Creating Circles and Ceremonies: Rituals for All ... - reading...

102 Creating Circles & Ceremonies
Swimming, wading, diving, splashing, soaking, bathing, showering, SCUBA-diving, and
sharing water may all be incorporated into Water rituals. Even standing outside in a soaking
warm Summer rain can be a magickal experience!
Fire—Fire rituals are very basic, and a part of all outdoor Pagan gatherings. Elaine Hirt
says: “The Fire has a profound way of opening up parts of your spirit, soul or energy.” Most
cultures honor and venerate fire, often in connection with the Sun. The first hymn of the
Hindu Rig-Veda is devoted to Agni, the divine fire. There are also the old Persian Mithrascult,
the comprehensive Vedic Agni-rituals, Buddhist Goma/Homa fire rituals, Egyptian Earth/
Star fire-worship, Irish Brigit, the Slavic Kupalo solstice, and the Aztec and Mayan New Fire
ceremony every 52 years, the Phoenix and Promethean myths, the volcanic Pele-worship of
Hawaii, the Celtic Beltaine and Samhain, the middle column of the Qabalah as the pathway
of fire… (from “The Fire-Ritual: Heaven’s URL,” by Luc Sala).
Some of the most popular fire rituals have always been drumming and dancing around a
blazing bonfire. Frequently, these go on all night at Pagan festivals, where the fire may be
built as big as a house! Other fire-rituals may involve walking barefoot on hot coals, firespinning,
a cozy fire in the fireplace, or even simple candle magick.
Air—Special breathing exercises are often incorporated into rituals—especially for raising
energy. Smudging and burning incense are also part of many rites. Smoke-weaving and
cloud-busting may be developed as psychic skills. Flying kites from a windy hilltop can be a
true mystical experience if you ritualize it. And of course, there are the many ambitious aerial
sports, such as wind-surfing, parasailing, hang-gliding, parachute jumping, and hot air ballooning;
all of these can be ritualized.
Rites of Passage
A major purpose for community rituals in all cultures is to conduct “Rites of Passage,”
marking the transition from one phase or stage of life into another. These are rituals of
honoring and empowerment, and unlike most rituals, they often include an audience of witnesses.
Such passages include the following:
Being Born—Rite of seining (baby blessing) or Christening, in which infants are presented
to the community, given their names, assigned God- & Goddess-parents, and receive
blessing gifts—verbal, symbolic, and actual.
Entering Puberty (attaining fertility)—ceremonies heralding girls’ “first blood” or
menarche; boys’ “first seed.”
Coming of Age (attaining legal or social maturity)—Being of legal age to get a driver’s
license, vote, join the military, drink alcohol, sign contracts—in other words, becoming a
recognized and responsible adult in one’s society. This is also the “age of consent” in sexual
matters. And these may not all be the same age, as laws in different countries and states vary
widely regarding each of these adult rights.
Taking a Mate—Rites of handfasting (marriage). Probably the most universal and public
of all Rites of Passage, binding people as committed life partners, usually to begin a family.
Giving Birth—Rites of delivery, motherhood, and fatherhood. These will be repeated
for the birth of each child.
Attaining Elderhood—Menopausal rite, or “croning,” for women to mark the end of
their fertility. Rite of “saging” for men becoming “senior citizens.”
Dying—“Last rites” include “passing,” wakes, funerals, and burials or other dispositions
of the body, such as cremation and the scattering of ashes.
Bardic Circles
The most quintessential ritual in the HOME Tradition, a Bardic is a wonderful experience
that can easily be done by anyone in a small group. This is a ritual of sharing, in which each
person in the Circle gets a turn to offer something to the rest of the group—usually a song, poem