Celtic Circle


To Cast:

Taking your athame or using your power fingers, move clockwise from the east drawing a boundry, 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 athame 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 magickal 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,
its 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!

Beginning in the east and moving clockwise, sprinkle the water-salt mixture lightly around the edges of the circle. Replace the chalice 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 sacrd fire that dances within
the form of every creation.

Hold your athame 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 yellow candle and hold your athame up in greeting:

I call upon you, powers of Air, to witness this rite and gaurd this circle.

In the southern quarter, light the red candle and greet the element:

I call upon you, powers of Fire, to witness this rite and gaurd this circle.

Move to the west, light the blue candle and hold your athame up in greeting:

I call upon you, powers of Water, to witness this rite and gaurd this circle.

End up by going to the north, light the green candle and greet the element:

I call upon you, powers of earth, to witness this rite anf gaurd this circle.

Move back to the central altar, and stand facing the east. Raise your hands in greeting:

This circle is bound with power all around.
Between the worlds, I stand with protection at hand.

Stand in the east by the altar and invoke the Goddess:

Hail, Great Moon Mother who shines above, grant me and mine strength, peace and love.
Hear my words upon this hour. Sacred Mother send to this circle your lunar power.
So mote it be!

Then invoke the God:

Hail, Great Sun Father who rules the day, guide me and mine on our lifes way.
Hear my words upon this hour. Sacred Father send to this circle your Solar power.
So mote it be!

Now you can perform magick, rituals, or spells.

To take down:

Once you have finished your spellwork, hold your athame over the altar and say:

By powers of the Ancient Gods, i bind all power within this circle into this spell, So mote it be.

Now make an offering to the Goddess and God. If you are outside scatter crumbs and pour a little bit of your drink on the ground. If indoors place a piece of cake in an offering bowl and some juice/wine in a little cup, then bring these things outside as soon as you can. While you're making the offering say:

What i take, you freely give, accept this offering my Lady and Lord,
take this symbol of my devotion may it strengthen my bonds with you.

Then thank the Goddess and God for the food:

From forest and stream, from mountain and field, from the fertile earth, nourishing yield;
I now partake of divine energy may it lend health, strength, and love to me. Blessed Be.

Now bless the simple feast. Hold up the drink high and say:

Gracious Goddess of abundance, bless this juice and infuse it with your love.
In your names Mother Goddess and Father God, I bless this juice.

Hold up the plate of crackers, cookies, or cakes and say:

Powerful God of the harvest, bless these cakes and infuse them with your love.
In your names, Mother Goddess and Father God, I bless these cakes.

Now you can eat.

When you are ready to end the ritual, (going counter clockwise) start in the north and extinguish the green candle and say:

Depart in peace, o powers of earth, my thanks and blessings.

Go to the west and extinguish the blue candle, say:

Depart in peace o powers of water. My thanks and blessings.

Go to the south and extinguish the red candle, say:

Depart in peace o powers of fire, My thanks and blessings.

Finish by going to the east and extinguish the yellow candle and say:

Depart in peace o powers of air, 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 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 magickal power.
by D.J. Conway