Pagan Rituals - Significance of the Broom

<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7eKDtvoJlJNtgxjUWX9m5Jj-HXp1vTMh83C4EASXZqnAwRBRqTT5ANUpt3pfUNos3AUUXcPGlSr-psbj6-sW-AP0dgm3LveDNsl3qY2RqAfr-JWTqi7bDlRwAiK6B7d-2ALwHMLCOtsyC/s1600/agfbc36%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7eKDtvoJlJNtgxjUWX9m5Jj-HXp1vTMh83C4EASXZqnAwRBRqTT5ANUpt3pfUNos3AUUXcPGlSr-psbj6-sW-AP0dgm3LveDNsl3qY2RqAfr-JWTqi7bDlRwAiK6B7d-2ALwHMLCOtsyC/s200/agfbc36%5B1%5D.jpg" width="155" /></a><span lang="EN-AU">Welcome to week 13 in our ’52 Rituals/Traditions in 52 Weeks’</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-AU">We are playing a bit of catch-up due to falling a little behind, but we are getting back on track by posting some rituals close together and for week 13 we have decided to look at ‘Pagan Rituals’.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">A<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b><strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">pagan wedding ceremony</span></strong> is often quite different from a normal civil wedding ceremony. It is rich with colour, natural elements and acknowledges the four directions East (Air), South (Fire), West (Water) and North (Earth) as being an essential component that requires recognition (usually at the very beginning of the ceremony) along with many other ritualistic sentiments.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">For some, the idea of a Pagan ceremony is very appealing, although if only one party to the marriage (the bride for instance) is Pagan, then it can be problematic to engage in a full Pagan ceremony.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">There are many options in such a case for simply incorporating Pagan elements into your ceremony while still maintaining the format of a ‘normal’ wedding ceremony. There are so many it is hard to just pick a few, but we have chosen some that can be easily adapted.</span></div><br /><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">For example, a Pagan ceremony is conducted inside a sacred circle which can be created from rocks, stones or a combination of candles & crystals. The circle is symbolic of the cycles of life, and it is considered a sacred place in which any negativity form the outside world can be left behind while the couples immense love and happiness can be contained within.</span><br /><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">The main theme we wanted to look at was the use of ‘Brooms’ in pagan ceremonies and there are at least two ways in which a broom can be used:</span><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Firstly:</span></b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> The broom is used in a sweeping motion to purify the sacred circle. This can be done by t</span><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">he Celebrant (or the bride & groom themselves). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Once the guests have arrived and are in the circle, whoever is performing the ritual, circles the area in an anti-clockwise direction. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The circle is swept and the following words repeated.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Sweep, sweep, sweep this place<br />By Power of Air, I cleanse this space.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The sweeping, often used to begin the cleansing ritual, is then usually followed by other cleansing powers of Light, Liquid, Dirt and Spirit. These are done most often with a red candle; a chalice of water; a bowl of earth and then words that are spoken in the middle of the circle for Spirit.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Secondly</span></b><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">: As the primary use of a broom is to clean and sweep, they are thought to represent a</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> new, clean and fresh start for the couple. The bride and groom jump the broom at the end of the ceremony after all of the words have been spoken and this indicates that they are putting the past behind them and are jumping together into their future.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Pagan ceremonies are very moving and unforgettable to take part in. If you ever have the chance to see one, take it because it will be something that will stay with you forever. Many of today’s rituals are adaptations of original Pagan traditions, but to see them performed in their original context and within a ceremony that incorporates many of them is a great experience.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">If you are interested in having a Pagan ceremony or even incorporating components into your own ceremony then there are lots of resources available and we would be happy to point you in the right direction.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: magenta;">The Wedding Gurus</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: magenta;">xxx</span></span></div>

Pagan Rituals - Significance of the Broom

Welcome to week 13 in our ’52 Rituals/Traditions in 52 Weeks’ We are playing a bit of catch-up due to falling a little behind, but we are g...

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Competition Winner

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We are pleased to announce:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR COMPETITION WINNER</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">KERRY SANTILLO</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Her answer to our question</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Segoe Script", "sans-serif"; font-size: large; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Andalus;"><strong>‘I wish someone told me ................. </strong></span><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Segoe Script", "sans-serif"; font-size: large; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Andalus;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Segoe Script", "sans-serif"; font-size: large; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Andalus;"><strong>before my wedding day’</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"That driving myself crazy and stressing to boiling point planning my wedding, doesnt actually lead to a succesful marriage."</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">After careful consideration we thought that Kerry's comment was very insightful and something that all of us planning a wedding should remember. Thanks Kerry.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To all our entrants we appreciate the time you took to share with us your words of wisdom, and to those of you who experienced hardships we would like to thank you for opening up and sharing your comments with us all.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Please keep an eye out for our upcoming competitions and</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">stay tuned as we have an exciting announcement for the new year! </span></div>

Competition Winner

We are pleased to announce: CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR COMPETITION WINNER KERRY SANTILLO Her answer to our question ‘I wish someone told me .......

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