* Do you want the gathering inside or outside?
* What is the season of the year? Is it warm or cold outside?
* What are the weather conditions? Will it be clear skies, or pouring down rain?
* What time of the day? Will it be during daylight hours or after dark?
* How many people will be attending?
* Will it be in a public place or private space?
* What kind of interruptions might occur?
But you need to consider the conditions and how the weather will affect your members. If it’s too cold to be outside, then the weather will be a distraction. Your group will not be able to concentrate on the mechanics of the ritual. Such as raising energy, connecting to spirit and so on. If it’s cold outside, and you hold your ritual inside, you might have to worry about the number of people crammed into a tight space. Or if you have room the number of people, you might need to think about how they will be generating their own heat, along with candles burning, all making the gathering space too hot and uncomfortable.
There are groups who rent space to hold their gatherings. This can be a great way to select the right space. But being in a public space has it’s own set of concerns. Regardless of it being inside or outside, there maybe outside influences to consider. Is the space closed from public viewing? If not, what types of interruptions might occur? What types of complaints might occur? This might be something to consider if you’re holding service in an outdoor location, such as a public park. There are plenty of news stories about pagan gatherings gaining permission to use an outdoor space, only to be interrupted by protestors.
There are groups who hold their gatherings in someone’s home. While these are often great spaces, there are a few things to consider in these environments as well. If the space is an apartment, you have to consider the amount of noise that might be created and how it affects your neighbors. You don’t want to be in the middle of a drumming ritual and have an irate neighbor pounding on the door. If the host has children, you may need to consider how they are incorporated into the ritual. If they’re not, what is the potential for them interrupting the ritual because they want Mommy or Daddy. And you also need to consider the family or personal environment that occurs within the home during normal hours. If the personal relationships are volatile then the energy created by the stress, sadness or anger could easily hover over your ritual gathering. The energy of the ritual space will have an affect on the members participating in the ritual. Even with a clearing and cleansing to set the space; you could still have residual energy from the host themselves.
Today many groups are finding ways to establish their own areas of worship. Some groups are formalizing their membership and establishing their own spiritual centers. These are often places where they can practice their beliefs indoors or outside. Other groups have the benefit of a member, often the head of the group, having a nice area in their own home separate from the living space. For instance I know a High Priest who turned her garage apartment into a gathering area for her coven. The space is only used spiritual purposes and it’s kept energized and protected. These types of situations also provide the choice of practicing outside as well. There are many coven leaders who are looking for specific types of property where they can have a wooded area for outdoor ritual gatherings. These are fantastic areas to hold rituals.
Free e-books (can be downloaded):
Aleister Crowley - Songs For ItalyJames Eschelman - Invocation Of Horus
Keywords: happy yule mystery quintus appendice aleister crowley wiccan magic spells sidney protestant 1570s wizard wicked
