Magick Circle?, How was Witchcraft done long ago? Options

One of the things I have always wondered was how was Witchcraft done in the ancient days? Many complain that casting a circle is totally ceremonial magick, and should not be preformed; but then how would the energy be contained? Does anyone have any alternitives to circle casting? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wizard.gif)

I have quarreled with myself over this and studied and restudied different versions of the paths i practice.
I am a Ceremonial Magician too but i woul have to say that what makes Ceremonial Magick Ceremonial is...well, Ceremony, not the Circle.

The protective Circle is a very Babylonian/Semitic idea even if its not uncommon in other cultures.
Besides, ones worldview/Mystical system also decides much in whether one needs protection or not (that extensively).

I can very well imagine a Lodge or Temple like setting where the "furniture" is used for clearing and invocing the powers and the walls act as "Circle".

Many Druids does not use a Circle but call Land, Sea and Sky as part of their Cosmology.
Sometimes they have a boundry of some sort but focus the energies by will.

In Pecti Wita (a Scottish Wicca Tradition) one simply centers oneself.

In Voudoun/Santeria/Macumba i can imagine the lord of the crossroads or door opener Legba/Elegua/Exu is enough to trigger an "opening" between the worlds effect.

Or the crossroads themselves (helped by Cosmology) help the feeling of energy.

One has to remember,in both Druidism and Asatru there is a world tree seen as the Axis Mundi (center of universe) the pillar in the middle of the Houmfour, the Ponton Mitain fills the same role in Voudoun.
In other words, the practitioner is already at the center of the universe.

The Egyptian took on Godforms (if in the Golden Dawn sence, who knows?).
I can imagine that from a view of being a God you can also contain the energies around you pertaining to that God.

The Norse Vitki and Seidar sat on skins or platforms above "creation".

We should also remember Wei Dan Qi Gong, affecting Chi outside the person himself.

The Circle most comonly used (with some variations) is a Golden Dawn thing and the Elements called are Neo Platonic.

Ofcourse there are a number of ways of calling and holding energies.
Finding them out is another thing entirerly.
Also, we must ask ourselves "what constitutes a Circle?".