THE ARCANE ARCHIVE
	a cache of usenet and other text files pertaining to occult, mystical, and spiritual subjects.

[from http://www.oakgrove.org/GreenPages/bos/0130.txt ]

Subject: CASTING THE CIRCLE  ONE

     Set  up : place  a candle in  each of the four  cardinal directions.L
ay the
     rest of the tools on the altar cloth or near it. The altar can be on
the
     ground, a table, a rock or a stump. The altar should be in the center

     or just north of center of the Circle. Light the six candles and the
     incense, start the musicand begin the ritual.

                         THE RITUAL

          Facing North, the  High Priest  and Priestess  kneel in  front o
f  the
     altar with him to her right. She puts the bowl of wateron the altar,
places
     the point of her athame in it and says:

          "I exorcise  thee, O Creature of  Water, that thou cast  out fro
m thee
     all impurities and uncleanliness of the world of phantasm; in the nam
es of
     Cernunnos and Aradia"

          She  then puts down her athame and holds  up the bowl of water i
n both
     hands.  The High Priest puts the bowl of salt on the altar, puts his
athame
     in the salt and says:

          "Blessings be upon this Creature of Salt; let all malignity and
              hindrance be cast forth hence, and let all good enter herein
;
                       whereforeso Iblessthee, thatthoumayest aidme, inthe
names
           of Cernunnos and Aradia."

          He then puts down his athame and pours the salt into the bowl of
 water
     the High Priestess is holding. The High Priest then stands with the r
est of
     the Coven outside the Circle. The High Priestess then draws the Circl
e with
     the  sword, leaving  a gap  in  the Northeast  section.  While drawin
g  the
     Circle, she should visualize the power flowing into the Circle from o
ff the
     end of  the sword. She  draws the Circle  in a East  to North or  deo
sil or
     clockwise direction. She says:

          "I conjure thee, O Circle of Power, that thou beest a meeting pl
ace of
                       loveandjoyand truth;ashieldagainst allwickednessand
 evil;
               a  boundary between  men and  the realms  of the  Mighty On
es;  a
     rampart and protection that shall preserve and contain the power
 that
     we shall raise within thee. Wherefore do I bless thee and        cons
ecrate
     thee, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia."

          The High Priestess lays down the sword and admits the High Pries
t with
     a kiss while spinning him deosil and  whispers"Bless Be" . He then ad
mits a
     women the  same way. Alternate  male female male.  Then the  High Pri
estess
     finishes closing the Circle with the sword. She then names three witc
hes to
     help strengthen the Circle. The first witch carries the bowl of conse
crated
     water from East to  East going deosil, sprinkling  the perimeter as
she/he
     goes. They  then sprinkle each  member in turn.  If the  witch is mal
e,  he
     sprinkles  the High Priestess  last who then  sprinkles him.  If fema
le she
     sprinkles  the  High Priest  last,  who then  sprinkles  her.  The bo
wl  is
     replaced on the altar. The second witch takes the incense burner arou
nd the
     perimeter and the third takes one of the altar candles.  While going
around
     the perimeter, each person says:




   130



          "Black spirits and white,
          Red spirits and grey,
          Harken to the rune I say.
          Four points of the Circle, weave the spell,
          East, South, West, North, your tale tell.
          East is for break of day,
          South is white for the noontide hour,
          In the West is twilight grey,
          And North is black, for the place of power.
          Three times round the Circle's cast.
          Great ones, spirits from the past,
          Witness it and guard it fast."

          All the Coven  pickup their athames  and face the  East with the
  High
     Priest and Priestess in front, him on her right. The High Priestess s
ays:

          "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air;
          I do summon, stir, and call you up to witness our rites     and
to
     guard the Circle."

          As she  speaks she draws  the Invoking Pentagram  of Earth in  t
he air
     with  her  athame. The  High Priest  and  the rest  of the  Coven  co
py her
     movements with their athames. The High Priestess turns and  faces the
 South
     and repeats the summoning:

          "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of Fire; I d
o
              summon, stir and call you up, to witness our  rites and to g
uard
           the Circle."

          She does the same pentagram and then faces West and says:

          "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, ye Lords of  Water, ye
 Lords
             of Death and Initiation; I do summon,     stir, and call you
up, to
             witness our rites and to guard  the Circle."

          She faces North with rest of the Coven and says:

          "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye Lords of Earth; Bo
reas,
              thou gentle guardian of the Northern     Portals; thou power
ful
          God and gentle Goddess; we do      summon, stir and call you up,
 to
     witness our rites and to guard the Circle."

          The Circle is completed and  sealed. If anyone needs to leave,
a gate
     must  be  made. Using  the  sword,  draw out  part  of  the Circle  w
ith  a
     widdershins  or  counterclockwise  stroke.Immediately  reseal  it  an
d then
     repeat the opening and closing when the person returns.


     Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert   Hale
  1983
     and Valiente, Doreen; "Witchcraft for Tomorrow"; Phoenix Publishing 1
985