Strengthening the Circle

A circle of light or a physical circle can be strengthened by casting three elemental circles just inside it.

Some practitioners aim to put the triple circle on top of the light one but I prefer radiating circles, albeit close together.

If using empowered salt and water as one of your elemental circles, you would empower the mix first before the elemental casting.

The three clockwise circles, either positioned one over the other or extending inwards, should be made with salt and water, or just salt (the first), with incense (the second) and with the directional candle of the south or a central one (the third). If you use salt for circle one (and not the salt and water mix), use incense for number two and magical water droplets for the third circle.

Create simple elemental casting chants according to the substances you are using and the nature of the spell or ritual.

*Note* With a group, before the triple circle casting invite them to walk the triple circle in line after you as you cast it. You can use three people to make the triple circle by having them each carry a substance around it. You need not use words for this unless you wish. With a group it is easier to make the three circles over one another just inside the original light circle.

You can end the triple element casting by sprinkling each person with a few drops of either the saltwater or the water alone saying:

You are Blessed!

If you are working alone, end the triple circle casting by taking the water and sprinkling yourself, saying:

May the Lord and Lady God and Goddess bless me and my spell/ritual.

Casting A Magickal Square

The square is a very powerful symbol of protection. Even if your work within a circle you can still  designate as outer square as an additional protective enclosure. If you can’t have a permanent altar outdoors, your magick square can designate the  smaller space where you regularly set up your magickal tools.

It is also very protective of the home, even more so than a circle, and is an easier shape to cast  in many gardens than the circle. I draw one around my caravan with small stone makers if the site is very quiet or if I have to leave the caravan unoccupied  for a while.

It is effective also for keeping children or animals temporarily off lawns or flower beds you are  trying to grow.

You can visualize a protective square of any size, from a small one around a precious artifact to  one around a sacred site where you have organized a seasonal ritual.

They are very protective around natural circles such as groves where you would not draw a  circle.

Indeed, you can create a temporary square if you are working in a public spot and don’t want  your magick area invaded by dogs and curious coach parties. In modern times where working in isolated places may be less safe, you can visualize one around  the beach or forest while you are working or around yourself (as well as your protective circle) on a deserted station platform or taxi  tank.

Stand in the center of your designated square, which may also be the center of your projected magick  circle.

Hold out your arm as far as you can with your palm upright and outwards and say:

“Enough and no more, I draw my square of protection. Preserve this space as  sacred.”

Picture a line of light forming the top horizontal (west to east). Keep turning, making next the  vertical north-south line along the right east side as you face north. Speak and visualize till you have all four lines in place and can see a shimmering  outline to your square of light.

You can also walk your square from the furthest away top left-hand corner, moving clockwise and  ending at the nearest, bottom left corner. Use your wand in front of you and put a small dark stone at each corner and one halfway along each line. You can  align with a compass or estimate north in the middle of the top line furthest from you as you face north.

You can assign your midpoints, the main directions, to archangels or to the lofty Landvaetir, the  tall brown guardians who in Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany and eastern part of the UK are cognized as protecting land and all who live on it. You  can further protect the corners with the traditional taller dark stones if you are setting up a permanent magickal square.

Bless your square as you would a circle the first time you create it.

Symbolic Circle Casting

The most popular magick circle is a symbolic one, physically cast by walking round the visualized circle area clockwise. It is visible psychically as a circle of light but not seen externally except by those with evolved clairvoyant light — and children.

You can make a symbolic circle before a simple outdoor spell and it is a good way of connecting with the earth energies.

Form the psychic light circle in the air, about waist or knee high, whichever feels more natural, with a pointed crystal or wand held in your power hand (or your index finger). Direct the point at about 45 degrees, casting the circle in front of you so you step into the emerging light and become empowered.

If you wish, you can make a circle-casting chant that you repeat either aloud or in your mind as you walk, for example:

May the circle be cast and so remain unbroken, May the love of the Goddess be forever in our hearts. Blessings Be!

If working in a group, some practitioners like to cast a symbolic clockwise circle straight after the introductory blessing and then welcome other members of the group into it, drawing the psychic circle over head height at the planned entry point (north-west for a north-beginning circle or north-east for an east-initiated one). The guests enter at this psychic gateway and you can then finish off the circle when they have entered.

Personally I prefer to make the circle round the people once they have entered. You can then enter the circle where you began casting it through a visualized doorway, sealing it afterwards.

I think unless it is a real emergency people shouldn’t leave the circle during a ritual as this involves a lot of sealing and unsealing and psychic disturbance.

A Physical Circle

Your circle can be of various forms or sizes and can be created either before or as a part of the spell of ritual. A physically marked circle can be a good idea if you are a very visual person or are inviting people who maybe are unfamiliar with magic and need a tangible focus.

Some people create a permanent circle in their garden of stones and shells and then empower it at the beginning of each spell or ritual. This sort of circle retains positive energies and is regularly empowered by the weather, the moon, the sun and the seasons.

The materials you use to give an outline of your circle don’t have to join up and their size will depend on the size of the circle. Small shells, stones, glass nuggets or crystals can easily be set up round a traveling altar to create a circle just before a spell.

White stones are generally used for circles, but you can also make a large temporary physical circle with fallen branches, herbs or flowers set clockwise around your altar area. You can even weave branches together to make the circle.

Flower circles are lovely at personal, family or seasonal celebrations, and a young guest can help to form a flower circle either just before or as part of the ceremony if at a baby blessing or hand fasting.

It it is windy, use masses of herbs and petals in the formation so it doesn’t matter if some blow away. In fact, once you have empowered the circle, the flowers are no longer necessary and can carry energies as they fly.

You can also add a petal circle as the first or third of your triple circles.

For a large or small temporary circle, make a circle of tea lights and light them clockwise from inside the circle at the start of the ceremony.

You can alternatively put a larger green candle in the north for earth, a yellow one in the east for air, a red on in the south for fire and a blue one in the west for water and light these when you open the watchtowers or early in the spell to open the circle and create tangible markets. You would cast a spiritual or invisible circle first to enclose them.

If the setting allows, you can use a natural existing outdoor circle, such as a grove of trees or a ring of flowers or toadstools. Always ask permission of the natural essences of the place. You do not need to cast or uncast this kind of circle as the natural energies will hold the power and protection but always leave an offering.

Alternatively, you can draw a clockwise circle in earth, snow or sand with a stick, or your staff. Try to do it in a single sweep.

If you are organizing a group rite, you can make a circle of people united in good will. After the blessing you can lead your guests in joining hands, ideally left palm up, right palm down, though it doesn’t really matter if someone does it differently.

You then have the option of casting a spiritual physical or invisible circle behind the group.

It is best to ask the group how they prefer to cast the circle themselves, starting with the person in the north of the circle and moving clockwise from person to person. Ask each in turn to pass visualized light from hand to hand saying just their name slowly and deliberately, “Birgitta, Susan, Helen………..”

Alternatively you could pass an actual light in a secure holder from person to person (they would then not hold hands)

Either way, you will psychically see the light circle spreading and rising above and down to the ground.

Be part of the group for the casting (maybe start it yourself in the north). Afterwards you can all chant:

We are the circle, we are the circle,

With no beginning and with no ending.

Blessed be

You can drop hands at any time, but the circle remains.

Some practitioners light any candles/incense before the circle casting, but you may prefer to light them near the beginning of the ritual after this first circle is cast.

Magickal Squares and Circles In Natural Magick

Magickal squares and circles date back to prehistory. Megalithic stone circles were created from around 3,500 BCE and set out according to precise geometric and astronomical measurements. They were used for rituals of all kinds by the Neolithic tribes especially on the seasonal change points to invoke the ancestors for fertility of crops, animals and people and continued to provide the setting for magickal gatherings throughout the millennia.

In Sweden and Norway the sacred square grid has formed a magickal device for more than three thousand years. It was used originally on the great seasonal fire festivals, at midwinter, midsummer and harvest. Nine turf squares were etched in the earth and eight removed, leaving the middle one to form the center of the ritual fire.

The magick circle and square also have their place in modern natural magick. Both shapes occur naturally in forest clearings and can be drawn in sand, earth or snow or formed out of twigs, branches, shells, flowers or even crystals.

Both act as markers for the main directions, the circle as though on a clock face and the square halfway along each side, both giving equal segment for the element.