There are times when one cannot cast a full Circle or conduct a Full Ritual.

It may be due to space limitations or time constraints. Whatever the reason, the following SIMPLE CIRCLE RITUAL has been Time-Tested and Result-Proven. Your Altar can be as simple as a TV Tray (See bottom of this page for typical Altar layout).  Remember:  So long as the worship is wholehearted and sincere, can we imagine that the Goddess and God could concern Themselves as to the form or props used? 

Cover your Altar with a cloth of appropriate color for the work you are doing -- or a simple white cloth will suffice. On your Altar, you should have at least one candle (again, white will do), bowl of water, bowl of sand or dirt, a second bowl of sand or dirt for burning your incense.  NOTE:  If using dirt, strain it through a large kitchen strainer until all the large pieces are strained out and you end up with a nice, fine dirt.  In effect, it will be very much like sand.  Strain your incense bowl of dirt after every use in order to get the incense and/or matches removed from the sand (dirt). (Matches should be snuffed out in your incense bowl, NEVER blown out).

Your altar should be placed so that when you are standing behind it, you will be facing East. 

Place the bowl of water on the Northwest corner of your Altar (the corner nearest you on the left), the first bowl of sand (dirt) on the Southwest corner (the corner nearest you on your right), the second bowl of sand is placed on the Eastern side, and your candle(s) in the middle.  If you have more than one candle, arrange them in a triangle, a pentagram, a circle, etc.  Leave room for your Athame to be placed next to the water bowl and your Boline (if you have one) to be placed next to the first bowl of sand.  Place PENTACLE in center of Altar on West side (Your Pentacle may be about 5 inches in diameter.  I have used the clay "saucer" used to place a small flower pot on.  Paint a Pentagram within a circle on the clay "saucer".  This is also good for putting offerings on like biscuits, cornbread, etc.)  Finally, place a goblet of wine (or juice) on your Altar in a convenient location.

The bowl of water represents the element WATER; the first bowl of sand, EARTH; the second bowl of sand with incense, AIR, the candles, FIRE.  Your Athame (ATH-uh-mee) is your magical, two-edged mini-sword (12 to 18 inches long) and should be used for nothing but your magical workings.  Your Boline (BO-leen, bo-LEEN) is a utility knife that should be used for cutting things so you never have to use your Athame for trivial maintenance.  You can embellish your Altar with many more tools as you see fit and as room allows (broom, figurines of the Goddess and God, etc.).

Candles and Incense should be of a color and an aroma that is conducive to the work being done. However, as mentioned above, white candles will usually do and Sandlewood incense is generic and will please the Lady and the Lord.

The most important thing to remember is to come to your Circle with a Pure Heart. Read "Bellicose" and eliminate the seven essences of Bellicose from your life and you will have a pure heart. This complete ritual should be memorized.

Light your candle(s) and incense.

If you have an Athame, use it to cast your Circle. If not, Use your first and second fingers of the hand you favor. Your circle can be five feet in diameter to twenty-five feet or even larger. It depends on the space available and the number of people taking part in the ritual.  Some Wiccans prefer Circles that are increments of seven.  i.e., seven feet diameter, 14 feet, 21 feet, 28 feet, etc.

Standing on the perimeter of your space and facing East, point your Athame or fingers East and begin moving clock-wise around your space, repeating the following words:

"Circle come, I/we conjure Thee/To be a Sacred Boundary/Let Love and Goodness here be done/Let evil spirits turn and run."

When you come to the East again, hold your arms up, palms facing East (If you are holding your Athame, point it skyward), and say:

"For the good of all and according to the free will of all. As I will, so mote it be."

Walk clock-wise until you are behind your Altar facing South. Place your Athame on your Altar, hold your hands up in worship, palms facing South, and say:

"O, Guardians of the South, home of Fire and Salamander. I/we bid you to guard this Circle, set outside time, and give your aid to my/our rite. Welcome."

Face West, with hands still in a pose of worship, palms facing West, and say:

"O, Guardians of the West, home of Water and Undine, I/we bid you to guard this Circle, set outside time, and give your aid to my/our rite.  Welcome."

Face North, and say:

"O, Guardians of the North, home of Earth and Gnome, I/we bid you to guard this Circle, set outside time, and give your aid to my/our rite.  Welcome."

Face East, and say:

"O, Guardians of the East, home of Air and Sylph, I/we bid you to guard this Circle, set outside time, and give your aid to my/our rite.  Welcome."

Meditate for a moment, picturing the Guardians all around your Circle. After a few moments of contemplation, lift your hands again in worship, and say:

"Welcome, Lady and Lord of All. I/we bid you to witness and bless my/our rite, held in the realms of Your Eternal Magic."  NOTE:  You can substitute the G.R.O.W. Invocation here if you so desire.

Feel the Goddess and God's presence. Meditate for a few moments on their Power and their Love and Their willingness to assist you in your work.

After a few moments, it's time to raise power. There are many ways to do so, but I have found the following chant to be quite effective. Begin repeating it over and over -- three times, six times, a dozen times. You'll feel the power shift when it's time.

Repeat over and over:

"Now is the time,

Now is the hour,

Mine is the Magic,

Mine is the Power."

When you feel the "shift", hold your Athame in both hands, pointing skyward (or if no Athame, place the palms of your hands together, pointing skyward, above your head), and say:

"And so mote it be, and so mote it be, and so mote it be!"

You have now raised power within your Circle. It is time to cast spells, meditate, or perform special rites. Whatever work you have chosen to do, now is the time, now is the hour, yours is the magic, yours is the power.

After you have completed your work, it is time to close the Circle. Begin by thanking the Lady and the Lord. Note that, even though you say "Farewell" to the various entities, the Lady and Lord, the Goddess and God are always near you and with you. "Farewell" only applies to their presence in the Circle.

Face East, raise hands in worship (as before), and say:

"Gracious Lady and Lord, thank You for blessing and assisting me/us in my/our rite. Farewell."  NOTE:  You can substitute the G.R.O.W. Benediction here if you so choose.

NOTE: During the closing of the Circle, you will be moving in a counter-clock-wise direction.

Face North, raise hands in worship, and say:

"Thank you, Guardians of the North, for attending and assisting me/us in my/our rite, Farewell."

Face West, and say:

"Thank you, Guardians of the West, for attending and assisting me/us in my/our rite, Farewell."

Face South, and say:

"Thank you, Guardians of the South, for attending and assisting me/us in my/our rite, Farewell."

Face East, and say"

Thank you, Guardians of the East, for attending and assisting me/us in my/our rite, Farewell."

Step counter-clock-wise to the perimeter of your circle at the East. Point the Atheme (or your fingers as before) and move counter-clock-wise around the perimeter of the Circle, repeating the following:

"This Circle is open but unbroken."

When you reach the East again, say:

"As I will, so mote it be."

Move behind your Altar, facing East. Ring bell or strike the water bowl with your Athame or something metal, and say:

"My deeds are done ..."

Ring bell, say:

"May my Sacred Work be blest with Power ..."

Ring bell, say:

"For the good of all and according to the free will of all. As I will, so mote it be. Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again. Blessed Be."

***

Your ritual is complete. You may wish to get down on your hands and knees and "ground" yourself before you leave your sacred space and return to the mundane world.