The craft that I follow also works in circles, the druidry I do and the magickal practices that I have they all work with circles. Most notably within magickal practice is the casting of a circle, this is a spell to begin all spells that works as a ritual to bring the power of sacredness and creation in to the material world. I love circle castings and know about 4 off by heart that I use interchangeably depending on the work that is going to follow it. To be fair most circle castings are in them selves spells that can be used intercahngably, they can either be used to protect you or they can be cast after a circle to do other things like invoke, evoke, enchant or to summon. Circles have an uncanny ability of bringing what is scattered in to one defined place, giving focus to the mind and giving unity to the spirit and soul.
Mostly however when you use the power of the circle casting you use it to go around yourself,or another and or even a place, you encircle things with a protective veil. Whatever your reasons for using the circle, the defining quality of a circle is that there is always something within it and something outside of it. An example of this is from a recent trip I took to Glastonbury.
This August me and my grove went to Glastonbury to perform a weekend of ritual at popular pilgrimage sights like the tor and the chalice well gardens and so on. Either way, the grove did some initiation rituals at the base of the tor where I myself was initiated in to the grove of my brothers and sisters. It was an amazing place to perform these rituals and to perform them in public too was very brave in my opinion. I was proven right too when as we were setting up a local gent (who could have been easily described as drunk haha) decided to take interest and stand in the centre of our group and wind everyone up. Myself and a few of the seasoned witches and Druids weren't really fazed and just got on with it but some of the others were a little put off by him. Some of our brothers and sisters were gearing up for an initiation which meant so much to them. Quite rightly so they didn't want it ruined by a stranger but it was too late for changes at the last minute we needed to get set up.
Now this man was really trying my patience even if I was confident in our power he was starting to get on my nerves. I had to remind myself frequently to not say anything and to just focus on getting started. I needed to make sure that when we began he wouldn't be in the way and I began to focus on getting everyone else organised and in position. It probably helped that everyone was trying to push him away with their energy and were equally focused on getting set up but it wasn't until we had finished the circle casting that I noticed the man had gone............completely gone. I realised later that our circle casting was performing a great deal of magick before we had even begun saying the words or giving the gestures.
My sister Rae who was helping people with their initiations said she noticed the same but unlike when you practice alone she pointed out that "when we were divided he was in our way, but as soon as we united in the circle casting he vanished". I thought about what she said, thought hard about it and she was right. Even when we are alone and preparing for ritual our thoughts and our focus is not defined or concentrated and distractions abound until we are organised in to casting the circle. We define our focus and unite our mind with body and spirit. Much like within our group we were scattered thoughts and divided opinions getting ready to find our place within the whole trying desperately to deal with a distraction. But when we had finally lit the lantern and set off the charcoal our unity of purpose empowered that circle with a sacred thought in a timeless moment. The circle did more than surround us, it also focused us, gave us a point to concentrate on, and unified our thoughts. The protection came not only from just the etherial line that we drew in the air but the unified power that we wielded when the circle was cast.
I am always going to remember this and hold on to it whenever I cast a circle. That magick comes from when you stand firm in your power, when you focus your power in to a single point, when you point the wand unwavering and say the words with conviction. When you unite with the power of your gods, the power of the land you know it will fill up your circle and you will feel and see what it is to really cast a circle and why.
