Traditional & Celebration of Life ceremonies
Ordained Clergy and High Priestess
On location in County of San Bernardino and Vicinity
Services may be available in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties upon request.
Licensing & fees, when required, must be paid in advance of scheduling event.
Travel expenses may be included in estimate.
It was bound to happen sooner or later. I had done a few handfastings (weddings) as ordained clergy, and I'd also gone the extra mile and worked for two years and two days of study to receive second degree equivalency and permission to use the ritual title High Priestess of Wicca. The fact that the HP actually took a few years longer than expected is irrelevant. I'd been having fun, meeting couples and attending celebrations of love with joyful attendees, friends, family and well-wishers.
And then I got the call. The call I never expected. It was from a mortuary. They'd seen my HP status advertised, and their client had left specific instructions that she wanted a High Priestess to preside over her funeral. I said I could do it, and got specifics on the job. Where, when, how much it paid, and what other detailed directions were left for me to decipher?
I was given contact information for a loved one, still on this side of the veil, and selected what I felt was an appropriate passage from a book in my spiritual library. I also asked a HP who was mentoring me, at the time, for her advice.
I was given contact information for a loved one, still on this side of the veil, and selected what I felt was an appropriate passage from a book in my spiritual library. I also asked a HP who was mentoring me, at the time, for her advice.
By the day of the event, I had rehearsed the ritual that was approved through the deceased's loved one, and gone over every detail of how to work this day to be the most helpful and supportive for all concerned.
Some people were appalled that a HP was presiding, and not traditional clergy. Others were silent, accepting, and remorseful. All of us, within the energy of the ritual circle, respected the decision that the deceased had put in writing. During the ritual, there was a space we opened up, so that people could say what they wished about the woman, who was their friend and loved one.
Some people were appalled that a HP was presiding, and not traditional clergy. Others were silent, accepting, and remorseful. All of us, within the energy of the ritual circle, respected the decision that the deceased had put in writing. During the ritual, there was a space we opened up, so that people could say what they wished about the woman, who was their friend and loved one.
By the end of the ritual, it didn't matter who I was, or what my credentials were. What mattered is that we were all together, sharing a moment that was planned long before. There were tears, smiles, love, and gentle wishes shared among us all. As I drove home, afterwards, I realized how lucky I was to have been chosen for such an important ritual. The last rites of a woman who believed in her High Priestess.
As I thought about the handfastings and weddings I had been part of in the past, it occurred to me how absolutely final a funeral ritual is. It's extremely important, because truly...it's forever. Not a promise of forever. Actual forever.
Her wise advance planning and decision-making allowed her to express her style, as she requested. In peace and eternal love. If there were not arrangements made in advance, how would she ever have made mention that she wanted a high priestess to preside over her last ritual on earth?
If you've been holding off making decisions about what happens during your last ritual on earth, maybe it's time to give it some thought. Here are some questions to ponder:
How will the final expenses will be covered? What arrangements do you want to make for that last ceremony of your life? How your loved ones' lives be affected by your last decisions? How will you put this in writing, and make this known, to those you trust to handle your affairs?
How will the final expenses will be covered? What arrangements do you want to make for that last ceremony of your life? How your loved ones' lives be affected by your last decisions? How will you put this in writing, and make this known, to those you trust to handle your affairs?
