Excerpts From: Cunningham, Scott. “Wicca: a guide for the solitary practitioner” and internet

• Decide why you want to conduct a ritual. Make sure that your intention is clear.
• Decide how you want to perform your ritual; write the words that you want to use during the invocation and the other steps.
• Decide when to do the ritual; for example, you may want to time your ritual to a specific phase of the Moon or to a Wiccan holiday.
• Decide where to do the ritual, set up an altar, and assemble the tools and other necessary objects.
• Purify the space.
• Purify yourself.
• Cast a circle to create sacred space.
• Invoke, evoke, or welcome Deity, according to your beliefs.
• Conduct a ritual observance (for example, celebrate a Sabbat or an Esbat), if you desire.
• Raise power and work magic, if you have a good reason.
• Earth the power.
• Thank (or dismiss) Deity.
• Take down the circle.

Magic circle

The circle is usually nine feet in diameter, though any comfortable size is fine. The cardinal points are often marked with lit candles, or the ritual tools assigned to each point.

The pentacle, a bowl of salt, or earth may be placed to the north. This is the realm of earth, the stabilizing, fertile, and nourishing element that is the foundation of the other three.

The censer with smoldering incense is assigned to the east, the home of the intellectual element, air. Fresh flowers or stick incense can also be used. Air is the element of the mind, of communication, movement, divination, and ascetic spirituality.