On Sunday, Sept. 22, we Pagans celebrated Mabon; autumn was officially here at 8:44 a.m. How quickly this year we went from summer to autumn. At least it feels that way. The leaves seem to have begun changing color and falling faster this year. Lately, I can’t help but think about where I started and how far I’ve come along, especially with my CUUPs chapter. I remember not many years ago when Sacred Wheel CUUPs was starting out and we held our first ritual as an official chapter. It almost wasn’t, but I scrambled at the last minute and managed to get it together. That’s when I learned how to purchase ritual tools on a tight budget.
The last days of summer, I had been on a week-long vacation at the shore. I planned Mabon at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair, New Jersey for the same day I was arriving home. I had parts assigned to various members. It was a Wiccan ceremony. It’s not a path I am on, but one many were familiar and comfortable with to run with ease.
Therefore, creating a Wiccan ritual means following the Wiccan tradition. Not so difficult for this group as that was basically what we were doing in a way. In a way… Yeah, a way…except, we really weren’t.
We weren’t, because the person leading such rituals wasn’t following any Wiccan tradition neither I, nor my elders, heard of. Although we created a circle and followed the basic Wiccan ritual outline, a lot was off course. Now, I know that not all rituals are the same but their are similarities and common basic knowledge that can be easily researched.
So many issues with those circles. A few were easy to correct, such as inviting the deity and elements but not releasing them. I released them in my head every single time we performed a ritual. Many UU Pagans seem to forget this (in my opinion) very necessary step. This is something that I believe is standard in most Pagan paths. If you invite something or some being, you should thank them and let them go.
The biggest one however, threw me through a loop. Now I know that there are different colors associated with the elements. As a Celtic Druid, water is not usually blue but could be purple or gray. Additionally, Earth is not always green, but could be brown. I sat (yeah, I said sat and that’s another issue) next to blue for what I assumed was West (water). It was actually Earth, and the West was green. Okay, my mind could not grasp that concept.
That night, I researched the color correspondences. I wanted to figure out which path this was associated with and nothing came up. I asked that leader about it and they said that water makes the grass grow. Their reasoning for blue associated with the North was its cold. This didn’t help me when we here in North Jersey have summers in the 100s at times.
Once I became the leader, I made a mistake of letting the rituals go as usual with very few changes. I guess part had to do with my budget, however some was fear of change and acceptance.
Mabon, however, was the first ritual of the congregational year. This seemed a perfect time to make these changes, and so I did. I wrote a Wiccan ritual with the assistance of my elder, the Rev. Foxxy (Sher) Pullen. I switched those two color associations, I put blue as West for water and green for Earth — North. Knowing there would be some issue with this, I printed out a color correspondence guide for Wiccan rituals. As I said, that seemed to be what they were trying to do anyway.
Well, I sent the outline out by email to the group a week beforehand. The night before the ritual, the previous leader complained about these changes. They questioned me why we were doing it this way and how I made these changes too late. They told me that they only received them a day or two before. I had this person in charge of providing the tools and the most beautiful large acorns to decorate our altar. As a closet Pagan who lives with her parents, it’s not easy bringing anything potentially associated as Pagan home. Additionally, on my budget it is difficult to purchase the wanted supplies.
So about three hours before the ritual I arrived home from vacation. I needed to drive to UU Montclair for said ritual. I scrambled to a dollar store hoping they still had autumn decorations. Since I had a tight budget, this was the best I could do at the very last minute. The last week of September and luckily they did. I bought leaf garland and a fall tablecloth and a few other things. I grabbed some fall decorations and the few Pagan tools I did have from my home. Then before I left my house, I gathered up some small acorns and fallen leaves from my yard. I carted all that stuff and my CD player to the congregation.
Now, spend time preparing each ritual by going to a dollar store right before the season changes. Thrift shops work great as well. They always have specific items for the season changes. They work in a pinch and are cost efficient. The great thing about our sabbats is no matter what path you follow usually, the main decorations are similar to the seasons. They can all be obtained on a budget. The best part of shopping at the thrift shop is that you’re supporting a greater need. In my town the thrift shop supports the food pantry and the mental health programs that they provide.
So next ritual (Samhain Oct. 31 – Nov. 1), head to both your local thrift shop and a dollar store for most of your Pagan supplies. Better yet, check now, what you need for your next ritual may already be marked down at the thrift shop. I know Yule decorations are dirt cheap the week after the Christian Christmas holiday. The next six weeks may be the only time you can find black candles on sale. So time to go bargain hunting, before hitting your local Pagan shop. Don’t get me wrong you they have supplies that are needed too such as tarot cards and stones. You too can hold a beautiful ritual on a tight budget.
See also: Ritual on the fly — When and how to run an effective Sabbat
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