Cast a circle of protection and blessings around your Wiccan wedding altar with quarter calls

 

 

Many Wiccans, witches, and other practitioners of magick cast a sacred circle around ceremonial spaces before officiating a marriage rite or a handfasting ritual. 

 

This is often done by ‘calling the corners’ – a practice that involves chanting, reciting lines of verse (spellwork), lighting candles or incense, and placing symbolic objects in a circle around the wedding altar.

 

Related: Pagan Wedding Altars : An Illustrated Look at a Year and a Day Altar

 

This simple but powerful practice is performed to cleanse the space of negative influences, to set intention and focus, and to ask for the help and blessings of the spirit world. 

 

There are several ways to call the corners, also known as ‘calling the four directions,’ ‘calling the quarters,’ or ‘calling the elements.’ All of these names refer to the same thing – calling upon the spirits and gods of the natural world to ask for their presence, aid, and blessing in ritual. 

 

 

Color magic and ritual herbs and flowers can also be used when casting the circle or preparing the wedding altar. Above, many elements have been added to the wedding altar: a crimson red candle conjures blessings of health and passion; violets on an altar attract lasting love and happiness; a feather asks for the blessings of air elementals, and the carved Berkano or 'B' rune symbolizes the earth element and calls for new beginnings and renewal.

 

What do the four corners or four directions represent in Wicca? 

 

The four corners, or four directions, are east, south, west, and north. These directions correspond with certain elements, spirits (or elementals), colors, energies, and outcomes – and are often called in this order. 

 

East: Symbolizes the sunrise, new beginnings, the air element, wind and breath, the mind and intellect, curiosity and exploration, Hagalaz or H rune (Norse), the color yellow. 

 

Physical symbols for the circle or altar: Feathers, incense, ribbons, windchimes

 

South: Symbolizes midday, vitality and vibrance, the fire element, light and passion, the heart and desires, love and excitement, Dagaz or D rune (Norse), the color red.

 

Physical symbols for the circle or altar: Fire, candles, electric lights

 

West: Symbolizes the sunset, rest and reflection, the water element, emotions and intuition, spiritual depths and introspection, Berkano or B rune and Laguz or L rune (Norse), the color blue. 

 

Physical symbols for the circle or altar: Cups or bowls of water, sea shells or river glass

 

North: Symbolizes grounding, homecoming and balance, the earth element, the physical body and its place in the natural world, Jera or Y rune (Norse), the color green

 

Physical symbols for the circle or altar: Stones, sand, soil, leaves and branches, fruit, herbs, flowers

 

Related: Norse Runes for Wedding Altars, Rings, and Invitations - The Full Elder Futhark Alphabet

 

 

Colorful ribbons like these can be placed at the eastern cardinal point when casting a circle, as a symbol of the air element. During the ceremony, these types of ribbons can also be used in the handfasting ritual to bind the partner's wrists. 

 

 

When and How to Cast a Circle for a Wiccan Wedding

 

This practice is done before the rest of the marriage rite or handfasting ritual begins and prepares the space for what follows. It can be done before guests arrive (for a low-key Wiccan or Interfaith ceremony), or incorporated into the start of the wedding ceremony. 

 

Officiants may write their own invocations for calling the corners, or they might use traditional verses written by their local coven or collective. In general, the directions are called in order of east, south, west, and north. 

 

 

Photo: Ksenia Yakovleva / Unsplash

This small altar holds several elements that can be used when casting a circle or performing a handfasting rite: Lavender welcomes good luck and devotion, and is used in casting a circle for blessings of lasting love and friendship; black candles are used to banish negative energy; white candles are often used to summon spirits and promote harmony and gratitude; and these carved rune stones (Dagaz, Ansuz, and others) are used in spellwork for new beginnings, prosperity, divine insight, and more. Consider the elements and spirits you wish to invite to your own ceremony when casting the circle. 

 

 

To cast the circle: 

 

Officiants can walk along the circle, pausing at each cardinal point to recite a line of verse. Alternatively, officiants may simply turn to face each direction while reciting the verse from their place at the wedding altar. In some Wiccan traditions, an officiant will ask guests to stand in a circle around the couple to be married while holding hands as the corners are called.

 

Physical symbols and elements, such as candles, incense, water, herbs, and flowers, may also be incorporated while calling to their corresponding directions. For example, guests may be asked to stand in a circle, with one guest at each cardinal point holding incense, a candle, a glass of water, or flowers. Or the officiant may place incense, a lit candle, seashells, and herbs, on the wedding altar at each directional point. Physical symbols may also be placed around the ceremonial space on small tables, at the base of trees, or in other ways.

 

We’ve included a few examples of what to say below.

 

Related: Magical Herbs for Your Wedding Ceremony, Handfasting, or Vow Renewal

 

 

For a low-key Wiccan wedding or interfaith ceremony, the officiant can call the corners and cast a sacred circle before the ceremony begins to keep magical elements private. Chairs can be arranged so that wedding guests surround the couple in a circle or half circle, honoring the energy of the circle.

 

 

Magick Variations: What to Say to Call the Corners

 

Below are three variations of what to say to call the corners (sometimes referred to as a ‘quarter call’). Wedding officiants can use these verses as they’re written, or personalize them to better fit the ceremony. Some officiants include calls to ancestors, other witches in their lineage, to the Goddess, or to other gods and spirits by name.  

 

• Need a full officiant script that calls the corners? Try: 

A Modern Wiccan Handfasting Ceremony and Script 

 

 

A simple call: 

 

“I call upon the spirits of the East, and ask you to bless this circle.

 

I call upon the spirits of the South, and ask you to bless this circle. 

 

I call upon the spirits of the West, and ask you to bless this circle.

 

I call upon the spirits of the North, and ask you to bless this circle.”

 

 

A rhyming call: 

 

“I call upon the East, winged beasts of air and life in breath, 

 

I call upon the South, the flame of hearth and heart and mouth,
 
I call upon the West, of sacred rest and currents wide and vast, 

 

I call upon the North, quiet bounty and eternal earthly source, 

 

Spirits of the Corners, I call to you, to bless this circle, this loving pair, and the magic we now do.”

 

A call to the Elements:

 

“Spirits of Air, I call to thee, and ask for your guidance.

 

Spirits of Fire, I call to thee, and ask for your protection.

 

Spirits of Water, I call to thee, and ask for your wisdom.

 

Spirits of Earth, I call to thee, and ask for your blessing and care.”

 

 

Choose close friends, relatives, or beloved members of your coven to stand at the cardinal points as you call the corners and cast a circle for your handfasting or vow renewal ritual. This is a meaningful way to involve loved ones in your ceremony!

 

Ask a friend or relative to officiate your ceremony: 

 

A loved one can serve as your wedding officiant for a truly personal and intimate ceremony. American Marriage Ministries provides free ordination for people of all beliefs and backgrounds, including Pagans, Animists, Pantheists, Non-denominational ministers, and others, so that they can perform marriage in their communities. Learn more about our guiding tenets here. 

 

• Get ordained here and learn how to legally officiate a wedding

 

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Read next: 

 

• When Pagans Wed: Modern Paganism & the Wedding Ritual
   
• Vikings Themed Wedding Ceremony Script

 

• Wiccan Wedding Spell – A Handfasting Love Spell

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Read all Pagan Wedding Ceremony Scripts

 

 

Wiccan wedding vows to cast a spell of lasting love and devotion. Read the full article here. 

 

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