How to Cast a Magical Circle in 6 Simple Steps
The what, why, and how of casting an energetic circle before your ritual or spell.
So many spells and rituals start with the instruction: “First, cast a circle.”
A magical circle is a sphere of protection and energetic container that you build around yourself before your ritual. It keeps you safe from negative energy and helps you hold the magical energy you raise.
For a single magic worker or solitary witch, it’s around 5 or 6 feet in diameter, but for a group it would be larger (depending on the size of the group).
You can visually define your circle with something like a ring of candles or scarves, a round rug, or perhaps just symbolic items at the four cardinal points to represent the elements. But it’s also perfectly fine to cast a circle that exists exclusively in the ether.
To reiterate, a magic circle serves two main purposes.
First, a magical circle provides protection. When you cast a circle, you cast it with the intention that only positive and beneficent energies may enter or dwell within. This way, you need not worry about picking up any energies or currents that are not for your highest good or the highest good of your ritual or spell.
Second, a magical circle serves as a container for your personal energy as well as the energy you conjure. The circle clarifies and magnifies your power. Have you ever put a cell phone in a cereal bowl to amplify its sound? It’s a lot like that.
Or, you can imagine the energy you raise during your ritual is like making homemade soup in a cauldron, adding a little rosemary here and a little garlic there. The circle, of course, is your cauldron.
Below you’ll find step-by-step instructions on casting a circle simply and easily. You can start here. Once you’re familiar with the practice and the energetics of it, you can feel free to tweak it and make it your own.
Step 1: Find Your Spot
Find a flat, open space (indoors or out) where you can be safe and undisturbed.
Step 2: Determine the Cardinal Points
Identify the four cardinal directions using a compass (there’s probably one on your phone).
Step 3: Place Elemental Symbols
Place a simple representation of each of the four elements at each corresponding point around an imagined circle, about 5 or 6 feet in diameter: Earth/north, Air/east, Fire/south, Water/west.
Here are some ideas for items you might choose to represent the elements around your magic circle:
Earth: rock, crystal, potted plant, ceramic dish
Air: feather, incense with holder, sage bundle
Fire: candle, essential oil burner with tea light
Water: sea shell, chalice with water in it.
Step 4: Invoke the Elements
Stand facing east, in the center of the circle.
Relax and breathe consciously until you feel calm, centered, and present.
Envision the dawn. Conjure up the feeling of wind whipping around you. Say, “Spirits of Air, I call on you.”
Face south.
Envision crackling flames and the hot noonday sun. Say, “Spirits of Fire, I call on you.”
Face west.
Imagine you are at the ocean at sunset, standing in the waves. Say, “Spirits of Water, I call on you.”
Face north.
Imagine standing barefoot on soil in an ancient forest at midnight. Say, “Spirits of Earth, I call on you.”
Face east again.
Become very aware of your feet.
Imagine you are sending a column or roots of light from your tailbone, legs, and feet, deep into the core of the Earth.
Plug into the sphere of golden earth energy at the core of the earth. Much like electricity when you plug something into an outlet, imagine the earth energy easily and quickly moving up from the center of the earth and into your body. Breathe in this nourishing earth energy feeling it center you and steady you. Say, “Mother Earth, I call on you.”
Now, envision sending a trunk or column of light up from the crown of your head, out of the earth’s atmosphere and into the Infinite Cosmos. Imagine there is a giant, blindingly bright sun at the center of everything which symbolizes infinity and infinite power. Sense that light naturally and quickly moving down from the infinite sun and down into your body. Say, “Father Sky, I call on you.”
Within your magic circle, feel protected and contained on all sides, as well as from above and below. Feel gratitude for this Divine support and say, “The circle is cast. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Blessed be.”
Step 5: Work Your Magic
Now’s the time to sit or stand in the center of your magic circle and meditate, visualize, invoke divine support, or otherwise work your magic.
Step 6: Thank the Elements and Open the Circle
When you’re finished with your spiritual work, be sure to thank each element as well as the earth and cosmos. This is part of closing your magic circle, and releasing the energy it contains.
To do this, stand again.
Feel your gratitude for the support of the elements as well as the earth and cosmos.
Face north. Say, “Earth, you were here, and I thank you.”
Face west. Say, “Water, you were here, and I thank you.”
Face south. Say, “Fire, you were here, and I thank you.”
Face east. Say, “Air, you were here, and I thank you.”
Still facing east, say, “Mother Earth, you were here, and I thank you.”
Say, “Father Sky, you were here, and I thank you.”
Say, “Thank you, thank you, thank you. Blessed be. And so it is.”
After feeling your gratitude for a moment more, say “The circle is open, but never broken. The love of the Goddess is forever in my heart. Merry meet, and merry part, and merry meet again.”
Feel, sense, and imagine the energy you raised within your magic circle being released and swirling beautifully into the ether. Trust that your magic will do its work, and know in your heart that your magic is complete.
Do you have any questions about how to cast a circle? Feel free to chime in below!
And if you try this, be sure to come on back and let me know how it went.
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Beautifully written and easy for me to follow, being new to sacred circle energy. Thank you so much!
So glad to hear it, Tiffany! Thanks for reading and letting me know.
I have some challenges that I’ve been facing I’m not sure what to do. My magic practice I tend to lean more towards the Dark Knight Evil dark I want to change a little bit but what I’m facing now I’m not sure how to change it without binding and control can you help me perhaps you know well I’m sure you know more than I could you suggest something
LOL not Dark Knight I meant more towards the dark, not evil but dark. I’d like to change that but I’m not sure how to change it without control and binding. Sorry for the errors voice text is terrible I should really not use it. Thank you so much
Hi Raymond! I’m not exactly sure what you’re asking. Can you be more specific?
Hey thank you for responding. Yes what I mean is my go-to text her tricks or practice tends to be I just buying somebody or banish them I want to try a different approach though antibodies Management’s aren’t necessarily bad but I am darker and sometimes I’m angry and that’s not good and I want to not be that way anymore accidentally hurt too many people with magic so can you suggest to me some sort of moderate road map, some exercises perhaps , visualizations tjat you’ve had some success with. I may seem silly to others reading this but the fact is I’m so used to doing things one way and one my way is wrong there are some other ways to get things accomplished and I’m going to try and get a little help with that.. Part of my question was being taken to court again by family members and every time until I just find their mouth they really can’t do anything it gets thrown out or dismissed or given another continuance I’m going to do that anymore and let them lie I could be in trouble for something I didn’t do any suggestions of what I should do thank you so much for your time
Hi again Raymond! Is this post helpful for what you’re looking for? https://tesswhitehurst.com/5-karma-friendly-alternatives-to-curses-and-hexes/
Thank for the wonderful directions. I’ve been doing it wrong, and thank gosh I found this. You explained it a lot better than some I’ve found. I thank you, sending love and light❤ blessed be.
Misty, wonderful to hear the post was helpful! Blessings to you.
If I cast my circle in chalk after I close it can I erase the chalk?
Sure! Of course.
do you need all of the aspects of for example air? or can u just use one?
You can just use one.
What if you get it wrong or if it goes wrong. Is there a right or wrong way to do this. I just wondered as this will be my first time doing this
Pixie, the most important thing is calling on Divine help and holding the intention to cast the circle. Even though you will get more comfortable with it over time, if you do those two things, you can’t go wrong. I suggest getting started and not worrying about getting it wrong. You will learn as you go. 🙂
What actually causes magic backfiring to the practitioners and what are the ways to avoid it?
Hi! Could you give me a little more info about what you’re asking? Do you mean, like, negative karmic repercussions? Or something else? It’s possible that these posts might give you some clarity on what you’re asking: https://tesswhitehurst.com/5-karma-friendly-alternatives-to-putting-a-love-spell-on-someone/ https://tesswhitehurst.com/5-karma-friendly-alternatives-to-curses-and-hexes/ https://tesswhitehurst.com/why-you-should-not-do-a-love-spell-on-a-specific-person/
You only close it for example only After the candles burned out for ur spell ?
No, you don’t have to wait for the candles to burn out.
I’ve been doing the everyday alignment and calibration that you outline in your book, holistic energy magic. It sounds similar to the steps you outline above to cast a circle but the books has us start at north with Earth, we don’t go the opposite way when we thank each element at the end, and it also doesn’t have a closing mantra to indicate that the circle is open. Is there a reason why they are different? Would you say that the steps you outlined in the book for daily alignment isn’t casting a circle? I’m just curious because I want to make sure I’m casting a circle the right way.
Thank you so much for all your help!
Hi Christina! The everyday calibration is more of an alignment with the elements, and not exactly the same as casting a circle for magical work.
Could you elaborate on the difference? Is it just that when casting a circle you proclaim that the circle is cast and the same when it is open again whereas you don’t do those steps in the alignment. So the main difference is with one the intention and purpose is to cast a circle and with the other the purpose is an alignment with the elements? Or is there more?
No, that’s about right. They’re not really that different, but the intentions are different.
Hi I had to leave a comment as someyhing exciting happened. I did this magic circle yesterday, the first time I ever did one. Felt good doing it anyway when I had done I went to pick up my boy from school, when I came back a big black feather had been tucked next to my front door. I have looked up what this means and it says that I am being protected 🙂 wow this is what I call results!!!!
Nice! I love when stuff like that happens.
well that makes sense as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, marking the start and end of both Apollos shift and Artemis’s shift in the night and days skies, on another note, I hope this helps me out a bit
Hello Tess. In your book on Holistic Energy Magic, in the element alignment practice, it is said to start north with earth. It seems very similar to casting a circle to me. Would it be better also in that instance to start with east instead?
Thank you very much!
Hi Mary! You can do either in either case. I have lately been starting with East universally, but starting with north can be helpful for anchoring your practice right from the start.
Thank you Tess :)) God knows I need some anchoring!
Do you have to light the candle?
No, you don’t have to.
Does the candle have to be lit?
No. You can always do magic without physical tools if you want or need to.
I used your words and advice to cast my first circle last autumn, outdoors at night. It felt like a meaningful and beautiful ritual and I liked the gratitude element. I especially liked the visualizations, like imagining the water inside you and in other oceans, lakes, etc. And fireplaces, warm sun, etc. It made it all very accessible and tangible for me. I like how you can make a circle your own in a creative way, depending on what you add to it. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Mary, that’s great! Thanks for letting me know.
Hi Tess
Just used your guide for my first circle, and it work, well, like a charm. 🙂 I felt especially grounded and connected to Mother Earth, and felt a connection all the way from the soles of my feet to my hips. The feeling lasted for a good while after I had released the energy. It wasn´t unpleasant at all, but I wonder what it means?
Thank you for creating this space,
Corvus
That’s wonderful! It sounds like you were successful. Thank you for letting me know about your experience.
Is it a sin?
https://tesswhitehurst.com/are-spells-safe-can-i-do-magic-if-im-a-christian/
This was very helpful. I like to cast a circle every full moon, occasionally more often depending on circumstances and wants, and this was my first time setting up alone. Thank you very much for making this public! The instructions are informative as well as the comments, I wish you well Tess.
So glad it was helpful! Thank you for letting me know.
Hi! I am new at witchcraft, just tried you 6 steps to cast a circle and then did some simple spells and meditation. It was magickal ! I really felt the energies through my body. Thanks a lot !
Barb, welcome to the magical spiritual path! So happy to hear you felt the magic. Thank you for letting me know.
I don’t Know anything about magic or witchcraft. I don’t know if the magic is real. But I want to Believe that magic or witchcraft is real. If it is pls help me
Hi! You might find some clarity from my Magic Lessons playlist on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMcnEkjFPUM&list=PLK_wdfKttV4Gw5GoGHFjTIDOswTTszafQ
Thank you so much for this. Not a lot of places have good tutorials and spells for people who are just beginning to do magick!
Glad it was helpful! 🙂
I hope it’s okay that I am recording this simple process into my BoS. I just wanted to say that every time I read Step 6, I get chills up and down my spine and even feel a happiness of tears swell up in my eyes. I can’t wait to try this. It will be my first time attempting to cast a Magic Circle.^^
Of course! 🙂
When it comes to representations of each element, would it be all right to use painted rocks that have symbols of the elements painted on them?
Yes.
Am very excited about this. I know am now on the right path. There was no to guide me after I was introduced it by a friend.
Thank you so much.
Bless be.
Hi!
I am a newbie and was wondering what if we don’t have the 5-6 foot radius? I live in Brooklyn NY in a one bedroom apartment. My alter is in a corner of my apartment but I would love to be able to cast a circle, any advice?
Hi Brenda! Sure, you can do a smaller circle – no problem.
This is the first time I cast a circle for my own magical working and it was, well, magical!!!! Thank you so much. I feel so blessed!
Yay, Ember! Congratulations and blessed be.
Hello, I’m a Hellenistic polytheist, do you know if I could still successfully cast a circle while substituteing the names of the spirits/deities with one more relevant to my beliefs. Such as Rhea and Kronos rather than Mother Earth and father sky?
Mollie, of course! That sounds great.
Can you post pictures of a correct circle can i literally only have 4 items ? What other items can i use for air?
You can use more items than 4 if you’d like more than one for each element. Other air ideas: a bell, a chime, a mobile, a paper crane.
All i can say is…wow! This was my first serious spell casting for manifestation and i decided to do it on a new moon. Because i wanted to be safe i cast the circle and when i say I INTIMATELY CONNECTED WITH EACH ELEMENT i mean it ! By the time i got to Mother Earth and Father Sky I was in tears. The power and the light was so intense like nothing i ever felt before. I felt like I was in the safest, most divine place in the world. I hardly wanted to leave. It’s funny because i’ve avoided doing magick work for so long because i thought it’d be a chore but the entire process itself is magickal. Thank you so much for sharing and Blessed Be.
Verseau, beautiful! Thank you for sharing your experience! Love it.
I opened a circle last night using these instructions as a base as I hadn’t opened one in a long time and I needed this one to be perfect I added my own touches of course anyhoo I live in Tucson Arizona and I woke up this morning to a full on snow storm and in case anyone reading this doesn’t know it never snows in Tucson Arizona I’m taking it as a good omen
Hi Tess. I followed the method you listed above exactly as you have it to do a moon ritual during the recent blood moon. Ever since then there has been a ton of energy around my house and inside as well. Any ideas what may be going on? Thank you for any advice you may have.
H Stephanie! What is the energy like? Positive, frenetic, challenging, or…? Also, did you release and ground the energy after you were finished?
Thank you for getting back to me. I did release the energy but I didn’t ground it. How would I ground the energy? If that would help I will certainly do it. The energy isn’t neccessary bad but it just feels rense/thick. It’s breaking my concentration when trying to do other spiritual work.
Lay flat on the floor (like corpse pose in yoga) and envision all the excess energy draining down, out of your energy field (as well as the energy field of your home) and into the earth. Set the intention that the perfect balance of energy will remain, but anything excess will be composted into Mother Earth. You might imagine energy draining downward into the earth (beneath the floor of your house) like rain water draining out of a soaked coat.
Thank you for this thoughtful guide to casting a circle, it was a great guide for me tonight, happy blood moon and may the goddess be with you always 💙
Glad to hear it was helpful, Chris! Brightest blessings.
I stopped actively practising about 12 years ago because of an unhealthy relationship. I’ve now been in a good relationship for 8 years but the previous experience of my partner’s negative reaction kept me from being entirely open with my new partner. This year I’ve welcomed runes back into my life, and as my partner has been receptive and supportive I felt it was time to delve deeper again. I used this guide yesterday and it was just like coming home. Some parts didn’t quite feel right, so I followed my instinct and adjusted small things and it led to the clearest rune reading I’ve had since bringing them back into my life. Thank you for sharing this, I look forward to exploring this website!
Ami, great to hear it! Thank you for sharing your experience. Brightest blessings.
i have been casting circle for my spell work for many years. i love your simple start up. Over the years I have made my opening and closing more and more eloquent , rhythmic, and more rhymes. I also did my own paintings of each element and its representation symbol on them , then putting the actual element in front of each painting and a colored coordinated candle in front of each and lighting them when doing my invitation and extinguishing each candle when closing. never blow out a candle. That is disrespectful.
I have found that by making it more personal with connecting with the elements more of my work lands its purpose better. Thank you for helping beginners get in touch. It’s nice to see a fellow practitioner teaching. Blessed be.
can males cast magic??
Yes!
Simple yet powerful and profound. I definetely base my own spell off of this! Blessed be! ♡
Hi Tess! Great article. I’m a newbie and am excited to cast my first circle but also a little nervous that something bad or dark could come through. Is there anything that can be used for added protection? I’ve heard of salt, but how would one use it? Thanks!
Cathy, to assuage your fears, I’d call on Archangel Michael before beginning to shield the entire room (or area) in protective light. He’s my go-to ally for absolute, foolproof protection. You could even light a St. Michael the Archangel candle before you begin if you’d like. (But just calling on him will do it.)
Hi Tess, new practitioner here and empath. Firstly, I have heard of calling Archangel Michael before in the craft yet I am a little confused since isn’t he a Christian/ Catholic deity? Also, what tips do you have to truly hone ones ability as an empath. I don’t know much about my gift but I truly want to expand it so I can clearly identify when I am feeling another’s emotions and also to protect myself as I do have a few energetic vampires in my life that I need to maintain a level of contact with. It would be a huge help to hone my ability to be able to be certain and confident in knowing that I am tuning into another’s emotions and not my own. I also have developed an anxiety due to it. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and brightest blessings!
Hi Sierra! Welcome to the magical path. Many practitioners of magic work with angels, even if they don’t consider themselves Catholic or Christian. It’s optional, though. I suggest finding what works best for you. As for your second question, I suggest doing a clearing and shielding meditation daily. Over time, this will give you the clarity and boundaries you’re looking for. Here are a couple of guided ones I have on my site: https://tesswhitehurst.com/quick-thorough-aura-cleansing-meditation/ https://tesswhitehurst.com/10-minute-chakra-clearing-meditation/
Hi Tess. How are you?
I still have a doubt about “how to cast a magic circle”: what kind of material (pen, chalk, etc) is used in order to cast the circle?
Best wishes
Paulo G
Hi Paulo! I understand the confusion. It’s actually an energetic circle. You don’t actually need to draw it. I sometimes like to create a visual with scarves, crystals, or candles, and you can certainly draw it if you’d like (or use a round rug), but the main way the circle is cast is with energy. So it can be completely invisible to the naked eye.
Hello,
thanks for your advices.
One question:
What about to step in and out the Circle? Is there a way to open it from inside before stepping out of it and close it again, then open before entering again, then close it, so that you’ll never cross the line, like having a sort of door? Some books says this is very important. But in this case the Circle it would needed some kind of sliding door, or rubbing and redrawing part of the line. Could you please put some light on this matter? Thanks.
Hi Dan! In my personal experience, it is enough to simply be conscious of the energetic construct of the circle, and then to imagine it opening and closing around you (while retaining its potency) when leaving and returning to the circle.
Hello, I am a beginner witch and I was unsure on how to create my own circle without using a prosses that is too complex for a beginner and I have to say that this was really helpful to me. I will continue to read your library, but I would like to ask you if you have any tips for a beginner witch? Maybe any tools that you recomend? Or any spells that you may think are best for me to start off with?
Thank you and I hope I can hear from you soon.
Hi Jhoanna! Here’s a video I made for people who are just getting started with spells and rituals: https://tesswhitehurst.com/spells-and-rituals-how-to-get-started/
Hey Tess, I’m new to all of this. I like your explanation of casting a circle. I have a question for you. If I have a sigil or seal for a specific spirit that I want to conjure… am I supposed to hold the sigil or seal while sitting in the circle? Or place the sigil or seal outside the circle? I hope to hear from you. Thanks
Sivan, thanks for reading! I am not an expert in conjuring spirits in such a way. I suggest contacting a ceremonial magician or hoodoo practitioner for an answer to this question.
Ok, thank you for your response. I’m just trying to get as much help as possible. Do you own any grimoires? What do usually try to accomplish in your practices?
Fantastic post. Thank you for explaining this so clearly and pointing out that it can be simple. We can tend to make things very complex in fear that “we will leave something out”. I can’t wait to go through your archives. Have an AWESOME day!
So glad to hear! You have an awesome day too. 🙂
Omg me too🤗
Hey, is there a certain age you have to be to do this? Or is it just 18+ ?
Hi Jordan! No, there’s no certain age. If you’re a teen feeling drawn to the magical path, you might like to check out this book my friend Ellen Dugan wrote: https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Witchcraft-Natural-Magick-Teens/dp/0738703931
i was kind of confused about these saying bring column or roots of light deep into the core of the Earth. Bring golden white light up from the center of the earth and into your body. Say, i am just starting to learn magic. so i was hoping if you would hook me up. i need help. i did not understand no 4 completely i understand half
Hi there! This is a visualization that connects you with the power at the center of the earth and in the cosmos. Here’s a meditation where I guide you through a similar visualization: https://tesswhitehurst.com/10-minute-chakra-clearing-meditation/
does this really work? isnt sage a healing herb ive only done small herb spells before and have not needed a circle to cast them.
-Diana
Hi Diana! I don’t always cast a circle. When I do simple spells I often just center myself and tune into the divine first and leave it at that. However, when I’m doing something that’s really going to shift energy in a major way, I will often begin by casting a circle. And when I work with my coven, we pretty much always begin by casting a circle.
Ooh, fun! Love it.
Hi! I’m curious if there is a more “movable” version of a circle, for example, if you want to cast at sunrise on a beach or if you have a favorite spot in the woods where you feel more connected? Is it possible to prepare a more permanent circle representation? I was thinking of taking a large, solid-color blanket and drawing the circle and the compass points with fabric paint. Then I’d sew the representations of each element into the blanket. (Except, of course, for fire which wouldn’t be great for the blanket.) That way, I could take it with me and setting up would be quick. Do you think this would work? Or would it cut out an essential element?
Thank you.
Hi Gwen! Yes, you can cast a circle in nature and you can certainly create a blanket. There are rugs available for the purpose as well.
Hi Tess, i really intersted to learn real magic or witchcraft either black or white magic for body healing, the reason i’m doing this because i had a sister, my only sister in 5 brothers which she was confirmed to have breast cancer disease stage 3. i don’t wan’t to lose her and i’am willing to do anthing for her is there any real source or way to learn this kind of thing?
Btw, I’am 27 years old from Malaysia
Thank you, really appreciate for your help and sorry for my bad english.
Harry, I’m so sorry to hear about your sister! Sending love to you both. If you’re interested in getting started with the magical spiritual path, I do have this free video series: https://tesswhitehurst.com/landing-pages/your-magical-life-is-waiting/
black magic? never! that is NOT the way to go. ever. never ask that of a white witch! or any decent human. sorry for your troubles. it is very horrible. but never ask for black
I want to practice white witch craft for love spells and money spells,how do I start practicing?
Hi Timmy! Did you see my Magic for Absolute Beginners video series? You can sign up for it here: https://tesswhitehurst.com/landing-pages/your-magical-life-is-waiting/
I’ve been setting intentions more than practicing magick. Tomorrow, however, I will be casting my first circle and performing a simple spell. Thus I was led to your site. Thank you for the effective and simple ways to cast a circle. It was a bit confusing until I read your words.
So glad the post was helpful, Phoenix! Brightest full moon blessings and every best wish on casting your first circle.
So helpful thank you. Makes it a little less stressful for a new comer. Do you have a news letter available ? Being a solo practitioner it’s difficult to find good sources with good knowledge and understanding.
Geri, so glad it was helpful! Yes, I have a newsletter. Click the ad in the sidebar that says “50 Spells You Can Do in 5 Minutes or Less” and you can sign up there. Thank you for asking!
Does the circle have to be a perfect circle in dimension
No, you can just approximate.
Does the circle also have to be big enough to sit or stand in as i only have little space?
If you only have a little space, it’s OK if it’s only large enough to stand in.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!!..
I thought that before you called the elements that you actually used salt to form the circle. .is this not right? Blessed be… xx
Hi Miranda! You certainly can create the circle with salt if you want – especially if you want extra protection. But it’s not required.
Does the feather have to be real
No – it’s just a symbolic representation of the air element. Whatever feels powerful for the purpose will work.
You state that west is air and east is water. But then when you start the circle you say ‘face east and envisage and call air. The same for west you call for water. What way round should it be?
Hey thanks for pointing that out! That was a typo and now it’s fixed. It’s always west/water, east/air. 🙂
Years ago, I followed directions from a book. I cast a circle, that I considered to be magical. I had a really good experience. However, fairly recently, I cast a circle and I felt like it was not working, or that I didn’t do it right. Am I doing something wrong, inside, because it wasn’t the first time?
Could it be that I don’t expect my circle to be magical, like I did in the beginning, and that’s why it isn’t working? Do I need to expect or visualize something special? Any thoughts about what I need to do “internally”, to make my circle work?
I want to get it right!
Thanks!
Hi Dee! Sort of like with exercise, some days magic feels really easy and fabulous, and other days it might be a bit more challenging to feel like you’re in the zone. Regular daily meditations and spending time in nature are the best things I’ve found for keeping me in a magical mindset. This post might also help: https://tesswhitehurst.com/5-secrets-to-working-magic-that-works/
I think it is your frame of mind more than your actual practice. Sometimes I play guitar and I feel like I am at the top of the world and I am really expressing myself. Other times I feel like I am going through the motions and playing the same old tired stuff. In a word: uninspired. It is the same way with Magick (for me). Your circle may ‘work’ just fine but you’re just not feeling it. The water element is often represented by cups, which represent emotion in Tarot readings. It would be interesting to flip through a deck of Tarot before or after a circle casting and see which cup comes up first. This may indicate your emotional state. Perhaps keep flipping until you get a cups card you like, such as the two of cups (Lord of Love) or the Queen of Cups (nurturing) then cast the circle again. These are just some ideas. You stated “it felt like it was not working” or “that I didn’t do it right.” The ‘felt” part is represented in the west, by water and the suit of cups (corresponding to hearts in playing cards) and the “didn’t do it right” part seems to me like you thought about the rite and doubted its efficacy. Thought corresponds to air in the east and the suit of swords in the Tarot. There are many correspondences in the world of Magick, and Tarot doesn’t have to be used of course. But feeling doubt and then analyzing what happened is a path fraught with the danger of disappointment (5 of cups). My idea is to give the spirit of air the correct token (like your favorite Tarot card in the suit of swords, maybe the Ace of Swords) or something that represents air or mind as a magical correspondence. Replace that feather. Use an herb that corresponds to air. Or the bones of a bird. Or a photo of a heron in flight. An owl is symbolic at so many levels-night, vision, wisdom, patience, hunting. Place offerings you deem significant for the spirits of the compass and ask them kindly for their help-don’t beg or plead it is demeaning to both parties. Ask an oracle like the Tarot for help. The compass spirits need fortifying so they may fortify your magic and keep you safe. Help them to help you.
Hello! Thank you for taking the time to write this! As a beginner, its so very helpful.
I did want to point out though, that you started facing east, but used west/air. 😉
Thanks again.
Oops! Thanks for letting me know. Fixed now. 🙂
This is so helpful to me as a newbie. Heartfelt thanks. Blessed be.
So glad to hear, Theresa! Brightest blessings and happy circle casting.
Hello! Is there a spesial reason why you start in the west to close The magickal circle instead of the east? If so, why do you do this?
I personally like to end in the North both times, which is why I open the circle starting East and close it starting West. Also, East is about beginnings and West is about endings. Hope this sheds some light!
That makes sense to me. Thanks
Happy to hear it! Thanks for reading.
This shed a lot of light. I am preparing a forgive and forget spell to help me move past some people who still cause me mental anguish. Would it be inappropriate to start in the west for this spell? My thoughts were this would help end this chapter in my life, and closing in the east to represent my new beginning.
Hi Haley! I personally like to call Air (East) first for all spells and rituals regardless of intention, and then move on to Fire (South), Water (West), and Earth (North).
Yes it does
I have just finished casting a spell tonight and it is my very first one to cast as well and I hope my wishes for my spell to come true and see the one I care be happy and healed. I’m very excited to see results in due time! 😄
Congratulations! 🙂
Did it work?
This last part when you say “The circle is open, but never broken. The love of the Goddess is forever in my heart. Merry meet, and merry part, and merry meet again.” is that closing the circle. If now how do you close the circle.
It’s actually a part of opening the circle. Opening is the final step, not closing. Because when you open the circle, all the magic you generated during the ritual can be released into the ether and go where it is most needed to affect positive change.
The sun rises in the East and sets in the West.
Because it reverses the steps. Like a zipper. You zip one way to open, one way to close.
There isn’t a specific reason but I chose to start with air as I’m more connected with that element