Robyn Lebron Initiation is an oath ofhonor, stating that you will keep the secrets of the tradition to yourself They generally study for a year or more about the path before making a commitment To learn the secrets of either of these paths, you have to be initiated into a lineaged coven There’s no room for negotiation on this one Ultimately, this is an issue that will probably never be agreed upon by all the different factions of Paganism.17 Generally, children not get involved in rituals or mystery teachings until at least sixteen years old But the children of pagan families may well join in simple exoteric rituals such as dancing round the maypole or round the bonfire on one of the fire festivals (Beltane, Lammas, Samhain, Imbolc) Pagan children are occasionally asked not to mention this or that to their friends or teachers or relatives, and it becomes quite a task to help children understand this is because some people get upset about other religions, not because Pagans are doing anything wrong Marriage A Pagan wedding is called a and is considered the joining of two people in a loving and equal partnership Pagans take all their rituals and prayers very seriously and believe it is more important that they express in their own words their intentions and promises rather than merely repeating a standard formula Accordingly, the vows that they both swear to each other before their gods and goddesses will be prepared beforehand in consultation with the priestess and/or priest who will officiate at the ceremony As with all other Pagan ceremonies, there is considerable variation in the precise form an individual handfasting rite will take, but some parts are universal The traditional period to handfast is for a year and a day, and it is not uncommon for Pagans in long-term relationships to renew their vows after each year and a day has passed so that neither comes to take the other for granted Some vow to handfast for life; while those who believe in reincarnation will vow to handfast for their future lives as well In some cases, it may be simply ceremonial—a couple declaring their love for one another without the benefit of a state license 12