Bringing Light and Warmth:
The next step in your beginner’s wizard training is to light the candles around the magic circle. Lighting the candles in the correct order and direction is important, as it helps to invoke the elemental energies and set the space for your ritual. In this description, we will combine elements of both Ray Buckland’s and Jannet and Stewart Farrar’s versions.
Gather the Elemental Candles: Prepare four candles, each representing one of the elements. Typically, these candles are color-coded (But plain white candles are okay to use if you are limited on options):
- Yellow (East) for Air
- Red (South) for Fire
- Blue (West) for Water
- Green (North) for Earth
Light the Candles: Begin in the East, where you started drawing the circle. Light the yellow candle while speaking the following words, invoking the element of Air:
“I call upon the powers of Air, the breath of life and intellect. Be with me now and bless this circle.”
Move to the South and light the red candle, invoking the element of Fire:
“I call upon the powers of Fire, the spark of creation and passion. Be with me now and bless this circle.”
Continue to the West and light the blue candle, invoking the element of Water:
“I call upon the powers of Water, the source of emotion and intuition. Be with me now and bless this circle.”
Finally, move to the North and light the green candle, invoking the element of Earth:
“I call upon the powers of Earth, the foundation of strength and stability. Be with me now and bless this circle.”
Return to the East and stand in the center of the circle. You may wish to raise your arms or hold your ritual tool (wand, athame, or staff) to acknowledge the energies you have invoked:
“The circle is cast, the elements are present. May my work within this sacred space be protected and guided.”
Now that you have lit the candles and invoked the elemental energies, you are ready to continue with your ritual within the consecrated and protected space of your magic circle.