It was a long time ago that I cast my first formal Wiccan circle. I felt the power of East, South, West, and North flow through me, and my soul sang. In the forty-plus years since then, I have cast thousands of circles. Each time, I have never failed to learn something new about this most basic of a witch's tools. Each quarter has lessons to teach to assist your personal growth. Every time you cast a circle, you can take more of your personal power by being open to the magick of each quarter.

Casting a circle by calling the quarters is one of the first things Wiccans learn. It is how we create a sacred space for our magickal workings. We ask the power of each quarter to protect our space and our working, and we also often ask for the blessing of each of those powers on our workings. Have you ever worked with any of the quarters just to incorporate that energy into yourself? Ultimately, you want to maintain a balance of the energy of the quarters inside yourself so that you can call on the power of whichever one you need when you need it.

What follows is a list of the quarters accompanied by meditations, exercises, and spells to assist you in taking the power of each into yourself. By incorporating that power you become more balanced and powerful yourself.

Note: Different Wiccan traditions associate tools with the quarters in different ways. It is up to the witch to decide where to place their tools. Always follow your instincts and what works best for you. The tool placement used here is based on my pattern.

EAST
The East is the home of air. Air is an essential component of our natural world. The movement of air through our atmosphere is what begins all weather patterns. Air also carries sound.

East Meditation
The time of day for the Eastern Quarter is sunrise. Any working you want to do with the energy of the east should be done in the early morning. Set aside some quiet time to meditate on the energies of the east. Burn some airy incense (sandalwood works well) and a candle (either yellow, pink, or rose). Relax and let your mind wander. The east is the place of thoughts, so a lot of things might wander through your brain. Let your imagination run wild. Daydream. When you are done, come back to this reality and write down anything that sparked your imagination.

East Exercise
The elemental being associated with the east is the sylph. Sylphs, being associated with air and the mind, are a good way to ferret out information. Set yourself up in your sacred space. Face the east and call sylphs to you. Once they are there (and you'll know because a breeze will pick up around you), ask them to go find out something for you. Thank them and send them on their way.

Later, for no particular reason, you will feel a slight breeze, maybe something like a whisper in your ear. Suddenly you will just know the answer to your question. Thank the sylphs again. Write that answer down for future reference.

East Spell
Now it is time to cast a spell to the east. This should be done in a formal circle. Gather anything you have that is associated with eastern energies. Aside from incense and candles, if you have a bird statue, or feathers, set them up in the east. Use the tool that you use in the east, wand or athame. You are working on self-empowerment by aligning closer to the quarters. The east is the place where dreams are born and things begin. Make that the focus of your spell.

SOUTH
The south is the home of fire. Fire is another essential component of our natural world, a catalyst that creates things by burning off impurities or melding other substances together to create something new. Fire gives us heat and light.

South Meditation
The time of day for the Southern Quarter is noon. Any working you want to do with the south should be done around midday. Set aside some quiet time to meditate on the energies of the south. Burn some fiery incense (frankincense works well) and a candle (either red or orange). Relax and let your mind wander. The south is the place of will, so the things in your life that you need to enforce your will onto most likely will come to mind. Let your passions about those things rise to your mind. When you are done, come back to this reality and write down anything you feel passionate about.

South Exercise
The elemental being associated with the south is the salamander. Salamanders, being associated with fire and the will, are a good way to raise the courage you need to get into motion. Set yourself up in your sacred space. Face the south and call salamanders to you. Once they are there (you'll start to feel warm), ask them to make you more courageous. Thank them and send them on their way.

Later, as the things about which you are passionate begin to take on more significance in your life, you will feel more able to accomplish those things and make them happen as you will it. Thank the salamanders again. Write down those passions for future reference.

South Spell
Now it is time to cast a spell to the south. This should be done in a formal circle. Gather anything you have that is associated with southern energies. Aside from incense and candles, use a picture of the sun or, if possible, a small fire. Set them up in the south. Use the tool that you use in the south, wand or athame. You are working on self-empowerment by aligning closer to the quarters. The south is the place where your passions and will give you courage. Make that the focus of your spell.

WEST
The west is the home of water, another component of our natural world. The tool of the west is the chalice. It holds things, even secrets. Fill your chalice with water.

West Meditation
The time of day for the Western Quarter is sunset. Any working you want to do with the west should be done as the sun begins to set. Set aside some quiet time to meditate on the energies of the west. Burn some watery incense (rose is a good one) and a candle (any shade of blue). Relax and let your mind wander. The west is the place of emotions, so your feelings about many things should rise to the surface. When you are done, come back to this reality and write down all the emotions that came up, especially the ones that took you by surprise.

West Exercise
The elemental being associated with the west is the undine. Undines, being associated with water and emotions, are a good way to reach the deepest feelings inside of yourself. Set yourself up in your sacred space. Face the west and call undines to you. Once they are there (you'll know because them air may feel more humid, or you may get very thirsty—I suggest you take some drinking water into your space with you), ask the undines to reveal the secrets of your deepest emotions to you, even the ones you usually avoid. Thank them and send them on their way.

You may want to do this one at a time when you have some down time. As all those emotions begin to rise to the surface you will need to work through some of them. The undines can assist with that. When you are feeling more emotionally stable, thank the undines again. Be sure and write down your emotional journey for future reference.

West Spell
Now it is time to cast a spell to the west. This should be done in a formal circle. Gather anything you have that is associated with western energies. Aside from incense and candles, if you have a representation of aquatic animals, set them up in the west. Use the tool that you use in the west, the chalice. You are working on self-empowerment by aligning closer to the quarters. The west is the place where your emotions dwell. Make that the focus of your spell.

NORTH
The north is the home of earth. It is earth upon which we stand, so it is an essential component of our natural world. Soil, rocks, trees, plants—all the elements of the solid world are where reality starts and ends. The earth is also a tremendous source of stability.

North Meditation
The time of day for the Northern Quarter is midnight. Any working you want to with the north should be done as close to midnight as you can, definitely after it gets dark. Set aside some quiet time to meditate on the energies of the north. Burn some earthy incense. My favorite for the north is patchouli. Your candle should be green, brown, or black. Relax and let your mind wander. The north is the place of solid things, including your body. During the meditation, physically feel the solid objects around you. More importantly, let your mind feel your entire body. When you are done, come back to this reality and write down how you feel about your physical self.

North Exercise
The elemental being associated with the north is the gnome. Gnomes, being associated with earth and the body, are a good way to start feeling more confidant about your physical self. Set yourself up in your sacred space. Face the north and call gnomes to you. You'll know the gnomes have joined you because you'll start to feel very solid (you may even get hungry; be sure to have something to eat set up for afterwards). Ask the gnomes to assist you in feeling more confidant and healthy in your own skin. Thank them and send them on their way.

Later, maybe looking in the mirror, you will notice things about your body that you really like. You may come up with ways to fix the things you don't like, or start to see those parts of your physical self as good and not in a negative way. Thank the gnomes again. Write all those impressions of your physical self down down for future reference.

North Spell
Now it is time to cast a spell to the north. This should be done in a formal circle. Gather anything you have that is associated with northern energies. Aside from incense and candles, if you have a representation of deer or bears, set them up in the north. Use the tool that you use in the north, your pentacle. You are working on self-empowerment by aligning closer to the quarters. The north is the place where all the physical world takes shape, including you. Make that the focus of your spell.

CENTER
The center of the circle is where all the elements come together. You, as the center, are the sum of the quarters. Working with each quarter builds your power in that area. However, balancing the powers of the quarters makes you more balanced, more powerful. As you work through each quarter you will experience periods of imbalance. I highly suggest that you don't try to do all four quarters in one day. Rather, incorporate these powers over the course of a week, or a lunar month.

As the imbalances hit, remember that the quarters balance each other. You worked with the east and now you are talking too much. Eat something. Your work with the south has made you very feisty. Drink some water. Western energies have made you a sobbing mess. Spend time with one of your talkative and funny friends. Northern work has made you a very sedentary person; light a candle and focus on the flame. As you do each working you will feel more balanced. When you have incorporated the power of all four quarters, do one last spell. Cast your circle and stand at the center. Pull those powers into yourself and feel them working together inside you. You are now empowered as the center of your reality.

The quarters have many more powers and correspondences than the ones in this article. My book, Empowerment through Witchcraft: A Wiccan Guide for the Magickal Practitioner, devotes two chapters to the quarters and the tools used in them. As you prepare to do each of the quarter workings, use as many correspondences as you can. Each of those connections will enhance your understanding of the energy of that quarter. As your understanding grows, so will your ability to use that power to enhance your personal power.