The event was held on Saturday, December 21st, at the Crossroads Learning Center in Seattle. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a friendly volunteer who informed me that child care was being offered, and we quickly made our way in.
The pot luck was an assortment of finger foods, chips, cookies and cut vegetables. The favorite of the evening seemed to have been a delicious carrot tray which was arranged in a "sun" design, with dip in the center - terrific presentation. Donations for Northwest Harvest Food Drive were also accepted.
After a cookie, we went on to a separate room set up as the child care area. There I was pleased to find two facilitators, female and male, with the five children already present. It was a very friendly atmosphere and all of the children were excited and entertained. The children were provided with "Witchling" Yule coloring books and crayons, and they made seasonal wands and crowns.
As for the adults, there were about 40 total participants, including Moondragon Coven who hosted the ritual. I recognized a few of the regular COG members, and a few new people as well. The atmosphere was very congenial and I found it easy to mingle and make a few new acquaintances.
The evening was paced well. A few announcements and comments on the ritual were made, and in a few moments we were ready to begin. It was very easy to follow along, whether one was an experienced Witch or a just a curious person.
The participants were led into an adjacent room, set up for the ritual. It was explained beforehand, that Moondragon Coven's plan was to show the traditional conflict of the Holly and Oak Kings, but as arguing brothers rather than in a physical, violent manner.
Once we were assembled, the circle was cast. I have never participated in ritual with Moondragon Coven before, and was somewhat surprised at how familiar their methods and incantations were to me. The Goddess and God were invoked, and we were led by the skilled high priestess through some chanting.
Next followed the conflict between the Holly and Oak Kings. It was not particularly effective for me. This was, in part, due to the fact that the ritualists stumbled a bit over their "lines." There was not much dialog, and it should have been either committed to memory or improvised. Considering the relentless turn of the seasonal wheel which this ritual is to reflect, I found the mild conflict depicted to be lacking in intensity and energy.
The conflict was ended by the Goddess/High Priestess pronouncing the birth of the "sun." This was followed with a simple candle lighting ceremony by all of the participants, and then sharing of cakes and wine. Rather than limiting the involvement of the non-coven members to just watching, both the candle lighting and the traditional cakes and wine ceremonies were intimate and offered much to include all of the participants. In doing so, Moondragon Coven did open the circle to everyone's energy and everyone else to a shared experience.
At that point, the tone, as well as the electricity, was lightened up, and everyone was encouraged to have a seat and tell stories, sing, whatever. The most memorable was a decidedly macabre poem which finally captured the tone of the death of the Holly King, blood and all. After which there was a plethora of songs, all dealing with the relations of pagans to Christmas. I enjoyed some of the satire, yet would truly rather have focused on pagan symbols.
In completion, the circle was banished. Afterwards, there was more snacking and mingling and that was it. There was no music or drumming. I was surprised at how quickly the evening ended.
The COG organizers should be pleased with the large turn out and overall success of the event. The Crossroads Learning Center was ideal, for good use was made of the separate rooms at the facility. Moondragon Coven was a gracious host and provided a comprehensive, although textbook, Sabbat ritual.
Upon reflection, the availability of such an open circle must be recognized as a wonderful gift. For although the ritual itself did not provide a transformative experience, the act of attending the event did. My daughter truly enjoyed herself, and I could see she had gained some confidence in the experience (so did I). And so, transcending the trappings of ritual and open circle, it was a new beginning for us both after all.
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