Paganism Basics: Ritual Template with Circle Casting

Ritual construction isn’t rocket science. But sometimes beginners as well as advanced ritualists benefit from having a ritual structure they can turn to over and over again.

Below is a ritual template with a circle casting. It draws from Wiccan tradition but can be used regardless of your background. I’ve made it generic and haven’t included tools such as the wand, athame and chalice. This is to show you that you can dress the ritual up any way you want or simply use visualization skills and prayers as your only tools. The purpose is to use your will to raise energy and direct it towards your purpose inside a protected circle of where you have called upon your spiritual allies, gods and goddesses, etc.

Decide on your purpose. Is it to celebrate a Sabbat? If so, prepare a poem for the season or copy a passage from a mythology text relating to the deities of the occasion. Write, copy or memorize invocations to the God and Goddess. This can be short and to the point such as:

Mother Goddess, bless this circle with your love and protection. Hail and Welcome! (Repeat for God)

• Clean the ritual area whether indoor or out the best that you can.
• Gather your ritual gear including tools, candles, altar, incense and string or cord to mark off the circle. See article linked below for tips on two basic altar types. Common circle sizes are between 9 and 13 feet for solitary ritual and small groups. The cord is completely optional.
• Take a ritual bath or smudge with incense. Don your ritual robe. Smudge or sweep the ritual area and tools including the altar. If you don’t have incense, state or visualize your purification intent such as a brilliant white light cleaning the area and you.
• Ground and center using your preferred method.

This is to be performed clockwise, the traditional direction of building energy. You will come across different opinions regarding this, and there are rituals that may call for the opposite. But again, I'm merely presenting a template to get you started.

1. This portion is also called calling the quarters.  Face each direction, raise your hands or your wand and recite the following or use your own words:

• Spirit of the East, of the Air and Springtime; Charge and bless this circle with your presence.
• Spirit of the South, of Fire and Summertime, Charge and bless this circle with your presence.
• Spirit of the West, of Water and Autumn, Charge and bless this circle with your presence.
• Spirit of the North, of Earth and Wintertime, Charge and bless this circle with your presence.

2. Perform the prepared God and Goddess Invocations. Do this with the emotion you feel as a child of the Lord and Lady.

3. Stand momentarily and rest assured in the knowledge that you are safe in sacred space.

Now it's time for the actual ritual work you have been planning.

1. State your ritual purpose and read or state your prepared poem, story, etc.
2. Perform the work of the ritual such as magic, honoring the gods, goddesses or time of the year. This is the time of raising energy. Dance, chant, drum or meditate until you feel the energy come to a crescendo.
3. Release the energy into the ground (by placing your hands on the ground) or where ever you feel appropriate. Make sure you feel it completely grounded before you move on. You may not actually feel a sensation but will sense when the time is right. The feeling comes with time.

1. Thank the Gods and Goddesses you called into the circle and release them. Some people believe we don’t release the gods but that they are always with us. One phrase to use after releasing each deity is:

Go if you must, stay if you will. So mote it be.

2. Release the directions counterclockwise. Raise your hands or wand and say:

• Spirit of the North, I release and thank you for blessing my sacred rite.
• Spirit of the West, I release and thank you for blessing my sacred rite.
• Spirit of the South, I release and thank you for blessing my sacred rite.
• Spirit of the East, I release and thank you for blessing my sacred rite.

3. Put out candles, take down gear and altar.

Record thoughts about the ritual in your journal.  Wiccans call this a Book of Shadows.  If you're solitary and have trouble with memory, you can do this just after the energy release while it’s fresh in your mind.

Repetition is not as stifling at it might first appear.  It frees your mind into being more creative.  You might be surprised at how doing the same type of ritual at sabbats with small variations allows insight from your deeper mind to come through.  Enjoy using this ritual template and bringing your personality to it.