Some Wiccans pour a small, unbroken circle of some substance to define the ritual space. Powdered herbs, flour (as was used in ancient Middle Eastern rituals as well as in contemporary Voodoo rites), crushed colored minerals, sand, or salt are poured out while moving clockwise. As mentioned above, a cord can also be laid in a ring.
For more information regarding circle construction, see
The Standing
Stones Book of Shadows.
Invocation
In some ways this is the heart of all Wiccan ritual, and indeed is the only necessary part. Wiccan rites are attunements with the powers that are the Goddess and God; all else is pageantry.
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The word “invocation” shouldn’t be taken too literally. This usually refers to a spoken prayer or verse, but may also consist of music, dance, gestures, and song.
There are several invocations to the Goddess and God in
The
Standing Stones Book of Shadows.
Feel free to use them when designing your own rituals, but remember that impromptu invocations are often more effective than the most ancient prayers.
If you do write up your own invocations, you may wish to incorporate a rhyme. Centuries of magical tradition attest to the value of rhyme. It certainly makes invocations that much easier to memorize.
Rhyme also contacts the unconscious or psychic mind. It drowses our societally, materially, and intellectually based minds and lets us slip into ritual consciousness.
When actually invoking, don’t curse if you forget a word, mispronounce something, or entirely lose your train of thought. This is quite natural and is usually a manifestation of fatigue, stress, or a desire to be word perfect in the circle.
Invocation requires a willingness to open yourself to the Goddess and God. It needn’t be a pristine performance. As most rituals begin with invocation, this is, in a sense, the moment of truth. If the invocation isn’t sincere, it won’t contact the Goddess and God within, and the ritual that follows will be nothing more than form.
Practice invoking the Goddess and God, not only in ritual but daily, throughout your life. Remember:Wiccan practice isn’t limited to full moons or sabbats—it is a round-the-clock way of life.
In a more metaphysical sense, invocation is a dual-level act. It not only invokes the Goddess and God, it also awakens us (shifts our awareness) to that part of us that is divine—our inviolable, intrans-mutable essence: our link with the Old Ones.
In other words, when you invoke do so not only to higher forces but also to the deities that dwell within, to that spark of divine energy that exists inside all living creatures.
The powers behind all deities are one. They are resident within all humans. This explains why all religions merge at their cores, and why they work for their respective adherents. If only one correct way of approaching deity were possible, there would be one religious ideal. This will never happen.
The concept of the Goddess and God dwelling within may seem egotistical (we’re all divine!) but only from an unbalanced viewpoint.Yes, when some people grasp this idea they start acting as if they were indeed divine. Seeing the divinity within all other humans helps bring this idea into balance.
While we are, in a sense, immortal (our souls certainly are), we are not the Immortal Ones. We’re not the universal, timeless, transcendent beings that are revered in all religions.
Call the Goddess and God with love and sincerity, and your rituals should be blessedly successful.
Ritual Observance
This usually follows the invocation, if the ritual is held on a sabbat or esbat. It may also be a rite of meditation, transition, thanksgiving, or simply a few moments to commune. In such cases, ritual observances may or may not be appropriate.
You needn’t be glum, serious, or stodgy while doing these rituals. Wiccans are serious about their religion, but that doesn’t mean that the deities are.
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Laughter has its ritual and magical functions. For example, truly laughing at a curse can destroy its effects. It sets up a powerful protective energy surrounding you through which no negative energies can penetrate. Laughter releases tremendous amounts of personal power.
So when you spill the salt, tip over a candle, fail to light the incense, and forget the verse, laugh and start over. Too many newcomers to Wicca bring their ideas of stern, solemn religion with them into the magic circle, but these ideas are alien to Wicca.
Leave those thoughts behind you. Wicca is a religion of peace and happiness and yes, even laughter. Wiccan ritual needs no pomposity unless it is simply desired.
Energy Raising
In practice, this is magic—the movement of natural energies to effect needed change.You can raise energy at most Wiccan rituals, though it is rarely thought to be mandatory. The full moons, solstices, and equinoxes, however, are classic times to perform magic, for there are extra earth energies afoot that can be utilized to enhance the effectiveness of your magic.
This doesn’t mean that Wiccan rituals are simply excuses to work magic. Though it is perfectly permissible to work magic on the eight days of power (indeed, it is traditional), many Wiccans don’t, preferring these to be times of attunement and celebration rather than of magic.
One of the major differences, however, between Wicca and most other religions is its acceptance of magic, not just in the hands of specialized priests who work miracles while others watch, but to all who practice its rituals. Therefore, magic can be worked with a clear conscience at most Wiccan rituals after invocation and ritual observance.
In magic, ensure that your need is real, that you’re emotionally involved in this need, and that you know that your magic will work. Some of the simplest spells are the most effective. After all these years I often prefer to use colored candles, oils, and herbs as focal points of energy. There are countless ways to practice magic; find one that’s right for you (see bibliography for related books).
As I’ve written elsewhere, magic is magic. It isn’t religious in the usual sense of the word. In Wicca, however, magic is usually worked while invoking the Goddess and God, asking for their presence, and that they lend their strength to the task. It is this that makes Wiccan magic religious.
The magic circle (or sphere) is formed to retain power during energy raising. When building up power for a spell in one of the old ways (dance, endless chanting, visualization, and so on), Wiccans attempt to hold it inside their bodies until it has reached its peak. At this time it is released and sent toward its goal. It is difficult to retain all of this power—especially during dance—and so the circle does this job. Once you’ve released the power, however, the circle in no way impedes the flow of energy to its destination.
Circles aren’t necessary for the practice of magic, though if you invoke the Goddess and God to help you, the presence of the circle ensures that the power you receive will be properly retained until you decide it’s time to send it forth.
Ask the Goddess and God to assist you, to grant your request or to amplify your own powers, no matter what type of magic you perform in the circle.
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In doing so you’re expanding your awareness of the deities within, opening a channel through which divine energy can flow. Thank the Goddess and God after the finished ritual in words, by lighting a candle, or by leaving an offering of food or drink on an offering plate or in the ground.
Few words should be required here regarding “evil” magic. Needless to say, any magic that is designed to harm or control another living being—even if you feel that it’s in their best interest—is negative magic. This leaves you open to receiving negativity back.Negative magic isn’t Wiccan magic.
Once you’ve finished your magical working, pause for a few moments. Gaze at the Goddess and God candles or at their images on the altar.You might also look at the rising incense smoke or bowl of fresh flowers. Think of the deities and of your relationship with them, as well as your place in the universe. Put all thoughts of the ritual out of your mind entirely by shifting your awareness away from it.
You’ll probably be drained of energy if you did indeed release power, so sink back down and relax for a few moments. This is a reflective moment. It smoothly flows into the next ritual step.
Earthing the Power
Once you’ve sent energy, residual power usually rushes around within you. Some traces may still exist inside the circle. This should be earthed, or reprogrammed to fit smoothly back within your normal energy scheme. Even if you’ve performed no magic, an earthing is desirable before closing down the ritual, for this step, especially when it consists of a meal, has sacred aspects as well.
Some Wiccans call this Cakes and Wine or Cakes and Ale. In
The
Standing Stones Book of Shadows
I’ve termed it The Simple Feast. It’s all the same thing—a ritual ingestion of food and drink to ease us back from ecstasy.
Eating kicks your body into a different mode. Since food is a product of the earth, it gently returns our awareness to the physical reality. Food is a manifestation of divine energy. Eating is a form of true communion.
This meal can be a light snack of cookies and milk, juice and bread, cheese and wine, perhaps the traditional crescent-shaped cakes (actually cookies) and wine (see “Recipes”—in
The Standing Stones Book of
Shadows
) are all fine. The food is often blessed prior to eating, and you’ll find sample rituals for this in
The Standing Stones Book of Shadows.
Prior to eating, make a small offering to the Goddess and God by scattering cake crumbs and pouring a few drops of liquid onto the ground. If indoors, place these things in a special libation bowl. Bury its contents in the ground outside as soon as possible after the ritual.
There are other methods of earthing yourself and the power.
Tasting a bit of salt and scattering it around the circle works. You might also try visualization. See the excess energy as a kind of purplish mist hanging in the circle and within yourself.Hold up a tool of some kind (the magic knife, a rock, the pentacle, or something else) and visualize it absorbing the extra energy. (Try holding this with your receptive hand as well.) When the circle is cleared and you feel back to normal, put down the tool. When doing this with your magic knife (athame), the extra energy can later be used for spells and for forming the magic circle. There are many possibilities; some Wiccans store candles beneath the altar and send the excess energy into them.
Thanking the Gods
The next phase of Wiccan ritual consists of thanking the Goddess and God for their presence and attendance at your circle. This can be done in specific ways, with gestures or chants or music, or can be improvised on the spot.
Some Wiccans think of this as dismissing the deities. I shudder at the very notion. Imagine some puny little Wiccan telling the Goddess and God that they can leave!
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Thank them for their attention and ask that they come again. That’s it.
Breaking the Circle
The method in which you return an area or room to its normal state depends on your method of circle casting. If you use the one in
The
Standing Stones Book of Shadows,
close with the accompanying ritual. In this section we’ll look at the methods to disperse the circles described in “Creating Sacred Space” above.
The first one, in which the circle is visualized as swirling around you and the altar, is the easiest. Thank the rulers for attending the rite. Stand before the altar again. Hold out your receptive hand (it will be the right if you’re left-handed). Visualize yourself absorbing the energy that created the circle. Feel the energy sinking back into your palm and, thusly, into your body.
You can also use the magical knife to “cut” the circle. Visualize its power surging back into the blade and handle.
The next method is one to which some Wiccans take offense, but it is based on orthodox Wiccan teachings. If you created your circle by treading clockwise around the altar, stand in the north and move slowly to the west, the south, and the east, ending back in the north again. As you move, draw the energy from the circle within yourself.
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For other types of circles, “break” or disperse them in some way. If you laid stones in a ring around the altar, take them up. Remove flowers or greens if they mark the circle’s perimeter and disperse or sweep up rings of herbs, salt, or flour.
Whatever method you use, thank the rulers of the four quarters for their presence and ask that they watch over future rites.
When the circle is gone, put away the ritual tools. If you’ve used salt and water (as in the circle consecration in
The Standing Stones Book of
Shadows
), save the excess salt for future use, but pour the water onto the bare earth. Offerings in the libation bowl should be buried along with the incense ashes, though these last are sometimes saved for future spells and rites.
It isn’t necessary to immediately take down the altar. Indeed, it can be left for the rest of the night or day. When you do begin putting the tools away, it’s good symbolism to wait to quench the candles until last. Use a snuffer, your fingers or your white-handled knife blade (clean off the wax and soot after each use). Start with the quarter candles and any others that you might have used, then put out the God taper and finally the Goddess candle.
Your rite has ended.
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Such as canoe building, navigation, and medicinal herbalism.
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Before using any herb for magical purposes, hold it in your hands and, while visualizing, infuse it with your programmed, personal power. This increases its effectiveness.
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In the Northern Hemisphere, most Wiccans move clockwise within the circle, except during some banishing rituals. In Australia and in other parts of the Southern Hemisphere, circles may be cast counterclockwise, as this is the apparent direction in which the sun moves.
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Though it should, of course, promote ritual consciousness. Outdoor rituals rarely need as much invocation because the Wiccans are already surrounded by natural manifestations of the deities.