Casting and Closing a Cricle

Taking your athame or using your power finger, move clockwise from the
east drawing a boundary. While you are drawing the circle, say: I consecrate this circle of power to the Ancient Gods. Here may they manifest and bless their child. Move back to
the altar, facing east. Raise your wand or dagger in greeting, say: This is a time that is
not a time, in a place that is not a place, on a day that is not a day. I stand at the
threshold between the worlds, before the Veil of the Mysteries. May the Ancient Ones help
and protect me on my magical journey.

Set the water chalice on the pentacle disk. Hold your athame over it and
say: Great Mother, bless this creature of Water to your service. May I always remember the
cauldron waters of rebirth. Hold the athame over the salt and say: Great Mother, bless
this creature of Earth to your service. May I always remember the blessed Earth, it's many
forms and beings. Sprinkle a little salt in the water, then hold the chalice up high, and
say: Great Mother, I give you honor!

Begining in the east and moving clockwise, sprinkle the water-salt mixture
lightly around the edges of the circle. Replace the chalise on the altar. Now hold your
athame over the lighted incense burner, saying: Great Father, bless this creature of Fire
to your service. May I always remember the sacred Fire that dances within the form of
every creation. Hold the dagger over the incense, saying: Great Father, bless this
creature of Air to your service. May I always listen to the spirit winds that bring me the
voices of the Ancient Ones.

Touch the incense burner briefly to the pentacle disk, then raise the
incense burner high, saying: Great Father, I give you honor. Carry the burner around the
circle clockwise, beginning in the east. Return to the altar. Go to the eastern quarter of
the circle. Light the red (yellow) candle and hold your hand (or use your athame, wand, or
sword) up in greeting: I call upon you, Powers of Air, to witness this rite and guard this
circle. In the southern quarter , light the white (red) candle and greet the Element: I
call upon you, Powers of Fire, to witness this rite and guard this circle. Move to the
west and light the grey (blue) candle and hold up your hands in greeting: I call upon you,
Powers of Water, to witness this rite and guard this circle. End up by going to the north;
light the black (green) candle and greet the Element: I call upon you, Powers of Earth, to
witness this rite and guard this circle.

Move back to the central altar, and stand facing east. Raise your hands in
greeting: This circle is bound, With power all around. Between the worlds, I stand With
protection at hand.

To take down:

Once you have finished your spellwork, hold your hand or athame over the
altar and say: By the powers of the Ancient Gods I bind all power within this circle into
this spell. So mote it be. When you are ready to end the ritual, go to the east and
extinguish the red (yellow) candle and say: Depart in peace, O Powers of Air. My thanks
and blessings. Go to the south and extinguish the white (red) candle and say: Depart in
peace, O Powers of Fire. My thanks and blessings. Go to the west and extinguish the grey
(blue) candle and say: Depart in peace, O Powers of Water. My thanks and blessings. Finish
by going to the north and extinguishing the black (green) candle; say: Depart in peace, O
Powers of Earth. My thanks and blessings. Return to the altar in the center and say: To
all beings and powers of the visible and invisible, depart in peace. May there always be
harmony between us. My thanks and blessings. Cut the circle with a backwards movement of
your athame or sword to release all remaining traces of power for manifestation. Say: The
circle is open, yet it remains a circle. Around and through me always flows its magical
power.

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