Pagan Voices: Circle Casting
March 21, 1998
compiled by Jeffrey Pierce
One of the fundamental aspects of ritual work is the act of casting the circle. As pagans, we've done it so often and for so long, that many of us have stopped asking if it's necessary to our path. The question was poised to the members of The Wild Circle Forum and the insight that was shared definitely wasn't out of a standard Llewellyn text.
From Artemis who shared, "when doing my rituals at home, I almost never cast a circle," to Rowen Ravenfeather who, mentally casts a "...blue-white circle..." around her to keep herself "...on track through the day," we realized that casting the circle is a rite that is as unique and varied as our own personal practices.
While most used a cast circle while in ritual work or for protection, the decision whether or not to cast a circle in solitary work varied with each individual. For Artemis, the decision evolved naturally. "Sometime last year, I think it was right after my initiation, I started changing the way I did rituals," she shares. "It wasn't a conscious choice, it was just what felt right at the time. I stopped casting circles, and stopped using my wand and athame. For my personal preference, I don't find it necessary to cast a circle every time. I think the magickal workings I do can be just as effective, as long as I do it with the love of the Lord and Lady in my heart." Winter takes a more technical approach. "I completely build my energy raising around what my intent for the circle is. The more concrete and defined the intent, the more concrete and defined my casting is... I have very definite ideas of what I'd like to include in the process."
But even when it is decided that a circle is needed, the casting can take many forms, often as beautiful and unique as the individual practitioners. When asked if there were alternative ways to casting the circle, the members of The Wild Circle Forum responded with some of their favorites:
- Arachweb: I sing the circle into being sometimes. I want to write songs for all the elements of ritual. All I have written to date is a quarter calling song and an invoking song to the ancestors.
- Dreema: This is my favorite circle casting. It works well when my children (who are just beginning to be interested in all this "weird stuff" that mom and pop do) are involved. We start by closing our eyes and relaxing. We then imagine a bright light glowing inside our selves. This light is intensified with all the good feelings and thoughts that we can gather in our hearts. As the light grows we see it spreading through out our bodies, then we feel that we are glowing, this glowing light grows brighter and larger until we feel it touching then blending with each other's lights. We continue until we feel the room or area fill completely.
- Briarmoon: Call upon animal spirits associated with the directions as guardians, drawing the circle with incense.
- Luna WillowSong: I (cast a circle) by smudging or by laying a circle of small river stones around my space and asking the spirits of the 4 directions to join.
- Raven: Another thing I do, which works for me is Dancing the quarters. I dance the sacred space into being. There is a place in Tasmania, Australia that I did this for the first time. It is a beautiful beach called Wineglass bay which just brims with energy. I started by dancing the space which I wanted to be the sacred base. I then turned East and imagined myself to be wind, flowing from the last to witness and aid the ceremony. I turned South and Danced Fire. I imagined myself to be fire, the same for the West and North. When I had finished, the amount of energy I had raised was incredible. I have continued Dancing this method to raise a circle and have always found it a good way to raise energy.
- Briarmoon: The most elaborate circle was using trees in planters that corresponded to the directions (very heavy). After the ritual the trees were planted in a friend's yard as living "wards."
- Runi: I visualize the circle's boundaries in my mind. That way, I can cast it anywhere I am.
- Briarmoon: Sitting quietly under a tree, focus the earth-energy into my hand and "throw" it to the heavens while visualizing a sphere of stars enveloping me.
- Artemis: When I am home doing my private rituals, I usually envision a Sphere of light that surrounds me (not unlike Glenda:-), except it's not pink and I physically don't fly away). I don't have to move, I sit in front of my altar and light the candles and concentrate on that image in my mind. When the energy builds up, I can feel the Sphere coming down around me.
- Winter: I was doing a group ritual once and one of our fellow practitioners suddenly had a huge anxiety attack (she was in her initial year and a day and the next most inexperienced person had over three years of practice under their belt). She just suddenly felt uncomfortable calling a Quarter with three other experienced witches around her. Since it to this specific ritual that we each took an active part in it (it was focused on a goal we wanted to reach together and we were all putting our energy into it), I came up with a different way to cast the circle. We stood around the altar, holding hands, each of us in a different direction. We began with air and simply said the first thing that came to mind and began to work our way clockwise around the group this way. It began to form a chant ("clouds, wind, mind, whispers, voices, music, song...") and the energy began to rise. As the inspiration slowed and we ran out of things to say, I nodded and we said in unison, "By the power of Air, we call this Circle cast." It was a wonderful unifying experience and it raised the energy well.