Years ago, when I was getting started as a practitioner of supernatural magic, or if you want to call it, natural magic, I had a hard time finding any information on the actual act of ritual spellcasting. What exactly was I supposed to do? This was a few years after my stint with organized religion where, you know, you aren’t supposed to think but just follow directions of the church. But after a while, I slowly came to realize that you just make it up as you go along and do what feels right for you.

The Importance of Casting a Circle

Anyway, I finally discovered I should be Googling, “Casting a circle” and the flood gates of information exploded onto my screen. So I read up on various ways to create a sacred space in which to do a spell. Some casters use physical items to create a physical circle in which to operate and set up items as guardians to keep the space free of unwanted energy, spirits or other what not.

Ritual and Visualized Circle Casting

As a caster who recognized the similarities between prayer, witchcraft, chaos magick, and self-hypnosis, I was wondering why occultists make a circle while hypnotists do not. Though I suppose hypnotists do create a safe space in their own special, but different, way.

Whether or not you use rocks, flour, and so on to make your circle, I think it is advisable to add your own imaginary representation to the physical. So here’s my simple visualized circle, with additional commentary.

• Step1: Take up a direction. Facing North is a good traditional starting direction; however, I’ve also read about and now prefer to start facing East. It just feels right to me.
• Step 2: Use what you have decided is a stance of power and with your hand, close your eyes and visualize a powerful light emanating from your fingertips, shooting down to the ground. Turn your body, clockwise, or deosil, as the witches call it, and draw an entire circle, connecting it to its start. Let it glow with power.
• If you feel so inclined, find some word or phrase, made up or “real” that you find gives this activity power and utter it at the same time you draw the circle. Or consider visualizing some symbols, say tatwa symbols, or runes, or sigils, or whatever as a protector for that sector of the circle. Air, fire, water, and earth are a traditional tatwa group used for this purpose.
• Visualizing and being silent is good when you feel self-conscious about what you’re doing or someone else in the area doesn’t share the joy you find in spell casting. Remember, you can do the whole visualization ritual in your head whether you are standing, sitting, or lying in bed.
• Step 3: Continue with your intent for the ritual.
• Step 4: Reverse the circle process, or do my lazy favorite, snap your fingers, or slam your imaginary staff on the ground, and watch the circle fade to black.
• Step 5: That’s it!

Nurturing Your Ritual and Magick

Give your ritual and magick life the time it deserves. Don’t be in a rush. Expending time with a spell adds to its power. You can go to the internet and have a sigil generator web page create a sigil of intent in 2 seconds… but it will be more powerful if you just draw it yourself. Put some emotion into it. Put desire into it.

Believe that it will be successful. Belief is power that chaos mages feel is instrumental in the successful application of magic. Just don’t dwell on it after you cast the spell. I have met people online who just cast spells but don’t really believe magic is anything more than placebo or “it affects me only.” As an idealist, well, if it affects me only…then it affects the universe ‘cuz I am the universe. Just sayin’.

Creativity goes hand in hand with giving your ritual time. Google the innumerable ways that you can cast a circle and perform a ritual. Take what pieces you like and toss the rest. Add to and modify a ritual to make it your own.

If you want Deity involved, invite them to join the ritual, or create  your own Deity, or identify your own preferred non-Deity source of power for the spell. Do your spell however feels right for you.