If you’re new to Wicca, chances are you’ve heard, read, or seen a lot about “circles” and casting them! Before you get the image of the small child tossing a wooden hoop down the dirt road, let us steer you toward something much more beautiful!

Do I need to cast a circle to do spells?

Wondering why you need to cast a circle? Click here to find out!

Basic Wiccan Protection Circle Cast

Use this circle to keep yourself protected and contain your shifted energies while meditating, spellcasting, working, or crafting. Be sure you have everything you need for your spell inside, as it’s not recommended that you leave your circle until your work is done.Items Needed:

• Cord, Candles, Stones, Sand, Salt, or Chalk (optional)
• Sage Smudge Stick (or Palo Santo)
• Athame, Wand, Your Power Finger, or Your Index and Middle Finger together
• Everything you need for your spell, work, or meditation.

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Cleanse + Prepare your Space with a Smudge Stick

This creates pure energy for you to use for your spell.

1. Create a physical circle, optional: Outline the edge of your circular space with cord, lit candles, stones, sand, salt, or chalk. Traditionally, a circle for one person is 9 feet wide; however, you can cast your circle to be any size you’d like, as long as you and your items fit inside of it comfortably.
2. Smudge the East: Light your smudge stick and travel to the East. Hold your smudge stick high, and draw a line straight down. Say, “I cleanse the space to the East.”
3. Smudge the South: Travel to the South. Hold your smudge stick high, and draw a line straight down. Say, “I cleanse the space to the South.”
4. Smudge the West: Travel to the West. Hold your smudge stick high, and draw a line straight down. Say, “I cleanse the space to the West.”
5. Smudge the North: Travel to the North. Hold your smudge stick high, and draw a line straight down. Say, “I cleanse the space to the North.”
6. Smudge the spaces between: Walking clockwise only, make your way to the center of your space by traveling in a clockwise spiral. Say, “I cleanse all spaces between.”
7. Smudge your Self: Standing in the center of the circle, pass the smudge stick around your body, being sure to cleanse every space and part of your body with the sage smoke. Say, “I cleanse my Self.”
8. Extinguish your smudge stick. Say, “Myself and this space are pure and cleansed.”

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Cast the Circle

This uses Universal energy to create a sphere of protective energy around you, sealing in the pure energy. Make sure you have everything you need before you cast your circle.

1. Draw Down the Energy: Stand in the center of your space, facing East. Point your power/dominant hand and tool towards the ground at the boundary of your circle. Point your recessive index finger towards the Universe. Imagine a white or ultraviolet light coming down from the Universe, through body and to your other hand. See the light exiting your tool and traveling towards the ground.
2. Cast the Circle: Turn clockwise, imagining that you are drawing a line of white or ultraviolet light around the edge of your circle. See this as a glowing line or a flaming line. Continue turning until you reach East again. Allow your circle to overlap. Your circle is cast!
3. Claim your Space: Standing at the center, raise your hands high and say, “This is a time that is not a time, in a place that is not a place. Here I stand at the threshold, between the worlds, before the veil of mysteries. Here may the Ancient ones manifest. Here may they bless their child.”

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Do your Magical Work

If you are an advanced Wiccan or Witch, you may now call the elements of creation and your favorite Deities to help you with your working. When you are done, release your Deities, release the energies, release the circle, and release your energy to be manifested.

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Release the Circle

This sends all of the energy created within the circle up to be manifested.

1. Bind the energy to the spell or working: When you are finished with your work, stand at the center of your circle or at your altar. Raise your hands to the sky. Say, “I bind all power within this circle into this spell, So Mote it Be.”
2. Release Deities and Elements: If you called any Deities or elements, release them now.
3. Pull up the energy: Face the East.  Point your recessive tool towards the ground where the boundary of the circle is. Raise your dominant/power hand and point with your index finger towards the Universe. Imagine the circle being sucked back into your recessive hand, traveling back through your body, and up to the sky through your power/dominant hand.
4. Release the Circle: Turn counterclockwise around your circle, imagining that the energy is being released up into the sky to be manifested. Continue turning until you return back to East. Know that your magickal energy is now in the universe being manifested. Your circle is released.
5. Close your sacred space: Standing at the center, raise your hands high and say, “This circle is now closed, yet it always remains a circle. Around and through me always flow its magickal power.”

Copyright 2017 Jennifer “Aurora Moone” McDonald / All Rights Reserved.