CASTING THE CIRCLE  ONE

     Set  up : place  a candle in  each of the four  cardinal directions.Lay 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 of  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 from thee
     all impurities and uncleanliness of the world of phantasm; in the names of 
     Cernunnos and Aradia"

          She  then puts down her athame and holds  up the bowl of water in 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, inthenames 
           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 rest of
     the Coven outside the Circle. The High Priestess then draws the Circle with
     the  sword, leaving  a gap  in  the Northeast  section.  While drawing  the
     Circle, she should visualize the power flowing into the Circle from off the
     end of  the sword. She  draws the Circle  in a East  to North or  deosil or
     clockwise direction. She says:

          "I conjure thee, O Circle of Power, that thou beest a meeting place of
                       loveandjoyand truth;ashieldagainst allwickednessand evil;
               a  boundary between  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."

          The High Priestess lays down the sword and admits the High Priest with
     a kiss while spinning him deosil and  whispers"Bless Be" . He then admits a
     women the  same way. Alternate  male female male.  Then the  High Priestess
     finishes closing the Circle with the sword. She then names three witches to
     help strengthen the Circle. The first witch carries the bowl of consecrated
     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 male,  he
     sprinkles  the High Priestess  last who then  sprinkles him.  If female she
     sprinkles  the  High Priest  last,  who then  sprinkles  her.  The bowl  is
     replaced on the altar. The second witch takes the incense burner around the
     perimeter and the third takes one of the altar candles.  While going around
     the perimeter, each person says:



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          "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 says:

          "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  the air
     with  her  athame. The  High Priest  and  the rest  of the  Coven  copy 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 do 
              summon, stir and call you up, to witness our  rites and to guard  
           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; Boreas, 
              thou gentle guardian of the Northern     Portals; thou powerful   
          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  with  a
     widdershins  or  counterclockwise  stroke.Immediately  reseal  it  and 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 1985



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