Raising and Razing the Temple

Before beginning, ensure that the circle has been marked in or on the ground with candles all about it and the altar in its center; the incense, the main altar candle (and deity candles if you have them), and any extra circle candles- though not the four quarter candles- are alight at the start; your working tools are on the altar; Wine (or fruit juice, or similar) is handy beside the altar- as is incense for topping up the censer when necessary. I’d suggest also having a taper on the altar, by the main altar candle. As you’ll see, this will be used for lighting the circle candles; and that you have taken your ritual bath and are wearing your robe or other ritual garb.

To start, ring the bell three times. Take up your wand (or athamé), hold it high, and announce that you are about to start the ritual. You can say something like the following, but feel free to use your own words:

Move out, around the altar, and go to the eastern quarter of the circle. Take a moment there to gather yourself and to focus your energies on what you are about to do, which is to lay the foundation of the ritual circle. Extend your hand and point the wand at the circle marked on the ground. As you breathe in, see and feel powerful, positive energies flowing into you from the deities. Feel them filling your body with their power and then moving down your arm and into the wand. From there, direct those energies, like a light force, from the end of the wand into the line of the circle.

Slowly walk forward, continuing to direct this powerful energy through your body, down your arm, through the wand, and down into the circle, moving sunwise with your right shoulder to the altar. From there, walk all the way around until you arrive back where you started. Then you can relax and withdraw the extended wand, turning away from the circle and moving back to stand at the altar. Lay down your wand then ring the bell once.

Take up the dish of salt. Take three good pinches of the salt and drop them into the water. Replacing the dish of salt, stir the water clockwise with your forefinger, and ask the gods to bless the resultant mixture. You can say something like the following but again, as with all of these rituals, feel free to use your own words:

Take up the sacred water and again go to the east. From there, again walk slowly around the circle and back to the starting point, this time sprinkling salted water along the length of the circle. As you walk and sprinkle, concentrate on cleansing the circle, and all within it, of all negativity. Return to the altar and replace the water. Ring the bell once.

Take up the censer (Here is where a swinging censer can be most apt) and go to the starting point in the east. Walk the circle again, swinging the censer along its line and again concentrating on removing all negativity. If you don’t have a swinging censer, then just move what incense burner you have along the line of the circle.

Go back to the altar and return the censer to its place. Light the taper from the altar candle. With it in one hand and your wand in the other, move out and around to the east and light the east candle. Standing and facing east, raise the wand and say:

When calling upon the four watchtowers, some Witches will call upon specific elementals and demand that they guard the circle- or they may often say something like:

when you are ready to call upon the Watchtowers, describe a pentagram in the air and then proceed along to the south. In the south, light that candle, stand, and raise your wand. Repeat the call, calling upon the Watchtower of the South as desired, and describe the pentagram. Then move on to the west, and then the north, and then the East- lighting the candel, making the call, and then describing the pentacle at each point.

Returning to the altar, ring the bell three times. You have now erected the magic circle. You are now between the worlds. Now, standing before the altar, again raise your wand and say:

Lower your wand and place it on the altar. Pour some wine into the goblet then raise it in salute, saying:

Pour a little of the wine into the libation dish, from the goblet, saying “To the gods!” then drink.

The circle has now been cast and you may proceed with the “filler” of the occasion, which might be working magic, doing healing, giving thanks, asking a boon, or celebrating a Sabbat.

At the end of the ritual, when you have done all you wish to do, you can’t just stop and walk away. You have to officially close the circle, being sure to thank the gods for attending and witnessing what you’ve been doing. Thanking them for their attendance is sufficient.

Standing before the altar and facing the east (or whichever direction you’ve decided is the main one), ring the bell three times then raise your wand and say:

Kiss your wand, or the blade of your athamé, then extinguish the candles on the altar.

Cross to the east point and extend your arm outward, thrusting the wand through the (invisible) wall of the circle. The circle is now opened and you can extinguish the other candles and generally move around and clean up.

It is not necessary to “deconsecrate” the circle, to undo it, to dance around anti-clockwise, or anything like that. The announcement has been made, the gods have been thanked and dismissed, and the “bubble” has been burst, so the ritual circle is no more until next time.