#circle casting

I refer to my circle casting rite as "Raising the Black Castle" and people seemed curious when I mentioned it in a recent post, so I wanted to elaborate on it a bit more. While I won't be providing the exact rite itself, I will present it's format for those interested.

This rite has 3 parts; the carving of the moat, laying the bricks, and ascending/descending the tower(s). It requires 3 key tools, an object made of iron, a knife/blade, and a receptacle of any kind. Prior to working it a relationship is to be built with ruling spirits of the 4 cardinal directions, and the 7 planets (sun, moon, mars, mercury, saturn, jupiter, and venus). As well as having a name/title for the 3 realms (the chthonic realm, waking realm, and etheric realm). The names you choose will depend on your practice. So the way I raise my Black Castle will be different from yours.

Carving the Moat/Cleansing and Hallowing the Space:

This is done using the tool of iron. Using this tool I mark a circle around me, going clockwise. As I do this I say the following chant,

"Spirit of Iron I call to thee, cleanse and mark this space around me."

I may go around the circle once or many times, depending on how much is needed for me to feel the trance process begin. If I do prior meditation or other ritual work this processes begins faster. I then move to the center of the space I marked out and stand tall raising my iron tool high in the sky. I make a declaration that I am consecrating/hallowing this space, then drive the iron object into the ground. Pushing it into the earth as I repeat my declaration 3 times.

This being done I may sit silently and feel the space, or I may ring a bell and declare the space hallowed that way. I always take a moment to pause in some fashion before proceeding.

Laying the Bricks/Calling to the Ruling Spirits:

This next step requires having names and seals for the spirits you are about to call. I use one seal for the 4 directional spirits, and individual seals for the 7 planetary ones. To represent the 3 realms I have a single seal for all 3 I utilize for general use, but if I'm working with a very specific realm I will use it's individual seal when I call them. Before taking up this rite, each of these individual powers should be made contact with in some fashion to receive these names and seals.

To begin, face the north and mark out your seal for the 3 realms. Vibrate their names as you do this. Then call to the spirit of the waking/material realm by name and title. Ask them to make their realm open to you, to allow spirits of their realm to come swiftly when called, and to lend their power to your workings ahead. Rotate about 120 degrees clockwise, and once again mark out the same seal in the air. Again vibrating the 3 names, followed by an evocation of the chthonic power. Repeat this for the etheric/celestial realm.

Move from the circle's center to it's eastern edge. Have your blade in hand, or pick it up in the east. Mark out the seal for the 4 directional powers, and vibrate their 4 names. Beginning with the eastern spirits, then south, west, ending with north. Declare the name of the ruler of the east you are calling with some of their titles, and invite them to open their gates.

Repeat this in each direction, moving clockwise around from east, to south, west, and ending in the north. Calling to each spirit of that direction by their name and title, asking each to open their gates for your work ahead.

Returning to the circle's center face skyward. Using your blade mark out the seal of the planetary ruler of that day and/or hour. Vibrate their name 3 times as you do this. Then call to them like you did the directional powers.

Having done all this, you may now call any specific spirits you will be working with in the next part of the ritual. When doing so you should know what direction they are best called from, or what planetary current they best align with/work under. Call these spirits from their preferred direction, or down from the heavens. Call until you feel the spirit's presence or receive a clear sign. The pressure in the room should be building from all these evocations. As if by calling in each spirit you are laying brick by brick, building the castle walls. So take your time, and enjoy the process. Especially when first developing this way of laying a circle.

Once all the desired spirits have been called in, ring a bell or sound producing device. Make a declaration that all these spirits are welcome to come in power and stay in peace.

Ascending/Descending the Tower(s)/Moving into the Otherworld:

Having brought all these spirits to the circle's edge, it's time to move into their realm and begin your work with them. Depending on the type of work you will be doing will dictate which directional or planetary gate(s) you will be passing through in spirit. Use whatever methods of trance you desire, inhibitory or excitatory trance. Both work in my experience. In the direction you will being you will place your receptacle, this will act as your gate into the Otherworld. If you are moving through multiple gates, either move the receptacle or have multiple prepared.

Moving out of body in whatever means you wish. When passing through the gates into the tower(s) you will move forward beyond the circle and let the passage come to you naturally. The spirit acting as this gate will present itself how it wishes. Once through the gate, descend if you are working primarily with chthonic entities, and ascend if you are working with celestial ones. If you are working with spirits of the earth and land, move right through the tower and into the environment beyond. Let your vision guide you, and try not to put pressure on yourself to see certain things.

Once you settle in a "space" in the Otherworld begin the work you planed to do. Speak to your spirits in mind and in body, also begin any psychical acts of ritual you may need to preform. Then return to your circle, and either proceed through the next gate if needed, or return to the body and let the magic settle. Place any psychical forms of your magic by the receptacle, and then proceed to any final things you need to tend to with your spirits. Give and share in offerings, replenish the body and your energy. As well as bask in the presence of your spirits.

Then make a statement of departure for your spirits. Allowing them to consume what they need to do the work ahead, and then send them off in power. Making it known that they will return again when called. Conclude with the sounding of your bell, letting its ringing hang in the air.

Do what you need with whatever physical works you may have done, tho I try to let them rest for at least a night unless they need immediate tending to. I will also leave offerings out for 1-3 days before clearing it off my altar if possible.

Final Thoughts:

Where do they come from? Why have we associated the circle with protective qualities? I decided to dive into this topic and research a bit about it. Here are my findings.

The use of Magic circles goes back at least as far as the PGM materials (~100 BCE to 400 CE). The creation of a circle was probably taken for granted and covered by phrases such as “do the usual”. However, we have a depiction of a magic circle  in the PGM, the ouroboros, which is depicted as a creature/snake eating its own tail, forming a circle that encapsulates a spell written within the circle of the creature. The ouroboros is also featured in later grimoires such as the 18th century Clavis Inferni.

According to Stephen Skinner (Author, lecturer, and publisher of books on Solomonic and Graeco-Egyptian magic; Classical feng shui), the study of sacred geometry has its roots in the study of nature, and the mathematical principles at work therein. Many forms observed in nature can be related to geometry; for example, the chambered nautilus grows at a constant rate and so its shell forms a logarithmic spiral to accommodate that growth without changing shape. Also, honeybees construct hexagonal cells to hold their honey. These and other correspondences are sometimes interpreted in terms of sacred geometry and considered to be further proof of the natural significance of geometric forms.

Many of the shapes are regarded as “perfect” because they demonstrate precise mathematical harmony. They may display exact symmetry, align with Fibonacci progressions, or correspond to the golden ratio. With the golden ratio specifically, it is widely viewed in both scientific and spiritual contexts as a fundamental pattern underlying the development of life in nature. Because of this, the term “sacred” often carries a dual significance: the mathematics itself is seen as sacred due to its precision and “perfectionism”, and the fact that these patterns appear to generate or reflect the structure of life.

The circle and the sphere are among the most universally recognized forms in sacred geometry. They appear across religions, societies, and cultures, consistently symbolizing totality, cyclical patterns, and possibility. This shape is constantly present in our environment. We encounter circles and spheres in the moon, in the fruit we eat, and even in the basic structural form of atoms themselves, which serve as the foundational units of all matter and life. The circle is also present in the seed of life, fruit of life, and flower of life, etc, as these symbols are made up of circles.

Two distinct but perhaps interrelated aspects of circles seem to be emerging. First, they may be used to create a sacred space (being that the circle is a sacred geometric shape). Circles thus appear prominently in rituals for keeping away demonic and other malevolent forces. An account recorded on Crete explicitly draws this connection: 

“Demons fear the circle.” - (Phrangaki 1949: 43).

 The theme of instituting a sacred boundary is replicated, for example, when ordinary houses are built: The prayers call for the stability of the structure, as well as for the protection of its occupants 

“From all harm and evil influence; from being overcome by night-time fear; from arrows shot by day; from the thing which moves in the night; and from the midday demon.” - (Evkhologion to Mega 1980: 494).

Secondly, where it does not serve an apotropaic purpose (meaning “to ward off”, a type of protective magic), but instead a symbol of eternity (that it has no angles, corners, or ends, the circle is a continuous shape with no beginning or end), like the symbol of the wedding ring being the most prominent one. Or movement to the right (clockwise), which forms an auspiciousness. During the funeral vigil, nothing may be passed over the body, only around it. Should somebody, or something, pass directly over the body, this disrupts the journey of the soul on its path towards heaven and the deceased may turn into a vampire. 

“It appears that the principle of on-going right-handed movement… ensures not only the health of the living community but also the safe passage of the soul into the other world” - (ibid.: 236).

The action of circling figures frequently and prominently in Greek ritual precisely because it is both an image of the proper flow of life and a means of protecting human welfare, and this is what rituals promote. To be centered in a circle, brings one closer to the divine, the divine who created these sacred geometric shapes.

We know we can’t do salt circles on the ground outside because salt kills everything, but some good replacements that look similar are flour (which is actually an incredible fertilizer! highly encouraged) and sand (which can also be great for lawns, apparently).

I know books from the seventies would have you believe otherwise, but you don't have to mentally hold circle for the whole ritual, and you don't have to physically mark the whole circle boundary, nor do you need a coven member to hold space. You can put regular old rocks at each of the cardinal directions along the walls of your room or along the outer perimeter of the sacred space and use those as anchor points for the energy you lay.

Start by gathering, cleansing, and sanctifying/consecrating/blessing/charging/whatever four stones of any shape and size that suits your needs. Larger stones are good if you want them to be a visible reminder of the boundaries of circle, but smaller ones are good for discretion. Anoint them with a protection oil if you'd like (I only recommend doing this if you are using them indoors with no animals around), and/or pencil protection sigils on them. Cast circle but make sure your energy hits each stone and runs through it. If you call in the quarters, invite them to reside in their respective directional stones. Boom, done, now you have an easily marked sacred space that doesn't need constant maintain.

And, fun fact, circle doesn't HAVE to be round. Round is easiest when you're using mental energy to hold the space, but if you use physical barriers like existing walls then your cast energy resides in that physical block and is held automatically. I especially love doing this as a quasi-permanent marker to sanctify an entire room because any doorways become defacto entrances/exits that spiritually open and close when physically opened and closed.

Okay but isn't this being lazy? NO you rude hypothetical, it's not. It's being resourceful. Using these physical anchors allows a solitary practitioner to put their focus towards other things. I use this method when I'm studying magic texts, or so I can hang out with my ancestors and spirit friends casually for extended periods of time, or if I am going to be attempting astral projection. And by "I use this method," I mean it is one of the permanent protections I have in place in my home.

Sure, it comes in handy for certain things under certain circumstances.

what is your prefered method to cast circles ?

Yea, absolutely! Circle casting is one of those rituals many beginner witchcraft sources have some version of, and because of that there are A LOT of different ways to do it. In my opinion, no one way is the best or correct way, you just need to try them out and find the one that you vibe with most. So, this is not THE way to cast a circle, it is simply MY way of casting a circle.

Circle casting comes from the Wiccan tradition and is typically thought of as a protective barrier, to keep malevolent spirits or energies from interfering with the spellwork the caster is performing. However, I have always thought of it as a way to amass power more than a protective measure. I am also not Wiccan and I believe my method is not necessarily traditional.

Anyhoo, first step is to designate an area large enough for you to comfortably work in. If I am doing a meditation exercise, my circle will be about an arm's length in radius, but you could theoretically make it as large as you'd like. You want to make sure that everything you need for your spell is inside the circle before you cast it. I use the elements and corresponding cardinal directions to create my circle, so next you need to identify which direction you are facing. Easiest way for me is using the sun, in the morning it will be in the east, in the evening it will be in the west. Or you could use a compass.

For me, each element has a corresponding cardinal direction. East for air, south for fire, west for water and north for earth. I will usually use a candle in each direction because I'm a sucker for the witchy vibes a bunch of candles create. You could also use an elemental signifier, like incense, a glass of water, and a plant for air, water and earth respectively.*

Once your space is set, face the east and ask the spirit of air to be present and lend its power to you. Do the same for south, west and north. I always do it in that order, but you could probably start with whichever direction you want. The important part is to work clockwise when greeting the spirits. I have a specific incantation I use for each element, and I encourage you to create your own. "Spirit of X, please be present at this working" is sufficient, but a little bit of panache never hurt anyone. After you have petitioned the elemental spirits for their help, do a similar petition to any other spirits or deities you would like present as well.

Congrats! Your circle has been cast. After this point, it is important to not cross the circle's barrier (which is one of the reasons I like physical objects in each direction, it helps me keep track of my bounds). To get some extra oomph from a specific element, face its direction as you're casting.

Once you have completed your work, thank your other spirits or deities for being present first, then face north. Working counterclockwise, face each direction and thank the elemental spirit for being present and helping your spellwork. If you picked a different direction to start, just make sure you work counterclockwise and end on the direction you started with. Thanking the spirits is the key to closing your circle properly.

That's the nuts and bolts of it. Try it out and play with your own methods. Let me know how it goes!

A ritual to cleanse your space of all negative energy and create a sacred circle of protection before spell casting, performing rituals or communicating with spirits. You can cleanse your space just before casting the circle both in the same ritual. It’s efficient and easy and you know the space and energy within your sacred circle is cleansed and fizzing with magic. Think of this as a bubble of protection you put around yourself before you go on to do further magic making, you wouldn’t want to “trap” negative energy inside it. This ritual is compatible with any other rituals, spells, and spreads and is easy to customize to many deities/pantheons/belief systems that you may work with.

Materials:

Your favorite incense stick

Black candle

Matches/lighter

The Ritual:

Light your candle and then use this to burn your incense stick with your non-dominant hand.

Take your incense and follow the diagram to create the sign of the pentagram lightly over your body.

Start at your forehead and glide down to your left hip as you say “Earth,” imagine the smell of rich soil grounding you.

Come back up to your right shoulder as you pronounce the first syllable of water “wa—” imagine the feeling of water cleansing your skin.

Pop on over to your left shoulder on the second syllable of water “—ter.”

Down to your right hip as you say “fire” imagine a powerful warmth filling and energizing you from your heart space

Then sweep back up to your forehead to complete the five-pointed star as you say “air” and imagine a gust of wind sweeping into you, clearing your mind.

Lastly sweep a big circle anti-clockwise, completing the pentagram as you say, “Energy of the Ether” (you can customize this to any word choice to better serve your belief system).

Come down to your heart as you start to draw the left half of an infinity symbol on its side and say “protect me.”

Draw the right half of the infinity symbol as you say, “for an infinity.”

Now walk around your space (a 7 ft circle is the tradition, but if you’re in a small space you can just turn around on the spot) clockwise drawing it with your incense as you say “cleanse and make sacred this space for my magical workings. Banish all negative energy and allow only positive energies through this circle to aid.”

You are done!