This time of year...

[childofbast]

For those of you involved in groups (covens, groves, etc), does it seem like attendance dwindles during the colder time of the year? I was talking about it to another Pagan friend, and she says that people feel more "Paganish" in the spring and summer.

I happen to feel "Paganish" all year 'round...but that's just me. I wanted to know if anyone else with group experience noticed a pattern like this.

[Crysiira]

I don't have much group experience, but I can definitely agree with your friend. I don't necessarily feel less "paganish" during winter, but less connected to the earth. I follow green witchcraft, and when things aren't green and growing and it's too cold to go outside, I really have a hard time. (check out the Green Witches in Winter thread in the Paths - Green Witchcraft forum. You'll see I'm not alone.) I'm working to fix this slowly...

[Trilby]

I tend to feel way more "paganish" this time of year. But Imbolc is still my favorite Sabbat and I think that kick starts things for me a bit. But I do love this time of year. It's like the pause right before spring kicks in, and it just has a special stillness to it that makes everything seem extra real. Sort of the seasonal equivalent to that moment just before the sun breaks over the horizon. If that made any sense at all.
Anyway, it just seems like I get more magic done in February than all the other months combined. But that's prolly just me.

Eta: I just realized that this time of the year got me out of lurkerdom, too! Hee!

[Fiamma]

For those of you involved in groups (covens, groves, etc), does it seem like attendance dwindles during the colder time of the year? I was talking about it to another Pagan friend, and she says that people feel more "Paganish" in the spring and summer.

I happen to feel "Paganish" all year 'round...but that's just me. I wanted to know if anyone else with group experience noticed a pattern like this.


I dunno about other groups in the area, but no...not so much in my grove. We actually have had fairly consistently high-ish numbers from what I can tell hmm...since the summer solstice. What would have been our Beltane ritual last year though was strangely small, though that I suspect was because we chose to forgo Beltane and celebrated Thargelia instead- a number of people actually really did complain. Gosh, what were we thinking? Cause, ya know, Beltane is the only festival to fall at that time of year, right? *eye roll*

Yeah...and we do all of our rituals outside, unless driven inside by weather that would be dangerous to stay outside- this has happened all of once since I've been around- since November 2004. Imbolc 2006 was about 25 degrees and pouring down rain. We were inside. Other than that...Outside. Even Summer Solstice 2006 when for the entire duration of the ritual, it was raining so hard you couldn't hear what was being said, we were outside.

But from what I've heard, our rituals generally have higher attendance than other pagan groups in the area. Must be doing something right.

[Nitefalle]

Well, we've always had a fluctuating group, as people come, get excited and then lose interest or figure out that we just aren't the group for them or they are too busy for us, etc. But since Samhain, we've had very strong numbers and we *may* even be keeping all of them (crossing my fingers!). It looks like it's going to be a good year!

[childofbast]

I tend to feel way more "paganish" this time of year. But Imbolc is still my favorite Sabbat and I think that kick starts things for me a bit. But I do love this time of year. It's like the pause right before spring kicks in, and it just has a special stillness to it that makes everything seem extra real. Sort of the seasonal equivalent to that moment just before the sun breaks over the horizon. If that made any sense at all.
Anyway, it just seems like I get more magic done in February than all the other months combined. But that's prolly just me.

Eta: I just realized that this time of the year got me out of lurkerdom, too! Hee!

I feel the same way, although I feel some special magic all year 'round. But there's something special about transitional periods. At the moment, where I live, there is snow and ice everywhere...and yet buds on the trees.

As for Imbolc, it's strange and yet makes a lot of sense. Imbolc was one of my least favorite holidays when I started out. It didn't make much sense to me, mostly because it's so connected to Celtic beliefs and Brighid. Then I got into Druidism and Brighid found me. Now Imbolc is really special to me. Thanks for sharing!

[childofbast]

But from what I've heard, our rituals generally have higher attendance than other pagan groups in the area. Must be doing something right.


Actually, you may be on to something there.

I'm a member of a grove and a sort of ...mish-mash Pagan alliance. The grove, unfortunately, is an hour away. I was unable to attend the Imbolc ritual due to bad weather. However, had the weather been fine, or had I been closer, I would have been there. And so would numerous other people. The grove seems to have more numbers always compared to the local group I belong to.

Is your grove ADF?

[Fiamma]

Is your grove ADF?


Yah. Cedarlight Grove in Baltimore.

[Windsmith]

I don't know how much it's "feeling less Paganish" and how much it's basic self-preservation. When the outside air temperature is -3 degrees Farenheit before factoring in wind chill, I'm less inclined to go anywhere.

[cheddarsox]

I was a member and leader in a local group for about four years, and lack of "committment" was a constant issue. People would say "oh, please do a ritual for the next holiday" and a group would plan and prepare, and few would show up. Especially for the "lesser" days, or at least lesser in their minds. Everyone wanted to be there for May day and Samhain, but Imbolc? why bother.

I live in a place where weather is rarely an issue, it was sort of a "pagan when we wanna be" group, when it was cool or fun to be pagan, not when it was challenging or spiritually stretching to be pagan.

When it came time to find folks to lead, or help in ritual, out came the "I don't think I know enough..." excuses, year after year. Apparently they never found time or energy to learn anything.

so I know what you mean...no one wants to come out on a cold (45 degree) night in February, to do some soul stretching when they could be at home watching the try outs for American Idol. What's cool, fun, counter culture about that? I mean...isn't paganism about doing whatever you want? :goodgrief

so, it happens even when and where weather isn't the issue. They are worn out from the "holidays", and probably a certain amount of genuine lethargy and "it's been a long winter" depression has set in. I think that is the perfect time to gather for some spiritual renewal, but others find it hard to drum up enthusiasm.

I think it is good, once a year, to have a ritual of lamentations, and give people a chance to grieve over the pains and confusions of the past 12 months. I find that very healing, and have led such rituals. And winter is a handy time to do it.

anyway...

cheddar

[childofbast]

Yeah. I totally agree with you, Cheddar.

I get frustrated with the apathy. I lead the group's Imbolc ritual this year and was terribly annoyed when we basically planned things around three peoples' desire to watch the Super Bowl...and then they never came or even RSVPed to say they couldn't come.

[cheddarsox]

Yeah. I totally agree with you, Cheddar.

I get frustrated with the apathy. I lead the group's Imbolc ritual this year and was terribly annoyed when we basically planned things around three peoples' desire to watch the Super Bowl...and then they never came or even RSVPed to say they couldn't come.

In my experience, the one's that make the most noise, demands, pleas, requests, and stipulations, are the one's that usually don't show up. I have ceased to cater to them.

I got to the point of saying "on such and such a date, I will be having such and such a ritual, at this time, at this place, if you want to come, bring this and that"...end of story. The people who show up are motivated and want to be there.

The one's who send me long involved RSVP's, explaining how much they want to come and the new recipe they are going to bring and e-mail me six times during the week to get directions, check times, see if they can bring their sister in law, etc...NEVER show up. NEVER! And then I get three more e-mails about how sorry they were to miss it and can I please keep them on my list. I have people who have pulled that for years on end...some of them actually didn't seem to notice that they'd stopped getting invitations, they'd hear I was having a ritual from someone else and start the process on their own!

Anyone who thinks the Universe revolves around them won't find time for our "little rituals". I quit as official leader of that group, because as "official" leader, I was expected to pretend I believed them and waste time on them. When I quit, I could do whatever I wanted and put no more energy into those types...basically, we'd have the same rituals, same people, same turnout...without wasting time and frustration on the "me, me, ME" types.

I think the people who do the work, get to make the plans about where, when , how, and the others can go along or not. And if they want it different, next time they can volunteer to do the work. Simple and effective. I got so tired of trying to plan ritual to suit a bunch of people who couldn't even bother to show up, so instead I planned it for the people I knew who would be there...me and the other participants.