Preparation

Plan what kind of ritual your going to do. Get any written spell and/or written Ritual, correspondence, or anything else you need on hand on your alter.

If a Sabbat a special Alter setup for that holiday. (Can also be done before that day). This can be done before Ritual bath, but I like to be cleanse and have no hint of Negative energy when setting up.

Next is time to cleanse your sacred space or alter. You can sweep your area with a Besom (if you have one). You can also use a feather for you alter up. Use counterclockwise or widdershins motions. Another way to clean the area and alter. You can use you finger, athame, or wand. Visualize fire come out burning away any negativity. Or use air/wind to blow away any.

Casting the Circle

(my version with various Authors all put together for my own Ritual casting There is many ways to cast, but I want a little less formal and easier to do and remember)

First take your Athame and point it due North at waist level. Envision power streaming through it. A light of white or blue. Bring up your protective shield or sphere that surrounds you and your circle.

Once you are sure of the power with your athame, move in a deosil (clockwise) direction from North in a complete circle, saying these words or similar:

Use the Athame, in the bowl of water draw an invoking Pentagram. Saying:

I consecrate and cleanse this water

Once again with the Athame, in the salt draw the invoking pentagram. Saying:

Once they are blessed. Have both in a bottle (or sprinkle separately salt then water) around the edge of the circle. (Sometime I bless the salt water ahead of time to skip this step, and saved in a bottle. )

Now is time to call upon the Elements. Light each of the Elemental Candles starting North/Earth and going clockwise (Earth, Air, Fire, and ending Water). As you are doing each candle envision each of the element’s doors starting to open. Now take the Wand.

Starting with earth point to earth’s candle and correspondent (salt, pentacle) and point to it with your wand and light the candle. vision Earth’s Door has opened to see a field or any earthly picture. Saying:

your vast fields and garden soilCharge this circle till my rite is done

Move to the next one clockwise, and doing the same. Do the same pointing the wand to each correspondent and lighting their candle.

your Ocean waves and rain time.
Charge this circle till my rite is done

Next is time to invoke the deities God/Goddess. Now imagine them sitting beside you how ever you envision them. Standing center of your circle. Lighting each of the candles of the deities. Light goddess Candle when you say:

God of all that’s free and wild
Hear the call of I, your child
Protector, lend me your solar ray
Guard me in this place today
Hear me in this circle of light
Be with me in my sacred rite

Now is time to "raise power" you can do this with drums, clapping hands, or even just your music. A great time to meditate a great power/energy force in your circle. See it get stronger and stronger, really feel it. Breath in deeply in and out. Feel the reasons why your there, and the one with the guardians and deities.

There the circle has been casted! It might seem a lot to do, but it really builds the whole ritual up to it’s fullest! Now it’s time to do your Magickal working, a special Esbat or Sabbat Ritual. Do a full meditation, divination (tarot card reading, runes, etc.), dedication or any other plans you had that day. Then celebrate your ritual with cake and ale. (remember to save some as an offering to the Goddess and God, by placing it onto your offering plate, and leaving it outside / burying in the earth later to show that you give back to them what you are also receiving), before releasing the Circle.

To close the circle -

Face each element, starting at the North, and hold your wand aloft, saying these words, visualising them fading back to their own world as you do so, and the door to that world closing. With your snuffer put out each of the element candle as you go by it. But leave your incense until it goes out on it’s own. (If nervous about fire hazard. You can use snuffer for it also).:

Now to the deities. Imagine them leaving your side and rising up back to their world When you say the words snuff out the deities candles:

Return to the North, and with your athame pierce the wall of the circle at waist level, moving clockwise and visualising the power being sucked back into the knife. Ground yourself by placing your hands on the floor and visualising roots growing from you and taking hold in the land below. It is done.