‘I do call upon the Goddess and the God to join with me in these my Rites.’
Visualize them coming from the North to be with you and when you feel their presence say:
‘Blessed Be.’
If you have preferred deity forms then you can name and visualize these; there is more on this later in the book. Lastly, move to the North-East of the Circle and with the forefinger of your strong hand draw a circle in the air around the outer boundary of the Circle. As you do so, visualize an electric blue light creating a circle which becomes a sphere containing the whole circle, and say:
‘I do cast this Circle as a place of containment and protection. A place between the worlds and a time outside of time.’
Make sure that you overlap the start and finish points of the circle and then say:
‘Blessed Be.’
Note that you should always move Deosil; that is clockwise, when creating and working in the Circle.
Your Sacred Space is now complete and ready for you to perform whichever magical action you need. Usually, this will include raising energy, the spell or magic, and celebrating the Rite of Wine and Cakes, all of which are covered later in this book. At the end of magical working you then need to dismiss the Elements and thank the Goddess and the God.
Again, start in the East of your area, facing the East, and holding firmly in your mind the image of Air that you developed earlier, call on the Element saying:
‘I give thanks to the Element of Air, for joining with me here in the Circle. Hale and farewell.’
Let the image fade in the way you practised earlier, and when you feel it has departed, say:
‘Blessed Be.’
Now move to the South of the area and repeat the process and words for the Element of Fire. In the West dismiss Water, and in the North, Earth. In many groups the words will be accompanied by drawing the banishing pentagram of each Element. Remain facing the North and call upon the Goddess and the God, saying:
‘I give thanks to the Goddess and the God for being present here with me in these my Rites. Hale and farewell.’
Visualize them returning to the North and say:
‘Blessed Be.’
Lastly, move to the North-East of the Circle and with the forefinger of your strong hand draw a circle in the air around the outer boundary of the Circle. This time visualize the electric blue sphere fading and dissipating, and say:
‘I remove this Circle and return this place as it was before.’
Make sure that you overlap the start and finish points of the circle and then say:
‘Blessed Be.’
You can also return the area, perhaps replacing furniture and so on, to its original state. Lastly, have something to eat and drink to ground yourself, and write up your journal, leaving space for any outcomes to be added later.
Learning and practising this way of creating, and later removing, the Sacred Space is a good way of finding out how it feels, even though you may choose to use a less formal way for most of your magical working. Obviously, not all spells can wait until you have the time and space for a formal circle. Sometimes you may have an urgent need to work magic when you are not at home, or alone, and you can hardly start clearing an area and reciting invocations in a busy public place! On these occasions you can work completely within your head, summoning each Element, inviting the Goddess and the God, and drawing the Circle, all without moving or speaking aloud. There is more on this later.
PRACTICAL WORK 6
Practise formal invocations of the Elements. Remember to banish each, every time you call upon it, even if you do not think you were successful. You do not want even traces of Elemental energies hanging around. I have heard of cases when an Element has not been banished, resulting in burst pipes or an overflowing bath (Water), or electrical faults (Fire), and so on. Alongside this, practise bringing forward only your internal images of them, so that you can compare the way both forms of invocation feel. Aim to give your mental images the same energy as the more complex invocations. And, of course, note down your feelings regarding each technique.
The more you practise this the easier it will become, until you reach a point where all four can be brought to mind at will, taking only a little longer than it does to think of each in turn. This not only goes towards enabling you to work effective magic virtually anytime or anywhere, but it can also be used to balance yourself in daily life. Most of us have times when a dominant feeling or emotion affects the way we behave; for example, an argument at home can leave us angry, upset or confused, all feelings which are not helpful at work. Or someone else’s inconsiderate driving may leave you cross and irritable, feelings which you don’t want to take home to your family. If we can achieve balance we can put those feelings aside and behave in a way appropriate to the people around us, rather than taking out our frustrations on them. One of the ways of doing this is by taking a few moments to invoke and then banish the Elements. Of course, you may need to find a few moments of privacy to do this, but even a toilet cubicle should provide you with a little peace and quiet!
PRACTICAL WORK 7
Whenever you experience a strong feeling which is inappropriate to the setting you are in, make a point of invoking and banishing each of the four Elements. After you have done this, also take a moment to thank the Goddess and the God for their help. As with the other exercises, write this up as soon as you can.
It is important to remember to use this technique at the right time. You do not need to suppress feelings which are appropriate to the problem and in the appropriate setting. For example, if you are short-changed in a shop then it is right to point this out and to summon the manager if you do not get satisfaction. But if you feel that this is the ‘last straw’ in a day full of niggling aggravations, it is not right to berate the assistant as your first action. Use the balancing before making your point, whatever it be, calmly and sensibly, rather than explosively. Don’t use it to suppress perfectly reasonable comments.
In some Covens knowledge of the Elements is taken very seriously and new members are set specific ‘tests of the Elements’ as a part of their early training. These can involve such things as visiting an underground cave and having the lights turned out, to gain a better appreciation of the sensation of Earth. Or total immersion in the sea for Water. In other groups, individuals are encouraged to set themselves their own ‘tests’ and to report back on what they did and how they reacted. Certainly, it is worth taking any opportunity to increase your understanding of the Elements. Some of the more ‘extreme’ ways include: taking a hot air balloon ride; attending a well-organized fire walking and have a go; taking an underwater swimming class; and getting a trusted friend to cover you up to the neck in a layer of pebbles on a stony beach. Of course, you can also think up your own. If, like many, you have a concern or fear about any particular