Got the tools, read the books??

Even if you haven't this is where you start. Even if this is just for meditating or dream questing, the following page sets out how you prepare yourself for your quest.

Cleanse Your Space

This is as important as the next step we will discuss. Clear your ritual space of clutter, hover and dust it, and sprinkle it with holy water to damp down any static. Set up your altar with all the necessary tools and supplies you will need for your ritual. It should face the North in the northern hemisphere and South in the southern hemisphere. This is because you are following the path of the sun and moon. If you are meditating or scrying, it might be just your candles, music or scrying tools. This way, it will all be there and you won't have to break the circle to get something you forgot. It is suggested that you don't have any electrical leads trailing over the edge of your circle so either have it outside your circle, playing your music or inside on batteries.

Cleansing You:

Before you even think about undertaking a quest or ritual you should prepare yourself by cleansing yourself physically. This can be a bath with ritual oils in or a shower. The purpose of this is to rid yourself of negative and static energies that have built up through the day that could interfere with your ritual or meditation. Whilst bathing, clear your mind of the events of the day and focus instead on what you plan to do. Almost like a rehearsal if you like!

Ritual Clothing

There are many folk out there who will tell you that you don't need ritual robes to work. Their argument being that if you need to do something in a hurry that you won't have time for the above or getting into a robe (Unless you have a telephone box, tardis etc handy). True enough but, hopefully, when the time comes for you to do something in a hurry, such as a protection spell, you will know it inside out and back to front to be able to do it with out tools. Like it has been mentioned in ritual tools, the power comes from with in and we use the tools to focus that power. In the beginning before I got my robe, I used clean pyjamas. The point is, you need clothing that isn't everyday clothing otherwise what is the point of cleansing yourself of all that static only to bring the outside world crashing back in with the clothes you don? But it is up to you.

The Circle

So you have prepared yourself. So what is this mystical circle that is talked about? The circle is the sacred space that holds in personal power and protects from negative energy. Actually, what is created is a sphere that encompasses the practitioner/s and the altar, within which magick is worked. The circle is formed using personal power that is visualized as originating from the body. 

Centre and open your chakras as above before meditating on raising a cone of power for ritual purpose. Now using your finger, wand or athame, visualize a blue light coming out the end (some say white, some say blue. I have always used blue light) and as your walk round the perimeter of your working area draw your circle with the blue light. You should go clockwise in the NH and anti-clockwise in the SH as this is the positive direction of magickal flow, following the path of the sun and moon. This is known as Deosil. The circle you have cast is actually the diameter of a globe of blue light that surrounds you like a protective bubble. Now go back to the centre of your circle (unless you are calling the quarters) and ask the Goddess to fill you with her power before raising a cone of power to work with. 

Alternately, you can actually draw a circle around you in white chalk, chord, crystals or with candles to represent fire for extra purification. The reason circles are usually done in white is for its symbolism of purity. Some are even drawn in salt. If you wish to use cord then you will need enough cord to comfortable work inside of. This is where the use of cord as part of your robing comes from. Depending on the sabbat or ritual I am working, I sometimes have 13 colour co-coordinated candles. An example would be orange and black votive candles placed around the perimeter of my circle for Samhain. There is a chant that goes with the lighting of these candles but I will put this under the spells section.

On my altar I usually  burn Frankincense incense for air and to purify the sacred space; a small bowl of salt for earth; altar candles to represent fire though you can add cinnamon or juniper incense to your censor to also represent fire; and a my holy water to represent that element. At each quarter there should also be a candle if there is enough space and it is safe to do so..

Once you have cast your circle, you may wish to call the quarters/open the elemental gates. You don't have to call the guardians if you don't wish but they will guard and protect you during the ritual or meditation and will add their power to your work. Go to the North (NH) or South (SH) depending on your location and visualize the Element you are going to call and say:

Come ye of the Northern/Southern Winds

Place of storms and deepest Night

Place of Silence most profound,

Guard this circle set out of time,

Acknowledge the purpose of this rite

Open for me the Gate of Earth

With your athame or finger draw the pentagram for Earth in one continuous line following the direction shown in the picture. Feel the power of Earth flow into you and fill the circle

Move Deosil to the position of Air. Now chant:

Come ye of the Eastern Winds

Place of first Sun and rise of Moon

Place of Inspiration

Guard this circle set out of time,

Acknowledge the purpose of this rite

Open for me the Gate of Air.

With your athame or finger draw the pentagram for Air in one continuous line following the direction shown in the picture. Feel the power of Air flow into you and fill the circle.

Move Deosil to the position of Fire. Now chant:

Come ye of the Southern/Northern Winds

Place of the highest Sun

Place of Creation Manifest

Guard this circle set out of time,

Acknowledge the purpose of this rite

Open for me the Gate of Fire.

With your athame or finger draw the pentagram for Fire in one continuous line following the direction shown in the picture. Feel the power of Fire flow into you and fill the circle.

Move Deosil to the position of Fire. Now chant:

Come ye of the Western Winds

Place of the setting Sun

Home of the Island Remembered

Place of Wisdom

Guard this circle set out of time,

Acknowledge the purpose of this rite

Open for me the Gate of Water

With your athame or finger draw the pentagram for Water in one continuous line following the direction shown in the picture. Feel the power of Water flow into you and fill the circle.

I then pick up my holy water and from the Gate of Earth walk around the circle in a Deosil direction, sprinkling the water to dissolve any residual static left from cleaning. Your area is now energized and ready for work.

When you have completed what you have done, return to the Gate of Earth and thank the Guardian for its help and then draw the Banishing Pentagram for Earth as seen in the picture. Move in a Deosil fashion, repeating the Banishing Pentagrams for the Elements giving thanks to each Guardian. It is important to do this otherwise, you leave the gates open for all sorts to come through.

Close your chakras and ground yourself. Now extinguish your altar candle and with your hand or athame close the circle by either "cutting" through the circle in an upward motion or by holding your athame above your head and drawing the energy of the circle into it. Point down, touch it to the ground or place your hands against the ground to release this energy back into the Earth. You may want to leave your tools out for a while to absorb the energy so empowering them but it is advisable that if other could handle your tools that you put them safely away. Now go eat and ground yourself back into the normal world.

If this is the first time you have cast a circle then you will notice that your sacred space will never feel the same again but will be a place of tranquility and peace unless you are practicing for selfish or harmful means which can result in negativity lingering and making it a restless, unhappy place.

What is herein is the basis upon which all rituals are based. The chant I have describe is the one suggested by Ly de Angeles and I have found it perfect but there are many other chants suggested out there or you may want to make your own. What ever you feel is right for you!

May the Goddess lead you through the light and onwards through your Journey