I get a lot of email...

[mol]

...and I love it. People email me all the time from here and out 'there'. I get folks commenting on art or discussing art with me. I get folks talking about music. That's one of the great things about this job is answering the emails!

Here is an email I received today...can you guys help me?


i was just wondering if you could help me. my friend is a pagan and its her anniversary on mid summer and i would like to hold a surprise party for her to she we all support her (as she has never shared this part of her life with us before-we don't want hes to think we don't care) so i would like to know what food we should prepare and what we should all wear and if there is any thing we can decorate the garden with, candles flowers etc. sorry to be a pain we just want it to be perfect for her. thank you for you're time.

[LadyTrinity]

Any party can have a beautiful pagan vibe with using only music, Something celtic or another :floating:

[Tzhebee]

Well....depending on who that is from, I might (or might not) suggest getting naked and jumping in a pool! :D

OK...fine....I have no real suggestions.

[LadyTrinity]

:lol:

[mol]

C'mon!! :D

[nomadicdragon]

Well its summer.. so I'd say go with a bright summery type flowers..daises.. I'd go with green candles.. maybe yellow.. yea.. ok. i'm drawing a blank after that...

perhaps a party planner??? *snickers* you should really get paid for that you know..

[Mithrea]

Every Sabbat, I tell my circle: "Bring a food that reminds you of _______." For Beltane, we said "Bring a food that makes you think of sex." For Litha, I told them "Bring a food that makes you think of the sun."

Red, yellow and orange candles are nice and around here summer is very green so some people include green as well. Also gold. Fiery, sunny decorations are nice and I usually decorate with yellow flowers.

[Sowelu]

Well....depending on who that is from, I might (or might not) suggest getting naked and jumping in a pool! :D

OK...fine....I have no real suggestions.

You'll have to excuse Tzhebee....EVERY party she has ends up with everyone getting naked and jumping into a pool!
:T

[Strega Del Vento]

I like the getting nekked and jumping into a pool idea!

Hey Mol? You like getting email you say? Would you mind if I forwarded all my "Increase your..." mails? They keep sending them to me. I've tried their stuff, but alas, I guess I have to be male for it to work! ::le sigh::

:lol:

[Dove]

i was just wondering if you could help me. my friend is a pagan and its her anniversary on mid summer and i would like to hold a surprise party for her to she we all support her (as she has never shared this part of her life with us before-we don't want hes to think we don't care) so i would like to know what food we should prepare and what we should all wear and if there is any thing we can decorate the garden with, candles flowers etc. sorry to be a pain we just want it to be perfect for her. thank you for you're time. :fprtyman3 Hmmmmm …..
There are lots of things to consider here Mol.

# 1 - I’d need to know how that person is defining “Pagan” so that we could recommend appropriate decorations, rituals, and foods.
# 2 - Is it going to be an indoor, or outdoor affair.
# 3 - How many people will be invited

I guess I’d start by making some sort of “Congratulations Banner”

Then maybe create a special "decorative entry" to the celebration space,
With the theme in mind of “now we are entering a scared place”

I’d have a decorative “informal” alter with four separate objects to represent the 4 directions / elements, etc etc etc… but also display on it things that represent her life.

I don’t know if there will be a “Circle” involved, if there is …
Will it be a formal circle, or an informal circle.
Will someone need to “Cast and then Close the Circle”
If so … then that involves a whole separate ritual.

Foods are again going to depend on whether it’s a formal affair.
Or informal. :dinnertim

Really, the party / celebration will only be limited by the individual’s imagination and how much money they want to spend.
If I were the person planning the affair,
I'd be burning up my "on line" search engines!!

Speaking of burning ...
Is it going to be day time, or night time.
If at night ... a small bonfire might be nice

[mol]

Well its summer.. so I'd say go with a bright summery type flowers..daises.. I'd go with green candles.. maybe yellow.. yea.. ok. i'm drawing a blank after that...

perhaps a party planner??? *snickers* you should really get paid for that you know..

Thanks!

Mith: Thanks!

Sow: :D
Strega: Pleaese, no forwards. :alol: But, anyone and everyone is welcome to sit down and write me an email, any time.

:nicetie:

Dove: I will relay that!

[Brynfire]

Ah.. tiki torches maybe? They always look awesome, and help with bugs....then there's always cushions for seating if chairs aren't an option...

[Rhianna813]

Combining the Summer Solstice with a surprise party? Sounds fantastic! Ya know the best thing about Paganism is just taking a lead from nature itself. I would go for a picnic theme with strawberries (maybe with shortcake), citrus punch with orange slices floating in the bowl, and BBQ food. Decorating with flowers, outside torches or a firepit would be great. Solstice colours are generally the sunny fiery tones like yellow, gold, orange, red, and white.

A great Solar symbol are God's Eyes and these could be made as decorations or as part of the celebration as a group activity. Really easy to make using yarn and popcicle sticks. Here are some instructions: http://www.caron-net.com/kidfiles/kidsapr.html (http://www.caron-net.com/kidfiles/kidsapr.html)

I would also suggest creating an altar for your friend. Just use a small table covered with a cloth of her favorite colour. On the altar put pictures of her, candles, Pagan symbols (sun, moon, pentacle, goddess), offerings from nature like flowers, herbs, stones, etc. But I would also have guests write little blessings to her on small pieces of paper and scatter them on the altar too.

A fun and popular activity at many public rituals and celebrations is to do a Spiral Dance. This is where everyone stands in a cicle and holds hands. The leader breaks off and begins leading the group, walking, into a spiral towards the center the circle. Don't go too fast. When the leader gets to the middle she *turns and faces* the person next to her and keeps walking back out of the circle. This is very important and will make the the circle spiral in and out with everyone facing each other. This is soooooo much fun in a group setting.

Hope these ideas help! Just remember the love of your friendship is magic enough :-)

Rhianna

[mol]

Nice!

Rhianna: Thanks, a lot! I am just going to basically email her a link to this very thread. :)

[BlueMoon13]

I love the idea of written blessings for the happy couple _handclapp
Perhaps for illumination you could use those floating candles in large bowls of water.
As a gift you could put together a photo album with some of them both before they met (a few childhood,teen,etc) their courtship,marriage, etc.
You could have a Hawiian/Polynesian theme with Hawiian print shirts,leis, and crown of flowers for the "bridal couple". The tikis someone else mentioned would go with that as well.
What good friends to make the extra effort!

[Calen]

Write her a poem wishing her a happy anniversary and Midsummer! That's what I'd do. Food, music and decorations are all important, but one must have entertainment.
Speaking of entertainment...naked. Pool. Do it!

[Kaylara]

Get "The Wiccan Cookbook" Excellent ideas for decorations, food, and rituals for the entire Wheel of the Year. Make flower headdresses and have a nice torchlit evening? Decorate with lots of candles?

[Rhianna813]

I love the idea of written blessings for the happy couple _handclapp
Perhaps for illumination you could use those floating candles in large bowls of water.
As a gift you could put together a photo album with some of them both before they met (a few childhood,teen,etc) their courtship,marriage, etc.
You could have a Hawiian/Polynesian theme with Hawiian print shirts,leis, and crown of flowers for the "bridal couple". The tikis someone else mentioned would go with that as well.
What good friends to make the extra effort!

LOL hey BlueMoon....... this isn't for a couple or a handfasting ( I think). It looks to be someone wanting to celebrate the anniversary of a friends spirituality. AKA walking the Pagan path. I get the impression the friend hosting the party and probably most of the guests are not Pagan themselves but obviously very supportive of their friends path.

Just wanted to clarify :cheers:

Rhianna

[wakywitch]

Here are some associations for midsummer.
Hope they help.

Herbs and flowers: Lavender, chamomile, roses, daisies, lily
Incense: Frankincense, wisteria, lavender
Colors:Blue, green and yellow
Decorations: Dried herbs, potpourri, seashells and summer flowers
Food: Summer Fruits, All mead

:smileroll

[WynnJera]

Summer Salad


1 8-oz. can kernel corn
1 large tomato, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
A handful of cubed hard cheese of choice .... I like marble
ground black pepper & salt to taste
1/3 to 1/2 of a peeled cucumber diced
1 8-oz. carton plain yogurt / or cream dressing of of choice ( ranch and cucumber work well)

Mix all items well in serving bowl and add dressing or yogurt right before serving on a bed of your choice of summer greens ......

[BlueMoon13]

LOL hey BlueMoon....... this isn't for a couple or a handfasting ( I think). It looks to be someone wanting to celebrate the anniversary of a friends spirituality. AKA walking the Pagan path. I get the impression the friend hosting the party and probably most of the guests are not Pagan themselves but obviously very supportive of their friends path.

Just wanted to clarify :cheers:

Rhianna
D'OH! I did'nt even think of that :hehehe: :hehehe: Never mind..... :fpraiseyo

[mol]

thank you all very much for you're help. I'm very excited now and cant wait to see the look on her face, she is going to love it! i quite liked the idea of the naked pool but i only have a paddling pool! (better than nothing) as someone said there will be a lot of people who haven't experienced a gathering like this but i have a feeling they will not be surprised at the nakedness as it happens a lot at our parties!!!! its only natural hahah! once again thank you all very much and i will be back to let you know how it went and will be very interested to hear how you all celebrated! much

love K


Just got that...

Thanks, everyone!

[Mithrea]

Yay!

MW . . . doing our part to promote skyclad paganism everywhere. :p