Miss Kat's School of Genteel Witchcraft The Etiquette Lesson -
Do’s and Don’ts in Circle:
Always inquire as to the proper dress - it may not be appropriate to come
in full ritual drag if the ritual is public.
Always ask before deciding whether you should be skyclad, you may be the
only person in deshabile’ and not everyone may want to see your lovely
corporeal form.
Follow your High Priestess’s lead - Let her do the invoking of the deity.
You may invoke an incompatible Deity. Wait to be invited to participate.
When involved in a Spiral Dance, do not indiscriminately drag people in
to the Dance - They may be disabled, and being kicked with a leg brace
is not grounds for ecstatic dancing.
Ask to see if it will be appropriate to use your own athame - Sometimes
only the Quarter casters are allowed to use tools. Another reason to request
whether using pointy things is appropriate, is because you may be in a
small space and the person in front of you may not be into kinky things
like piercings.
If you have to leave after the Circle is cast make sure someone cuts you
out of the Circle or cut yourself out. Reasons may include the call of
Nature or uncontrollable coughing or laughing. It also may include having
your comfort level exceeded.
Don’t sing or chant louder than everyone else - Its not nice and the Priestess
may have been planning something different than you expect or have a change
of words.
Don’t point out -” THAT’S NOT THE WAY MY TRADITION DOES IT!” No one cares
and you aren’t H.P.
Don’t hog or over-indulge in the Cakes and Ale.
Do Not backwash in the Chalice!
Please always move deosil (clockwise) around Circle unless instructed otherwise.
If you are in charge of blessing and purifying and you are using incense,
respect the fact that some people are allergic to it. Waving a stick of
incense in someone’s face who doesn’t wish it, could get that stick placed
where things don’t generally burn well.
Do NOT invoke the God in a Dianic Circle.
If outside in a park, leave the place cleaner than you found it, doing
this in some one’s house is usually not appreciated. Unless, as Apprentice,
your all powerful H.P. has instructed you to do so.
During guided meditation snoring with your mouth open is a dangerous prospect.
If you are Dianic and find yourself in a mixed Circle it is not appropriate
to rescue the Chalice from the Athame during the simulation of the Great
Rite.
Sex in the bushes after a public ritual is frowned upon as you could:
have the sponsor lose the use of the place you are having ritual.
get a disease; ritually contracted syphilis or AIDS is not anymore comfortable
than the garden variety version.
find poison oak, ticks, and rattlesnakes - Nuff said?
use your own bed; it's more comfortable.
Do Not pick up anything on the altar without asking permission. Some people
are very picky about their tools and besides it could be loaded.
It is Always appropriate to ritually bathe before going to a public ritual.
This also includes those attending large outdoor Festivals. Not every one
appreciates your dark musky aura (odora), Nature Boy/Girl.
Passing the tongue with the ritual kiss could get you bit, at the very
least and at the most, part of your anatomy could become an impromtu sacrifice.
Wearing the largest pentagram you can find will get you pegged as a novice
faster than you can say “ Laurie Cabot’.
Have Respect!!!!! for yourself and for the people around you. If you don’t,
Trust me, the Priestess will remember you. And that’s not necessarily a
good thing.
Be on time! You may get locked out and Pagan Standard Time (P.S.T.) is
just plain rude!
Excerpted with permission from Miss Kat's School of Genteel Witchcraft,
copyright 1996 by Kat. You may print
this etiquette list out in its entirety for your own use, with this copyright
notice intact. You are welcome to link your home page to this document,
but you may not put a copy of this list on your own web page, or distribute
it in any way without permission from the author.
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