Introduction to Casting a Magick Circle
Circles have had a magickal, protective significance since ancient times, circles were drawn around the bed of sick people and mothers who have just given birth to protect them from demons. The remnants of stone circles in Britain attest to the importance of the circle in ancient pagan rites.
In ceremonial magic, the circle represents a sacred space in which a wizard can work magic, conjure and command spirits and provide protection against them.
A magick circle is a protective area of energy that you create to work in. The circle keeps unwanted energies out and desired energies in. The magick circle is not just a circle, it is a sphere that surrounds you on all sides, above and below. When you create a magick circle, think of yourself as being inside a sphere of protective energy. The circle also helps concentrate your energies.
When casting a circle, you are working on different levels. At a physical level you’re defining the boundaries for your work, and on a spiritual level you’re filling the space with your personal power.
Magick circles do not last indefinitely; protective ones must be periodically recharged through ritual.
The wizard must never leave the circle during a ritual nor even inadvertently swing his arm outside it, lest a conjured demon grab him and strike him down, or something unpleasant happen.
The altar and ritual tools—such as a wand, pentacle, cauldron, athame, chalice, candles and other items—are placed inside the circle area.
When to Cast A Circle
Whenever you are going to do magick, you should create a magick circle to protect yourself against spirits or other harmful energies. Creating a circle helps contain and control any of the magick energy you conjure within the circle. It also protects you from any magickal beings outside of the circle. Inside the circle you are safe, the only things that you invite in can enter.
Cleanse the Sacred Space 
It is important to purify or cleanse your sacred space before any sort of ritual can take place.
Using your broom sweep away all the negative energy. As your sweeping, you are to focus on the spiritual energy not the physical. It’s a good idea to start and finish near a door, so that negative energy can literally be swept outside. You should set aside a broom for magical working and use a different broom for regular cleaning.
Once you have swept out all the negative energy, you need to consecrate the area. To do this slowly walk around the circle area three times (clockwise) while holding an incense, gently waving the smoke into the air.
Smoke cleansing is also known as “smudging,”
Casting a Magick Circle
It is not necessary to mark the borders of your circle, but drawing the physical line can aid your mental awareness of where the boundaries are. You can draw the circle using chalk, salt, sage leaves, sea shells or even rose petals (for love spells).
The circle can also be inscribed with magical symbols, words and names of power. Some wizards draw a circle with a pentagram in the middle and place a candle at each point of the pentagram.
Your circle should be large enough to accommodate the number of people who will be working inside of it, as well as any objects that you’ll bring into the circle. There is no set size, just create a circle of suitable size to the magic being done.
The altar can be placed in the Center of the circle or in north or in the east.
- Stand in the Center of the space you will define as your circle.
- Hold your wand or Athame in front, pointing East. Channel energy from within and focus it to the tip of your wand.
- Slowly turn around in a clockwise direction, full circle until you are again facing the original starting point and the flow of energy joins up with where it started, forming a seamless ring. As the circle is cast, a field of psychic energy is visualized.
- The circle is created, drop your hand to shut off the energy flow.
Moving clockwise is the same motion of the sun, Moon and stars through the sky.
You are now ready to begin your magick spell or ritual.
Entering or Exiting A Circle
If you need to leave the circle, you must cut a door in the energy that makes up the circle, or have someone else cut the door for you, you cannot just walk through the circle, doing so would break the circle and allow whatever energy is in the circle to get out. It would also allow magickal beings in the vicinity to get in. Whoever cuts the hole in the circle needs to stand guard at the door, and then seal the door when you return. If you are working alone, leave your broom to guard the door, and when you get back remember to seal the door yourself.
If you are outside a circle which has been cast, you will need to someone to cut open a door so you can enter. It is best to time your ritual, so you are all in the circle when it is cast. Entering the circle late may break the other’s members concentration, ruining the ritual.
Creating a Door in The Circle
During your Magick, it is crucial that the Circle is not broken. If someone must leave the circle, you will need to create a door to exit from, otherwise leaving the circle will break the circle and release all the energies within.
- Hold your hands out in front of you, palms together. Slowly insert them into the energy of your circle wall.
- Carefully pull your hands apart and visualize the wall of energy parting like a pair of curtains.
- Step through and close the “curtain” behind you.
- Do what you need to do quickly and calmly, then return to the circle and open the curtain again, from the outside.
- After stepping through the energy curtain and back into the circle, close the curtain.
Closing A Circle
It is important to take down a circle after you finished with your magical working. The circle must be taken down with as much care as you used to cast it.
To take down the circle you basically repeat the same motions you used to cast it, but you do them in reverse.
- Stand in the Center of your circle, hold your wand in front of yourself, pointing East.
- Begin drawing the energy of the circle into your wand hand and let it flow through your body, then down into the earth.
- Slowly turn around counter clockwise, continue removing the energy in this manner until you face your original starting point again and the energy of the circle is all gone.
- Drop your hand, shutting off the energy flow, indicating your spell work is complete.
Giving Thanks
If you asked for assistance from the Divine, be sure to give thanks.
Offerings of food, stones, crystals, flowers should be made if invoking any spirits to help in your magical working.
You can leave an offering or just bow your head in gratitude—whatever feels right to you.
If you used candles to create a pentagram, blow them out, giving thanks with each one. If you used stones, collect them one by one, again giving thanks.
