Question by Ana: What’s the significance of drawing a circle around oneself before performing Pagan ritual magic?
Why do witches draw a circle around themselves and their space prior to performing rituals, spell casting, prayer, meditation, etc? What is the significance of the circle? I’m interested in hearing from witches.
Best answer:
Answer by Future Mrs.B
To make the place sacred and clear it of all unwanted energies.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
does it work?
A couple of reasons: one is it’s a protected, sacred place. It’s regarded as a space/place between the worlds. Another purpose of a circle is to contain the energy you are raising until you choose to release it. It also works well at keeping negative energy and influences out.
It depends on the tradition.
In early western occult, it was used during summonings to keep the summoned being away from the caster. Sometimes, the situation was reversed and the caster stood outside the circle and the entity was held within (common in the thaumataurgical circle, the inscribed triangle).
In more modern occult, it is used as a metaphysical or ritual boundary between the ‘mundane’ and the ‘mystical’, sort of an extrusion of the mystical into the mundane.
In general, the circle is used for binding, protection, or demarcation.
It is supposed to provide protection.
The circle represents nature, an idealization of pure mathematics, and a symbol or framework we use to understand and describe our world.
The circle exists independently of human thought, as ripples in a pond, or the appearance of the sun and moon, or the shape of the iris of an eye. In mathematics, we choose to define a circle as the places at a constant distance from a center, usually in two dimensions.
It is also the symbol of infinity, without beginning or end, perfect, the ultimate geometric symbol. Its a symbol of democracy and the preferred shape for an assembly of equals; the council circle, the campfire circle, and King Arthur’s round table. The circle is also the easiest geometric figure to draw accurately, with stick and string or forked stick.
It is erecting a temporary “temple”, a place that is removed from the mundane, a place dedicated to sacredness. Within that circle, we cleanse and sanctify the space for our use.
It is a barrier of energy, so that whatever we do in terms of raising energy for healing workings (or anything else), will not bleed out and disturb other people who may be sensitive to such things, or dissipate before it is directed to our goal.
It is also a barrier to unwanted energies, a wall to keep out what is not invited into the circle. As such, when we step into it (if it is cast before people enter) it is the threshold where we shed our egos and our ordinary lives, to come into worship as equals.
Not all Pagans are witches and not all Pagans have circles.
But to actually answer the question LOL They do it as a way to create a safe, clear space. It’s like a Church only portable.
It’s a psychic sacred space. The circle shape represents unity.
To protect oneself and your spell work from Phantasms (negative Energies/Spirits)
I will leave you with a link to the Page of the Gardnerian Book of Shadows that talks about Casting the Circle.
The Sacred Space (Circle) Is Needed for magic as much as a Church is needed for Prayer.
You don’t Have to cast a Circle to Connect with the Gods, but it is Proffered by most all wiccans to cast it.
Some do it for focus, others to clear out negative energy and some others do it for protection. I don’t do it at all…
For me, it’s a way for me to not only get myself into the right headspace for ritual, but it also allows me to invite my spiritual friends, family and guardians into my home in a *formal* manner. It gives a certain amount of honor to our relationship, and I find that my FFG are quite capable of protecting me from anything unwanted.
To mark the sacred space, the physical doing reinforces it upon the subconcious.
The circle is primarily a way of cleansing and preparing sacred space for ritual work. It serves as a protection from outside influences, but moreso than that is serves to be a sacred space that seperates one from the outside word to help with ritual work. The practice comes primarily from Hermetic practices, which Wicca takes part of its ritual basis. The practice of using a circle is not used by all forms of Paganism, it is primarily used by Wicca and Hermeticism.
BB,
Lord AmonRaHa