There is a difference between "Casting a Spell" and "Saying a Chant". When you say a chant, it does not require you to acknowledge the four directions - unless you insist on doing so - and you can just say it, quick and easy. When casting a spell, it's a bit trickier.
You have to cast a circle, acknowledge all the elements, either four or five can be used - earth, air, fire, water, and spirit - and decide on a god/goddess to help you on your way - but you don't always have to. You MUST always take precaution as to what you are doing and why you are casting a circle. If you do it for all the wrong reasons, then the 3x3 rule will come back to you like really bad Karma.
Here is an idea of what you should DO when you cast your circle:
1) Purify the place where you will cast your circle.
Purify physically (clean up) as well as spiritually (take your hands, or broom, athame or wand and direct positive energy into the area, to push away negative energy). You could try using witch hazel to cleanse the area - a couple of drops in each corner of the room and round the perimeter of the circle should be sufficient.
2) Physically determine the bounds of your circle.
Do this by drawing a circle on the floor, sprinkling salt water in a circle, or by laying a cord in a circle (make sure you tie it). Anyhow, the circle is usually as wide as you are tall.
3) Place all objects you will be using in your ritual in the circle.
4) Represent the four elements in the four quarters (corners) in the circle.
Place something that represent Earth in the north, Air in the east, Fire south and Water west. Bless (or ask for consecration of) these things. (See tips for things that represent the elements.) Be sure to have some food and drink to share with the spirits, to thank them and to replenish your energy.
5) Take your magic weapon (it can be your hands, a broom, athame, or a wand) and walk around the spot where your circle will be three times, clockwise.
"Cast the circle thrice about, to keep the evil spirits out." State the purpose of the circle.
6) Invoke the elements and spirits and deities you wish to work with.
Call them to the objects that represent them. Take each of the objects that represent the elements around your circle, filling it with the power of each of them.
7) Meditate for a while and make yourself feel comfortable.
Meditation or astral projection might be the main act, or it serves just to shift your consciousness.
8) Do whatever it is you want to do in your circle.
Remember: "An it harm none, do what ye will." If you must leave the circle before you are done, cut a doorway (quite literally, envision a doorway being cut from the edge of the circle, up, to the side, then down again. Reclose the circle once you're back in.
9) Close the circle when you are done.
pay respect to whatever deities you invited, thank the elements before you remove their representative objects, and finally undo the casting by casting in reverse.
Casting a circle is a very serious matter, because there are entities that can use your circle as a portal in a way and it will be the door to which they enter. Over all lesson; casting a circle is serious business and you should probably practice A LOT before you actually try this. Don't cast a circle for sleep over parties or to make a boy fall in love with your best friend, because free will is a VERY big thing that you cannot mess with.
Well, good luck, and enjoy if you are able to cast a circle. When you do, try to use candles to show the elements, and they don't have to be lit. If your in a place where you can't light them, just imagine a flame producing from the wick and imagine it with your heart and soul. When you go to put out the flame, don't blow it it, because that will blow away the magic at work. Instead, snuff it out. On the next post, I'll make a list of candles and what their colors will represent.
Information was taken from this website:
http://www.wikihow.com/Cast-a-Circle
