Coven ritual advice...healing fear.

[alwaysfallingup]

So, my coven (which is a strong, established group of 3 years) is going through some uncertainties as we experience changes and fluctuations in our roles and functions within the group. Our former High Priestess has retired from public service, and I was chosen to fulfill her duty. I've been HP for several months now, but it still seems that the fears about the changes (including my worries about being inadequate as HP!) are impeding our magick and our bonding, which before was nigh invincible.

At our next FM, I'd like to do a ritual to help face and heal our fears. Below is the message I sent to my coven-mates about it. I have it almost completed in my head, except for how to raise and release the energy...many of the things we do in my group don't seem to fit the mood and theme of this ritual, such as dancing, empowering objects. I think the difficulty comes from not wanting to banish the fears so much as face and then heal them...if I wanted to banish, we would write them on paper, charge it, and burn them or something like that. I want to focus on the courageous aspects of facing them, and then the healing aspect. What I'd really love is any suggestions or comments on the following. I usually don't have any problem creating rituals...maybe I'm supposed to wait and know what to do in the ritual itself? I'm confused!

Message to coven mates:

So, for the full moon on the sixth, I have in my head a really serious
ritual that I want to give everyone some head's-up about so you can
take the time to prepare yourself for before we start. This is also in keeping
with my work last full moon towards being passionate about my serious
spiritual work, and being more confident about working serious magick
and ritual.

So, the ritual will be something that is kind of inspired by some
dreams I've been having...I think it's really appropriate for this
time of year, and will be good, serious work before our Samhain
Celebration, and a change from the spellwork we've been doing a lot of
lately, something that Tabby pointed out in our last ritual.

In this ritual, we will each be addressing our fears, both for
ourselves, and for each other. After we have gone through and named
our Fears and Inner Demons, both for ourselves (e.g., "I fear big
green monsters.") and for each other (e.g., "I am afraid Suzie will be
eaten by a big green monster."), we will do work to address, confront,
and heal the rifts and terrors that these fears and worries cause.

I'm thinking that what would be good is if everyone could do some
serious thinking and/or meditation about your fears and worries, both
for yourself and for each other. Delve deeply into what it is that
troubles you, and that maybe you have been unable to voice to each
other or even to yourself. Be brutally honest, and make a list if it
would help you to remember for the ritual. Also, come prepared for
some suprising, possibly humorous, possibly stinging fears when we
express our worries for each other.

I would like to invoke Baba Yaga in her aspect of Grandmother of the
Courageous Few. Rather than working on banishing these fears, we will
work with the full moon energy to confront them head-on and heal them
with courage and love. I'd love it if everyone might consider wearing
Baba Yaga's sacred color, black.


Love ya all!
~Alisha~

[Rhianna813]

Some thoughts that come to mind are.....

Mirrors, challenge questions, recycling energy and perhaps a guided meditation. Looking into a mirror as you delve into what you fear can be much more awakening then just naming it.

In a recent full moon ritual my group did challenge questions. People walked down a somewhat obscured path in the woods and came to other circle members who had topics with challenge questions. Name your fear. How has this fear aided you? Are you willing to let it go? What will you replace it with?

For Samhain our group is using a large cauldron to recycle energy. Taking the negative/fearful/painful energy from our history's past and symbolically putting it into Ceridwen's cauldron to brew. We will magically change the energy into something new and healing. I think we are dropping dead leaves into the actual cauldron as the symbol.

Guided meditation can offer a more private journey for the individual to quest about the fear. Maybe the fear can manifest as an animal/being they must slay or a scary situation they must escape like getting lost in a cave or stuck in a hole. I think it's important to acknowledge that fear and painful issues do help us and therefore we should be thankful before letting them go.

For healing? How about making some bread together? In another ritual we did, we had some bread dough already made. We took a handful and kneaded it as we spoke, then rolled it in cinnamon sugar and added it to the pan. After all the little dough balls were squashed in together we baked it while finishing the ritual and then ate it together.

Good luck!

[alwaysfallingup]

These are all really wonderful ideas! I'm especially drawn to the cauldron to recycle the energy. Thank you for your great suggestions!

~Alisha~

[Infinite Grey]

Have an orgy... cure all fear that way

[covenofkeys]

:yayah::yayah::yayah::yayah::yayah::yayah::yayah::yayah::yayah::yayah::yayah::yayah::yayah:8O:verywe ird:rotfl::collapse:_handclapp:crylaugh::whistle::imout::hairraise:caffeine::thewave:_whistle_:T

[Nitefalle]

Hm, maybe you could combine the challenge questions and the guided meditation.....have a meditation about walking a labyrinth, and Baba Yaga can be in the middle, asking the challenging questions.

By the way, this has given me some great ideas for my group's Samhain ritual - thanks everyone!

[Lunar Raven]

Have an orgy... cure all fear that way

I second this.

Lmao!

[alwaysfallingup]

Have an orgy... cure all fear that way


It's an interesting idea, but I'm pretty sure all of our husbands/significant others would probably object. But keep those suggestions coming! :cheers:

[Ivy Artemisia]

Here's an idea. Or two or three…. ;)
Rereading this...
THIS IS THE LONGEST POST EVER. I'm sorry about the length. Sometimes my brain turns on, and I can't stop typing.

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Write a guided meditation about facing your fears, perhaps a slow descent into the underworld- looking into a well. (the well represents looking deep inside yourself). Because its difficult for some people to find their fears.

I know that you are asking people to meditate on their fears, but it could be worth mentioning- its difficult for some people to take their surface fear apart to find the root of the issue. For example, "I'm afraid of people thinking that I'm an idiot" can really drill down to "I'm afraid of saying something stupid." which can mean "I'm afraid of losing control (and saying something out of turn)." And what was starting out as one fear, really can be rooted into something more basic. And that basic fear might be sprouting other more generic fears.

(you might want to do this before your circle, even)

If you decide to not do this before ritual, you might have coveners ask eachother why.

Say that its Fawns turn-
Fawn: I'm afraid of people thinking I'm a moron
Other coveners: Why?
Fawn: I'm afraid of saying something stupid
Other coveners: Why?
Fawn: I'm afraid of losing control
Other coveners: Why?
This can go on until you/they feel they have isolated the root of their fear.


In being confronted with the "Why?" your covener will have to ask themselves why. Its easy for us to just say, "Well, just because" to ourselves… but when put on the spot, it can help narrow it down. And it can be a very emotional and bonding experience, because it forces us to open up and lay out naked truth to our coveners. I might not do this idea in an open circle, but in a closed circle of perfect love and trust, it could be a transforming experience.

After the fear has been isolated, you can press into the hand of the covener a herbal mixture of whatever kind you feel appropriate and a palmful of sugar. Hold his/her hand within your own, look her into the eye, and ask her if she is ready to let it go (or transform it). Then have her toss it into the fire. The sugar will make the flame brighter for a moment (its really pretty cool- and a nice cheap effect). Then present her with a bowl of rosewater- say something like "You had the power to release your fear to the fire. It shall be transformed by the flames of the fire. Now, you have the power to heal the wound left in your spirit cause by the fear." Let her bless herself with the water, in whichever way she feels comfortable.

You as HPS, could do the blessing, as well, but I like the idea of empowerment, and reminding the coveners that they have the power to transform their own fears, and heal their spirit scars themselves.

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As for your group worries/fears, I'd have some serious kleenex, and plan some sort of big healing thing at the end, because some people might end up very offended that they've come off with a problem that Cathy Covener thought was worrisome.

Ie: Fawn: I'm worried that Cathy Covener might be a victim of emotional abuse.
If Cathy has mentioned that her husband was being an asshat a few times, Fawn might have misconstrued the issue. This might cause Cathy to be upset at Fawn, and it also might change the dynamic in the sense that Cathy might not be so forthcoming about venting about her relationship.

These sorts of things can come about because of miscommunications, and you would have to be prepared to sit down afterwards and discuss what was spoken about, especially because it can go really really wrong. I just wanted to mention that this would be a worry of mine. I know that your goal is to unite the coven and strengthen the dynamic, and not cause any sort of dissention.

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This is just one idea I came up with right now, and I hope it gave you some inspiration. My group did a 'facing your fears' ritual, but it wasn't as intense as this one that I've written here. I think I want to try this one with my group. I totally wish you luck.
Blessed be!!!