Today, I was able to get off work early enough that I was able to go to the Full Moon Circle. There, I observed my first Neopagan ritual conducted in a group setting.

Appropriately for this time of year, it was a Samhain ritual.

Unlike sometimes, I don't think I'll detail the exact sequence of events. This is partly because some of what was shared during the ceremony was very personal, and even if I left out names, repeating it here would be dishonoring the implied confidentiality. Even beyond that though, the ritual itself was an experience that cannot adequately be expressed in words, especially when they are in written form.

Then again, maybe I'm just feeling too lazy to write. :)

However, so as not to leave readers totally in the dark, here are a few thoughts:

• What a lively group! From the moment I stepped in, I was made to feel welcome. High spirits, good vibes, fun people.
• I got the sense that it was a pretty close-knit group. Most of them obviously knew each other well, as if they were old friends, yet they were still very nice to a complete stranger such as myself.
• There is both time for humor and time for solemn ritual. Everything has its place.
• I think I'd like to go to another. (They told me tonight's was unusual in more than one way, and I'd like to see what they consider "normal".) I don't know how I'm going to finagle my work schedule though. Since it seems like there's often other stuff at the church I'd be interested in attending Sunday afternoons and evenings too, it's tempting to ask the boss if I could just get Sundays off entirely. That might be a stretch. We'll see.