If you are part of a Ritual Group, and wish to facilitate a Seasonal Ritual for PF London (at Conway Hall, or an outdoor ritual in one of the PFL Regions).. this guide will be of use. 

For more details contact Mani (PFL Event Coordinator) via enquiry@pflondon.org

PFL rituals are popular and hold serious responsibility in promoting Paganism to the general public, as well as creating opportunities for pagans to join and celebrate. Anyone wishing to facilitate an open ritual must illustrate their experiences and guarantee that their conduct and behavior will not harm the PF in any way. 

Guidelines

1. PF London Open Rituals are usually on a Thursday evening (near to a Sabat. See dates/ available rituals for 2011-12).  The indoor venue is Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, Holborn.  We make the bookings with Conway Hall, and the time slot is 6pm-10pm on the relevant day.  The room (not the main hall) is available for Ritual group’s  set-up/ run-through from 6pm- 8pm.

 If you have any requirements, - small or large- please contact the PF London Events Coordinator (do not phone Conway Hall!)

2. Times: Ritual must start at 8.00pm and end at 8.45pm (very latest by 9pm!)  We need atleast 45minutes after ritual for  announcements, activities, feasting and Socialising. All of these form part of the evening’s activities (not just the ritual)..

3. Run-through: Please work out the ritual structure (see below), do at least one rehearsal 0 before the ritual (in your own place).  The 2 hrs on the day is only for a `final run-through’ - and during that  time, the room will be used by our Events Team. Others may also walk in/out. Do not depend on the final 2 hrs to sort out the ritual.

4. Expenses:  PF London will offer a maximum of £20 towards your costs. If you make the ritual elaborate with lots of purchased items / props, You must bear that cost. Be creative in the use of props etc.

5. Purpose: Remember - Pagans are coming to celebrate, and share in the magic. Their magical experience is the most important feature of running these rituals. Performance/ drama/ show elements should be only half the content of the ritual. Also, this may be the first experience for many new pagan- you & PFL must work to give them a good first experience. Both our credibility & reputations can be damaged by a `bad ritual’.

6. Ritual Content: Use a seasonal myths/ drama/ theme. Explore different styles. Use Masks, drums, singing, Chants. As a rule, people expect basics such as consecrations (salt/water/incense), creating a circle/space, some work with elements, some aspects involving deties, a bit of magical working, and ofcourse blessing/ sharing of cakes/ biscuits  & wine/drinks. 

7. Audience participation:  Its important to get the `audience’ to participate in at least 2-3 activities within the ritual. But there may be 40-70 people attending. Some activities can take a long time if every single person comes to do it (coming to altar and lighting a candle). So plan efficiency (people do it in groups, or do it while others are singing/ dancing around etc). Also have enough resources for every one (enough little strings, talismans, candles- if you plan to give them to people).

8. Packing / tidy: We must tidy-up room and vacate it by 10pm latest! PFL team will start tidying food/tables at 9.45pm. If your ritual items/ altar needs more time to pack, please start earlier (9.30pm)

9. Hard work / Opportunities for you!  yes, running a public ritual is very hard work! But its also highly rewarding. And its also your great opportunity to show/ share what you know with other pagans. It’s your community service! And also a chance to publicise your group / book/ events to other pagans!  :-)i

10. Attend one of our PF London rituals beforehand to get a real feel and perspective of people/ venue etc. (and see what others do and how you might do it even better!!) Pagans deserve our creativity and quality!!  

Phone/ contact Mani (enquiry@pflondon.org) for a friendly chat and on more tips!Bright Blessings. _-Mani

Click these brown tabs to read about each Question. All additional inquiries to enquiry@pflondon.org

• Arrival, Events Teams, Event Format
• Dress code / what to bring / Late.
• Will I be able to sit down?
• Wheel chair access?
• Will I have to kneel/sit on the floor/run madly about? 
• I'm really new to this and have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing in the ritual.
• What are these open rituals? I.e. are they Wiccan or something else?
• Will I have to cast a Circle or other `acts’ in a ritual?
• How does calling the quarters work in a group?
• Do I have to be a certain path to attend? 
• Can I just come along and watch?
• How experienced do I have to be?
• I'm worried about going there by myself and not knowing anyone. 
• How can I get to talk to some of the people there?
• How many people will be there?
• Can I bring a friend?  
• Can I bring my baby/child/ teenager? 
• Do I need to be a Pagan Federation member or will I be expected to join?
• How will I identify who's in charge?
• Don’t Do:  No audio/video Recording:
• Don’t Do:  No inflammatory remarks pertaining to any other world religions!

Dress code / what to bring / Late. People arrive from about  7.30pm onwards, and gather in the foyer. During this time, they meet and greet friends and socialise.  People wear comfortable cloths, some wear robes, new-age or hypie attires. Some come straight from City jobs- so don’t be shocked to see people in business cloths! You’ll see advance publicity (flyers, announcements in pub moots, website) asking you to bring a home made or shop-purchased item of food/drink for sharing afterwards. If you arrive late and ritual has started, you’ll find the ritual room door closed. But don’t panic. Gently nudge door open and enter. There will be an Officer on the other side who will quietly greet you.  Join in the ritual with least disturbance as possible, and pay the entrance fee afterwards!

Events Team:   PF  Officers arrange, publicise and manage these Open rituals 

Ritual Team:     Special pagan groups/individuals come and run the individual rituals.

Participants:    Everyone joins in and participates in the ritual, once it starts.

The event is  in parts.

• Pre-ritual time (7.30pm-8pm)   (Ritual team arrives very early and sets up, and go through a practise inside. Attendees arrive and wait/socialise;  PF Officers arrive and help set up, as well as greet and talk to attendees.
• Ritual (8pm-9pm)-  Everyone enters the room and takes part (45mins-60mins).
• Social/Feasting- (9pm-9.45pm) After ritual, there will be 45mins to share food & drinks, socialise, make announcements, network.
• Tidy/ Departure: (9.45pm-10pm)Attendees leave the room by 9.45pm.  Some go to a nearby pub and continue socialising; Ritual team  & Events Team tidy up room (vacate by 10pm sharp!). .. and the  join the social in the pub!

Will I be able to sit down? Yes, we place 5-10 chairs inside the ritual room for anyone needing it. If in doubt, or if all the seats are taken by others, when you enter, you can ask one of the PFL Officers before the ritual to keep a seat for you. They will go out and get one for you.

Wheel chair access? These rituals take place on the ground floor, so they have Wheel  Chair access. If in doubt, contact PFL by e-mail or phone a day before and keep us informed. We can keep an extra eye out for you on the evening.

Will I have to kneel/sit on the floor/run madly about?  -Parts of some ritual may involve being seated on the floor, but if that’s uncomfortable, you may ask to sit on a chair, or stand.   Some rituals do involve movement (spiral dance) or gentle dance on the spot to drumming and other music. Some may involve playful games (Chasing in a Beltane ritual). You do not have to participate in any of these activities. You can stand in the back row and watch.

What are these open rituals? I.e. are they Wiccan or something else? Open rituals are just that..  Open to all, regardless of which path you follow.  We (PFL) try to arrange different types of pagan groups to facilitate these rituals, so that there is variety from month to month. Some rituals will be based on Wicca, others Druidic, Nordic, Egyptian, Shamanic, or eclectic. (But all will have a pagan spirituality underlying it).

I'm really new to this and have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing in the ritual. Don’t panic! In any one ritual, there are always a few new comers, a few beginners and a number of experienced attendees.  The Officers will try to meet and talk to newcomers to make them feel at ease before rituals start. The ritual team will usually give pre-ritual  instructions, so you will know exactly what to expect,  what to say (they will give the words or even do a practise run outside the ritual room) and when to say/do something.

Will I have to cast a Circle or other `acts’ in a ritual? The Ritual Team facilitating the ritual on the night will do most of the ritual work, such as consecrations, casting a magic circle, calling elements. Sometimes they may ask `all’ the people attending to help with some of the parts. This is usually where everyone will repeat lines or words.  In some rituals, participants will be asked to come one by one to the front (Altar) and perform a magical simple act- such as lighting a candle, tying a knot in a string, putting flowers on a  statue, bowing to a `God’ or a `Goddess’  (one of the members of the ritual team in a special costume, enacting that part!).   You do not have to any of this,  if you don’t want to. You can remain silent and watch.

How does calling the quarters work in a group? Calling a Quarter is really about inviting an elemental power (Air-spirit, Fire-spirit,  Water, Earth) into our Magic Circle (or Sacred Space). It is done by one or more people facing a particular direction and saying a few words of invitation. The `invoker’ (or Quarter Guardian) will hold a symbol (a feather, incense, candle, crystal) and say the words. Participants repeat those words and add `Hail and welcome’. 

Can I just come along and watch? Yes, absolutely.  If it’s your first time, or even 2^nd time and you are not sure or shy, please relax, stay in the background and watch. Maybe the next time you will be comfortable and participate. But each ritual will be slightly different, so expect variations. But after 1-2 you’ll get the idea, and start to enjoy!

How experienced do I have to be? No prior experience needed!  There will be enough friendly guidance and pre-ritual instructions by the PF Officers and ritual team.  You can ask others about it, while you wait. And soon, it will be you who will have experience, and you’ll be helping new comers!

Do I have to be a certain path to attend?  As long as you are open to pagan spirituality, you will be able to comprehend the rituals. Newcomers try to attend a number of these varied rituals, and decide which ones they like, which paths they may wish to explore further.

 I'm worried about going there by myself and not knowing anyone.  Why not get together with another pagan and go? Or attend with a pagan-sympathetic friend?  But don’t worry. Once you start attending, people will start recognising you, and before long you’ll be making pagan friends.

How can I get to talk to some of the people there? While waiting, just say Hi to the people next to you. Strike up a conversation.. ask if they are new or not?  Ask them what happens at these rituals. Most people will be very chatty and happy to explain. Some people may have had a tough day at work and just arrived so they may not seem talkative, but even those will be relaxed and talking after the ritual.  Try not to push for too many personal questions (such as, `are you in a coven?’ ).

How many people will be there? Usually 25 to 60 people, depending on each event.  It varies. On some busy months, there may be many rituals and events going on in London, so numbers may be low. Other times, due to a well-known ritual team/person, more people may attend.

Can I bring my baby/child/ teenager?  Usually there are no restrictions, but please make sure that young children do no make noises or move around and disturb the others.  Many pagans come to participate in the magic, meditation and prayer/worship. Some rituals may not be suitable for young children. The publicity (flyer/ website) will usually state this.  If in doubt, contact the PFL Officers in advance to check.

Can I bring a friend?  Yes, bring a friend, many friends, relatives or anyone you like. They do not have to participate. But they will still have to pay the entrance fee, and they must be willing to just observe and be respectful of the other people and the ritual!

Do I need to be a Pagan Federation member or will I be expected to join? You do not have to be a PF member!  These open rituals are for all pagans!!  If you do like the rituals and the work PF does, you may decide to join in the future and support the PF, but that is optional. No one will force you to do that. Half the `regulars’ are non-members. Just remember that the entrance fee is slightly more (£1) for non-members.

How will I identify who's in charge? PF Officers will usually be the ones greeting you at the door, giving you flyers and also collect the entrance fee, and any food & drinks you may have brought to share. We are making PF badges to wear, so you’ll easily spot the Officers. The website has some pictures and all the names of the PFL Officers! We’ll have a copy on the board on the day soon!!

No audio/video Recording: No recording of any kind allowed (no mobile phone cameras, video, tape, photos).   Only an authorised  PF Officer will be able to take photos.. at the end.

No inflammatory remarks pertaining to any other world religions!  In fact it’s best to avoid mentioning other religions. This is a pagan ritual, so keep it pagan!