~*Casting of the Circle*~
Gardnerian Tradition
Set up your altar as described in Consecration of the Altar Ritual (see Gardnerian Section). This should be positioned in the North. Set out a candle on the floor (be careful!!) at each direction (north, east, south, west). Use a compass if necessary. The four candles should form a pretty even circle, with the altar in the north. Use a string tied to a pencil and lightly taped or tacked down to the floor, as a drawing compass for a perfect circle. The ideal number is 13 feet.
The Opening Ritual
The High Priestess and High Priest kneel before the altar, with him to her right. The rest of the coven stand outside the North-East quadrant of the Circle.
The High Priestess puts the bowl of water on the Pentacle, puts the point of her athame in the water and says:
"I exorcise thee, O creature of water, that thou cast out from thee all the impurities and uncleanliness of the spirits of the world of phantasm; in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia."
She lays down her athame and holds up the bowl of water in both hands. The High Priest puts the bowl of salt on the Pentacle, puts the tip of his athame in the salt and says:
"Blessing be upon this creature of salt; let all malignity and hindrance be cast forth hencefrom and let all good enter herein; wherefore do I bless thee, that thou mayest aid me, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia."
He lays down his athame and pours the salt into the bowl of water which the High Priestess is holding up. They then both put down their bowls on the altar, and the High Priest leaves the Circle to stand with the coven.
The High Priestess draws the Circle with the sword, leaving a gateway in the North-East (by raising her sword higher then the heads of the coven as she passes them). She proceeds deosil (clockwise) from North to North, imagining a bolt of light emitting from her sword and creating a flaming Circle, saying as she goes:
"I conjure thee, O Circle of Power, that thou beest a meeting place of love and joy and truth; a shield against all wickedness and evil; a boundary between the world of men and the realms of the Mighty Ones; a rampart and protection that shall preserve and contain the power that we shall raise within thee. Wherefore do I bless thee and consecrate thee, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia."
She then lays down the sword and admits the High Priest to the Circle. The High Priest admits a woman in the same way, that woman admits a man, and so on, until the coven is in the Circle.
The High Priestess picks up the sword and closes the gateway by drawing that part of the Circle in the same way as she did the rest of it.
The High Priestess then names three witches to strengthen the Circle. She stands before North, draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth and says:
"I consecrate thee in the element of Earth."
The first witch carries the bowl of consecrated water around the Circle, deosil from North to North, sprinkling the perimeter as s/he goes. S/he says:
"I consecrate thee in the element of Water."
Then s/he sprinkles each member of the coven in turn. S/he replaces the bowl on the altar.
The second witch carries the smoking incense burner around the perimeter, deosil from North to North, saying as s/he goes:
"I consecrate thee in the element of Air."
S/he then replaces the thurible on the altar.
The third witch carries the altar candle around the perimeter, deosil from North to North, saying as s/he goes:
"I consecrate thee in the element of Fire, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia."
The Conjuration of the Watchtowers
The High Priest then chooses four witches to invoke the Quadrants. The first witch stands before East, draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth, and says:
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air, we do summon, stir, and call ye up to witness our rites and to guard the Circle."
The second witch stands before South, draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth, and says:
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of Fire, we do summon, stir, and call ye up to witness our rites and to guard the Circle."
The third witch stands before West, draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth, and says:
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, ye Lords of Water, ye Lords of Death and Initiation, we do summon, stir and call ye up to witness our rites and to guard the Circle."
The fourth witch stands in front of the North, draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth, and says:
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye Lords of Earth, Boreas, thou Guardian of the Northern Portals, thou Powerful God, thou gentle Goddess, we do summon, stir, and call ye up to witness our rites and to guard the Circle."
~All information contained is from my personal Book of Shadows
©2001NyWitch
