THE ESSENCE OF THE CIRCLE Calling the Directions, Four Corners, Four Watchtowers, the Four Winds or the Four White Dragons, Hawks, Wolves, or whatever is symbolic to you is used for creating a cone of power. A complete circle of light, love, energy and spiritual protection. It is one of the most important steps in a ceremony or ritual. Regardless of what essence you call upon it's also one of the most reverent practices. It IS NOT something to be taken lightly, or done without respect and honor.
PREPARATION: Gather your tools. The candle you've selected, a candle and/or ceremonial bell, lighter or matches, meditation music, your ceremonial broom, two ropes made of natural fibers~one long to make your circle and one short to bind your hand to your spell, an offering for the God/Goddess and Spirits who you call upon for help, and any additional items you wish to include, such as crystals, pictures etc. Prepare your ritual space. Clean up and dust your altar and the area around it where you'll be creating your circle. Once the physical work is done, clear and cleanse your space spiritually as well.
Before you begin any ritual, you need to prepare yourself too. After all your physical being and energy are part of the tools you'll be including in the ceremony. Take a shower or bath and get rid of the grit and grim of the day. This will also help you to relax and prepare your mind and spirit for aligning your energies. Conduct a mediation to open your chakras and raise your energy level for the ceremony.
OPEN YOUR CIRCLE: Face northward, holding the long rope in your hands. Raise the rope to the God/Goddess and say a prayer of protection and call upon the divine energy as you draw your circle. Lay one end of the rope on the floor, moving in a clockwise motion, place the rest of the rope on the floor to shape a circle. The circle should be large enough for you to sit inside and should include your altar if possible. Don't step inside the circle as you lay out the rope. When you have finished, you should be standing at the top (north) of the circle, facing south.
Move around the outside of the circle to the southern or bottom part. Hold up your ceremonial broom and say a prayer to the God/Goddess, asking that this broom be the door way between your physical and spiritual worlds. As the Divine Spirit to watch over your circle, using the broom as a gateway for you to enter this sacred space, and as a barrier for any negative, earthbound or physical interferences. Lay the broom down on the floor from east to west.
As you step over the broom into the circle, state your purpose for entering this sacred space.
Some witches like to draw out a large pentacle once they're inside the circle. If you'd like to add this to your ritual, you can do it in a variety of ways. You can draw out the pentacle with another long piece of rope (again, made from natural fibers), with seeds (a nice touch if your altar is outside), powdered incense to sprinkle on the floor (you might have to vacuum after your done), or burn an incense stick and draw the circle with the smoke (a native American type method).
To draw the pentacle, start at the north again. Raise the rope, seeds or whatever in the air and say a prayer for spiritual guidance and an increase in energy. Start at the northern point and draw out a 5 pointed star, moving clockwise again. Go from the north to the southeast, to the west, across to the east, down to the southwest and completing the star at the northern point again.
Casting a spell, a simple prayer, even a thought creates energy. "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." In other words, what you put out in thought and action will always come back to you three fold. This is especially true when the energy being created is done through a spiritual ritual or ceremony, such as casting a spell. So be careful what you put out, it will come back to you!
One of the more important gestures within this Calling, is taking ownership of what you're creating. Just by creating it, you're taking the responsibility for what is being sent out; but you should also add a gesture of ownership within your ritual as well. One of the more common ways is to wrap your wrist and a ceremonial dagger with a small rope.
* Hold the dagger in your left hand. Take the small rope you've set aside in your preparations, and gently wrap it around your wrist, palm and hilt of the dagger. The rope should circle your hand 3 times.
* Face the Northern sky, holding up your ceremonial dagger in your left hand, you can clasp your right hand around the outside of the rope and over your left if you wish to use both hands. Point the tip toward the sky, and state:
"AS ABOVE, "(turn the tip downward)
"SO BELOW" (turn the tip toward your heart)
"WE MOVE WITHIN FOR OUR ENERGY TO FLOW, "(turn the tip away from your heart)
"WHAT WE CAST OUT, IS WHAT WE SOW." (turn the dagger horizontal to the ground, the tip in your left hand)
"BLESSED BE, FROM ME TO THE. "(place the dagger on your altar.)
CALL THE DIRECTIONS
* Still facing North hold your hands in the air, palms facing the horizon and state:
"TO THE MAIDEN GODDESS, THE WATCHTOWERS OF THE NORTH AND THE ELEMENTS OF THE AIR, WE CALL UPON YOUR WISDOM, SUMMON YOUR ENERGY AND LOVE TO WITNESS THIS CEREMONIAL RITUAL FOR "(state your purpose)."
Light the Northern candle and/or ring the bell once.
* If you are a solitary witch, turn to the East, or if in a coven the 2nd Quartermaster faces East, hold your hands in the air, palms facing the horizon and state:
"TO THE GODDESS MOTHER, THE WATCHTOWERS OF THE EAST AND THE ELEMENTS OF FIRE, WE CALL UPON YOUR WISDOM AND SUMMON YOUR ENERGY FOR CLEAR COMMUNICATIONS TO THE FEMININE SPIRIT WITHIN US ALL. WE ASK FOR GUIDANCE IN USING COMPASSION AND UNDERSTANDING IN THIS CEREMONIAL RITUAL FOR "(state your purpose)."
Light the Eastern candle and/or ring the bell once.
* Turn to the South, hold your hands in the air, palms facing the horizon and state:
"TO THE WISE CRONE GODDESS, THE WATCHTOWERS OF THE SOUTH AND THE ELEMENTS OF WATER, WE CALL UPON YOUR WISDOM AND SUMMON YOUR ENERGY FOR PURIFICATION OF MIND/BODY/AND SPIRIT. WE ASK FOR YOUR DIVINE COMPASSION OVER ALL THINGS THAT WE BRING FORTH IN THIS CEREMONIAL RITUAL FOR "(state your purpose)."
Light the Southern candle and/or ring the bell once.
* Turn to the West, hold your hands in the air, palms facing the horizon and state:
"TO THE GOD OF "(chose your word, Mabon, Lugh, The Sun; whatever feels right to you), THE WATCHTOWERS OF THE WEST AND THE ELEMENTS OF THE EARTH, WE CALL UPON YOUR WISDOM AND STRENGTH. WE ASK FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE TO PROTECT OUR DIVINE INTENT, TO HELP US MAINTAIN OUR POSITIVE PATH AND FOCUS AS WE CONDUCT THIS CEREMONIAL RITUAL FOR (state your purpose)."
Light the Western candle and/or ring the bell once.
" CLOSE THE CIRCLE The Priest should guide everyone through a process of closing the circle. Mentally and verbally close the circle.
* You don't want to leave the gateway between worlds open for several reasons. You could be inviting forces you don't necessarily want around you. You can also be maintaining a state of heightened perception. While this is great for ceremonies and ritual work, it isn't necessarily good for daily activities. If you find yourself saying "I feel out of it today", then you need to close your senses and get grounded. This is another reason for closing the circle.
Imagine the "cone of power" you established at the beginning of the ritual.
* See the energy coming down and dissipating back within the solar plexus of yourself or each person in the circle. Move to the center of the circle, holding a ceremonial sword or knife. Starting in the North, and state:
* WE GIVE THANKS TO THE GOD AND GODDESS ONCE MORE. WE HONOR EACH OTHER IN THIS STATE OF DIVINE EXPERIENCES. AND WE CLOSE THIS CIRCLE"
* Turn to the west and state:" IN THE NAME OF THE EARTH;"
* Turn to the south and state:" IN THE NAME OF THE WATER OF LIFE;"
* Turn to the east and state:" IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER SUN AND FIRE;"
* Turn to the north and state:" IN THE NAME OF THE DIVINE AIR;"
* "THAT BINDS US TO SPIRIT, AND CAN NEVER BE BROKEN."
* Snuff out the candles (don't blow them out).
* Physically close the circle by exiting over the broom. Pick up the broom and sweep away any energy that may have been left over.
* Clean your working area and prepare your offerings, gifts and candles for burial. If there are any cakes left over from the ritual, set them outside for the animals and spirit folk. Pour out any left over wine on the ground. Once again some people like to pour out the drink in the shape of a pentacle. Wash all dishes and clean all tools.
RITUAL IS CONCLUDED Finally, some people like to share their experiences during the ritual. Some even carry the festival on and hold a party to share in some of the fruits, vegetables and breads they labored over. For the solitary, now is a good time to record the events and make notes about what you felt, what you did and didn't do that you might like to do next time.
Source: about-world-religions.blogspot.com
