PREPARING YOUR ALTAR
° Altar candles should be white only.
° Incense should be benzoin or vanilla.
° Circle may be decorated with white flowers.
° Circle candles should always be for the elementals (green, yellow, red, and blue).
° Lay your magick broom (besom) upon the altar.
° Have a white votive candle in the cauldron.
° Have rosemary and bay to burn.
° Have extra wine.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CEREMONY
Sweep circle area; lay out circle and altar items; bathe and robe. Light incense and altar candles. Ring bell three times and say,
"The circle is about to be cast and I freely stand within to greet my Lady and my Lord.
Take center candle from altar, light each candle of the circle moving north, then east, south and west and say,
(N) I call upon light and earth at the north to illuminate and strengthen the circle.
(E) I call upon light and air at the east to illuminate and enliven the circle.
(S) I call upon light and fire at the south to illuminate and warm the circle.
(W) I call upon light and water at the west to illuminate and cleanse the circle.
Take athame in upraised hand, begin circle at north and move around the circle north to east to south to west, and say,
I draw this circle in the presence of the Goddess and the God where they may come and bless their child, Say your magickal name.
Lower the athame at the north, and as you walk around the circle, envision a blue light shooting out from the point and forming the circle boundary and say,
This is the boundary of the circle. Only love shall enter and leave.
Return to the altar and ring bell three times. Place point of athame in the altar bowl of salt and say...
Salt is life and purifying. I bless this salt to be used in this sacred circle in the names of the Goddess and the God.
Pick up the salt bowl and use tip of athame to drop three portions of salt into the altar bowl of water and set salt bowl back in its place. Stir three times with athame and say...
Let the blessed salt purify this water that it may be blessed to use in this sacred circle. In the names of the Goddess and the God, I consecrate and cleanse this water.
Take the salted water bowl in hand and sprinkle water from it as you move deosil around the circle, NESWN and say...
I (speak your magickal name) am consecrated in the names of the Goddess and the God in this, their circle.
Take the wand and hold it aloft, with both arms open and upraised, at the north of the circle, envision a powerful bull arriving and say...
I call upon you, Elemental Earth, to attend this rite and guard this circle, for as I have body and strength, we are kith and kin!
Lower wand and move to east, raise up wand, envisioning fairies devas or an eagle in flight arriving and say...
I call upon you, Elemental Air, to attend this rite and guard this circle, for as I breathe and think, we are kith and kin!
Lower wand and move to the south, raise up the wand, envisioning a fire dragon and say...
I call upon you, Elemental Fire, to attend this rite and guard this circle, for as I consume life to live, we are kith and kin!
Lower wand and move to the west, hold wand aloft, envision an undine, sea serpent or dolphin arriving, and say...
I call upon you, Elemental Water, to attend this rite and guard this circle, for as I feel and my heart beats, we are kith and kin!
Return to the altar and use wand to draw in the air above the altar the symbol of infinity (an 8 lying on its side), the sign of working between the worlds. Set wand on altar, raise up athame in both hands overhead and say:
Hail to the elementals at the four quarters! Welcome Lady and Lord to this rite! I stand between the worlds with love and power all around!
Pour wine into your cauldron as a libation to the Divine in which they are honored by offering to them the first draught, then you drink. Ring bell three times and say,
This is the mid-winter Feast of Lights. The spring lies within sight and the seed is prepared for sowing.
Ring bell five times and say...
With my besom in my hand I will sweep out that which is no longer needed so as to purify my surroundings and prepare for new grown.
Take broom in hand and say...
Clear out the old and let the new enter. Life starts anew at this time of cleansing.
Sweep the circle with outward motions as you walk clockwise (deosil) around the circle, starting and ending at the north. Return besom to the altar. Light cauldron candle, drop the rosemary and bay into the flame, and say...
I call upon the power of these herbs that their scents released in this cauldron’s fire purify me, my surroundings, and the tools of my Craft. With this rite I am reaffirmed in my Craft and made ready for the renewal of life in the coming of spring.
Wave the end of the broom over the cauldron and say...
May this besom be cleansed that nothing cast out of the circle return with it or cling to it. So mote it be!
Set aside besom and say...
As I have purified all within this circle, I am now ready to rededicate myself to my Lady and my Lord!
