Wiccan ritual practice is tied to natural phenomena, and to the symbolic meanings which WE HAVE
ASSIGNED TO THOSE PHENOMENA. This is important. The Wheel of the Year is a human
creation, OUR creation to help us focus our thoughts, feelings, emotions around meaningful life
issues. They attune us to our natural environment. They example phases of human relationship. They
help us internalize that life and the universe are patterns of intertwined circles, or maybe spirals,
affecting each other and redirecting each other.

Now we're going to get into some of my personal views of the universe. This doesn't necessarily
correspond to anyone else's, but part of my main point is that that's ok...

So what about all the Gods and Goddesses floating around out there? Are they real? Should we
worship them? What do they mean in our lives?

Of course they're real! We've created them, haven't we? They're as real as anything else we've built -
like roads and dams and school systems and universities. There is a vast universal reality in which
human beings (and everything else) are all immersed. It's too big for us; we can't deal with the total
reality. But as with any other area of endeavor that gets too big, we can compartmentalize it and
focus on those parts that are most important to us, AT THE MOMENT. Each avatar of Goddess or
God is a focus: she or he has certain attributes, whether from historical usage or simply because that's
how you choose to view and interpret her/him. I think it's vitally important to American women today
to be able to visualize and relate to divinity in feminine terms - not more valid but AS VALID AS the
masculine equivalents. For so long we've been immersed in the mode that there could only be ONE
god, so had to fight about just who he was. No - there are MANY gods, probably more gods than
there are people, since each individual tunes differently at different times of life and in reaction to
different events. In forming deities around universal themes, we identify and focus ourselves. In
exploring the attributes and characteristics of those dieties, we examine ourselves and our world and
our place and role in that world.

In one sense, the moon is no more a goddess than is any other piece of rock. After all, people have
travelled to the moon and back, and brought back pieces which anyone can see in the Smithsonian.
But she IS a Goddess, symbol of power and change and beauty and mystery - bearing within herself
the contrast between Dark and Light, whether in eternal struggle or in eternal yielding, one to the
other.

I am RavensWing, priest of the Morrigan, who is a Celtic avatar of the Great Mother in her role as
Goddess of Battle. This expresses who I am, because my own feeling is that many battles need to be
fought. This tends to get me into a lot of trouble, but that's ok. She is with me, because I have come
to understand WHY I feel the way I do about many things. You too, as you grow and explore and
develop your relationships both to the divine and the mundane (and perhaps eventually discover that
they are the same thing!) will find yourself as you are AT THAT TIME, come to terms with that self
and its beauty and its problems. And then move on, to wherever ultimately you need to be.

By all means connect to the pagan community in -----. Enjoy your sisters and brothers, support them
and draw strength from them. Start as a Solitary, and as an Eclectic, and get your own feet firmly
planted before you worry too much about conforming to someone else's reality. You'll find people
who are just playing around, or are still searching for their own Path. You'll find people who are
really serious about specific gods and goddesses. You'll find people who are rigidly Gardnerian or
Diannic or whatever. You'll find people who are just plain nuts. You will also find people who are
well settled, or truly seeking within a settled framework, and who would love to share their thoughts,
feelings, and rituals.

Keep in touch,
Brightness and Blessing!
RavensWing

GETTING STARTED IN THE CRAFT
by Fiona Oceanstar ([email protected])

    Western vs. Eastern mystery traditions --> one of the first
things you need to conceptualize, if you're interested in
witchcraft, is that it's a WESTERN mystery tradition.  The
important dichotomy here is outer-vs.-inner.  In the Eastern
traditions, the adept commonly seeks some sort of mystical union
with the great Oneness, which implies a withdrawal from the
common, everyday life of human beings, and a focus on one's
internal processes.  In the Western traditions, the adept is very
much a part of the activities and community of humankind.  A witch
does indeed have a special awareness of their inner world and
their connection with the all-permeating Oneness (Goddess), but a
witch is also a member of society--a farmer, a healer, a parent, a
warrior, a writer, a scientist, an artist, a computer programmer,
etc.  In becoming a witch, you don't dissociate your spiritual
life from the rest of your life--rather, you apply the principles
of the Craft in everything you do.  You seek to take what you have
learned on an inner level and MANIFEST that awareness on an outer
level.  This is not to be confused with the Christian dichotomy of
works vs.  faith.  Witches don't have to BELIEVE in anything--they
are much too concrete, too practical for such notions.  The
rituals of the Craft all get down to the same thing: sanctifying
the everyday activities of your life.  When a witch makes love,
writes a program, cooks a meal, rides a bike, these are all the
rituals of the Goddess.

What to do:
    --learn some simple form of meditation, and practice it often,
the idea being to master the art of a QUIET MIND.  In order to be
attentive to the world around you, you have to learn to let go of
the inner chattering.

T.S. Eliot (in "East Coker") puts it this way:
    "...the mind is conscious, but conscious of nothing--
    I said to my soul, be still, and wait without hope
    For hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love
    For love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith
    But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the
       waiting.
    Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought:
    So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the
       dancing."

    Listen to everything.  Above all, listen to your body.
Starhawk recommends a regular program of exercise, and I agree.
Again, it quiets the mind.

    --get in touch with the movements of the Earth and the Moon.
Get a calender that has Moon phases, and make a point of knowing
what phase you're in, at all times.  Notice the differences
between the dark of the moon (empty but ready for new birth), the
new moon (time for initiating things), the waxing moon (growing in
power), the full moon (peak of intensity), and the waning moon
(fading, turning inward, consolidating gains).  If you are a
woman, pay attention to your menstrual cycle, and how it matches
up with the phases of the moon.  If you are a man, get in touch
with the cycle of a female friend or lover.  Get out under the
moon as much as possible.  When She is full, lie in a grassy field
or on a rooftop and LISTEN to her.

    --pay attention to the natural world: the seasons, the plants,
the insects, everything around you.  If you can, go out hiking and
camping as much as possible--alone, or with someone else who can
be silent and observant.  Even in the city, even in a very
restricted urbanized environment, you can see things of nature all
around you.  Try to walk to work, if possible.  Go out in your
back yard and sit on the grass and look at the world close up.
When inside, observe your pets and your fellow human beings.  We
are all flesh: we have smells, we have appetites.  When you have
sex, try to forget the cultural context (lace underwear, etc.) and
focus instead on the body, the pleasures of the body.  When you
play music, let your body dance.
 

What to read:
(What Nikolai recommends)
Wicca: Guide for the Solitary Practicioner - by Scott Cunningham
(Read all of Scott's material after this book...)
To Ride a Silver Broomstick - by Silver RavenWolf
To Stir a Magick Cauldron - by Silver RavenWolf
(Oh, hell, ...just read All of Silver's books)
WiccaCraft - Gerina Dunwich
The Wicca Spellbook - Gerina Dunwich
By Oak, Ash, and Thorn - D.J. Conway
Celtic Magic - D.J. Conway
-----------------------------------------
What to read:
(What Fiona Oceanstar recommends)
    --for the rational side of you --> Margot Adler's _Drawing
Down the Moon_ (a good overview of many pagan systems)

    --for the spiritual side --> Starhawk's _Spiral Dance_

    But reading is less important than observing.  You will be
tempted to try to become a witch by reading, because those of us
w/ big brains and big educations always operate that way.  Try to
keep a balance between hours spent reading, and hours spent
walking in the woods.

Objects/tools/toys:
    --anything can be a tool for working magic and gaining
understanding (a leaf, a stone, a pen)--it's
all in what you invest it with
    --be slow to acquire toys (blades, wands, etc.), but not too slow--it's better
if they find you, then your finding them
    --more important than a lot of gadgets, is setting aside a
special place in your home as an altar.  Start with candles and
incense, and invent simple rituals: lighting a candle while you
read, burning incense while you meditate.
    --because it's nonverbal in form, the Tarot is actually a
better source for learning about the Craft, than any book.  Seek
out one of the less Christianized decks--I personally like the
Barbara Walker and the Motherpeace.

Sacred space:
    --the first formal "magic" you should learn, is how to set
aside sacred space.  Pick a place in your home or your yard where
you will practice this, and practice often, even if at first it
makes you feel self-conscious.

    I realize that a lot of this sounds terribly vague.  I used to
get frustrated when I read books about the Craft, and they didn't
have, like, RECIPES to perform.  The hard part of it is, that you
learn more from the Goddess, than you do from any human being.
But that doesn't mean you can't do some simple spells, right from
the very beginning: both Adler's and Starhawk's books have some
straightforward descriptions of working magic.

    Don't get hung up on issues of reality, or the unknown, or the
verifiable, or whatever.  Just DO.  It's far more important to TRY
things, than it is to READ about them.

The Three Fold Law -- "As you sew, so
shall ye reap". "What goes around, comes around".
"Whatever you do returns to you times three". These are all
sayings very familiar to all of us, all of them examples of a
Universal Law of cause and effect, action and
reaction.

CREATIVE RITUAL:

       A GUIDE FOR SUCCESSFUL RITUAL WORK

                            by Chandonn c.1995
 
 

Contents:

     I. An Introduction to Ritual Work

     II. Planning the Ritual: Setting Goals

     III. Building the Ritual:

          Part - A: Clearing Sacred Space

          Part - B: Main Body of the Ritual

          Part - C: Closing Sacred Space

     IV. The Role of the Group:

     V. Expanding the Ritual Form:
 
 

I. An Introduction to Ritual Work

Ritual is an important part of religious life to people the world over. The value of ritual is connecting
with the Great Mystery: be it Deity, the Force in nature, the spiritual worlds, or even the simple
rhythms of the turning seasons.

Keeping this in mind the first goal of Ritual-writing should be to establish the Goal of the Ritual ---
and to keep that goal foremost in the ritual.

The most satisfying rituals by far are the ones which never stray too far from their established goal
and ritual format. Keep it simple and to the point ! Going off on tangents, or spending the majority
of the time setting up Sacred Space bores the participants and detracts from the very reason the ritual
is being performed !

Rituals help us connect with the Great Mysteries of existence, but these Mysteries exist whether we
perform rituals or not. Keep in mind that rituals exist for us foremost, just as a television is a gateway
for us to connect with the world --- oh, the world will exist anyway, the news programs shown in our
living room will be there whether we turn on the set or not, but the television itself helps us to
connect. And likewise, our viewing keeps the shows on the air. But, by ourselves, they do not rely on
our individual televisions. So also it is in religion: the gods will still be there, whether we dance in
circle or not. Rather, the circle is our forum to connect with them.

By following a few simple guidelines, a ritual can be created for any need in a very satisfying manner.
Be warned: Rituals should never be thrown together lightly -- with little thought. A good ritual takes
some work, but the more you put into it, the more satisfying it will be.

Rituals come in two flavors: public and private. As their names suggest, private rituals are those
we do individually, and public rituals involve many persons. But it gets a bit trickier than that.

Private rituals are those we do on the individual level --- there can be more people around during
them, but each person does their own ritual. For example, the daily routine of praying towards
Mecca several times a day is a private ritual each Muslim performs to attune him/herself to the
sanctity of that holy city.

Public rituals can involve any where from one person on. One person may perform a ritual designed
to help the entire community, while the community may actually stand outside the Sacred Space of
the ritual.

The kinds of rituals are just as varied. Thanks to the Wiccan tradition, we in the Pagan Community
are familiar with magickal rituals, be they offensive/defensive or propitiatory in nature. But there are
also non-magickal rituals, such as celebrations, beginning/ending rituals (i.e. weddings, funerals and
the like), connecting rituals, and so forth. For every important religious event (even the tiniest) there
can be a ritual.

Rituals have many major components. The area where the ritual takes place is the Sacred Space.

Now, lets touch on the construction of ritual. Rituals
work in three simple ways:

     first Sacred Space is cleared and any invocations
     are made

     then the Main Body of the ritual is performed

     finally the Sacred Space is closed.

Now, with all these things in mind let us continue onward. As
you form your rituals remember one very important thing: rituals exist for us, that it is we who are
most touched by ritual, regardless of how the deities appreciate our sacrifices and good behavior.
 
 

II. Planning the Ritual: Setting Goals

The first thing to consider is the Goal of the ritual. This may be as simple as celebrating a holiday or
turning point in the season or worshipping a particular deity, or as complex as working weather
Magick or performing defensive Magick. Whatever the Goal is it's important to keep it in mind when
setting up the ritual. Also, remember that it is not always necessary to raise Energy / Magick. Try to
keep it simple, not impressive.

Some things to remember in your ritual is whether to make it public or private, and just how many
people will be in this ritual anyway? This will help in deciding the tone of the ritual. Small groups of
people who are comfortable together can have less serious (but just as effective) rituals. The reason I
bring this up is that humor can have a very powerful and positive effect on your ritual, because
laughing and happy people tend to put more into ritual and also to get more out of it. That's what is
called having a good time!

Another good question is to think about which deity or deities to invite. If your ritual is in honor of a
particular deity, then this may be very simple. If your ritual is directed toward forces in nature, or
nature itself, you may want to omit any references to deity by names. Anything in between should be
handled as you believe best depending on which god/desses will help with your Ritual Goal and
which one(s) you work best with. Keep in mind that in magickal rituals it is not a good idea to mix
pantheons (for example, inviting Thor and Hecate for tea and cakes).

Speaking of magick, you should decide whether this ritual will use magick-raising or not. In a
Ceremonial Magick ritual the answer is unequivocally "Yes!" In many rituals it may not be necessary.
In fact, in many it may prove counterproductive. Even in some Ceremonial Magick-based Traditions
it is not always necessary. Raising Energy / Magick is the act of using the elemental energy / the
Force / the Aura / the Holy Spirit / whatever-you-want-to-call-it which is present in all things in a
manner which is focused (at the personal level) and directed. If no goal is specified for this Energy it
may dissipate naturally. However, when a good number of people are present and this Energy is
raised, and if it is not focused on the Community level, it may become wildly chaotic. Weather
phenomena, sudden faintings, even sickness can be the result. That is why Energy-raising is generally
not a good idea for ritual use unless it is prescribed by your Ritual Goal or Ritual Tradition.

     [Goals such as defensive magick and weather-working are examples where it
     works well --- the more people in the Ritual Space the more energy raised, but
     the fewer people the easier it is to control: try setting a limit to the number of
     people involved in a Magickal Ritual, particularly if heavy-Magick is
     necessary]

Remember: don't raise Magick if you don't have to. Unnecessarily-raised (and often unfocused and
ungrounded) Energy is a dangerous thing. Often, once the Circle is opened the remaining Energy
begins to influence the weather. How many storms have we seen after heavy-magick rituals ? Don't
do it unless you are experienced, you know what you are doing, and your participants know what
they are doing and what the goals of the Magick-raising are.

Now, off my soapbox, to the good news: if a ritual does not require Magick then why Cast a Circle?
A Magickal Circle is necessary to help control the generation of Energy and its focusing and use. If
there is no Energy being raised (at least not much more than exists naturally in a group of people
celebrating) then a Circle need not be Cast --- in fact, it may prove detrimental for a simple reason.
A well-Cast Circle is a barrier which keeps chaotic Energies out, yet allows Energy inside it to flow
about unhindered.

Therefore, since Energies produced naturally do not work together, if you place them inside an
Energy Bubble and they continue to be raised through natural interactions of people they may
become wildly chaotic. Hmmm ....... We're back to the hail and thunderstorm hypothesis noted
above.

As a general rule: if you're practicing Magick then Cast a Circle, if not then don't Cast a Circle.
Decisions, decisions . . .

You can involve your audience in a number of ways besides -raising. Try songs, readings (not too
long), chants, ask questions, allow people to respond in one-or-two sentence answers (be careful:
pagans love to talk --- don't we ?), dancing, as participants in a drama or story, etc. Make them a
necessary part of the ritual.

Anyway, for whatever ritual you are performing, the altar, or lack thereof, is of first consideration.
For some rituals, depending on the Tradition, the altar may stand in a particular quarter of the Ritual
Area. Others may wish it at the center or even outside the main Ritual Space. Still other rituals may
work well with no physical altar at all, instead using the whole world as the ritual focus.

An important consideration is this: an altar is nothing more than a platform or space upon which
reside items important for the ritual Goal. The size of the altar will depend on the number of items
needed for the ritual. For a Ceremonial Magick ritual this may become heavily laden with Magickal
tools and god images, not to mention candles and incenses. Others may simply have an altar with a
single god image (if any), a drinking horn, and a libation bowl. For aesthetics a table cloth of color
coordinated with the Goal is a good idea. [Consult your Ritual's Tradition's color code: for
many a simple Color Magick guide book will suffice]

                          As for the facing of the altar: I find that this also will depend on the
                          particular Tradition the ritual is performed for. If there is no
                          preference for your Tradition, pick one you are most comfortable
                          with, or pick one at random. That, at least, will show some
                          creativity and eclecticism on your part!
 
 

                          III. Building the Ritual:

                          And now a few words about Ritual Setup. First, find a good spot
                          for the ritual. Outdoor is nice, secluded outdoor is even better, and
an outdoor wooded secluded clearing is even better, but not if it's raining. Always have an indoor
alternative if an outdoor ritual is desired. And remember that outdoor is not always practical or
necessary. Go with what feels right. Keep in mind a setting which reflects the Goal and which will
also be practical for your participants. And, I can't say this enough: Keep it Simple !

When setting up the Altar keep these things in mind: the Goal, the participants, and if you're outdoor
remember that candles and incenses are favorite playthings of wind spirits (investing in a simple glass
hurricane to surround your candles is a wise choice, particularly with tapers). Your tablecloth may
blow in the wind, too. Small rocks near the edge of the table / platform can help. And speaking of the
tablecloth: if you simplify your altar significantly it may be possible to simply wrap all your items in
your tablecloth, thus making a quick and simple altar setup and takedown !

Generally, once the altar is set and you have gathered all your participants it is a good idea to do a
"pregame discussion" with them. Let them know what is going on. Let them know briefly what kind
of behavior is acceptable and what is not: some rituals have a great deal of flexibility and spontaneity
while others are more rigid. Remember that these things are set by your goal: a formal ritual is more
helpful for some goals and an informal one is good for others.

Part - A: Clearing Sacred Space

Now you can set up your Sacred Space. Do it individually, have a member of the group do it, or
become inventive and have the entire group do it. Again, the Goal will decide what works best here.
If there is a High Priest/ess s/he may wish to do it alone or together.

Once, in a semi-formal ritual I experimented with a Circle cast from the elements of Water and Air
--- a "Hurricane" I called it. In practice it was quite a bit thicker than I wanted, still it was a nice
cleansing barrier between the world and the Sacred Space. It even became a bit funny when one of
the participants conjured up a goldfish to swim in it. [several of us adept at seeing this thing
confirmed that it was called forth correctly]

The message is that creativity and responsibility go hand in hand for Circle Casting. Carefully
consider what your Goal is, what you are used to working with, what you think will work best in this
situation, who your participants are, and then think through how your casting will work --- step by
step. If done correctly, this will provide a sense of relaxation and focus for your group. The clearing
of Sacred Space can be as simple or complex as desired, but bear in mind that it is not the main part
of the Ritual and, therefore, should not drag on too long. I'm sure we have all been in those long
drawn out Circle-Castings where every being, spirit, watchtower, element, and so forth were called
forth to where, by the time we reached the heart of the ritual, we had forgotten its purpose [so, too,
did the ritual's creators it would seem]. Bear in mind that if Magick is not necessary in the ritual,
then there is no need to Cast a Circle, Call Quarters, Summon, Stir, or in any way Invoke
"Circle-Guardians". A simple clearing of Sacred Space, or even a declaration of "Where we stand is
Sacred Ground" will suffice.

Briefly, clearing Sacred Space for non-Magickal purposes can be as "brief" as desired. The shape of
the Sacred Space should be determined by the ritual's Tradition or the ritual's author / leader.
Someone may stand at the center and banish negativity (banishing incenses help here as well), or s/he
may walk the perimeter of the Sacred Space, or draw a line along the border of the Sacred Space
with a stick or athame, or there may be no act performed at all --- merely a declaration the "this is
Sacred Space". The point is that whatever method is used to make the Ritual Area Holy should be
simple, brief, and should be symbolic or obvious to the participants.

Next, once you are working on "Sacred Ground", any gods / goddesses / androgynous/asexual
deities, spirits, whatever should be Invoked. If your ritual does not require deities (or at least,
"named" deities), you may consider deleting the Invocation bit altogether. Regarding rituals revolving
around the turning of the seasons, pick deities with which you are comfortable, and who have a
connection with the holiday you are celebrating. Actually, when done as a celebration only, I have
found that gods and goddesses of various pantheons seem to get along well. The discretion should be
made by the ritual leader: some persons prefer to keep the pantheons separate in every ritual.

In any case, keep the Invocations simple, but reverent. Nothing can spoil a ritual more than a
half-hearted or joking Invocation, or one which drags on for fifteen minutes. ("What was that
Goddess' name again ?") And try to be respectful. Personally, I find it distasteful and rude to
"summon, stir, and call forth" the deity. I prefer to "ask that they be present" for our ritual.

Part - B: Main Body of the Ritual

Now we get to the main part of our ritual. This should reflect the Goal as outlined previously. In fact,
this is where ritual planning actually begins. The structure of the ritual should come from here. One
thing which seems to work well is to have the entire ritual focus upon one big thing which represents
the Ritual Goal (magick-raising, ritual drama, a sermon, a nature walk, and so forth) and to build
everything toward this, doing this thing last. The whole ritual builds to a climax, like a good book, and
then tapers off quickly before everybody gets tired and bored.

An important question in the this part is: How do we complete the Goal we had in mind for this ritual?
This is where creativity comes in. The true mark of a successful ritual lies in its ability to motivate its
participants.

Be creative. Try new things. But avoid unnecessary silliness. There is a fine line somewhere between
a new and different ritual and a strange, whacky stage play. Be creative, but keep with the level of
seriousness you want the ritual to contain.

Involve your Audience. Simply watching a priest talking to or about a god is fine, but so is sleep,
which is what your participants will do if not sufficiently motivated. Many rituals allow their
participants to sing, dance, or chant, but find that the best real involvement is in raising Energy --- for
any purpose.

As for the choice of "bells and whistles" (otherwise known as participation-keepers), choose songs,
chants, readings, whatever which demonstrate at least an aspect of your Goal. Also, you may want to
choose ones that everyone knows or, if you have the time, teach them something new. You may want
to add a play, a story-telling / myth-reading, or some other way to act out the focus of the Goal. In
fact a good "passion-play" regarding the changing of the seasons (how about Inanna's descent into
the underworld?) is a great way to involve your group. Keep them involved !

Remember: rituals exist to involve us with the universe, not vice-versa.

Part - C: Closing Sacred Space

At the end, the god/dess Farewells should be a mirror image of the Invocations, just for symmetry's
sake. This is not a requirement, but we humans need a sense of balance in our ritual lives. An
interesting corollary is the thought of doing a ritual based on the un-balanced nature of the modern
world, therefore avoiding all references to symmetry. In any case, there should be no need to put the
Farewells after the Sacred Space is gone. That would be like tearing down a Cathedral and then
saying "Amen" at the end of your last prayer!

You may also wish to "erase" the Sacred Space in the reverse manner to the way it was created.
Bear in mind that there is a great deal of freedom of choice here. In some Ceremonial Magick
Circles, the Circle-guardians are Banished, and so forth in the reverse order of the way the Circle
began (except for "inviting" the chaotic forces back to the space --- which were banished in the first
place !). Others simply cut the Circle open: "The Circle is open, but unbroken ..." In a non-magickal
Circle a simple statement "The Circle / Sacred Space is released" will do.
 
 

IV. The Role of the Group:

Very simply, a good rule of thumb to keep your ritual interesting is to remember: "there are other
people here !" No ritual is more boring than the one watched from the outside, from the inside.
Everyone must feel themselves to be a vital part of the ritual. Now, consider your Goal and consider
a good way to do this with the number of people you have. Songs are great for large groups, as are
chants. Smaller groups may consider readings and dramas, or sharings. But the main rule is, as
always: Keep it simple and to the point !" Keep your group involved and wake them up from time
to time.

Adding Drama, Dancers, Professional Music, and Props can greatly add to the satisfaction of your
ritual. But, [see if you can tell what I'm going to say here] Don't over-do it ! Make sure that, if
it's elaborate, it is well-rehearsed. Don't let yourself be surprised by people laughing at a
thrown-together disaster. Make sure it is well-controlled (I hate that word, but in ritual it can keep
things in balance). Add some nice touches but don't over-do it. Keep it simple.

The "extra things" added to a ritual can make it more exciting and memorable for your participants.
As previously discussed, many rituals feature songs, chants, testimonies, readings, and so forth.
These are best used when they focus on the Goal of the ritual (or a related goal). The big thing is to
keep them to the point and use them to keep the group involved. Just, keep these things to a
minimum and don't let them overshadow the ritual.

Another tool for ritual participation is the simple feast. This is widely used in pagan circles, probably
because eating is something all pagans enjoy. We tend to do it every time we get together, haven't
you noticed? In any case, enjoy the feast. This is a time when pagans get together for enjoyment.

Try not to make the feast too serious; have fun with it. Choose a ritual food and beverage which in
some way represents the Goal. On Ostara, jelly beans do fine. An assortment of breads works well
as Samhain. Cookies at Yule.

The possibilities are endless. The point is: enjoy the feast. Make it a merry time !
 
 

V. Expanding the Ritual Form:

Now, suppose you want to perform a pagan extravaganza, or a gathering, or --- whatever --- all in
ritual form. You have the tools available in the rest of this guide --- just expand them ! At any
extravaganza or gathering you can use a simple opening ritual to work as an Opening to the much
larger Gathering Ritual. The workshops and main ritual(s) become the Main Body of the Gathering
Ritual, and the closing ritual becomes the Closing part of the Gathering Ritual. All a Gathering or an
extravaganza is a ritual on a grander scale. And no one says that a big ritual can't be composed of
smaller rituals --- on the contrary, big rituals are always composed of smaller rituals.
 
 

Well, now you can plan rituals for a variety of purposes. The guidelines above
are taken not only from pagan rituals, but from the general religious world at
large. All religions of the world rely on rituals to bring humans to the level of
the gods. They are a bridge linking the worlds.

Remember in your own rituals that you are building this bridge --- you are
fulfilling a divine purpose ! Design your rituals as best you can for your group.