How to Cast a Circle? (With 5 Basic Steps for Beginners)
If you want to become a witch or simply practice witchcraft, the first basic thing is to cast a circle. It’s the key to each skill that every witchcraft practitioner needs to learn, whether consciously or not.
So, how to cast a circle and why do you have to cast it?
According to some wiccans, the circle in the ritual magick is sacred and acts as a portal to the world of spirits and deities, as a shield protecting you from evil forces. Nowadays, casting a ritual helps put your mind in the right state.
Keep reading to learn more about this kind of practice!
Table of Contents
Step by Step Guide of Casting a Circle

Though casting a circle is a must thing to do for protection, it’s still the choice of each practitioner. Some can choose to not do it. For those who cast the circle, the experience usually varies per person. They may cast it with candles, flowers, stones and crystals, or just their visualization.
See also: Crystals that can’t be cleansed in salt water
Here are some basic steps on how to cast a magic circle:
1. Finding a safe place
The first thing is to look for a safe space to cast your circle. It can be your room or your garden. You can perform the ritual at noon, midnight, early in the morning, or anytime you want. There’s no absolutely perfect place to cast; in fact, just search for somewhere making you feel most comfortable and at ease.
For example, don’t hesitate to hike out to the middle of hill as long as that gives you the feeling of expressing everything as you wish and in an appropriate way for whatever ceremony you hope to perform.
Even if that’s your bedroom or garage, it’s not a problem at all.
Since you will use the space for the casting ritual, you need privacy and silence. Don’t tell anyone about this; otherwise, it will turn into a frustrating and dangerous experience if you get disturbed.
2. Purifying the ritual space
Once finding the place to cast a circle, you have to move to the next step which is purifying it.
How to purify the location physically?
Similar to how you often clean your house, purifying the ritual space means tidying up all the spots and arranging things orderly. Another tip to cleanse the indoor areas is using the cleansing agent made from witch hazel, lavender, patchouli, or sage. Just a few drops in each corner of the room and later the practice of casting your circle will be sufficient.
In case your safe area is on the outdoor, go clear branches, leaves, rocks, or anything scatted around there firstly.
When you’re done with cleaning things physically, it’s time to cleanse the place spiritually. Do the mediation using your hands (or any tool that you usually use in your practice) in order to remove negative energy from different spots.
3. Determining the bounds of your circle
This is optional but you can determine the bounds of your circle.
The act of drawing a circle on the floor is one of several ways to determine the bounds. Actually not all do that – some choose to sprinkle salt water in a circle, while some lay a rope in a round shape. In the case you use ropes, cords or strings, make sure to tie it or you can’t completely enter the spirituality realm.
For those deciding to cast the circle in the outdoors, it would be a better idea if you take advantage of the natural elements, such as rocks, leaves, clean freshwater, etc. Creating a circle of rocks or anything else belonging to the nature not only appropriates to your practice but also enhances the outcome.
4. Placing all items that you use inside the circle
Having a good preparation will bring you good results.
Therefore, we suggest you putting all the objects that you plan to use later for your ritual inside the circle as soon as you finish drawing it. Once the practice begins, you can’t step out the circle. If you break the connection before the practice ends, everything you’ve done will be a waste!
For example, when you are performing the session and suddenly you realize that you’ve forgotten to bring a candle with you, and that ingredient is the key. Now what to do? You can’t pause the ritual, of course! So, always remember to gather all necessary items before starting your ritual.
Some popular objects practitioners often include in their practices are black candles, crystals, bowls of salt, totems, knives, bells, and water. Organize and set them orderly on a surface to form an altar. You can cover it with a small black tablecloth, and make sure to place your altar face the north.
5. Completing the circle
Place candles or other items at each cardinal point appropriately.
The way you use your circle will depend on you, your practice, and your goals. To bless your circle, you can walk around it clockwise three times and then light up the candles. Some also sprinkle salt around the boundary. When moving to each cardinal direction, please chant: "Please keep the evil spirits out. Blessed be!"
Put yourself in a calm, meditative state. Once you complete, affirm and say, “The circle is cast. So mote it be!” Finally, do not forget to dissolve the circle by paying respect to all the deities you invited with a heart of gratitude and putting off the candles and.
In Conclusion
Now you’ve known how to cast a circle, right?
Generally, casting a sacred circle has nothing to do with right or wrong. Like when you do a spell ritual or any other spiritual practice, the most important element for the success is your pure intention.
In addition, also bring your intuition and creativity to the practice. Listen to the inner voice and follow what you feel right!
Comment below if you have any question about this article!
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