Building your circle

Let me begin by saying there are 108 ways to build a Wiccan circle. I'm not going to tell you any of these ways are correct or incorrect. In my opinion, people spend so much time obsessing about the circle they miss out on the most important part, what takes place IN the circle.

Some people believe circles have to be a certain size or only outdoors. Not true. But the circle is something that is temporary. They aren't permanent structures and remember - these are spiritual concepts.

If you are looking for something to protect your home and family, the circle is the wrong thing to choose. I'll be happy to help you with that if that is what you need.

So before we cast our circle, we need to spiritual clean the area. Mother uses her broom stick to sweep the area clear. Grandmother uses a lavender mist as well. Then we set up the altar and prepare the circle.

As you prepare the circle, invoke the power of the God and Goddess. The God representing the sun and the Goddess representing the moon both connect through the circle.

Now there are many formulas for creating the circle. Many people view the circle with an inscribed pentagram with a God or Goddess to be invoked for each point of the star.

Grandmother places candles at each point of the star. She uses different candles and scented oils depending on the goals of each session. Grandmother says the purpose of the circle is the interchange of energies between ourselves, our inner God and Goddess, the universe, and mother earth.

So the circle is really the center of energy exchange.

It takes mother nearly an hour to set up her circle. Grandmother does it much faster but mother says she leaves out many important steps.

My family uses salt to set up the circle (sea salt is best) because salt is eternal as is the God and Goddess as we are in one form or another. We sprinkle some salt at each point of the star and then leave some on the altar.

We then use incense from the altar to help set the circle and we go to each point and all around the circle invoking the sacred names. Although some people take a white string and mark out the circle, we never do.

I'm leaving out the names of the deities and the order we invoke them here to save time.