The Caim Prayer

The word ‘caim’ come from the Gaelic language and means ‘circle’, ‘bend’, ‘turn’,
‘sanctuary’, ‘protecting’, ‘encircling’, ‘white’, ‘clear’, ‘bright’, ‘fair’, and ‘pure’.
Through praying the caim, you are invoking God’s blessing and grace to give you
protection from negative influences, sanctuary from the troubles of the world, and
purification of yourself and the space around you. Celtic Christians understood
that the Devil or his evil minions were frustrated by anything that was unending
and had no break or entrance, because God Himself is endless, eternal, and
possesses unlimited love. People used to put endless designs at the entrances
and windows of the home to guard against these negative beings. Pentacles are
one form of an endless design, and are used as protective devices that turn away
negative forces. Some black magicians will draw the pentacle but leave one of
the lines unfinished, leaving an opening in order to conjure demons, and it’s said
that the gap in the design could allow the Devil to enter. By the way, the pentacle
was also used historically by Christians to represent the Five Wounds of Christ.
Use the caim before you start your prayer sessions, or anytime if you feel
you are under spiritual attack. If you are outside, you can draw a circle on
the dirt with a stick, or make a circle with white stones, and at the end of
the prayer you can keep one of the stones as as a remembrance of God’s
faithfulness.

“To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will
give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one
knows except the one who receives it.”
Revelations 2:17.

If you are working with friends, you can make a circle by holding hands with
everyone reciting the caim together. You can do this prayer when on walks
as well - that way, wherever you go, God goes with you. When you do it
while walking, you can just imagine the circle around you as you pray the
caim, or you can stop and turn in a circle on the spot as you pray, then
keep walking imagining that the circle of protection stays with you. You can
also pray the caim over the head of anyone who needs protection, healing,
blessing, or needs God in their lives for any other such reason. Have them
sit down so you can stand over their head and pray the caim while looking
at the crown of their head. One way to use the caim for spellwork would be
to write your request on a piece of paper, or draw a sigil, a picture or other
symbol of your desire, and then do the caim over the paper, asking for
God’s blessings and positive power to help you to manifest whatever you
may need into your life. After you pray over the paper, then imagine what
you desire already present in your life. You can burn the paper in a candle
flame imagining that the smoke goes up to heaven where your desire is
automatically manifested. Afterwards, send your gratitude and prayers to
God for His help.

The Method:
Turn off you cell phone.
Stand facing north.
Center yourself, take a few deep breaths. Relax and quiet your mind.
Point your right index finger at the ground and turn in a clockwise circle,
finishing again in the north.
Say each line of the prayer at the appropriate cardinal direction.
Imagine and feel that energy is coming out of your finger.
Visualize that this energy creates a circle of blue fire.
Feel that you are in God’s protection and care.
All negative influences are kept from your circle and a feeling of peace
descends on your circle.
Imagine that the prayers and the circle also extends protection and peace
to the surrounding area.
North: Circle me Lord, Keep protection near, And danger afar.
East: Circle me Lord, Keep light near, And darkness afar.
South: Circle me Lord, Keep peace within, Keep evil out.
West: Circle me Lord, Keep hope within, Keep doubt without.
Back in the north:
May you be a bright flame before me
May you be a guiding star above me,
May you be a smooth path below me,
And a loving Guide behind me,
Today, tonight, and forever.
Amen
This webpage has excellent advice and gives the author’s personal
experience in using the caim:

https://tadhgtalks.me/2016/06/30/celtic-wisdom-the-caim/
https://tadhgtalks.me/2019/02/20/the-caim-and-the-inner-accuser/
https://tadhgtalks.me/2018/11/07/deep-calls-to-deep-when-the-caim-
becomes-kything/
https://tadhgtalks.me/2017/03/23/tadhgs-journal-a-treasure-in-the-
darkness/

Here are a few variations on the caim prayer used above:

Encircle me this night with your presence.

Keep joy within. Keep bitterness out.
Keep generosity within. Keep greed out.
Keep love within. Keep self-seeking out.
Keep light within. Keep darkness out.”
Creator of all, encircle us this night and the nights to come with love,
peace, and hope.

Circle me O God
Keep hope within, despair without.
Circle me O God
Keep peace within, keep turmoil out.
Circle me O God
Keep calm within, keep storms without.
Circle me O God
Keep strength within, keep weakness out.

Circle me, Lord

Keep love within, keep strife without
Circle me, Lord
Keep hope within, keep despair without
Circle me, Lord
Keep peace within, keep harm without.
Circle us Lord,
Keep love within, keep hatred out.
Circle us Lord,
Keep joy within, keep fear out.
Circle us Lord,
Keep peace within, keep worry out.
Circle us Lord,
Keep light within, keep darkness out.
May you stand in the circle with us, today and always.

Here are some other caim prayers. Remember also that you can create
your own versions of the caim yourself as needed:

The compassing of God and his right hand

Be upon my form and upon my frame;
The compassing of the High King and the grace of the Trinity
Be upon me abiding eternally,
Be upon me abiding eternally.

May the compassing of the Three shield me in my means,

The compassing of the Three shield me this day,
The compassing of the Three shield me this night
From hate, from harm, from act, from ill,
From hate, from harm, from act, from ill.

The compassing of God be on thee,

The compassing of the God of life.
The compassing of Christ be on thee,
The compassing of the Christ of love.
The compassing of the Spirit be on thee,
The compassing of the Spirit of Grace.
The compassing of the Three be on thee,
The compassing of the Three preserve thee,
The compassing of the Three preserve thee.
This is a simple version of the St. Patrick’s Breastplate prayer:

Christ with me,

Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me,
Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort me and restore me, Christ beneath me,
Christ above me, Christ in the hearts of all that love me,
Christ in the mouth of friend and stranger.

The Mighty Three

My protection be
Encircling me.
You are around
My life, my home *
Encircling me
O Sacred Three.
(The fifth line can be changed to encompass any person or situation we
choose.)

The God of the Elements’ guarding,

The loving Christ’s guarding,
The Holy Spirit’s guarding,
Be cherishing me, be aiding me.
This prayer is part of one attributed to St. Patrick:

Circle of love,
Open my heart.
Circle of wisdom,
Enlighten my mind.
Circle of trust,
Protect my path.
Circle of healing,
Grant me new life.

This one can be used for blessing people whether present or in your
imagination:

Circle of love
Encompass _____________.
May your love well up within her/him
May your passion enlighten her/him.
Circle of healing
Encompass ______________.
May your healing touch rest upon her/him.
Circle of protection
Encompass ______________.
Surround _____________ with your eternal safety
Protect her/him from all temptations and ills
Give her/him courage and strength
To live always from Your safe and powerful center.