New Moon, Samhain, for Healing, for a Handfasting, for spellwork, etc), and to work such magick as I require at this time."

Actual Working

This is where you work magick. It may include all, some, or none of the following:

Meditation A guided medtiation
Hymn/Song - Your Hymn/Song may be you singing or playing an instrument or playing a favorite song on the CD player
Enactment/Litany - Your enactment may just be a formal or informal speech you have written about that particular sabbat, nothing more. Or it could be a dramatization of a scene from mythology. It is at this time that you would celebrate the season with ritual drama.
Manual or Visualization Tasks

Raise Energy/Dance/Chant

Raising the Cone of Power is done by dancing and chanting or singing. Raise the Cone of Power by dancing deosil aroung the magick Circle while reciting a chant or singing a round. The power is described as psychically tangible, shaping itself in a Cone with the dancer in the Circle at the base and the point reaching up to the sky. The dance continues until you feel it is time to stop. The use to which the energy is put is called the "work" of the ritual.

Focus/Direct Energy
Send Energy

Raise your arms into the Goddess position to release and send the energy you have raised. Pull your solar plexus in and imagine the energy flowing out of your hands into the universe. The energy raised in the Cone of Power is directed into a practical use, such as the consecrating of a place, divination or healing, blessing the land, crops, or animals, attracting good fortune, or any other magickal work. When you feel you have released as much energy as you can, lower your arms into the God position to be open to any messages about the spell. Say, "Done and done."

Grounding of Any Remaining Energy

Lastly, when all spells are done, reach toward the floor and ground any remaining energy, returning it to the Earth for the planet's own healing.

Conscrate and Dedicate Cakes and Wine

Hold the gobet of wine up and say, "From the sun to the vine, from the vine to the berry, from the berry to the wine. This brew is blessed in the sacred name of Cernunnos. As I will it, So Mote It Be." Hold the plate of cakes up and say,"From the moon to the stalk, from the stalk to the grain, from the grain to the bread. This bread is blessed in the sacred name of Cernunnos. As I will it, So Mote It Be."

Consume the Cakes and Wine

Eat the cakes and drink the wine, remembering to place some of each in the libation dish.

Blessings/Benediction:

Thanks/Farewell to the God

When all is done, it is time to say farewell to the God as He departs the Circle, although there is a sense in which the God is always with us and never truly departs. Say, "Lord Cernunnos, I thank you for joining me in this Circle, and ask - if it be your will - that you depart now in peace until next we meet again. Hail and farewell!" Extinguish the God candle to signify His departure.

Dismissal of Quarters

Thank the elements and say goodbye to them. Walk widdershins (counter-clockwise) from North to East. Face each direction in turn and say, "O ye Guardians of the Watchtowers of the (East, South, West, North), ye Guardians of (Air, Fire, Water, Earth), I do thank you for attending this night's rite, and ere you depart to your pleasant and lovely realms I bid you hail and farewell." Then extinguish the Quarter candle to signify the Guardian's departure.

Clear/Open the Circle

At this point the magick Circle is undone. Start in the East and walk widdershins (counter-clockwise) around the Circle, chanting, "May the Circle be open but unbroken. May the peace of the Horned One be ever in my heart. Merry meet, and merry part, and merry meet again." Visualize the Circle sinking back into the Earth. Return to the altar. Ring the bell. Close your Book of Shadows. Quench the altar candle. The Circle is formally eneded with the words, "The bell is rung. The book is closed. The candle is quenched. The Circle is cleared. The ritual is ended. As I will it, So Mote It Be."

Post Ritual:

Clean Altar
Libation

Be sure to return a little of your wine and a piece of your cake (libations) to the Earth by placing it under a tree or burying it if possible. Hold the bowl out to each Quarter, saying, "I honor thee, spirits of the (East, South, West, North). I honor the Spirits of my ancestors (hold the bowl out in front of you). I honor the spark of all life (hold the bowl out in front of you). From perfection to perfection this gift is given. As I will it, So Mote It Be." (Pour the contents of the bowl into the prepared hole and recover it).

Any Remaining Cleaning