Sacred Space
Black spirits and white, red spirits and grey
come ye, come ye, come ye that may!
Around and around, throughout and about
The good come in, and the ill keep out!— Doreen Valiente
In the Craft, there are two ways in which we prepare a space for working. The most common is to create “sacred space”. If the working is formal and ritualized in nature, we will also “build the temple” — cast a formal circle and call on representatives of each direction to assist us in the working.
For most purposes outside of initiate Craft (the Wicca), sacred space is the perfect choice. As with many esoteric skills, the primary “work” is done with visualization. The person creating the space must envision the area being washed clean in some way. Most traditions use the image of white or blue light.
The invocation calls on the four elements to come if they like. Most modern pagans are familiar with elemental color associations. I teach my students three sets of color associations:
| Popular “Gardnerian” | Native American “Medicine Wheel” | British Traditional Craft (New Forest) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| North | Green | White | Black |
| East | Yellow | Yellow | Red |
| South | Red | Red | White |
| West | Blue | Black | Grey |
As you can see, the Valiente invocation uses the New Forest colors for the Airts (spirits of the directions). Thus, in using it, one calls on north, south, east and west, and ask those spirits to 1) show up, 2) go throughout the sacred space and 3) go outside the space to protect it.
Unlike most formal circle casting procedures, this invocation does not necessitate the actual drawing of a circle, nor does it bind the area into a restrictive space. However, with a minor modification, it can be used to cast circle.
Black spirits and white, Red spirits and grey,
Come ye, come ye, come ye that may.
Throughout and about, around and around,
The circle be drawn, the circle be bound.— Doreen Valiente, The Rebirth of Witchcraft
The actual casting of a circle requires actively directing energy to form a modified sphere around a working space. This energy should, ideally, form a nearly impenetrable wall. Should one unwittingly walk “through” the wall of a properly cast circle, he will FEEL it, and probably have a throbbing headache in short order! Therefore, circle casting is best reserved for times when people are not likely to be leaving and reentering the space frequently.
The following is a more elaborate circle casting rune by Doreen Valiente for this purpose.
Black spirits and white, red spirits and grey
hearken to the rune I say.Four points of the circle, weave the spell
East, South, West, North, your tale to tellEast is red, for the break of day
South is white for the noontide hour
In the West, is twilight grey
And North is black for the place of power.Three times’ round, the circle is cast
Great ones, spirits from the past
Witness it and guard it fast.— Doreen Valiente
Circle casting is a fine art that anyone can learn, but one can only become proficient at through careful practice. As for the invocations, there are hundreds in print which can be used, and it is perfectly possible to create one for a given situation or ritual. Some witches even cast with no words, using only the force of their developed visualization techniques. I have used Valiente’s words here because they are simple to learn and reasonably traditional.
Suggested Reading on sacred space and circle casting:
- The Rebirth of Witchcraft, Witchcraft for Tomorrow, and Natural Magic by Doreen Valiente
- To Stir a Magic Cauldron by Silver Ravenwolf, chapters 2 & 5
- The Spiral Dance by Starhawk, chapter 4
- Witchcraft: Theory & Practice by Ly DeAngeles page 87
How important is it to cast a magic circle before spellwork or ritual? Does it make a big difference if you don’t cast one?
It really depends on what kind of work is being performed and how it needs to get “pushed out”.
A circle performs a number of functions. It does effectively keep undesirable energy out, but it also keeps things in, which can work for or against you. It can be used to magnify and accelerate the Work, so that opening the circle releases the Work in a very expansive way. If working with others, it can help to develop the group mind.
Yes, it makes a difference. Wether or not it’s important, well, that kind of comes with practice.
For example, if I am doing work to release a belief that is no longer serving me (“I need cigarettes!”) I would probably NOT use a circle, as it would hold that belief in with me while I do the work. However, once the work is done and I am prepared to do healing work (“I will strengthen my lungs!”) I would. Make sense?
For Wiccan Ritual, OTOH, I almost always “cast circle” but it’s slightly different. This is part of the creation of the temple and is necessary for performing the ritual properly. In this case, it’s more about having a bouncer for the party.
How can I tell if my circle is “working”?
I have heard people saying that they use a particular song when casting their circle or consecrating their altar and it worked perfectly. How do they know that? They feel it? They notice the effect? I’m from the southern hemisphere and casting a circle is different. Some told me to to do what feels right for me and that I should place my elements in the direction that feels right for me and see if it works. That’s what i don’t understand. what do you guys mean when you say “See if it works”??
Here are some simple “clues” to those new to casting circles. Assuming you have not become sensitive enough to see or feel the energy specifically (you probably are, you just don’t know what it looks/feels like), here are some ways to tell if your circle is “closed”:
- The air inside feels “heavier”. The practitioner may feel “lighter”.
- Static electricity inside may increase.
- Candle flames usually get about 20% bigger when the circles “closes”. It’s subtle, but if you are spotting for it, you’ll notice.
- It is more difficult to visually focus on areas outside the circle. (This actually goes away as you become more accustomed to circles.)
- Your companion animals pause before crossing the threshold of the circle or seem to “see” something where it is.
- When you open the circle, the air temperature seems to drop.
Partially open circles sometimes have:
- “Drafts” or “cold spots”. (same can be found when working with ancestral spirits, but I’m assuming a beginner is not doing that kind of work yet.)
- A sense of “suction” from above (failure to close the sunroof).
- A sense of greater gravity (failure to close the “below”.)
As for the directionality of the circle, I notice a subtle resistance if I attempt to cast a circle widdershins. When casting deosil, I do not notice this. I have not visited the Southern Hemisphere, so I cannot speak to which is beter for that part of the world, but as you become more aware of what the energy movement “feels like” (see above tips) you may beging to notice more resistance in one direction or the other.
