Before beginning any magick or ritual work, you MUST purify, charge, and dedicate your ritual tools to the work of the Goddess and God.
Charge the salt, incense, and water. First consecrate the athame (ritual knife or dagger).
Cast a circle and say,
"Now the temple is erected. I shall not leave it but with good reason. So be it." Hold athame high in salute.
"God and Goddess, Lord and Lady,
Father and Mother of all life,
Here do I present my personal tool for your approval.
From the materials of nature it has been fashioned.
I ask that it hence-forth serve me as a tool in thy service."
Place it on the altar and kneel. Dip your fingers in the salt water and sprinkle on the athame (and all other tools, one at a time). Turn it over and sprinkle the other side. Pick it up and hold it to the smoke of the incense.

"May the sacred water and the smoke
Of the Holy Incense drive out any impurities
Or evils in this athame,
That it be pure and cleansed, ready to serve me
And my Gods in any way I desire.
So mote it be."

Hold it in the palm of your hands and concentrate all your energy into the tool.
"I charge this athame through me,
With the wisdom and might of the God and Goddess.
May it serve us well,
Keeping me from harm and
Acting in their service in all things.
So mote it be!"

Repeat the above with each tool in turn.
At the end of the ceremony, raise the athame in your right hand and close the circle.
"My thanks to the gods for their attendance. May they ever watch over me, guarding and guiding me in all that I do. Love is the law and love is the bond. So be it."
They are now your personal ritual tools. DO NOT lend them to anyone else or use them for any use outside of the circle.

Have the four elements on the altars stationed at each cardinal point.
EAST: Air, incense
SOUTH: Fire, candles, bonfire
WEST: Water, bowl of water, sand, shells
NORTH: Earth, flower, plant, crystal, rock

The Left Side: The Goddess White, silver, green candles Cup or Chalice Bell Crystals Cauldron The Right Side: The God Red, yellow, gold candles Censer Wand Athame

This is just a guide. You can place the objects any way you want. On one of my altars, I have a bright, blue velvet altar cloth. My brother made my altar for me out of beautiful wood. The objects on my altar are: candles, my blue chalice with a pentagram engraved on it, two statues of Ganesha, symbols of the Goddess, and a tile painted with an ankh (to put incense on). I occasionally change my altar to add new things. During holidays I construct a special altar dedicated to the Sabbat. Have fun with it!

"Sweet Goddess
Creator of all that is
Thou from whom I came
And to whom I will ever return
I call upon thee now to come and bless my altar
And the work I do in thy name.
Please hear my vows to use
This sacred space of power
Only for loving and holy purposes.
So be it."

Cast the circle and meditate on your purpose.
"The circle is cast
The spell is made fast
Only the good can enter herein
The magick is made,
So let it begin."

Call on a Goddess you hold close to your heart (Isis, Venus, Diana, Gaia).
"Awake and come to me now and bless
My venture, hear my vows of devotion
And loyalty.
My pledge to be ever true
To myself and to you (Goddess's name)."

"I dedicate this altar
To myself and thee
I will never betray
Thy trust in me."

Close the circle.
"For the good of all
And with harm to none
The spell is sealed
And the magick is done."

"I come to the altar,
Where burns the fire divine,
And there stands my Goddess,
With arms outstretched to mine,
O come to me my dear one,
And we'll together shine.
For you are mine forever
And I'm forever thine."

A circle is cast at the beginning of a ritual or ceremony, creating sacred space. When we do this, we create energy and the circle is built to harness that energy, to keep it inside the circle until the participants are ready to release it into the universe to do its work. The casting of a circle is also the formal beginning of the ceremony.
To cast a circle, all participants must stand inside the area at their appointed posts (North, East, South, West). The High Priest or High Priestess uses the athame or a sword to draw the lines of the circle.
"Welcome to this sacred space. We are joined here to call upon the spirits. As above" (High Priestess salutes the sky with the athame) "So below." (HP points to the ground.)
Start at the EAST. The High Priestess is followed by another coven member who holds the incense and another who holds the bowl of salt water. HP rises her athame and says:
"Hail Guardians of the watchtowers of the EAST,
Powers of AIR!
We invoke you and call you,
Golden Eagle of the Dawn,
Star-seeker, whirlwind,
Rising sun, come!
By the AIR that is her breathe,
Send forth your light.
BE HERE NOW!" (This last part is said by everyone)
At each point, the HP traces an invoking pentagram in the air with the athame. The "water priestess" sprinkles the salt water three times while saying: "With salt and water I purify the EAST." The "incense priestess" draws a pentagram with the incense and says three times: "With fire and air, I charge the EAST."
"Hail Guardians of the watchtowers of the SOUTH,
Powers of FIRE!
We invoke you and call you,
Red lion of the noon heat,
Flaming one, Summer's heat and warmth,
Spark of light, come!
By the FIRE that is her spirit,
Send forth your flame.
BE HERE NOW!"

"Hail Guardians of the watchtowers of the WEST, Powers of WATER! We invoke you and call you, Serpent of the watery abyss, Rain maker, grey-robed twilight, Evening star, come! By the WATERS of her living womb, Send forth your flow. BE HERE NOW!" "Hail Guardians of the watchtowers of the NORTH, Powers of EARTH! Cornerstone of all power, We invoke you and call you, Lady of the outer darkness, Black bull of midnight, North star, Center of the stone, mountain, fertile field, come! By the EARTH that is her body, Send forth your strength. BE HERE NOW!"

Standing at the North altar, the High Priestess says:
"The Circle is Cast. We are between the worlds. Beyond the boundaries of time, where night and day, birth and death, joy and sorrow, meet as one. The fire is lit, THE RITUAL IS BEGUN."
Everyone turns to one another and says "Merry Meet." Kissing each other on the cheek, say: "I join this circle in Perfect Love and in Perfect Trust."

After the ritual or ceremony is over, you must clear the temple.

The Priestess says:
"We came together in love and friendship,
Let us part the same way.
Let us spread the love we have known in this circle
Outward to all,
Sharing it with those we meet."

Everyone raises their athames in salute.
The Priestess:
"Lord and Lady,
Our thanks to you for sharing this time together.
Our thanks for watching over us,
Guarding and guiding us in all things.
Love is the law, and love is the bond.
The circle is open but unbroken.
May the peace of the Goddess go in our hearts.
Merry did we meet, merry do we part,
Merry may we meet again.
Blessed be."

Everyone says:
"Merry meet, merry part, merry meet again.
As we will it, so mote it be!"
A kiss is passed around the circle in farewell.

The pledge stands outside the circle, hands loosely tied with cords or scarves. Before this, the pledge took a purification bath.

Priestess: "Who challenges her?"
The challenger takes the dagger and holds it to the pledge's throat carefully. "I challenge you. If there is any fear in your heart, it would be better for you to throw yourself on this dagger than to continue."

Pledge: "There is no fear in my heart."

Challenger: "Then step inside." (Straight toward the blade. The Pledge steps forward to show her strength and the challenger moves the blade back.) "Come to the centre. Turn around." The members all spin the pledge.

(Pledge answers each question with her heart.)

Challenger: "You've been challenged and you have passed the tests. Now are you willing to swear? Will you swear to be loyal to the circle? Never to harm anyone who stands inside it? Will you protect and defend those who do, even if it costs you your life?"

Priestess: "Will you swear never to reveal the secrets you will learn. except to the proper person within a properly prepared circle?"

Coven Member: "Will you swear to keep these secrets from all outsiders, friends, and enemies, even if you risk your life?"
(These questions can be broken down so that each member of the coven can ask the pledge.)

Priestess: "By the ocean, by the moon, by your own blood do you so swear?"

Pledge: "I will so swear."

Priestess: "Know you the Wiccan Rede?"

Pledge: "I do. An' it harm none, do what thou wilt."

Priestess: "And do you abide by that Rede?"

Pledge answers.

Priestess: "She has been challenged and tested and has been sworn. Since all of us in the circle agree, I call on the powers to look at her." The High Priestess raises the dagger above her head to the sky. She points to each direction. "Earth and water, fire and air. See your daughter standing there. By dark of moon and light of sun, as I will let it be done."

Challenger: "By challenge, trial, and sacred vow, let her join the circle now. Flesh, blood, and bone, (pledge's name) now becomes our own."

Priestess: "Welcome. Blessed be." Everyone repeats. A kiss is passed around the circle.

The Book of Shadows is your own personal journal, so to speak. In it, write down spells and rituals and ceremonies you collect. In the beginning, record the basic rituals of spell binding, casting a circle, etc. After more practice and study, start creating your own rituals.
Your Book of Shadows can be anything. I have several large, hard-backed black books with "Book of Shadows" engraved on the cover in gold. Everyone has a different type of book. You can make your own from recycled paper and decorate the cover. You can use a plain journal bought from a store, it's up to you.
The Book of Shadows is a sacred thing. Think of it as your Craft Bible. Do not let anyone outside of your coven use or look at your book.
By purifying and blessing your Book, you are also blessing everything you write in it from this day forth.

Arrange to perform this ritual during a waxing moon (the time between a New Moon and a Full Moon). Cast a circle and place your Book of Shadows on the altar or on the floor in the center of the circle. Sit in front of it facing NORTH.
Visualize a beam of light shining down from the Heavens, and a beam of light from the top of your head, meeting as one. (If this is a group ritual, visualize a cone of light rising from the group.)
Pick up the book and take it to the NORTH.
"I consecrate this Book of Shadows,
With EARTH so that it may be a fitting repository
For my magickal engergy."
Pass the book over the salt dish three times.

Say this each time at all the points, replacing EARTH with AIR, WATER, and FIRE. In the WEST, pass the book over the bowl of water. In the SOUTH, pass over the candle (careful not to burn your book!), and in the EAST, blow on the book.
Place the book on the altar and continue visualization. Slowly lower this cone of energy until it is absorbed into the book. Say:
"I consecrate this Book of Shadows with SPIRIT.
So that it may be a fitting repository
For my magickal engergy."
All coven members say "So Mote It Be." Break the circle in the usual way. Your Book of Shadows is now ready for use!

Every coven is different. Some covens do not have a High Priestess or Priest and it is run as a group. The coven I belonged to, we decided to trade off being High Priestess at each major Sabbat. I was the High Priestess for Samhain, the most sacred of the Sabbats.
It is very important that if there is going to be a High Priest/ess, that that person is knowledgable and WORTHY to do it. Avoid appointing someone who will take that "power" litarally and let it go to their head. Always remember that there may be a leader of the ceremonies, but it is still a group and decisions need to be made as a group. This is not a position where the HP makes all the decisions, and it is not an opportunity to start a cult!!!

After the potential leader takes a cleansing bath, cast a circle the usual way. Inside the circle, form another circle out of white stones, around the leader.
One of the members says:
"I adjure thee to work for the good of the circle,
To harm none, to be faithful to all.
By water, by fire, by air, and by earth,
Lead us peacefully and with good will.
As we will it, so shall it be."

Know the Intent or Purpose
What is it you are trying to do?
Heal an illness?
Increase your concentration?
Bring love into your life?
Sell a house?
Celebrate a Sabbat?
Before you begin any magickal working, you should have a firm grasp on what outcome you are seeking.

Know the Best Time to Work the Spell
Do you know what type of magick should be worked during the waning moon and what type during the waxing moon?
What type of magick is best worked on the full moon?
What type of magick is best for the new moon?
What days of the week are best for what types of magick?
Learn how the moon phases and days of the week affect magickal workings so you will know when to work your spell.

Know The Correspondences
Learn which colors will bring what results.
Learn a little about herbalism; which herbs can be used for what magickal purposes.
Learn about image magick and how it works.
Learn about elemental magick; which elements can be used for what types of magick.

Cast the Circle
Invocation of the Divine
Statement of purpose: this is simply to tell the Divine why you have called Him/Her to the circle; what you are trying to accomplish.

Magickal Working
Raise energy, through chanting or drumming or however you have chosen to do so.
Direct or channel this energy by using candles, herbs, stones or whatever other correspondences you found to fit your specific need.
Ground your energy when you have completed the working.
Cakes and Ale
Eat a small piece of bread or cookie and drink a little wine, milk or juice to help restore your energy. This is often a potluck with the entire coven, or simply by yourself.

Thanking the Divine
You can write your own closing "speech" or use one from this website.

Closing the Circle
See above listing for closing a circle.