Public Rituals
Fire Dance Shenandoah hosts public rituals at a farmhouse outside Berryville, Virginia. All are welcomed, but we ask that everyone reach out to let Rev. Katharine know who to expect.
There is no dress code, so come as you are. The new and curious are welcomed. We do not reject anyone who comes to us in good faith. We always follow rituals with a potluck feast, so bring food to share.
We celebrate the eight Sabbats observed on the Wiccan calendar. Contact us for the dates of upcoming events.
Marriage Services
Fire Dance clergy are able to conduct handfasting and marriage ceremonies which are legally recognized in the state of Virginia.
Pastoral Counseling
Fire Dance clergy are qualified to provide pastoral counseling. Rev. Katharine Luck has experience in crisis intervention and providing spiritual and emotional support to the queer and transgender community.
Blessings
Fire Dance clergy will provide blessings to people, objects, and locations where reasonably possible.
We can provide house blessings within an hour or so travel of the church, and will happily bless ritual tools and other objects at public rituals.
Visitation Ministry
On request, we would like to offer visitation ministry, such as to hospitals and prisons in the Shenandoah area.
Rebecca Hare is our itinerant monk, a clergy member who makes a lifestyle of traveling around the country to offer assistance to those in need. All she asks is that her travel expenses be covered.
Community
We have a Discord server for communicating within our community, where we occasionally coordinate events other than our public rituals.
Bonfire Offerings
When possible, our rituals include a bonfire. At the end of the ritual, anyone who wishes to do is welcomed to burn small objects in the bonfire. These might be offerings to gods and spirits, spell components, and so on.
Rev. Katharine writes spell invocations on paper and saves them to burn in these fires, and others are welcome to do the same.
Items to be burned must be small enough to safely and conveniently fit into the fire pit, and must be safe to burn.
The Wishing Tree
The popular concept of the wishing well comes from an ancient tradition of sacred wells and trees where petitioners may make a wish and leave an offering. This offering often takes the form of a coin, or a piece of ribbon tied near the site.
We happen to have a wishing tree at the church. A venerable old sycamore tree.
At Mabon, we make offerings at the tree and give back our power to the Earth. The rest of the year, ritual attendees are welcome to bring a piece of environmentally safe biodegradable ribbon or cloth, and tie it to the tree with a wish.
Lending Library
The church maintains a small lending library of books on various witchcraft and spirituality topics, available for all ritual attendees to borrow.
Each person may borrow one book at a time. Take your time with borrowed books, but please remember that others may also wish to borrow them, so don’t forget to bring them back!