Tips and Techniques for Effective Zoom Events

COVID-19 and new protocols for safety has resulted in canceled festivals, rituals and workshops leaving many within our community feeling isolated and yearning for interactions with others. Fortunately, we live in a technologically booming age and since creativity is a staple of pagans, these two together can form a winning partnership…..

Setting Up Your Event

Planning/Advert and More

This section speaks primarily to the offering of a virtual ritual, but much of this information can be used for workshops, social events, retreats, etc.

 

COMMUNICATION IS PARAMOUNT! COMMUNICATION IS PARAMOUNT! COMMUNICATION IS PARAMOUNT!

DID YOU GET THAT?

 

When planning a virtual event, communication is paramount from start to finish. Communication amongst all involved in the initial planning of the what, who will largely determine how smoothly things will flow into the realization of the actual event. Even with an in-person event, awkward pauses, missed cues, etc. may occur, but there is more leeway for these to go unnoticed. When you are presenting a virtual event, “all eyes”, literally (and hopefully) are focused on a single screen that although it may be shared and be put into highlight from several people having roles (and in different locations) remains front and center where everything is seen.

 

PREPARATION:

Suggested Timeline:

Advert:

3-4 wks Prior or 4-6 wks. Prior (longer if this is a public event that is a popular Sabbat, ie: Samhain or Beltane). Create your advert or invitation to participate in your event. This gives you time to create your guest list as RSVP’s come in and send out the ZOOM invites and any other preparatory info.

• • Create your announcement of the event (to a private group, friends, etc…) and/or;

• • Create your event page. I use FB for this. Registration occurs on our coven website. This information is used to add people to the guest list that will receive the ZOOM link and information.

If you are planning to offer an event that may attract others from across the US, you may wish to add this to your advert materials:

All times shown in Eastern/Eastern Daylight Time (US East Coast). Use timeanddate.com to determine your local time as needed.

 

Create Your Zoom Invite And Set Password:

Unlike an in-person event where people simply show up, any virtual event that uses ZOOM requires a link and password to access. Particularly in the case of a public event, you may not want to post the link and password broadly on the event page, so an additional step is required in sending out emails confirming their attendance and sending the access information.

Here is some sample wording I use to encourage pre-registration:

…..A Reminder that there are 2-steps to confirming for Tuesday’s, ESBAT-Last Qrt Moon in Taurus” and that marking yourself as “going” on the event page does not complete the registration process. Please use the “Ticket” link and follow the directions at that site for registering. You will receive a confirmation email and invitation link for the online platform we are using….

Alternately, if you don’t have a webpage with a contact form set up you can have RSVP’s go to the host’s email address.

 

Be sure to include any specifics for participants such as:

• • Things to have ready for the event before signing on;

• • Ritual Wear-Encourage participants to wear ritual garb, just as would be done if attending in person. This is one of the central consciousness shifters of engagement. It sets the tone that something sacred and out of the mundane ordinary will be occurring;

• • I often encourage participants to have water and a small snack available for post-ritual, and on occasion for use following any particularly energetic working within the ritual.

 

Optional:

Prepare and send to participants several days prior to the ritual any chants or music to be played during a specific part of the ritual. Provide instructions to download and set on loop if needed. If you are creating a special recording, be sure that it is an mp3. Depending on the device or program you use for recording many use formats other than mp3. Overall, most people are able to open an mp3 more readily than other audio formats.

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About the Author:

Robin Fennelly is an Elder within The Assembly of the Sacred Wheel Tradition and serves as High Priestess of Coven of the Mystic Path, the 12th Coven within the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel Tradition. She teaches and facilitates classes for the Pagan Experience Study Group that serves as foundation for membership within Coven of the Mystic Path.  

Her spiritual journey is strongly rooted in both Eastern philosophy and the Western Magickal systems from which she has formed a core foundation that is diverse in knowledge and rich in spiritual practice.  A life-long learner, her practice has evolved from the classical and philosophical teachings of books, practical experience and enrichment of this knowledge base by attending workshops of various spiritual traditions presented by master teachers.

Robin formally came to the Wiccan path in 1994. Following a practice as a solitary for 2 years, she dedicated to Oak and Willow Coven of The Assembly of the Sacred Wheel Tradition in November of 1996. She received her 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th (Elder) degrees within the Assembly Tradition and has served as High Priestess of two ASW covens since Samhain of 2001 and the Winter Solstice of 2015.

As a teacher of esoteric and magickal studies she uses Energetic Anatomy, Tarot, Astrology, Hermetic Qabala, Eastern Philosophy, and Numerology as the foundations of her diverse selection of workshops and writings for more than 25 years. Exploration of varied energetic protocol has been the focus of her work for some time now and the information gained through direct experience informs all of her magickal and spiritual work.

Robin’s writings have been featured online, and in print Internationally.  She has authored several books incorporating her unique style of writing making use of poetry, prose and pathworking to enhance the concepts presented.  She has taught extensively throughout the Pagan community, including Sacred Space Conference, Spring Magick, Between the Worlds Interfaith Conference and Free Spirit Gathering Festival. Her most recent projects include a channel on youtube: A Journey to the Inner Chamber. She also shares audio pathworkings and ritual on her bandcamp site: Teachings on the Path with Robin.

Robin is the owner of Holistic Embrace providing services for mind, body and spirit such as Tarot readings, Astrology reports, Spiritual Guidance and other related offerings.  She lives in Eastern Pennsylvania and her life is blessed by a 40+- year marriage, five children and the opportunity to work in the field of public education.

Robin’s Website: www.robinfennelly.com

Coven of the Mystic Path, ASW: www.covenofthemysticpath.org

Her books can be found on Amazon or purchased directly through her website:

For more info: http://www.robinfennelly.com/books.html

The Inner Chamber, Vol. 1 It’s Written in the Stars-Astrology

The Inner Chamber, Vol. 2 Poetry of the Spheres-Qabalah

The Inner Chamber, Vol. 3 Awakening the Paths-Qabalah

The Light of SELF: Consciousness, Spiritual Practice and Learning to Breathe

Magickal Verse: A Collection of Poetry and Prose

A Year of Gaia: The Eternal Cord

The Elemental Year: Aligning the Elements of SELF

Temple of the Sun and Moon: Luminous Devotions

Sleeping with the Goddess: Nights of Devotion

A Weekly Reflection: Musings for the Year

The Magickal Pen: A Collection of Esoteric Writings

The Enchanted Gate: Musings on the Magick of the Natural World

The Temple of the Sun: An Astrological Solar Year

Writings in the Shadow: An Exploration of the Shadow Nature