by Berenice Andrews
To help you walk your spiritual path, here’s a shamanic ritual for you to do every day—wherever you are—because wherever you are, you can be in Sacred Space.
The ritual is “Casting the Circle.” It’s a fundamental part of a shamanic practice. And it’s a wonderful means of beginning (or ending) each day.
You prepare by breathing deeply, while you consciously let go of all interfering thoughts and feelings. Then, while maintaining your deep, regular breaths, you inwardly state your intent. For this ritual, that intent is to focus your attention on creating your sacred space.
Having prepared your mind and body, you start your ritual by standing (you may also sit or lie down) facing the East.
East
Make a deep bow (either with your body or with you mind). Raise your arms (either with your body or with your mind). Then speak and/or think these words with loving attention:
I make obeisance to the East,
To that aspect of my great beingness that is Life;
Life that is the Holy Spirit
Vibrating as every particle/wave of the Cosmos
Including me.
I call in that Power;
I call in the Power of Life.
And I call in the power of the Attributes of the East,
Those that sustain and express Life.
I call in the power of air;
Element of the East and
Element of my body.
I call in the power of the winged creatures,
Those that help me to rise above my limitations.
I call in the power of the Instruments of letting go/letting be:
They help me to release my dross
While I maintain my purity within.
And I walk my Path of Opening the Way.
South
Make a quarter-turn and a deep bow (either with your physical body or with you mind). Raise your arms (either with your physical body or with your mind). Then speak and/or think these words:
I make obeisance to the South,
To that aspect of my great beingness that is Light;
Light that is the Holy Spirit
Vibrating as every particle/wave of the Cosmos
Including me.
I call in that Power;
I call in the Power of Light.
And I call in the power of the Attributes of the South,
Those that sustain and express Light.
I call it the power of fire;
Element of the South and
Element of my body.
I call in the power of the crawling creatures,
Those that help me to stay grounded.
I call in the power of the Instruments of balancing:
They help me to maintain my equilibrium
While I steadily make my way.
And I walk my Path of Coming into Being.
West
Make a quarter-turn and a deep bow (either with your physical body or with you mind). Raise your arms (either with your physical body or with your mind). Then speak and/or think these words:
I make obeisance to the West,
To that aspect of my great beingness that is Love;
Love that is the Holy Spirit
Vibrating as every particle/wave of the Cosmos
Including me.
I call in that Power;
I call in the Power of Love.
And I call in the power of the Attributes of the West,
Those that sustain and express Love.
I call in the power of water;
Element of the West and
Element of my body.
I call in the power of the creatures of the deep,
Those that help me to go into my darkest places.
I call in the power of the Instruments of containing:
They help me to stay centered and focused
While I experience the ups and downs of my life.
And I walk my Path of Entering Within.
North
Make a quarter-turn and a deep bow (either with your physical body or with you mind). Raise your arms (either with your physical body or with your mind). Then speak and/or think these words:
I make obeisance to the North,
To that aspect of my great beingness that is Law;
Law that is the Holy Spirit
Vibrating as every particle/wave of the Cosmos
Including me.
I call in that Power;
I call in the Power of Law.
And I call in the power of the Attributes of the North,
Those that sustain and express Law.
I call in the power of earth;
Element of the North and
Element of my body.
I call in the power of the four-footed furry creatures of the land,
Those that help me to know the ways of obeying and accepting.
I call in the power of the Instruments of revealing and concealing:
They help me to be in the Truth
While I continue to be on my journey.
And I walk my Path of Finding Wisdom.
Now the circle is cast.
Afterward
You have created your own sacred space. Wherever you go, you can be functioning within it and learning from it. By remembering and doing this ritual, you will constantly know that you are being maintained by the energies of blessings. They will stay with you, while they remind you about who you are and why you’re here.
Berenice Andrews is a shamanic teacher/healer and a regular contributor to Transformation Magazine. To learn more about you as an energy being…a soul…on your journey of spiritual evolution, consult her book Rebirthing Into Androgyny: Your Quest for Wholeness, And Afterword. To become her student, click on her web site, thestonecircleclassroom.com.