General Wiccan Rite Information pt. 2

Wiccaning

The Right Of Passage For Wiccan Children

Wiccaning is a ritual in which a child is formally named, and then presented to the universe. Bascially, wiccaning is the first rite of passage in life for Wiccan. This practice is not at all unusual or exclusive to Wicca. Jewish families have their rite of passage called a “brit.” Christians will hold a baptismal ceremony. The Wiccans have merely created their own version of something that is natural in religious and spiritual denominations.

While Wiccan practices and beliefs have been present in different cultures for centuries, the ritual of wiccaning did not originate until the 1960’s when it became a more practiced belief system in the United States. Most wiccanings take place outdoors, away from the city and modern conveniences, as a way to get back to their roots of nature.

The wiccaning takes place after the birth when the parents feel as though they have recovered from the eventful experience. Often times, after a child is born, the parents will stay at home for a while to place their full focus on this new addition to the family. When they feel as though they have a grasp on their home life and will truly enjoy the ritual, they can begin planning the wiccaning.

Planning The Wiccaning

The first step the parents have to take is to decide when they would like to hold the wiccaning. Some parents like to coordinate with the first new moon after the child’s birthday. Others choose the equinox or solstice of the corresponding season. Still, others pick an available weekend when family and friends are guaranteed to be free.

The Ceremony

As in other cultures, there is a ceremony that marks the wiccaning. An altar is set up with candles that match the color of the zodiac sun sign that the child was born, and the guests bring their symbolic gifts to it. The parents will then invite the deities to join them for the occasion. After everyone, both physical and spiritual, is in attendance, the parents bring their baby to the altar. The priest or priestess will introduce the child to the world, cast blessing on him or her through the elements of nature, and ask that the deities guide over the child through the journey of life.

Just as children who are baptized in the Christian faith, children of wiccaning usually receive a god father and a god mother chosen by the biological parents. Each will repeat a chant while holding the baby promising to be a neutral third party in his or her life. This began out of the idea that raising a child was too difficult of a responsibility to demand of one or two people. The phrase “It takes a village to raise a child” is the mindset of accepting god parents.

The ceremony ends with a name chant. Wiccan followers have their legal name that they are given at birth and a Wiccan name that they are presented with during the wiccaning. Wiccan names can be changed during the coming of age ceremony that takes place later in life. The entire group will chant the child’s Wiccan name in unison in many different ways. They will start by simply saying the name. Then they may grow louder and stronger in tone. Gradually, they may take it down to a whisper before singing the name. After the name chant is over, the guests feast on food and drink to celebrate the entrance of this child into their world.

One thing that is unique to wiccaning in comparison to a baptism is that it is considered a good sign if the baby cries during the ceremony. This is taken as a sign that the child is trying to participate in the ritual in the only way that he or she know how. While the baby should be comforted if in pain or danger, the parents are encouraged to let him or her cry if doing so for no apparent cause.

Funeral Ceremony

A Wiccan funeral tends to vary greatly from a traditional funeral. A Wiccan is more about celebrating the life of the deceased as opposed to grieving the death. The ceremony itself varies by coven, but elements of the earth are generally incorporated as much into the ceremony as possible. Many Wiccans prefer to have their bodies laid to rest directly against the soil without a casket, though this is not allowed in many jurisdictions. The body, however, is not a necessary element to a Wiccan funeral. Only the spirit is necessary. The intention of the attendees of the Wiccan funeral is more important than the ceremony itself, since as long as a Wiccan’s heart, soul and intentions are in the right place, no wrong can possibly be committed.

How Wiccans Perform Burial Ceremonies

The Wiccan funeral ceremony is a traditional rite of passage that many practicing Wiccans ask for upon their death. The passage is recognized as leading from one life to the next. Wiccans believe in reincarnation and the funeral ceremony centers around that belief. The traditions may vary for each group but in all cases the body is seen as a disposable vessel and returned back to the earth. The ceremony is held to ensure the deceased’s spirit is sent off on a peaceful journey.

Because the Wiccan religion is not completely accepted by modern society, many Wiccans are given Christian funerals. The majority of Wiccans understand a family’s need to follow their own traditions and will not interfere with the Christian funeral. A funeral is more for the living than the dead. The coven or other practicing Wiccans may choose to hold their own funeral ceremony.

Wiccan Conception Of The Afterlife

Most Wiccans believe that a person who passes from this life moves onto the Summerlands. The Summerlands are believed to be the place one’s spirit rests while in between lives. This is based on the belief of reincarnation. The Summerlands are thought to be filled with other loved ones that have passed from this life. The land is warm, green and peaceful and allows a person’s soul to rest before they are called back to earth to complete a new set of tasks in whatever life they are given.

The Ceremony

Fellow coven members or other Wiccan friends may gather to perform a private ceremony. The gathering is generally held outside but indoor gatherings can be held as well. The location is usually somewhere the deceased felt most at peace with the earth. A forest, garden or seaside often used as the location for a funeral ceremony. The ceremony calls for a circle to be cast around the deceased. The circle is an invisible line meant to create a sacred, safe place for the ceremony to occur. Modern times do not generally allow for this so the ceremony may be altered to include a person’s ashes, photo or a personal possession. Casting of a circle is completed by calling on the four corners as well as the god and goddess. Mourners step inside the circle. The circle may be highlighted with white candles and flowers. White is often the color of death but also relates to rebirth. Each mourner is asked to talk about or directly to the deceased. A High Priestess or High Priest is traditionally the leader of the ceremony. He/she may give a final speech depending on the practices of the group. The speech will most likely include a script about the turning of the Wheel of Life as well as good wishes to the deceased in their next life.

Many of the different sects of the Wiccan religion have a core belief that focuses on the earth and its elements. Part of a traditional funeral ceremony is returning a person’s body to the earth. Tradition dictates the body is laid directly into the earth, sans casket. In the majority of states across the U.S., this practice is illegal. Many Wiccans will request cremation so that their bodies can be returned to the earth without being confined by a casket. The decomposing body is believed to provide nutrients to the soil promoting future growth.

The Great Rite

The Great Rite is a term meant to explain sex acts performed in a magical context. The Great Rite is meant to signify the unity of the God and Goddess. The Great Rite is generally only performed by existing couples and no one should ever feel pressured to partake in sexual activity. No reputable coven will require that its members partake physically in the Great Rite. Many covens choose to symbolically perform the Great Rite instead of actually physically performing it. This is a way that all members of the coven can experience the Great Rite without anyone being pressured into sexual activity. It is also a way for covens that consist of many single members or many members of the same gender that are heterosexual to participate in the Great Rite and celebrate the unity of the God and Goddess.

The Great Rite is possibly one of the most misunderstood rituals of the Wiccan religion. Because it involves either symbolic or actual sexual intercourse it has led to unfounded rumors of orgiastic group sex. In actual practice, the ritual is meant to represent the marriage of the god and goddess. It is usually performed only by the priest and priestess as their representatives. It is meant to express the male/female polarity that exists in every being and symbolizes not only the sacred union of two beings, but the inward marriage of the male and female aspects of each person.

Ritualized sexual acts can be traced back to the beginning of recorded history and have existed in most cultures around the world. In some ancient cultures, kings were required to perform a version of the Sacred Marriage with a priestess representing the goddess to legitimize their ascension to the throne. Modern Wiccans trace their practices to the publications of Gerald Gardner in the late 1940s through the 1960s. Ritual sex, either actual or symbolic, was a large part of his teachings.

According to Wiccan beliefs, ritual sex is a sacred act and as such must be consensual. Demanding participation as a part of initiation into the group is not seen as a legitimate use of the act in most covens. While the symbolic version may be performed by the priest and priestess in a public setting, the actual physical form of the union is normally done in private. The Great Rite is not a casual act and as it is used in most groups, the people involved are already in a committed relationship with each other. There are a variety of reasons for enacting the Great Rite, but the two most common occasions are the festival of Beltane and handfastings.

The Great Rite Invocation:

 Assist me to erect the ancient altar
 At which in days past all worshiped
 The great altar of all things
 For in times of old, woman was the altar
 Thus was the altar made and placed
 And the sacred place was the point within the center of the circle
 As we have of old been taught
 That the point within the center is the origin of all things
 Therefore should we adore it
 Therefore whom we adore we also invoke
 O circle of stars
Whereof our Father is but the younger brother
 Marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space
 Before whom time is ashamed
 The mind bewildered, and the understanding dark
 Not unto thee may we attain unless thine image be love
 Therefore by seed and root, and stem and bud
 And leaf and flower and fruit, do we invoke thee
 O Queen of Space, O Jewel of Light
 Continuous One of the Heavens
Let it be ever thus
 That man speak not of thee as One, but as None
 And let them not speak of thee at all
 Since thou art continuous
 For thou art the point within the Circle, which we adore
 The point of life without which we would not be
 And in this way truly are erected the holy pillars
 In beauty and in strength were they erected
 To the wonder and glory of all men
Altar of mysteries manifold, the sacred circle’s secret point
 Thus do I sign thee as old, with kisses of my lips anoint
 Open for me the secret way, the pathway of intelligence
 Beyond the gates of night and day, beyond the bounds of time and sense
 Beyond the mysteries aright, the five true points of fellowship
 Here where the Lance and Grail unite
 And feet, and knees, and breast, and lip

Wiccan Yule

Wiccan Yule is known as the pagan Christmas. The celebration of Wiccan Yule during the time of the winter solstice far predates our current Christian Christmas celebrations. In fact, many of the elements of Christian Christmas celebrations have their roots in the celebratory aspects of Wiccan Yule. Wiccan Yule is one of the seasonal pagan holidays that marks the constant turning of the wheel of the sun throughout the year. The other pagan holidays that mark the change of the seasons are Ostara, Midsummer and Mabon. The winter solstice occurs during the third week of December. It is the shortest day of the year. During the solstice, the night reigns supreme as the light wanes in comparison.

Celebration

To celebrate the contemplative quietude of darkness and the return of the light, Wiccan Yule is celebrated with warmth, fire, friendship, candlelight and Yule pudding, a traditional plum pudding. The celebration of Yule marks the beginning of the return of the sun’s warmth as its light begin to increase directly after the winter solstice. According to pagan Celtic mythology, the Holly King is said to preside over the darkest time of the year. Wiccan Yule celebrations and festivities may be small and intimate or comprised of elaborate ritual ceremonies in large pagan groups. The Yule may be celebrated for a period of one to twelve days depending on the custom of the group of celebrants.
Celebrating the Wiccan Yule is a time of renewal for many of the participants. As the participants connect and honor the four directions (North, South, East, and West), they are renewed in body, mind and spirit. During Yule celebrations, the presence of a spirit guide is also honored; this protective and wise presence is called the “fifth element”.