How I cast my circles and call the quarters.
Hello! I am enjoying sharing my personal practices here, I deeply appreciate all of the spiritual mentors I've had in my life and I want to be able to provide that for others!
I use sea water first (or I make salt water, I have a jar of salt a friend of mine who lives beside the sea made for me) to cleanse the circle using earth and water, I hold the bottle to my third eye and speak aloud or whisper to myself:
"There is no more pure a substance than the blood of the womb of the mother, and with it do I cleanse this space."
I then walk clockwise around my space (Or if my altar is against the wall, turn in a clockwise circle sprinkling the water around, I try to continously do things clockwise, always keep turning clockwise when doing things because I imagine the energy as a clockwise spiral and then when opening the circle I imagine the spiral becoming undone.
When I've finished sprinkling in a circle I make an equal-armed cross over my third eye with the water and announce "This space is cleansed."
I then use sage to charge the space with fire and air, saying "I charge this space with positive magical intent, that no being that wishes me harm may enter this space."
I waft the smoke around the space clockwise and then waft it over myself and announce "This space is charged.
Lastly I turn clockwise or walk around the circle holding out my athame, wand or pointing my index finger. I don't think it matters which hand you use, I am right handed by tend to use my left for magic. I say: "I separate this space from the mundane world, I create a space that is not a space, a time beyond time." I can't remember where exactly I found this technique but I've been using it a while. When I come back to the center I announce "As above, so below, the circle is cast." And clap my hands.
Calling the quarters and invoking spirits:
I begin by facing East, whenever turning to face a direction or turning to the next I again try to keep things moving clockwise. For the East I use a yellow candle and typically keep feathers/sage/incense etc in this corner. I hold out whatever I used to cast the circle (typically my Athame) and speak: "Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtower of the East, Element of Air. Sylphs and Faeries who travel on the Winds I ask that you bring your powers of higher intellect to my circle, I bid you hail and welcome."
Next is the South, a red candle and a good place to burn loose incense I think. "Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtower of the South, Element of Fire. Dragons and Salamanders of the flames I ask that you bring your passion and raw untempered power to my circle, I bid you hail and welcome."
Next, the West. A blue candle and my sea water typically. "Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtower of the West, Element of Water. Undies and Merfolk of the deep I ask that you lend your intuition and feminine powers to my circle. I bid you hail and welcome.
And lastly is the North! A green candle and a good place to keep my scythe and crystals usually. "Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtower of the North, Element of Earth. Dwarves beneath the cold mountains I ask that you bring your strength and protective power to my circle. I bid you hail and welcome.
Again I try to continously keep myself moving in a clockwise direction, after the circle is cast and quarters called its time for me to invoke spirits. This isn't something I do all the time, but usually I will call my ancestors and spirit guides, my fylgia and a deity related to the work at hand. I think the words used should be personal and respectful and I pour wine into the offering bowl for them all, after the ritual is done I pour the offerings at the base of a tree usually.
I think its good to have a personal conversation with the deity you are calling, to explain your situation etc to them in your own words from your own heart.
When I have finished my works of magic it's time to say farewell to the spirits and powers and open the circle. I do everything in reverse order that they were called and tey to continously move counterclockwise.
I begin with the deities and spirits. In the same way you should bid them hail and welcome in your own words, you should say goodbye and express your appreciation from your own heart as well. The same goes for your ancestors or any other personal spirits you call to be present in your ritual.
I release the quarters North -> West -> South -> East stating "Guardians of the Watchtower of the ___ (North, etc.) Element of ___(Earth, etc) I thank you for being in my circle this night. Go if you must, stay if you'd like, I bid you hail and farewell." I keep turning counterclockwise and repeat this for each.
And then finally I take my athame and point it outwards as I turn counterclockwise around the circle, I visualize taking in the energy I laid down when I created the circle and I speak: "I open this circle, returning to space to the mundane world. I take this energy back into myself and release it into the Earth. The circle is open, yet unbroken. Merry meet, merry part, and may we merry meet again.
And that's that I hope you enjoyed it!