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

Book II: Rites & Rituals 105
in all calendars used in the Western world throughout history. But in Judaism and traditional
Christianity, worship is held on the seventh day of the week, dedicated in the Western
Gregorian calendar to Saturn, God of Time and the Harvest. Because the Biblical Fourth
Commandment specifically orders the followers of Jahveh to “remember the seventh (Sabbath)
day to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8-11), many are confused as to why most Christian
churches hold worship on Sunday rather than Saturday, and this is a matter of considerable
dispute between various denominations. This is because the foundations of the Roman Catholic
Church were laid by Emperor Constantine (285-337 CE), who declared Christianity to be the
official religion of the Roman Empire at the Council of Nicea in 335 CE. Traditional days of
worship in the Roman religion—including holy Sundays—were then converted to Christian
use. And an interesting side note of this debate is that some calendars produced today for use
in predominantly fundamentalist Christian regions of the United States. actually begin on
Monday, and show Sunday as the seventh day!
So to accommodate everybody, our civil calendars designate both Saturday and Sunday as
the “weekend,” and many businesses, schools, etc. take these days off. Therefore, most modern
Pagan groups who meet weekly also schedule their meetings on weekends. Such local meeting
groups may be known as covens (Wicca), hearths (Norse), groves (Druid), nests (Church of All
Worlds), or—more simply and commonly—circles. Rituals at these weekly gatherings tend to
be focused primarily on community-building, teaching, spellwork, healing, divinations, or just
plain fun. For participants, such anticipated get-togethers are the high point of the week.
Deity Feast Days
In a number of traditions, the gods and goddesses of their respective pantheons may be
assigned a specific birthday, to be celebrated with feasting and honoring by those of their faith.
These are identical to the feast days of the saints in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church,
and such commemorations are often distinct from lunar, solar, and weekly rituals. Such are
particularly observed in Egyptian (Khemitic) religion, Hinduism, Buddhism, and the Afro-Caribbean
traditions. And various special festivals in honor of selected deities also appear in Greco-
Roman and Celtic calendars. (See the “Pantheons” in the Appendix for listings of some of these
dates.) Think of these occasions as special birthday parties held in their honor, and celebrate
accordingly. Put out their pictures, statues, and associated objects. Many have favorite foods,
drinks, and incense. Gifts may be given and exchanged—all in their names:
As the Moon Goddess Diana says in Leland’s Aradia: “Sing, feast, dance, make music and
love, all in My presence, for Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine also is joy on Earth.”
Holidays
Every culture has its own cycle of public holidays. Some of these are local, some religious,
and some national. Most of them commemorate significant events in the history of
that culture. What we call “holiday customs and traditions” are the rituals associated with
these occasions: sitting down together at the family table with a traditional feast (ham? turkey?
goose? roast beast? pork and beans? corned beef and cabbage?), attending some special
religious service, decorating the house for the holidays, or reading aloud a traditional story
(“Why is this day different from all others?”).
In most of the modern Pagan traditions, eight seasonal celebrations, spread evenly around
the year at six-week intervals, comprise the ritual cycle known as the Wheel of the Year.
Book III of this compilation will be devoted to these.
Birthdays
Just as the births and deaths of gods, prophets, saints, and presidents may be commemorated
annually by religious and national observances, each individual’s nativity is certainly
the most important day in their life! Birthday parties can become much-anticipated annual