I have never cast a physical circle, for me it is about becoming aware of where your magickal/intended energy begins and ends and mentally affirming the 'edge'.
Your circle is an extension of you, it comes out from your purest, magickally intending self and after use, you draw it back in - I keep mine within my body; that does not mean there is no energy outside of you. You can clean up your chakras and open or close those or draw in spirit/universal energy and let that surround you 'uncharged' - by that I mean as a natural part of yourself. The energy that you use in circle is what I call 'charged' with intention to form a circle' and has a definite boundary and purpose that you set to work in.
This is just what I call things and how I see them, so I hope you understand it, if not, ask someone who is familiar with the language of the system you are interested in (IMG:
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What I am saying is that the circle is not tied to being ceremonial or anything else, it is one of the things occultists use to protect themselves in whilst they work.
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