I received an email in April 2005 from a couple who wanted a blessing for their child who was turning one-year-old. The mother was from a Catholic family, but was now a seeker along a more pantheist path. The father was from a Protestant family, but was now atheist. They wanted a blessing that would introduce their child to their family and community of friends, and put the child under the protection of the energies or spirits of nature. They also wanted a ceremony that would appropriate to be attended by their families who may or may not be comfortable or familiar with a fully pagan ceremony.

We started with the base of a Druidic baby-blessing ritual from The Druid Network. I shortened the ceremony and rewrote many of the sections to tailor it to the needs of the parents. The parents chose two poems from Earth Prayers, edited Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon, to begin and end the ceremony. They also chose readers from friends and family members. The ceremony was held outside under a pavilion. Before people arrived, the circle was delineated by pink and purple rose petals and the space purified with sage and sweetgrass.

I have changed the names in the ceremony. In this example, the child will be a son named Robert with parents named Barbara and Mitchell.

Childhood Blessing Rite