Circe's Grimoire

Notes from article by Deborah Blake on pages 15 – 18 of the Llewellyn 2024 planner… 

In this article, Deborah Blake lists some tips about practicing with others. Here are her five “to Do’s” on page 16.

1. Respect sacred space. Once the circle is cast, focus on the magickal work being done, keep sidechat to a minimum and do your best to participate with an open mind and heart.
2. Respect others. Treat everyone with kindness, respect personal boundaries, and do your best to accept those you are practicing with, without judgement.
3. Remember the importance of focus and intent. The success or failure of a ritual will depend on everyone being willing and able to put their full focus, intent and energy into the work.
4. Perfect Love and Perfect Trust are at the core of witchcraft. This refers back to points 2 and 3. Once you are inside the circle, in sacred space, we gather “in perfect love and perfect trust” – magickal work requires a dropping of our defenses and we need to trust that the person standing next to us will be accepting and that we can depend on them to do their part.
5. Have fun! Rituals can be very serious and meaningful, they are also happy gatherings with others who share your beliefs. 

My own personal experiences when practicing with a group were wonderful. They always seemed to need someone to stand in the south and call in Fire to the circle, and I am always willing to stand for my element.

However, I found that the heavy political conversations that found their way into our celebrations to be a total turn off for me. I personally believe that politics has no place in my spiritual practice. I don’t feel comfortable or safe sharing my political points of view with mixed crowds and I generally tend to avoid the topic of politics. 

Have you ever practiced with a group? Or attended a full moon ceremony with a local coven? What experiences did you enjoy and what did you not care for?