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)

You're right babalon enegies do gravitate to the caster. However in my experince the more familiar one is with an area the more intuned one is with the energies of that spot. This makes a "comfort zone" and that tends to repell the negative stuff except the negative stuff that's internal- within the magician. Like a nomad isn't well defended from animals, rivals and the elements but a baron of a castle is much more protected, so long as he remains within that comfort zone. So my living space is in effect a permanent bubble of protection. I need only reaffirm this from time to time. Kinda like replacing old bricks on a castle wall. If, however, the magician was attempting to complete cerimonial magick (kinda like opening the gate to allow a messenger or guest enterance) as in summon or create spirits, god forms, familiars, thought forms, other such entities I would be sure to not only cast a circle but make sure I had done any required purification, centering and grounding before even attempting to complete the ritual. Like this: The keep of a castle is the magician. The castle wall is his psychic barrier. Turrets can be any summoned watch towers, the gate and draw bridge are the magician's connection between the mirco cosom and the macro. The mote is the protective circle that makes sure all energies are gathered at one point- the gate. And only the desired ones may travel through the magician's gate. The turrets and murder holes at and around the gate defend the keep from the other unwanted guests.

But as general guide lines before doing cerimonial magick I follow this order of basic rituals meant to build the castle wall, turrets, murder holes and mote, to protect the keep and its king- me:
First ground to connect with earthly energies, then center to balance my psychic body within the setting I am in, then purify myself to make sure all negative influences are disppelled and won't "ride" with me once I cast a circle. This seems to work best for me. I have tried to mix and match between the three but if I attempted to purify myself before being grounded the purification wasn't effective. If I tried to purify before centering myself my surroundings seemed to prevent any purification. If I tried to center myself before grounding I couldn't find balance. So the order of ground, center, purify, cast circle, complete ritual (both preliminairies and actual rite) then close the circle, purify, re-center, ground (as in let earthy energies return) and continue with my life.

This is pretty much for cerimonial magick. In the case things like certain pathworking rituals, lucid dreaming, astral protection, trace work, general meditation or visualization I need only to be familiar with my surrounding area. No circle is nesseccary for it already exists. The castle is already built and needs only to be maintained.