Hosting a party for your Pagan or Witchy friends can sometimes seem daunting. Do you go all-in with the esoteric theme and make your home look like the den of an ancient enchantress? Or do you follow the decorating norms found in the Apothecary from the movie Practical Magic? This can be a major decision when hosting people that may or may not expect something beyond the normal decor of the mainstream. In this article, we are going to offer several ideas that will allow you to skirt the stereotype while presenting a high-class feel. Beyond this, you can adopt a few of these items into your everyday aesthetic to bring a bit of Pagan to everyday life!
This list does not correlate with any specific Sabbat or Esbat, but instead is for mundane entertaining. We want you to bring flair to the shindig of your dreams. Of course, you can add these items to more spiritual events, as well! These items are versatile and ready to be used in any event! (Get the most out of your dollar with this article!)
Keep an eye out! Each item has a link to where you can purchase it so you can have it ready for your next get-together!
NOTE: In an effort to support small businesses and individual artists, we have focused on sellers on the etsy marketplace.
1) The first item you’ll want when entertaining is something for the front door. The first thing people will see when coming to your gathering will be the entry to your lovely home. So, make sure to bring a taste of magic. This will have their minds begin to generate what to expect. A fun, hip, stylish person ready to entertain and have a good time!
For this, we have chosen two options. (And of course you can pick up both of these if you’re feeling fun!)
The first option is this amazing “A Witch Lives Here” welcome mat, from the etsy shop “Walk All Over Me Doormat.” A bit on the nose and straight to the point, this mat not only looks great at your doorstep, but it also tells your guests what to expect! One thing we LOVE about this mat is that it can double as a repellent to religious solicitors!
Option two for our front door decor is this Crescent Moon Wreath from “Loops and Laurels.” This is the perfect addition to hang on your door. It is subtle and does not blatantly say “PAGAN!” or “WITCH!”, but those in the know will definitely appreciate the decor.
2) Now that you’re guests have entered your home, it’s time to hit them with subtlety. Most homes open up to the living room where a couch or chair is sure to be seen first. However, it’s a bit much to do an entire couch cover to create the Pagan ambiance, so! The most effective way to give flavor to any space is to add throw pillows! Now, it is very common for people to have throw pillows already, or at least they have themed pillows for the holiday, so one way to add a bit of spice into your home is to use a Sham (Pillowcase) to elevate the space and you can get more use out of those themed Samhain pillows that only see the light of day once a year.
These Purple Damask Shams from Dark Winter Moon offer a taste of the Olde World without going overboard! (If you do not have a 16×16 pillow, you can purchase one directly from the shop.) The crushed Damask fabric comes in several options that you can look through, and there are other wonderful patterns to explore in the shop. A pillow sham instantly elevates a space and offers your guests a great photo op! No one wants a plain couch. Add some spice with a Handmade sham!
3) Now that you have a beautiful entryway and a pop of Pagan in the common area, it’s time to look to the table. A tablescape is ESSENTIAL to creating an ambiance for your gathering. Food is the bedrock of any get-together.
The centerpiece of your table tells a story and it helps people settle on what type of party it’s going to be. If you have a crystal bowl with floating candles then you’re guests will think they are underdressed and will feel out of place. If you have red solo cups and ping pong balls in the center of the table, then your guests may have to call the babysitter to stay longer than anticipated. So, we scoured the online marketplace to find the perfect centerpiece that is elegant, fun, and Pagan-inspired that will fit perfectly for your gathering. Also, what’s more Pagan than a huge chunk of wood on your table that looks like a Viking Canoe?
This hand carved Wood Dough Bowl from Rusted Fence Shop is the perfect addition to your table. Not only is it absolutely stunning! It makes a statement and, you can add decorations to it that fit the need of the group. If you are having a themed gathering, you can add elements of that theme to it. Or! Keep it simple and use it in the center of the table and turn it into a giant Charcuterie!
4) Now that you have your centerpiece secured and have created a perfect setting, it’s time to move to stemware.
We had to think here because cups are crucial. It has to look the part, tell a story, and it needs to be a conversation piece. People will be holding their glasses of wine, mead, or other libation for the entire night, not just at the table. It will be seen in photos from the evening and it will need to stand out. This is not the time for the random glasses or Goddess-forbid a plastic cup, no, your Pagan gathering needs to have statements throughout!
These hand carved Wooden Chalices from Venerable Vintique are the perfect conversation piece and will pack a punch in photos! People will truly believe you thought of everything when the party is in full swing. You will become a true entertainer!
5) One of the most overlooked parts, when anyone entertains, is a lack of activities. Think about the last time that you went to a gathering and the hosts worked extremely hard to put together a look and feel that would fit perfectly for the group, but once the food has been nibbled and the crowd starts sitting around the common area, there is a lull. That lull is what you, as an entertainer, want to avoid at all costs. Once there is downtime, that is when people start making plans to leave!
To avoid this terrible thing from happening, we must have something to do, and that always comes in the form of activities! And one of the best ways to keep people interested in the party for longer than an hour is to have an activity that is shrouded in mystery.
An excellent party game is Charades, but it can get rather tedious if you start the game when people have already thought about taking their leave. To avoid this, make the game start as soon as the first guests arrive. The best way to do this is to have pieces of paper and a pen set up somewhere in the house that is easy to access throughout the gathering. This will be used to collect the Charade topics that will be used later in the evening. By allowing people to create topics from the first moment of the gathering, you cut out the terrible thirty minutes of waiting on that one guest who “Just can’t think of anything.”
The best way to have people interact with something that can be seemingly mundane and forgettable is to have a conversation piece as the collection box!
This Solunar Carved Box from Custom Carving Stone is the perfect conversation piece and it is oh-so Pagan! Place the box in a visible area with slips of paper next to it. For added effect, have a quill instead of a regular ball-point pen!
6) The final Pagan Entertaining tip we have is something that is often overlooked in normal gatherings and that’s party favors. Sure, we have all been to a party where the host offers favors in the form of cellophane bags filled with candy and maybe a sticker or two. However, gone are the days of mundane, horribly packaged gifts. We are entertainers and our guests deserve the best!
These absolutely adorable Bath Teas from Emris Herbal are the perfect party favor. (We spoke to the seller and she advised that you can actually choose your blend! So, if Relaxation is not in theme, she can carefully craft the perfect botanical for your event!) They are small, precious, and can be enjoyed by all! With the corked glass bottle, they scream Pagan Aesthetic and are something that can be easily photographed and enjoyed by your guests in the days following!
Conclusion
Pagan entertaining is an act of walking a sharp edge. One side is the stereotypical Pagan/Witchy aesthetic that all of us in some way gravitate towards; and on the other side there is an elegant refinement that waters down our traditions to a point that they are no longer present. This article shines a light on the perfect balance of taste and tradition while also creating an ambiance that is perfect for the modern Pagan gathering.
I hope that you have enjoyed this article and that it brings you inspiration for your next Pagan-Hosted Party!
[Written by Sheldon Slinkard.]