What We Are
Fire Dance is an eclectic pagan church, meaning we use elements from multiple pagan religions and synthesize them together into a practice intended to feel like home to pagans from many different traditions. There are many pagan religions, and often not enough practitioners of any single one to form a church, so we welcome everyone, including non-pagans who are for any reason interested in attending.
Our tradition was founded by a Wiccan High Priest, and incorporates many elements of Wicca, including using the Wiccan calendar of eight sabbats for our public rituals. We are also heavily influenced by Celtic, Heathen (Norse and Germanic), and Hellenic (Greek) pagan religions.
Core Philosophy
Many traditions are represented in our rituals, practices, and membership. At core we are a polytheistic and animistic tradition with a focus on connection and communion with the natural world.
Our public rituals center on the cycles of nature and how they correlate to the cycles of human life.
What To Expect
We host public rituals eight times a year, roughly every six weeks. You can check our calendar to find out about upcoming events, and read about the sabbats to learn about each holiday.
Everyone is welcomed at these public rituals, but we ask that people let us know they are coming, because we have to prepare supplies for the rituals based on how many people are coming.
When and Where:
Unless otherwise stated, we begin gathering at 6:00 in the evening and the ritual begins at 7:00. Rituals are held in an outdoor circle space on our farm outside Berryville, VA, near the West Virginia border. Contact us through email, on Facebook, or Discord to get the address.
Dress Code:
There is no dress code. Come as you are. But unless otherwise announced, our rituals do take place outside, so dress for the weather. In particularly inclement weather, we do move some rituals indoors, but this will not be the case for cold alone. Some rituals, primarily Beltane and Midsummer, do include a simple dance.
What to Bring:
Every ritual is followed by a potluck, so bring a dish to share. We may request people bring other items at specific rituals, such as items for a gift exchange at Yule.
Other Considerations:
We usually have a small bonfire, and attendees are welcomed to bring any items which are safe to burn to be added to the fire, such as for offerings or personal cleansing rituals.
We also take requests to bless ritual tools, and we have a Wishing Tree, a centuries old sycamore, and attendees are welcome to bring a ribbon or strip of cloth of any biodegradable material to be tied on a tree branch with a wish.
