I get asked quite often how to cast a circle for doing witchcraft. There are innumerable ways to do this, however, to have a quick reference to send people to, I decided to share the way that I currently do it when I am casting a traditional witches’ circle, rather than a compass.
Needs: Altar, 1 large illumination candle, 2 Altar Candles, Water Bowl, Salt Dish, Pentacle, Censer, Athame, Bell (optional), 4 Quarter Candles, Matches, Candle Snuffer (optional), Offerings of a beverage, food, and incense.
Set up your altar facing North. Put the large illumination candle at the back center of the altar. If you have been given the sigils of your witch king and queen carve them onto the altar candles, one for the God, one for the Goddess. Put the two altar candles in front of it with one on the left slightly for the king and one on the right slightly for the queen, forming a triangle. Place your pentacle in the center of the triangle. Put the other tools where you feel they belong. Put the 4 quarter candles in the four cardinal directions around your circle.
LIGHT THE ILLUMINATION CANDLE:
“This candle I do light,
to call the old ones to my sight,
the primal force of all creation,
come forth and bring illumination,
I honour the void from which all things came,
Praise to the Witch King and Queen’s name,
Oh, great dark goddess, and lord of light,
come forth now to my sight,
Bring with you watchers four,
To guard this circle and seal the door,
May all be present and this circle bless,
As we meet now in divine congress.”
EXORCISM OF THE WATER:
Draw a banishing earth pentagram over the salt with your Athame, in indigo flame:
Say:
“I exorcise thee oh creature of salt, of all malignancies, and phantoms from the realms of phantasm, that you may be made pure by the power of the Goddess of the moon and the God of the sun, so it is, my will is done.”
Draw an invoking earth pentagram over the salt with your Athame, in indigo flame:
Insert the Athame into the salt and say:
“I cleanse, charge, empower, and consecrate this salt by the power of the Goddess of the moon and the God of the sun, may all the profane be driven away and the power of the Gods flow within, So it is, My will is done.”
Using the tip of the Athame put 3 measures of salt into the water chalice, and stir deosil 3 times, and say:
“As water is at life’s beginning, so salt is at its end, brought forth together they create new life, may this water be made holy and pure by the power of the Goddess of the moon and the God of the sun, so it is, my will is done.”
CASTING THE CIRCLE:
With the Athame walk deosil the circle round, projecting indigo flame onto the ground, going North to North and say:
“I conjure now the circle of power,
That it may protect me in this hour,
Be a boundary between this world and the other,
By the power of the Witch Father and the Mother,
As I walk the circle round,
May all the unhallowed be kept from this ground,
May it be a meeting place betwixt and between,
For the mighty ones, the witches, and the unseen,
Preserve and contain the power raised within,
Aid your devoted as they conjure magick in!”
Take up the chalice of holy water and walk deosil the circle round, asperging holy water on the ground, going North to North.
“By the powers of water and earth, I asperge this circle and give it birth.”
Take up the incense and walk deosil the circle round, censing the circle making it sound, going North to North.
“By the powers of fire and air, I seal this circle that I may be silent, know, will, and dare.”
Face the northern gate with athame in hand, and call upon the mighty ones sacred and grand.
Draw an invoking pentagram of earth, in green flame that your sorcery may be given birth.
“Great powers of crystalline earth, attend your watchtower and give my witchcraft birth, call to me the serpent from within the sacred ground, open the northern gate and make this circle sound.”
Light the candle
Face the eastern gate with athame in hand, and call upon the mighty ones sacred and grand.
Draw an invoking pentagram of air, in yellow flame with great care:
“Great powers of airy might, attend your watchtower and my rite, open the gate to the east, come forth and bring the great winged beast, breathe life into my rituals here, and ensure that the energy remains clear.”
Light the candle
Face the southern gate with athame in hand, and call upon the mighty ones sacred and grand.
Draw an invoking pentagram of fire, in red flame to stoke your desire.
“Mighty ones of the sacred flame, attend your watchtower you who are untame, open the gate to the south, and bewitch the enchantments that come from my mouth, Ignite your fire in this circle round, that it may keep all the unhallowed from this ground.”
Light the candle
Face the western gate with athame in hand, and call upon the mighty ones sacred and grand.
Draw an invoking pentagram of water in blue flame, and call the powers of celestial fame.
“Mighty ones of Atlantean might, attend your watchtower and empower my rite, open the gate to the west, that my power may be ensorcelled and be blessed, may the waters flow into this circle round, that my sorcery may be strengthened and unbound.”
Light the candle
Return to your altar at the northern watchtower, and invoke the god and goddess and their power.
Light the Witch King candle on the left:
“Hekas”
Light the Witch Queen candle on the right:
“Hekas”
Ring the bell thrice (or clap):
“Este Bebeloi”
“This circle has been cast thrice around, to keep the unhallowed from this ground, mighty ones of the great watchtowers, attend my rite and lend my work your powers, the circle is conjured and the power contained, until I unleash it when potency is attained, I stand now in worlds betwixt and between, where I can work with the powers hallowed and unseen.”
INVOKING THE GODS
“I call to the great Witch King,
enter now this sacred and hallowed ring,
you who are the horned hunter, black and white,
who rules over the day and the night,
the great god of solar chthonic power,
attend my rite, and aid me this hour,
enter my flesh that I may open the gate,
to call forth the Queen your consort and mate,
crack open the earth to the underworld below,
that the spirits may come forth and their power bestow,
IO ERBETH IO PAKERBETH IO BOLKHOSETH,
I open the gate by the power of the lord of life and death.”
Knock on the altar thrice:
“MASKELLI MASKELLO PHNOUNKENTABAOTH OREOBAZAGRA REXICHTHON
HIPPOCHTHON PYREPEGANYX”
Draw the sign of the 6 way crossroads above your altar in indigo flame:
“I call to the great Witch Queen,
enter this circle betwixt and between,
lend your aid and protection to my rite,
keep me safe and phantoms from my sight,
great queen of lunar chthonic powers,
fill my bones with the sorcery of the watchtowers,
enter my flesh that I may ignite the witch flame,
celestial goddess of many faces and many name,
strengthen my witchcraft and guide my hand,
that my witchcraft may be cast strong and forever stand,
I call you by your sacred names great Queen of life and death,
AKTIOPHIS ERESHKIGAL NEBOUTOSOUALETH”
**INSERT ANY SPELLWORK TO BE DONE HERE**
Raise the energy of the spell however you see fit, either through circumambulation, chanting, dancing, sexual congress, or whatever you normally do.
THE OFFERING
Give libation, fumigation, and food to those who attend the rite, ensure they are happy and fulfilled this night, lift them up with gratitude and praise, then rest easy knowing they’ll release the power you did raise.
“I give these offerings in gratitude and praise,
for all who attended my rite and helped the power raise,
I give thanks to the watchtowers and elements four,
I give praise to the King who opened the underworld door,
my gratitude I give to the great Witch Queen,
I thank all who stand in this circle betwixt and between,
praise to the spirits of the waters, land, and sky,
thanks to the spirits who guard me as I live and as I die,
I thank the elementals, faery, and spirits of above and below,
I am gracious for your presence and the power you bestow,
attend this feast and take your fill,
In exchange I ask that my spell you fulfill,
any spirits set upon me or who Ive conjured here,
who mean me harm, or bring me fear,
accept my offerings in peace and forgive my past,
and forgive me for my trespasses so the peace may last.”
Face the western gate:
“I thank the spirits of the western watchtower, for attending my rite and lending your power, take your fill of the feast, go if you must and stay if you like but do so in peace, when you leave carry my spell out of your gate, and ensure that its power is weaved into my fate.”
Snuff the candle
Face the southern gate:
“I thank the spirits of the southern watchtower, for attending my rite and lending your power, take your fill of the feast, go if you must and stay if you like but do so in peace, when you leave carry my spell out of your gate, and ensure that its power is weaved into my fate.”
Snuff the candle
Face the eastern gate:
“I thank the spirits of the eastern watchtower, for attending my rite and lending your power, take your fill of the feast, go if you must and stay if you like but do so in peace, when you leave carry my spell out of your gate, and ensure that its power is weaved into my fate.”
Snuff the candle
Face the northern gate:
“I thank the spirits of the northern watchtower, for attending my rite and lending your power, take your fill of the feast, go if you must and stay if you like but do so in peace, when you leave carry my spell out of your gate, and ensure that its power is weaved into my fate.”
Snuff the candle
With athame in hand reverse the circle widdershins, pulling the power back through to the earth within:
“As I walk this circle in reverse, the energies I do disperse, may the circle now be open, though it remains never broken.”
Ground and center and carry on with your day, dispose of the offerings at the crossroads when you feel they have been consumed.
Comments:
Hekas Hekas Este Bebeloi – This is from the mysteries of Eleusis and means “Away, away, be all ye profane.”
The barbarous words are all taken from the greek magical papyri,
IO ERBETH IO PAKERBETH IO BOLKHOSETH – is often associated with Typhonic and Sethian spells.
AKTIOPHIS ERESHKIGAL NEBOUTOSOUALETH – is often used in spells invoking Hekate, Selene, and Artemis.
MASKELLI MASKELLO PHNOUNKENTABAOTH OREOBAZAGRA REXICHTHON
HIPPOCHTHON PYREPEGANYX – is often used to empower spells and give bitter necessity to them by opening the gates of the underworld and calling forth those loyal to the lords of the underworld, here is a cool blog on these words I found by Vicky Newton 2018, that postulates a possible translation may be “Sing the song of wisdom o’ hosts of hades; speak, o’ oracle of the mountains, and call forth the children of the earth mare, come split the earth asunder o’ Lords of Fire.”
Deosil – This means clockwise or sunwise or “with the sun”
Widdershins – This means counterclockwise or antisunwise or “against the sun”
Asperging – This means to sprinkle holy water with your hands
If you need altar candles, incense, or any other tools, we carry them all at www.northwitch.store
North Witch Magick Co. 
Leave a Reply