Magical Etiquette- Personal Items and Group Work

Like with any religion, within the bounds of magic-using community, there are things that you should and should not do in regards to people's private ritual belongings and within circle space. There are things that are considered to be faux pas under any circumstances, and some others that are specific to circumstance. I will try to cover some of those here.

Personal magical items should be considered to be 'hands off' unless 

you first ask permission or unless the owner offers for you to touch them. This is not only common courtesy, but there are some people who feel that certain items of the arts magical can be contaminated by other people if the items are touched. This does not mean that you have cooties or bugs, but some items are specifically attuned to other people's energies, and can lose some of the strength and connection to their owner if handled by someone else. ALWAYS ask before touching anything on an altar. These items are often the most powerful to the magical practitioner, and are considered sacred. Be as respectful of those items as you would be in any other religion. You wouldn't go up to an altar in the church and grab the cup of sacramental wine or the plate for the Host. Nor would you touch the dorje and bell in a Buddhist temple. Sacred items are sacred, no matter where they are from, and if you expect others to respect you, you must be ready to respect them.

Public circle etiquette varies from place to place, but in general, it is considered to be improper to leave the circle before the end of the ritual without someone cutting a doorway for you ritually. Most groups to appoint a 'keeper of the door' to allow people in and out, especially in longer rituals to provide for bathroom breaks and small children if the ritual is public. Other considerations, such as allergies to certain ritual incenses can likewise be accommodated, avoiding possible emergencies. Having a someone posted at the entrance also serves to keep the circle from being interrupted needlessly. Never burst into a circle, and if you have to enter, do so from the appointed doorway.

Other things to keep in mind in circle is that you are there for a magical rite. Save chatter with friends until later so as not to interrupt the others around you. Only bring things that are positive into the circle, and leave cell phones, and other electronic devices out since these can tend to disrupt the flow of the circle's energy. Make sure to ground properly and clear your mind of worldly distractions as much as possible before entering the sacred space, and focus your mind on what's ahead. Doing these things can save you embarrassing problems in the long run.

Above all, remember that this is a religious rite, and you need to be on your best behavior. You are closer to Spirit in circle than you are anywhere else. You want to express this to the All as well as to your fellow attendees.

On a more serious vein for functional solitary or coven work, the above rules should be followed along with a few other precautions. Doing a deeper magical work leaves no room for mistakes, and if not done with care, can leave the practitioner open to uninvited entities and negative forces that can be hard to dispel or dissuade. Keeping the circle whole and intact is therefore the first and most important work of the person or group, as it sets the ground work for everything that is to come. Not leaving the boundaries during the ritual is also very important as this can break through protections. Making sure that all entities have been fully dismissed before opening the circle is equally necessary since they are less likely to listen after protections and wards have been taken down. More than one practitioner has summoned things without fully thinking through or performing proper levels of set up and closure, and these have have found themselves to be in hot water because of their lack of preparation and care. You don't drive a car without checking to sure that the road is clear to pull out into traffic. That same sense of self-preservation should be evident in ritual work.