Socrates said: "Let us compare death with a ship full of passengers, the ship leaves the harbour & we weep & say, "she departs & never shall we see our friends again. But perhaps in another harbour a glad shout is raised & the waiting ones say, "here she arrives & our friends with her!"

Trees, herbs & plants that are traditionally planted on the grave site are:

Yew tree, cypress tree, pine tree, thorn tree & elder tree, shrubs: sage, rosemary & rosebushes. Other: garlic, chives, onions, wild garlic, thyme, forget-me-nots, violets, corn, barley & wheat.

Wreath for coffin: In the wiccan tradition this wreath is made by family & friends, & each one will add flowers & herbs to it in remembrance. Willow is twisted into a large circle & tied with the traditional wiccan colours of green & red, or using the goddess's colours of red, black & white. Then herbs such as rue, elder, rosemary, thyme, wild garlic are added, the small branches of the following are inserted: oak, myrtle, holly, juniper, camphor, cypress & pine. Flowers of the season or the deceased's choice are added to the wreath just before burial. The wreath is left on the coffin & not removed.

Each pagan following the wiccan way should plan his /her burial, the following should be taken into consideration: if you have christian relatives they will naturally insist on a christian service, unless you have a legal Will that states otherwise. If you have been a broom closet witch this may come to them as a nasty surprise, as you can well imagine.

You tell them about your beliefs & make sure that they cannot destroy your Will, by keeping it at your friendly bank & then give some trusted friend / Coven member a copy of your will to keep for you, in case the bank accidentally loses the original. Depending on the fuss created by your telling them of your pagan beliefs, you can stand your ground to show your sincerity or move a couple of thousand miles from them if they show signs of emotional blackmail or call the local minister / priest to sort you out.

You keep silent & allow them to bury your body in any fashion they chose & arrange for your coven or a pagan friend to do a separate rite for you. This is recognised as the best route for those under 21 & for those who are married to a non pagan. Whether you chose 1 or 2 you should still make a Will to pass on your books, tools, robes & capes, ritual jewellery, God statues & household guardians. The household guardians must be identified so that the elemental can be released after your death & not be trapped within. You may chose to have special music for during & after the rite or may wish to have a special poem read aloud. Perhaps you may wish to have your favourite flowers added to the wreath, or a favourite dish or drink served at the burial feast. It is also traditional to name the type of tree you wish to have planted at the tree planting ceremony.

The following notice should be placed in the local newspaper & sent to those expected at the funeral.

"Please do not send flowers. You are requested to plant a tree or give a donation to any of the following: animal anti cruelty, S. P. C. A. Save the seals, whale watch, or any wild life trust, green peace etc in lieu of flowers. Pagans do not ever give to those groups that will use their money for research, as this involves cruelty to our brothers & sisters of the animal kingdom. Examples are mostly medically based such as cancer research, AID’s. TB. etc. The following is added to your legal will, it concerns gifts of your magical items. " I am mindful of the fact that we take nothing out of this world & I think it would be a good thing to pass on to my loved ones & friends certain things that I have loved & treasured during this life time. I hope you will use & love them as I have done, & perhaps one day pass them on again. I have thought long & hard about what should go to whom.

I hope I have made the right choices. If I have not & you feel that what I have given you should go to someone else, please pass it on with my Blessing."

Now list the items & who they should go to. [if possible include their ID. numbers & addresses, even if they moved later they often be traced by an old address.] It is best to write out this will in your own hand stating that it is your Last will & testament & that you are of sound mind at the time. The three witnesses should sign their names in full & supply their ID numbers & current addresses. It is important to note that they should not receive any money, property or gifts that are stated in the will itself. Don't forget to date the will. If two copies are required, please write out both, in some cases a photocopy is not recognised by local authorities & so the copy will be null & void.

Ritually clean the home, using all 4 elements. Set up a small altar with a white cloth. Anoint a white candle for each one present with rosemary oil & place on the altar. Place the cauldron in the middle, it should be filled with sand or salt, in it is placed a 24 hours type candle or a large thick long one. Now place the following on the altar: bell, bowl of water, incense burner & incense, taper, matches & a glass or silver vase of the following:

Herbs, rosemary, rue, thyme & elder. Ring bell 3 times in each quarter, do not cast circle. Light the candles & incense, hold hands & form a circle or stand before the altar in silence for a minute, then sit & write down any thoughts that may come at this time, silently go over all the highlights of your times together both good & bane, release any thoughts of anger, pain, resentment & replace them with loving thoughts that will release them from the physical realm & allow them to move on. Burn the paper in the cauldrons flame. Snuff all the candles except the one in the cauldron & leave the room. The cauldron candle should be left to burn out. If you have to leave the house & have no one to keep an eye on it while you are away, snuff it & re-light when you return. You may wish to reread your notes on reincarnation. At this point if the death is effecting you adversely. If you wish to place flowers on the altar while the candle is burning, please use live ones in a pot, that can be later planted in the garden in remembrance of the loved one.

On the day of the burial, a family member or friend must place a coin or coins within the coffin. Various traditions are: in the power hand, on the chest, on the eyes or in the mouth. These coins are for the ferryman who carries the dead to the underworld across the river styx. Pagans are usually buried sky-clad, as they were when they entered this world, but you may chose to be buried in your robe or a shroud. The coffin should be of soft wood like pine, neo-pagans in America are now u sing cardboard type coffins so that their bodies can be returned to the mother, our earth more quickly. You may be buried wearing the following symbols: an ankh, the pentacle, the pagan Celtic cross, the wheel, hammer of Thor, or any other pagan symbol, amulets are always buried never passed on.

Black should be worn by all present at any funeral, as it insulates the wearer from etheric vibrations & each should wear a sprig of thyme to guard against negative thought forms that are produced by excessive mourning by those present who are not pagan.

A tree should be planted on the grave if permission can be granted by the authorities or planted in some wild place or garden in remembrance of the deceased. If a stone is to be placed on the grave, then the pagan celtic cross can be engraved on it.[ Equal armed not the christianised celtic cross.] It may also be engraved on the coffin, make sure that its a plain one & that all christian crosses are removed by the funeral parlour before hand.

Sheaves of wheat may be placed on the grave by loved ones & friends after the funeral as a symbol of rebirth. Pagans do not visit the grave site after the funeral, for this is the time when most souls move on to higher planes.

"Death has no power, the immortal soul to slay,
That when its present body turns to clay.
Seeks a fresh home & with unlessened might
Inspires another frame with light & life."

"Thou & I but yesterday
Met in fashions show
Love, do you remember me
Love of long ago?
Yes! We kept the fond oath sworn
One thousand years ago.

Blessed be.