(Note: I'm not including an FAQ. There are a blue million of them online, and right now I just don't feel like writing another one. If you'd like to read what's out there, do a search on Wicca, FAQ and see what shows up--just please be discriminating! *wink*)
One Answer
A Wiccan Rede Answer--Responsibility
The "Balance" Answer
My answer in 1995
Some years ago, I was part of a very different kind of coven than the one I work with now. Today, my Circle (LunaMystic Groove) is primarily Dianic, with more planning for our rituals but less structure to our organization. The Circle I first trained with, though, was a Celtic one, Tyr N'an Og; living in an isolated rural area where persecution was very much a daily concern, we were less open, but still dedicated to reaching out to others of like mind. We had less diversity of experience, and the overall perspective was heterosexual despite the open minds of our members. Even subscribing to a newsletter then meant filling in the blanks for "High Priestess" and "High Priest," and we thought such titles were important--today my Circle has no such permanent leadership positions by any label. So, the material I wrote for use with Tyr N'an Og was very different from what I'd write today. (For one thing, today I'd not write some of it in advance at all--with Tyr N'an Og I had been asked to write material that could be reused with new people, to help us "cover all the bases" with each person we worked with. Today I have more trust and less need for that kind of pre-formatting!)
Still, it's interesting to read some of what we used then, and I've posted a few things I think might be useful to others. There are certainly benefits to the kind of structure we created that I've chosen to sacrifice in favor of the freedom of my current practice, and sometimes even I like to listen to the voice of the woman I once was.
So, here are some links to material I wrote mostly in 1989-1992, as a different person in a different world.
Herne's Voice
Questions to Discuss in the Months before Dedication
Preparing for a Dedication
Preparing for Initiation (questions to discuss)
One Good Generic Outline for any Ritual
-----'s Ritual Planning Tips
Inclusiveness Concerns
Time and Space Concerns
Actions and Themes
Planning a Ritual for a Large Group
Example--notes from a planning and evaluation session
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