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casting circles and calling quartersthe circle is the sacred space in which magick is worked, where we pagans can meet with various spirits safely. the word "circle" may be misleading, though, because actually what you are creating is a sphere that encompasses all participants and the altar, if you have one. circles can be cast anywhere; a coven area, the woods or some other outdoor place (i prefer this), your bed room, or anywhere you need it (i cast one one time right after a car wreck i was in where we bowled over five pine trees so that i could apologize to them properly, like a death ceremony.) the magick circle defines the ritual area, holds in personal power and shuts out all distractions and negative energies. you can use objects on the ground to show the boundaries of the circle, such as stones, flowers, branches, candles (my favorite) or crystals, but this is certainly not necessary. it is formed with personal power, which is felt and visualized as streaming from the body to form what, to me, ends up looking like a bubble made of light. some use their athame, or magickal knife, to direct this power, others (like me) use their hands. (i heard that my friend richard once cast the boundries with his urine; at the same ceremony, my fiancee used his katana...wish i had been there to see that one...) once the energy is flowing through your fingertips or athame (or urine...), walk the boundries of the circle once (some say three times), envisioning the mist (or bubble, or light, or whatever works for you) trailing outward from you to form the sphere. when the circle is completed, shut off the energy by doing something like shaking your hand, or simply pulling the energy back into yourself. once the circle is cast, you are ready to call the quarters if you wish. some people will call quarters before they cast the circle, by the way...it's all personal preference. there are many different energies and beings that can be called, summoned or stirred to protect the circle or witness your ritual - from watchtowers to angels to faeries to elementals to element energies. no matter which type of quarter call you use, when working with quarters, envision a door or opening of some kind and visualize the energy or being that will be coming through that door to guard the circle. all quarter energies should be dismissed in the same manner they were called. i'll give you an example of the type of quarter call i use during New moon rituals. as i call each quarter, i face that direction and hold out my hands, feeling the energy from that element flowing first over my hands, and then into me: 
(face east)spirits of the east, i summon thee. from the east, i summon the forces of air. east is the birth of the new, and the bringer of the sun... i ask you spirits, watch over me, protect myself and my circle; this sacred ground i have constructed. spirits of the east, i summon thee. (turn and face south) spirits of the south, i summon thee. from the east, i summon the forces of fire. south is the realization of now, and the bringer of changes... i ask you spirits, watch over me, protect myself and my circle; this sacred ground i have constructed. spirits of the south, i summon thee. (turn and face west) spirits of the west, i summon thee. from the west, i summon the forces of water. west is the death of the old, and the keeper of the fallen sun... i ask you spirits, watch over me, protect myself and my circle; this sacred ground i have constructed. spirits of the west, i summon thee. (turn and face north) spirits of the north, i summon thee. from the north, i summon the forces of earth. north is the stability of now, the keeper of infinate possibilties... i ask you spirits, watch over me, protect myself and my circle; this sacred ground i have constructed. spirits of the north, i summon thee. i like to use elemental energies during quarter calls. because the New moon is a time for new beginnings, you'll notice that my quarter calls reflect the type of magick that will be worked inside the circle. do some research and get to know the energy you will be using. if you use elemental energies, take some time to meditate on each element and figure out its properties and correspondences. when you are finished with your spell or ritual, release the circle. some release it the opposite of the way they cast it, others go the same direction that they cast it. whichever way you do it, you should pull the energy of the circle back into your athame or whatever tool you used in your casting, and release and thank any spirits or elementals you called. there are literally thousands of ways to call quarters and cast circles. i've just given you an overview, because it's always best to figure out what works for you. i work very well with, and therefore nearly exclusivly with, element energies, but you might have an affinity for something else.  | ||||||