To Cast or Not to Cast

wood when I first got them, so I decided to use pyrography to decorate them, burning veves into them.

If you wish to stain your wood, then a coffee stain works particularly well and is full of magical correspondences. Dissolve two tablespoons of coffee in a little water and use a brush or sponge to apply to the box. Test your wash first and add more coffee to darken and more water to lighten. When your box has dried, mix beeswax with coconut oil and rub it into the wood (to help bring out the grain and seal it), buffing with a dry, soft cloth.

If you want to add colour to your altar box then I suggest using acrylic paints as the colours stay bright and vibrant, and once dry they are pretty permanent. Decoupage is another way of adding colour and images and can be used on wood or cardboard. To decoupage, find an image you like on paper and cut it out carefully, removing as much of the background paper as possible. Using PVA glue, stick the image down and cover the whole surface in a layer of glue. PVA dries clear so don’t worry about obscuring the image. When it has dried, apply another layer and continue to do this until you have built up a thick, lacquered look and you can no longer feel the outline of the image.

There is no right or wrong way, so allow your personal tastes to reign free and allow your creativity and flair to flow!

To Cast or Not to Cast

To cast a circle is to create a sacred space in which to do spell work, ritual, and so on. That is one of the first things we learn when it comes to practical witchcraft.

Why the need for sacred space? There are a number of reasons —for example, to create a safe working environment, one that you control, a space where negativity has been banished. Casting a

circle also acts as a barrier between the mundane, everyday world and yourself. This barrier keeps any raised energy condensed within it until the witch decides it is time to send her energy and will out into the world.

A circle is also a good way of inviting the upper and lower realms into ritual. Though we say “circle” casting, in truth, it is really a sphere, a bubble that includes the under world, sometimes referred to as the realm of the dead, as well as the upper realms which include the celestial and spiritual realms.

I would definitely suggest a protective circle for any spirit or necromancy work, at least until you are proficient and can recognize those spirits with which you work and have built up a trusting relationship.

With all that said, the need to cast a circle doesn’t always arise, and will be largely dictated by the working itself and where it will be held. When at home (and again, unless working with spirits), or in the woods, I do not usually cast a circle. These places are already sacred to me, and so, if the aim of the circle is to create sacred space, it is a waste of time and energy. Ultimately, it is up to each practitioner to decide what is best for them.

I also suggest practicing basic circle casting techniques, even if you have decided they are not for you. You never know when an emergency may arise. It’s better to have that knowledge and skill set and not ever need it than to not have it and find yourself caught short. If anything, a witch should always be prepared!

There are many ways of casting a circle, no doubt as many as there are traditions! If you like high magic, then a good Wiccan casting method is more than adequate. If that seems a bit like too much for what is needed, then a basic circle casting is fine.

I do welcome the elements, and describe what each element means to me, and how they enrich my life, thanking them for the

gifts they give freely and recognising them within myself. I call to the features that dominate my landscape, the river and the woods, the elder tree in my garden, and the old walnut tree just a few streets from my house.

Make your circle casting mean something to you, call what feels natural and relevant to you. Use your own wildness and the wildness where you live to inspire not only your circle casting, but your witchcraft itself.

You may wish to mark out the circle visually, perhaps using cord, candles, soil, salt, or cornmeal, making sure you have everything you need for your spell or working set up inside the space, including an altar. Alternatively, you can use your ritual knife, athame, or even your index finger to mark out the circle. As you cast the circle you may wish to chant:

This sacred space I dedicate, Filled with love and never hate.

Next, invite the elements into the circle. You can do this by simply naming them, though I like to say a few words to describe what these mean to me. If you wish to invite a deity or spirit into this space, then call to them and do so.

When the working is finished, it is time to let down the circle. Doing so not only is a way of psychically cleaning up after ourselves but it also releases the power of your working into the wider world. The simple act of tidying away the spell elements is a way of letting down the circle, or you can do this by walking the circle anticlockwise and saying:

The work is done and so am I, Circle released, my power may fly.