Guidelines for Public Rituals
Hosted by Circle of the Sacred Spirit
(Revised 06/06, 10/07, 11/08, 01/10)
In our Sabbats we encourage and welcome children to participate. It’s our belief that our children should be allowed to learn from experiences that can only be gained by entering sacred space.
Our gatherings often attract large numbers of attendees, many of whom bring small children. For this reason, we have found it useful to put forth these basic guidelines so that our rituals are beneficial and safe for all involved.
I. Magickal Path
Although CSS welcomes the participation of pagans from any path in our rituals, please be aware and respectful of the fact that we are Wiccan. We host Wiccan rituals which include casting circle to create sacred space. We respectfully incorporate “with reverence and mirth,” into our rituals as we honor and worship the Goddess, God, Spirit and the Four Quarters. If you are not Wiccan and/or have never attended a Wiccan ritual then a good rule of thumb would be, “when in Rome do as the Romans do.” Please remember, you are entering our sanctuary; ritual is our version of ‘church.’
II. General Etiquette
Often, our rituals are hosted in someone’s home. Please be respectful of that person’s private property. Here is a basic list of don’t one should keep in mind:- Do not litter.
- Do not arrive before, ‘doors open at . . .’ time.
- Do not come intoxicated or under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol.
- Do not bring weapons or illegal substances with you.
- Do not approach their pets or touch their personal possessions without first asking permission.
- Do not allow your children to run in and out of doors or behave in a manor that could cause damage to the home and/or its contents.
- Refrain from excessive and/or loud talking/laugher once the cleansing of space has begun. It’s disrespectful.
- Don’t shout across circle at any time.
- Don’t walk out of sacred space without first asking someone to ‘cut a door’ for you.
- Laugh and enjoy yourself.
- Worship as the spirit leads you.
- Chant, drum, sing and dance.
- Work magick as we raise energy.
- Allow your children to participate and revel (when appropriate).
As stated before, CSS values the presence of children in our rituals. However, in order for the experience to be spiritually valuable and rewarding to all parties, we need the help of their parents. Please remember that you, alone, are responsible for your children, at all times. No one else will be watching them. Laughter and light-hearted fun has a time and a place in our rituals; however, so does veneration, reverence and respect. Please talk with your children before the event to explain what will be expected of them once they enter sacred space. Though our rituals are geared toward families, they are NOT ‘children’s rituals’. Rituals are not written to enthrall and entertain your children; they are simply designed to include them. Some of our events provide a craft or game to help occupy them until ritual begins. However, many do not. You are responsible for supervising, correcting, entertaining and otherwise occupying your children from the time of your arrival until the time of your departure.
IV. Magickal Tools, Altars and Drums
Prior to the arrival of attendees, we set up ritual space with altars, magickal tools, drums and other musical instruments. Additionally, many of our guests bring their own personal tools and/or instruments to be used in ritual. Please refrain from picking up, touching or otherwise handling items that belong to someone else until you receive their expressed permission. This applies to your children as well. These items are often charged and consecrated as sacred and should be respected.
V. Photography
Please respect the privacy of those who attend our rituals. Photographs should not be taken without the permission of the Ritual leader in addition to those you wish to photograph. Please be mindful of anyone who may accidentally appear in the background of your pictures. Do not print, publish or post any photo without permission from every person that can be identified in the picture. If permission to photograph is granted, do not use a flash during any ritual. The flash is disruptive to the flow of energy and distracting for most attendees who are seeking a spiritual connection with deity. In most cases, it is simply rude.
VI. Cell phones
All cell phones should be turned off prior to the start of any ritual; even a phone that is set to vibrate can be distracting. If there is a valid reason for having a cell phone in sacred space (i.e. being on-call for work or the strong possibility of an urgent matter occurring that will need to be addressed before circle is released), please discuss the issue with the Ritual Leader. If you are granted permission to have your phone in space, make sure the ringer is turned to silent. Should you need to answer a call, discreetly ask someone to cut a door for you to leave the space. Do not carry on a phone conversation during ritual.
VII. Cakes and Wine
At the conclusion of each ritual we will have a time for grounding, known as Cakes and Wine. During this time we share a small bit of food and drink while each of our participants, going clockwise around the circle, are encouraged to speak from their hearts, ask for energy for a specific purpose and/or give thanks for blessings. Ritual is drawing to a close but is not over until everyone has had a chance to hold the chalice and farewells have been made. Private conversations during this time are discouraged; the purpose part of ritual is to give undivided attention, as a group, to the individual speaking.
VIII. Sacred Fire
We consider the fire at our rituals to be sacred and honored. Often we will use a bonfire for magickal workings and welcome those who feel moved to dance around or jump it. However, out of respect, please don’t throw trash into our fire. Also, please keep in mind and be respectful of the dangers that even a small fire may present. For safety reasons, don’t allow your children to play near the bonfire (or any lit candles). If we are doing a magickal working that involves fire, children are welcome to participate provided they are adequately supervised during the working. Do not allow them to burn items as a means to entertain them. It only takes one slip to have disastrous consequences.
The underlining theme for all of the above guidelines is simply this:
SAFETY AND CONSIDERATION
ARE THE KEY ELEMENTS
TO ANY SUCCESSFUL AND REWARDING
RITUAL, EVENT and/or PAGAN GATHERING
copyright 2010
No part of this document may be copied or used without obtaining written permission from the author.
daughter2gaia@yahoo.com
