Witchcraft 101: Casting a Salt Circle

Hello friends, I hope you had a wonderful and eventful Samhain! I know I certainly did. I have been absent from posting for several weeks due to some issues in my personal life, however I am now back and have a lovely article prepared for our readers. This is a beginner friendly walkthrough on how to properly cast a salt circle, to be used in ritual work.

To kick things off, it should be noted that the location picked for the ritual needs to be somewhere you feel at peace, somewhere safe. Otherwise, your ritual will not function as intended. You will have to deal with intrusive energies that may be harmful to your spell, and even more, the risk of physical distractions is greatly increased if you are not somewhere private.

The purpose of a circle is to ward off harmful energies, as well as dangerous entities. Circles are an important part of spells; they protect us while we connect to pathways and energy you typically would not have access to in your day-to-day life. Having a circle cast while performing spells will also prevent your energy from dissipating should you lose focus. It acts as a barrier, keeping invasive energy out, and the energy you're working with in.

There are dozens of ways to go about casting a circle, you may even develop your own method after some time. Some would even say you don't necessarily need salt, or any tools. All you need do is visualize the energy and set your intentions. While that may work, I prefer using salt and Cascarilla Powder for visual assistance, and for a powerful boost to my circle. I will always advocate for the use of tools in spells, there is a reason our ancestors used them. Certain tools provide additional power to magic, drawing from the primal energies around you.

What Can Be Used in Casting Circles

When I first began learning magic many years ago, the most confusing part for me was understanding what exactly I was supposed to be using when I'd make a circle. The uncertainty of it kept me from performing spells at times that I wanted to. It was all so overwhelming, and I didn't even know what questions I should have been asking to solve this problem. For any of you who might be experiencing something similar, your answer is fairly simple once you break it down.

The tools used in this process vary greatly depending on your own needs, some choose to place crystals at each point of the circle (North, East, South, & West) to represent the elements. Ideally, you should have something to represent each element, I personally prefer these common items listed below:

- Earth can be represented using dried herbs, plants, or flowers. This is the Northern element.

- Air can be represented with burning incense. This is the most common example you will find and is quite easily obtained no matter where you might be. This is the Eastern element.

- Fire can be represented using candles, though I use a ritual athame. For a beginner, I would use candles. This is the Southern element.

- Water can be represented using a chalice or cup filled with water. This is the Western element.

There are many more examples of things which can be used for these elements, these are my preferred choices. I would advise doing some research on these to find what's best for you. Ultimately, I hope you pick whatever feels right to you.

Now, with all that out of the way we'll be moving on to how a circle is actually cast!

Casting Your Circle

Before anything else, be sure to cleanse your sacred space. This can be done with a bundle of white sage if you so choose. Make sure you cleanse everything involved in the ritual, not just the space you'll be using.

You will now begin placing your items at each elemental point of where you plan to have the circle. Once your items are placed, begin pouring your salt circle around them. Make sure you have enough room to do whatever your ritual will be calling for. As you pour the circle, visualize yourself surrounded by a protective field of white light, focus on the safety this will provide you. This helps set the intention of your circle. This is the point in which you will add your Cascarilla Powder to the circle should you wish to make it a bit more potent.

After you have finished with constructing the circle, you will now be summoning the elements. This will Turn your attention to each individual item which represents an element. Begin with the Northern point, then East, South, and then West. Begin chanting the following, using the blank line as the element you are currently summoning:

" , I call upon thy power, empower this circle. As I will, so mote it be!"

As you summon each element, focus on the point relative to that element, feel the energy as it flows around you.

Repeat as necessary until you have summoned all four elements. You will now be prepared to call upon the Spirit, regarded as the fifth element. This is regarded as the divine and can be referred to as whatever you would consider to be divine. I refer to it as the Spirit, so I will refer to it as such. Call upon the spirits, be it Ancestors, a Spirit Guide, or any other manner of Spirit. Speak to these spirits, tell them what energy is permitted within your sacred space.

Speak these words once you have done that:

"The circle has now been cast and I am between worlds."

This statement solidifies the circle, finishing its construction. You may now proceed with whatever ritual you may be performing. The final step is to close the circle once you have finished.

Closing The Circle

This part is fairly straightforward, give your thanks to the spirits which aided you in the ritual and to each element which provided power and protection to you. I like to sweep away the salt and cascarilla with a special broom I use specifically for ritual work as well.