Ivo Dominguez Jr. wrote in his book Casting Sacred Space: The Core of All Magickal Work that if we lost everything about our religion except the way to cast the magick circle and its symbolism then the religion could be renewed from that single seed. Far from a perfunctory act, to cast the circle is to lay the groundwork for everything that comes afterward in the ritual space.
I was an advanced practitioner before I understood the exact mechanics of the circle, mostly because in my hodge-podge of research and training, I’d never had the opportunity to go in-depth about what the circle casting was, why it was significant, and how to do it properly. It wasn’t until I was learning the words to the circle casting that I now use that it occurred to me that the casting of the circle was more than creating energetic safe space. It had certain functions, and those functions encompassed far more than creating the sphere of witchfire that protected the rite.
Preparation: Cleansing and Blessing
Casting the circle begins with cleansing and blessing the space you’re intending to cast the circle in. This is not prepwork. This is not busywork. This is necessary to provide a clean slate in which to cast circle and contain energies.
Some people use the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram to energetically cleanse a space. I have used a variation of it in the past and found it to be effective, but I found its focus on the four directions to be distracting. Now I use the besom to energetically sweep the circle three times widdershins, starting from the innermost point of the circle and working my way outward to sweep out energies that aren’t in harmony with the intent of the ritual.
Next, I bless the circle space by walking deosil and sprinkling brine. Using salt and water to bless tamps down any residual negative energies and renders the space neutral. After I’ve blessed the circle space this way, I walk deosil again wafting smoke from a blessing incense. This brings the elements of air and fire into the circle and calls positive energies into the circle according to the correspondences of the incense.
By this time, I’ve walked the circle three times widdershins to clear it out, and twice deosil to bless it. The third time I walk the circle, I will be actually casting the circle and sealing the energies I’ve brought into the space within an energetic container.
Casting: Going To Sacred Ground
Casting the circle does a few things. First, it creates a space between the world of men and the world of the Mighty Ones where all parties can meet comfortably at a neutral halfway point. Second, it creates a container for the energies raised within it. Third, it creates a protective barrier to keep all sorts of unwanted energies and entities outside of it. This complex task is achieved through visualization and will, so it’s important if you’re writing your own circle casting to incorporate elements into it that will trigger imagery to support those intentions. Being thoughtful in your words and imagery will go a long way in helping you to create the circle.
In my tradition, we walk the circle once to cast it, because the other two times walking the circle were done while blessing it, making the circle cast thrice about in total. Our circle casting has three stanzas of rhymed verse, and the circle casting is complete when the caster declares that the circle is cast and we are between the worlds. There is often a pause between the end of the casting spell and the declaration that the circle is cast when the caster is working the magick necessary to seal the circle. We wait until the declaration is made before beginning to call the quarters.
Closing: Coming Back From Sacred Ground
It’s important to put just as much effort into taking the circle down as you did putting it up. First of all, if you’re storing your circle energy in a tool like the athame or wand, taking the time to be mindful of uncasting the circle will allow you to store greater energy in the tool. Second, it’s important to uncast the circle mindfully so that you return safely to the ordinary world. Third, it balances the ritual and provides a respectful and meaningful ending to your occasion.
In my tradition, our circle closing matches our circle casting: three stanzas of rhymed verse that mirrors the imagery of the casting. When the caster declares the circle is open, we sing a song to end the evening and mark our return to mundane time.
Resetting: An Oft-Forgotten Step
When the circle is cast, it traps energy in the space. When it’s closed, some of that energy remains in the atmosphere. Therefore, it’s important to ground the energy after a ritual, especially if you’re practicing in a public place or any place not strictly designated for ritual practice. Grounding the residual energy of the circle allows the natural energies of the place to flow freely once more, as if the circle was never there to begin with. This is not only respectful magickal practice but it also helps to protect the area from entities that may wish to feed off of the residual energy of the circle.