As some of you know, I'm going to be one of the speakers at Witchfest International in Croydon on NOvember 7th this year. I've been asked to do a talk, a workshop, a book signing and.... the opening blessing ceremony.

Now I've done an opening blessing ceremony before, (and a closing one too, come to think of it!) and I'm a great believer that the world would probably be a better place for more blessings. However, I'm aware that not everyone thinks this way. Some people believe that only the clergy can or should bless and that ordinary folk somehow lack the power.

Nor do I believe that blessings are necessarily a religious thing. I think at its simplest, a blessing is simply a way of wishing good things upon another person, place, object or situation. Such wishes can be conveyed from one person to another without any sort of divine intervention whatsoever. In my book, there is nothing to prevent a die-hard atheist from giving a blessing should he/she choose to do so.

But what do members here think? Do you think anyone can give a blessing? Or that anyone should? Have you ever given a blessing? And if not, would you ever consider doing so?

:)

PS : Here's an example of one of my blessings from my blog at the Winter Solstice 2007:

May the moon turn her face to you
And teach you the secrets of her night;
May the sun’s warm embrace with you
Teach you all the secrets of his light.

Starlight, moonbright, Summer’s disc and Winter’s night
Keep you fast and hold you tight.