Tips for Finding Pagan Clergy to Perform Weddings, Funerals and Other Important Life Passage Ceremonies

Our lives are full of landmark occasions such as weddings/handfastings, births, and deaths.  When these things happen in the lives of Pagans, it can be difficult to find clergy to perform ceremonies to mark these times depending on where we live.  We don't all have the luxury of living in an area ripe with covens, groves, or other groups with leaders that would be right at our fingertips to perform this valuable service.  Below are some tips on finding Pagan clergy or at least clergy that is Pagan friendly to help you through life's important passages.

One of the foremost resources in the Pagan community for over ten years is the Witches' Voice website.  On the site, you can navigate to a page designated for your state or country if outside the US.  Once there, you can click on the clergy link that will bring up a list for your area.  You can look through the list to learn the qualifications of those you are interested in.  Each person listed has contact information for you to get in touch with them. 

There are several other valuable organizations to research including Circle Sanctuary, Covenant of the Goddess, Church of All Worlds, Pagan Federation (UK), Reclaiming (Starhawk's tradition), Druidry organizations such as the ADF and OBOD, and Cherry Hill Seminary in South Carolina.  These groups may or may not have clergy in your area but can be resources to point you in the direction of a local group that does.

Your local occult bookstore is also an invaluable resource. Many of them have bulletin boards where local Pagans can leave business cards and brochures.

Even if you don't live near a shop like this but live a few hours away, you could still give them a phone call and ask questions. The shop owner is generally a wealth of information regarding the Pagan community and may have contacts in your area.

Another option would be a Pagan friendly organization such as you would find in a Unitarian Universalist church.  According to their website, they are liberal in scope, and as their name implies they embrace many faiths including Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Paganism among others.  They have over 1000 congregations all over the world.

People of all faiths have turned to internet sites that provide ordination such as UniversalLifeChurch. There is some controversy surrounding this as you do not need any specific training to become ordained through them. For many Pagans however, it is one of the few options for ordination. These Pagans sometimes have years of experience and training in their specific traditions, so don't discount someone who has ULC ordination.

Just be sure to check with your area as to what is considered legal clergy. For instance, some states in the US and some countries do not recognize the legality of the ULC ordination. If no legally ordained Pagan clergy can be found, some choose to be married in another legal manner such as a civil ceremony and then have a private handfasting performed by the clergy they choose.

Don't be afraid to ask questions of the person you are interested in such as what background they have and what their fees are.  Be careful not to trust based solely on the fact that someone is claiming to be Pagan clergy.

Also ask if they are willing to work with you regarding the design of your rite.  This is especially important for handfastings since many people wish to help write their own ceremony. In a time of grief on the other hand, you want someone who can take control of the entire rite if you are not emotionally capable of handling the details.

While some do charge fees, others ask for a love offering of what you can afford. Please do your best to give what you can. Most Pagan clergy do this for the love of their community and don't make a living from the services they provide. Therefore, recognizing their generosity by giving them what you can will help ensure that they are able to continue their good work.