Mapping the Wiccan Ritual Landscape: Circles of Transformation

Abstract

Wicca, or Witchcraft,' is a religion without a sacred architecture.Its practice unbounded by walls, Wicca claims no temples, church buildings, synagogues, or mosques.There is, however, a sacred landscape within which complex multi-directional movements are made that elicit transformative ritual processes.Like practitioners of other religions, Wiccans (or Witches) may perform simple acts of meditation, prayer, or informal ceremonies at any time and in any place.However, formal group rituals are held in a specially prepared space called "the C i r ~l e , " ~ a place that Witches describe as "between the world of humans and the realms of the Gods."The casting of the magic Circle-or the construction of sacred space-is an essential step in the performance of major Wiccan religious ritual as well as a fundamental skill that must be mastered by newly initiated Witches.An examination of this crucial element of Wiccan practice will provide insight about the ways in which Wiccans engage religious space and ritual itself as a dynamic and transformative process and perhaps raise questions about the nature of space in general.