Someone asked how to cast a circle and I rambled . . .

I am going to give you information that might not be as structured as some might offer. It may seem basic on some level - but I really focus on intuition when casting a circle. And I tend not to use tools a lot, but I'll mention some things I DO use.
First, size doesn't matter. Your circle doesn't have to be big - it just has to be big enough for you and whoever else is in it. If you are alone, you can cast the circle to be maybe a foot or so around you, or a little more - that's just an idea. If you're doing a blessing of a certain area - say a room, then you'd want the circle to encompass most of that room.

Candles - You can mark the directions with candles of different colors. Or you can just have them on your altar. Some color guidelines are: White or yellow for air (some people I know use purple) Red or orange for fire Blue for water Green or brown for earth (you can use any "earthy" color like pumpkin orange too)

The center candle for spirit can be white or it can be a special candle or candles - like those that are shaped in the form of a goddess. For my center candle, I have a candle holder that has the faces of the maiden, the mother and the crone on the sides. I use a white candle in it. (I also have a mirror underneath the phase I think I'm at in my life. Right now, I have the mirror under the mother's face even though I'm not a physical mother - that's the phase I feel I'm in.)

When I cast a circle, I will often have things to represent the four elements to help cast the circle. For example, I'd use a bowl with water for Water, the Red candle for Fire, my incense burner for Air and a feather to fan the incense and maybe a branch of a tree for Earth.

Different traditions will tell you different directions to call the elements. The order I call them in is: East for water, South for fire, West for air and North for earth.

Some people might insist that East is air and West is water, for example. I think it depends on where you live and where the water is. I live in the Boston, MA area and the ocean is to the East of me. When I move to Los Angeles in August, I will probable switch this, since the ocean will be to the West of me.

And I think of South as fire because the hotter climates are South of me. And the North Pole is North of me and I think of that as Earthy.

So, calling the directions: I call East, South, West, North and then Spirit What do you say when you call the directions? Anything you want to that you think is associated with the element you are invoking, such as: "I call on the powers of the South - the fire that burns and the fire that warms. The fire that empassions us all. Powers of the South, be with me in my circle now." That was off the top of my head, which is kinda how I do it in ritual.

You can also think of the aspects of the element that pertain to the intention of your ritual. If you are doing a ritual about love, you might want to think about that theme as you invoke the elements.

I might walk around the circle with the Red candle during or after the invocation. And then I would make the shape of a pentacle in the air. I would continue like this for each element.

You can also invoke elements through chanting. A chant for each element or a chant for all of them.

For the center - spirit - you can again use your intuition or you might want to read a "Charge of the Goddess". There are different charges you can find in books or you can search the web for them too. Or you can invoke a particular deity for the intention of your ritual.

Since I mentioned a ritual for love before, let's say you invoke Aphrodite or Venus. If you are doing a ritual for the Winter Solstice, you might invoke Amaterasu-omikami to coax her out of her cave and bring the sun back to the Earth.

Then you state the intention of your ritual. It can be simple or wordy, it's up to you. You might then state that the circle is cast and continue with the rest of your ritual.

Thanking the elements and opening the circle: At the end of your ritual, please be sure to thank the elements in the reverse order from the way you called them. A simple thing to say is "Powers of fire, thank you for being with me here tonight. Go if you must, stay if you will".

Now I've been going on for a while writing possibly the longest post I've ever written. But, I want to emphasize that the tools and the clothes you wear in ritual are not what it's all about. It's about you and how you connect within and without to the elements, the Goddess (and God) and the Universe. It's all about intention and purpose.

You can also just cast a circle by sitting and meditating. If you are with friends, you might just all join hands one by one and that can be all you do to cast a circle. As long as you mean what you are doing, your sacred space will be made and your circle will be cast.

I hope you find this helpful.

And part two of my response was this:

How long did it take to feel comfortable? Oh boy - I've been practicing for about 10 years now I guess. Hmm. . . I think it took a while practicing on my own - maybe a year? Then I joined a group in NY City that met once a month or so. I soon became one of the people involved with preparing and conducting the rituals for a group that varied but was about 50 people.
Getting to be in a group, you get to experience casting a circle as part of something becoming a habit. First, being in the group and hearing other people casting the circle and then being one of the people casting it.

I will say that a defining ritual for me in this group was one where we came out in very serene ceremonial robes with all the proper tools. We called the formal "guardians of the watchtowers" of each direction. And, as the chalice met the blade, one of us stopped the others and said something like "Wait a minute. This is not what it's all about." And then we threw off our dark robes to reveal bright body paint all over! We danced and proceeded to do a very upbeat free form ritual.

This was how we planned the ritual - to bring lightness to it and to point out that our gatherings can be celebrations of our spirituality. This ritual was what I was thinking about as I wrote that last post to you.

And then the flood

I don't write anything in my lj for weeks and then I write three posts in one day!

I found the Buddhist Society Center today in Cambridge. A coworker who knew I prayed to Kwan Yin told me about it.

I didn't know why I had to go there today, but when I got there I found out that it's Buddha's Birthday celebration weekend. I went into the center - there's a cafe and a bookstore and a temple. I asked a buddhist nun if I could go into the temple and she told me I could in a very welcoming tone of voice.

I went in and saw the many tiles of Kwan Yin and tears welled in my eyes. I am so glad I found a place to find her image and spirit everywhere around me. I went to the bookstore and looked around. One of the women who worked there introduced herself to me as M*. She showed me some prayer bead bracelets. (My boss suggested I try worry beads instead of wringing my fingers). I also asked to look at an amber Kwan Yin amulet. Too expensive for right now. I'll come back after payday.

Another woman talked to M* and translated some stuff into English. She recommended a blue bead bracelet that I ended up buying.

I asked M* about tapes with Kwan Yin chants. She tried to find some but couldn't and said she'd ask and tell me on my next visit. M* also tried to sing me the Kwan Yin chant I read in a book but have not heard. Now at least I have some idea of how it sounds.

M* showed me the schedule of events for the weekend celebration and the rest of the month. I'm not going there to become a Buddhist but I was polite and thankful for the help and information.

It's one week until Rites of Spring and I feel like my head is in that space already. I feel like I'm in a spiritual mindset. I can't wait to dance from dark until sunrise. I am looking forward to being part of the kitchen magic again this year. I defrosted last year's hummus last week and it's still wonderful!

Chi gong class was great this morning. I showed up on time for the first time in forever. Working out at the gym has helped me to be able to stand in certain postures without discomfort. My body is stronger and it's helping me to move beyone the physical in my meditation.

Life is very good at the moment.