Cast a magickal circle with the 4 elements

Practitioners create magickal circles aka erect a temple to contain the energy being generated and, most commonly, to protect themselves from unwanted, inappropriate or negative entities while performing ritual magick. Proceeding with ritual work without circles has been likened with falling asleep with your front door open. Unwanted energies may range from those lingering from loved ones who expressed skeptical views about magick (near your altar) to negative entities. Even if you do not have any specific negative energy in mind against which you want to protect yourself, it is still advisable to protect yourself as a favorable alternative to remedying a problem that had been created by not having taken this important preventative measure.
YouTube video by Isis Chandler 'Why we cast a magic circle', 02:05 to 02:22


Sources of protection: watchtowers
The system of protection is based on calling upon the 4 elements, aka watchtowers for protection. In other words, the watchtowers are spirits that watch over and guard your ceremony.





Basics
Despite variations in traditions, the following seem to apply universally among practitioners. 
  • Circles are visualized as being made of a protective shield of white light
  • the 4 elements are called upon (as is done by the magician of the major arcana, as he has the 4 suits, symbols of the 4 elements laid out on his altar)
  • cosmic energies or other spirits are called upon
  • there is the ideal option of "closing" aka removing the circles after ceremonies have ended 
  • entering in and out of the circle mid-ceremony is discouraged. However, when it is necessary, most commonly for bathroom breaks, doorways can be opened and closed within the circle's boundaries.
The ritual of creating circles can be very simple with no tools to very complex based specific traditional practices in a coven (ie group of witches) or mystery school. 

Magickal circles are not necessarily drawn physically. However, when they are, their boundaries are often created with chalk, salt or cord. Additionally, the four cardinal points (aka 'quarters') are often prominently marked on the circle's boundary and or on the altar, organized according to the appropriate cardinal point. Be reminded that, while the name 'circle' gives the impression of a flat 2-dimensional image on the ground, the magick circle creates a space that may be likened to a 3 dimensional sphere-shaped tent whose protective walls are made of psychic light or electro-magneticism. 

The shield of the magick circle are created by invoking the 4 (or depending on your tradition 5) elements. Calling upon the 4 elements summons the spiritual essence of each element that comprises the 3 dimensional world. The elements exist as components of 3-dimensional reality. Calling upon cosmic energies recognizes the astrological aspect of reality. Since magick practices involve influencing reality, these elements should appear on your altar to protect your circle and influence your work. On that basis, if you call upon the spiritual energies of the elements, you open yourself like a medium to be a channel either through which they take action or from whom actions around you occur in accordance to your will. There are different ways of invoking these elements; calling upon them and visualizing them becoming one with yourself. Casting a circle is essentially portable in that you can apply it in your mind anywhere, any time. 


Uses of magickal circles
  • Magickal circles protectively contain desired energy within a private and sacred space, often a temple. A sacred space is simply one that is dedicated for purposes like meditation, spiritual rituals (like psychic cord cutting, calling upon the ancestors, libations, burning bowl rituals, etc), astral travel, healing sessions (Reiki, etc) and sleep
  • Magickal circles create a space within which to call upon the magickal powers of the 4 elements (as discussed below)
  • Magickal circles create a safe place for healing
  • Magickal circles with an elemental platform create a protective field of light, like an altar, sleeping area, work space and so on
  • Magickal circles without a platform create a protective field around an entire property
  • Circles contain the energies being created. This helps to concentrate the energy before practitioners infuse energy into objects (like healing crystals) or send energy otherwise like into thoughts.

The 4 elements on which practitioners call
Here are some associations with the 4 elements. Effective magick recognizes that, in the natural law hermetic principle of mentalism, you can call out to these elements because they are under the control of the ultra macrolevel of consciousness; the superconscious mind (k). The pose of the magician of the major arcana references this point and encapsulates the essence of the 2nd hermetic principle of correspondence 'as above, so below, as below, so above'.

On his altar, the magician of the major arcana has laid out the 4 suits, which symbolize the 4 elements laid out on his altar. In other words, they are there for the purpose of manifestation of his intentions by connecting the elements between spiritual and physical worlds.

They may be called upon using different names. For instance, rather than say "element of air", some traditions may say "watchtower of the East" and so on. Either way, these alternate approaches are used for the same purpose. Most practitioners start with East. However, some traditions start from North. Another interesting variation is that the cardinal points associated with specific elements may change because of the environment. For instance, if the air does not come from the east in your location, but powerfully from the South, you may experiment with making the South cardinal point to which the air element applies.
  • Air
    • yellow  (color)
    • East / the watchtower of the East. A watchtower is a protective guardian spirit of an element. It watches over the ritual and provides protection.
    • mental, mentalism, thought, new beginnings, psychic abilities, telepathy, physical communication, words
    • Common symbols: feathers, incense, yellow candle
  • Fire
    • red  (color)
    • South / the watchtower of the South
    • action, sexuality, spontaneity, boldness, power, attention, leadership, vitality
  • Water
    • blue (color)
    • West / the watchtower of the West
    • Emotion, the flow of life, tears, empathy, sympathy, (emotional) unification, purity, detoxification, healing, emotional connection, a subtle power (that can even distinguish fire and also bring together the other elements
    • Common symbols: cup of water, blue candle
  • Earth
    • green (color) 
    • North / the watchtower of the North. 
    • Security, stability, protection, abundance, fertility, physical existence, material things including trees, land and so on
    • Common symbols: stone, sand or soil, green candle.
Whether actively or not, many practitioners call upon a 5th element, that of spirit. I will discuss that below.


Preliminary Steps for any tradition
Prepare before creating the circle
  • Clean the space, spiritually and physically
  • Set up your altar and prepare for the ceremony 
    • Optional. Display your ceremony's agenda. This should be much like how any ceremonial leaders create a service program so he can officiate the proceedings effectively.
    • Gather and lay out commemorative tools and materials that relate to the rituals for which you are creating a magickal circle. In other words, have everything in place beforehand to avoid stepping in and out of the circle mid-ceremony. 
    • Prepare the space for use
    • Prepare yourself 


    Most common traditions of casting magick circles.
    Common ways of casting the circle. Example(s)
    • walking around its perimeter 3 times (not necessarily but sometimes with a wand). This is done in a meditative state to build the energy and then pull it up from the ground upwards around the practitioner.
    • Drawing the physical edge of the circle with salt, flowers, twigs, sea shells, plants, stones, candles (with CAUTION) or other natural objects.
    • fanning incense with a feather
    • standing in the center of the circle and drawing its parameters through visualization of light they channel through themselves and a wand that points our the boundary.

    To invoke the 4 elements, practitioners commonly call upon each element at a time.
    • Using a wand or athamé (ie a ritual knife) and visualization, practitioners may draw out the circle's parameters in the air in front of her. As she turns, she stops at each cardinal point that corresponds with the particular energies upon which she is calling. She interacts with symbols of the relevant element on her altar, like appropriately colored candles she lights and so on. She turns clockwise, starting with the East (the direction for the air and mentalism. See the other directions and corresponding elements otherwise on this page). 
    You can even personalize your chosen methodology to whatever is most meaningful to you. Newest practitioners tend to recite calling upon ritual words verbatim from a guide book. However, with experience, they often use whatever words they find appropriate at the time for each element and specific ceremony. It is common for practitioners to go on to author their own poetic calling upon words. They choose words that are intentionally sensorial to heighten their imagination and visualization. 

    Samantha Valens wrote the following poetry for her casting a circle at her preferred time, night. Needless to say, if you prefer to do your rituals in sunlight, customize your own words for the sun. Do the same for different occasions. For instance, if you are focusing on transitioning through the autumn equinox, use evocative keywords for that occasion like rest, pupa, hibernate / estivate, etc. Get inspiration for themes around which to write from the symbols of your intentions. 

    Here is Samantha Valens poetry for her moon light ceremonial circle casting, apparently for spell work. She likely had another version that was very specifically for protecting the circle.

    -Moon-
    Lunar Goddess, Lady Moon
    To your spirit I attune 
    Drench me in your loving light
    as I cast this spell tonight

    -Earth- [She lights her green candle]
    Element of Earth
    bring to me
    your power of solidity
    empower with your strength so loyal
    by rock and plant, root and soil

    - Air - [She lights her yellow candle]
    Element of Air
    so fair
    Your breath of life
    with me do share
    empower with mentality
    your thought and words will set me free

    - Fire - [She lights her red candle]
    Element of Flame and Fire
    Your energy I do desire
    Empower me with intensity
    Through action that warmth will join me

    - Water - [She lights her blue candle]
    Element of Water and empathy
    Empower me with your fluidity
    through rain, lake, sea and river
    to my spell may you deliver


    Here is my personal attempt for spell work. (You can make other poetry for protection). Engage with the symbol of each element on your altar as you call upon its element. That may be like lighting appropriate candles or touching the symbols.

    Element of earth
    Pulse your essence up through me
    Empower me to alter physical reality
    with flesh and stones and plants and bones
    I am Earth, a master of materiality

    Element of Water
    Flow through me
    to channel endless emotions and empathy
    I swell and shrink the tides
    I am Water, a master of whirling emotional rides

    Element of Air
    Whirl through me
    to travel through universal mind and mentality
    Let my imagination inspire action and stir emotion
    I am Air, father of all reality

    Element of Fire
    Burn through me
    Give me focus to stoke passion and intensity
    I transform all that passes through me
    I am Fire, magician that alters my subject's state to be

    Here is another poem.

    Element of earth
    Pulse through thee
    My intentions to alter physical reality
    Use flesh and stones and plants and bones
    I am Earth, a master of materiality

    Element of Water
    Flow through thee
    to channel my requested emotions and empathy
    Swell and stop the tides
    I am Water, a master that whirls emotional rides

    Element of Air
    Hurl through thee
    my intentions through universal mind and mentality
    Whisper or blow thoughts to reach deeply
    I am Air, father of all reality

    Element of Fire
    Burn through thee
    these intentions that stoke passion and intensity
    Transform accordingly all matte    rs that affect me

    I am Fire, magician that alters my subject's state to be



    The optional 5th element on which you may call upon
    Some practitioners invoke a 5th element of electromagnetism; ether, aka chi or spirit. The aether is the medium through which you can connect with cosmic energies. Additionally, spirits could be your higher self, deities and ancestors. Like the 4 elements, there are symbolic associations attached to this element. Some include purple candles, gold or silver candles for deities, images of the spirit.
    • Calling upon the 'powers of the heavens' and the 'powers of the universe'
    • Calling upon father sky and earth spirits.
    • Using a wand or athamé (ie a ritual knife), practitioners may point above saying 'as above' and then touching the ground, point downwards saying 'so below'
    Closing the circle
    Closing the circle removes it from existence and ends the session. As with a physical world ceremony, you can close by respectfully saying thank you for coming, good bye to your guests, and perhaps your looking out for their work in what you have discussed. However, you want to specifically state that you are now releasing the energy. Failing to release energies that remain with you can be draining to you.

    Steps
    1. Move in counter direction that you used for creating the circle, starting from the last point that you created. This movement may be done while point a wand, dragging your finger over the circle, etc.
    2. Thanksgiving offering like African libations.
    3. Thank you element of __, ancestor ___ for coming. I am now closing and "releasing" all of the energies of this ceremony. Good bye. I will look out for the work you will do according to this meeting.
    4. Optional. Eat something because the process may be tiring.
    Demonstrations of how people cast magick circles.
     
    Xristi Witch's YouTube video 'Casting a Circle: 2 Methods'

     
    LauraRedWitch's YouTube video 'Casting a circle'


    A more complex tradition of casting magick circles.
    • Select your sacred space
    • Casting the circle with a triangle from your navel
      • Face the space
      • With your palms facing away from you, join both index fingers and both thumbs until they form a closed triangle. 

      • Now invert the triangle so that your palms are facing upwards and, most importantly the triangle's pointed tip (where the index fingers meet) connect with your navel. The navel aligns with your solar plexus, a center of creative energy. Apart from being its scientific name, the solar plexus is also the name given to the energetic portal that more readily connects with non-physical aspects of ourselves (like our spiritual and mental dimensions)
      • Using your eyes, trace the physical boundaries of your circle. Make a mental picture of the boundary as you do this as you remain standing in the same position.
      • This next step requires you to remain in the same position. However, you will need to visualize that these next movements projects the circle to a scaled up size. You now need to open the triangle by separating your hands outwards so each makes the side of a circle before meeting again several inches away from your navel in front of you. When they meet again, the palms face downwards (unlike the original position at the navel). After drawing the circle, return to the starting triangle at your navel. In total, create the circle this way, 3 times.  
      • Elemental Platform. Place your upwards-facing left palm below the upwards-facing right palm. This creates your circle's elemental platform that encircles the base of the entire magick circle. Allow it to hover at this thigh level for now.
      • Pillars of Light (Enochian ~). Take one step back, first with your right foot, then left (to re-align with the right foot). As you step back, drop your hands so your arms are vertical in front of you and roughly 2 feet apart, with your fingers pointing downwards. As you drop your hands down, you lower the elemental platform and create 2 pillars of light. These pillars of light extend downwards into the earth and upwards into the sky. These pillars connect with the light source.
    • Activate the circle / Temporarily exiting & re-entering the circle. BTW, after having created the circle, you can return to and activate it, ie without needing to re-create it. Consider the circle as being more of a 3 dimensional igloo of psychic light inside of which you do magick. On that basis, when you exit the circle, as if to take a bathroom break or otherwise, treat it like you would a fabric tent. Open a or the designated door to exit, closing it behind as you leave. In this case, your designated door will be through the 2 pillars. Similarly, when you return, take the same approach. If you do not close the circle, it dissipates and must be re-created. To open the way, you may zip and unzip through the light barrier with a wand, your fingers or otherwise. Having said this, you can eliminate your need to exit and re-enter the circle by casting the circle around a bathroom.
    • Visualize and hold the 2 pillars with your hands
    • Step onto the platform to meet your hands. In other words, do not step forward with your hands still outstretched in front of you as this pushes the pillars forward. Imagine how you will ordinarily hold onto physical pillars whose strength and solidity help you onto the platform, of course without them moving
    • Standing on the platform, say the following with the corresponding visualization.
      • "I am Earth" - Visualize the earth from feet to knees
      • "I am Water" - Visualize the water from knees to waist
      • "I am Air" - Visualize the air from waist to shoulders
      • "I am Fire" - Visualize the fire from shoulders and upwards
    • Clasp your hands in the prayer position and step forward into the circle with your right foot saying, "it is by will alone that I set my mind in motion"
    [Now state your intention for the session, season, etc.]

    Close the magickal circle
    • Facing the inside of the circle, step backward onto the elemental platform first with your right foot 
    • Bow with your hands in prayer position and say 'thank you' or 'amen'
    • After both feet are on the platform, step off the platform and out of the circle first with the right foot. Like before, say 'thank you' or 'amen'

    Calling upon (cosmic energies) ritual
    This calling upon ritual invites cosmic energies to flow through you and or others. This energy influences reality towards your intention.
    • Pose #1: Rest your palms flat on your stomach exposing your navel through a triangle with opposite thumbs and index fingers touching each other. The triangle points downwards with the meeting of the index fingers. Say the following.
      • 'I am [your name]'
    • Pose # 2: While maintaining the triangle with your touching fingers, extend your arms over your head. Now look through the triangle and say the following.
      • Kabbalistic call: 'I call upon the power of the heavens' - OR -
      • Shamanic call: 'I call upon Father Sky'
    • Just a heads up; starting after pose # 2, that you have just completed with your arms over your head, your hand movements are about to proceed through a sequence of steps to gradually create the infinity sign (which looks like the figure 8).
    • Pose #3: To create the top loop of the infinity sign, separate your hands to create a loop that closes again at chest level where your arms cross each other over the chest. Say the following.
      • Kabbalistic call: 'and the powers of the Universe' - OR - 
      • Shamanic call: 'to come down and join Mother Earth'
    • Pose #4: Separate your arms again, this time, to create the bottom loop. Bring the hands together in front of your navel and then continue to move them to your sides. The palms should face forward while the fingers point downward. Say the following.
      • Kabbalistic call: 'To come down for the benefit of the children of the light. Amen' (I like to also state the mission of the children of the light at this point by including 'Our mission is to ...') - OR -
      • Shamanic call (at the navel): 'for the benefit of the [...specify]' and (at the sides): 'children of the light'



    CONTENT RELATED TO CASTING A MAGICKAL CIRCLE with 4 or 5 elements and cosmic energies
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