Pagan and Wiccan Funeral Traditions: What to Expect

Pagan and Wiccan funerals are shaped by a close link between death and the natural cycle, and by personal choice. This guide is for guests, friends, coworkers, and professionals, and for Pagan families and individuals planning ahead. It describes common practice, not a rule for any one tradition.

Who is this guide about?

“Pagan” is an umbrella term. The Pluralism Project at Harvard University describes Wiccans, Druids, and Heathens as distinct groups, each with many paths and traditions and their own variations of ritual. This guide draws mainly on Wiccan and Neo-Pagan sources. Wiccan funeral customs are often misunderstood, according to FuneralWise, so those who want a Wiccan funeral are encouraged to make their wishes known well in advance.

What do Pagans believe about death?

Views differ, but the Pluralism Project describes death as a passage to a spiritual world, and in some traditions to rebirth and reincarnation. A Covenant of the Goddess minister writes that Pagan traditions teach that death and life are linked. In many Wiccan traditions the other world is called the Summerland, and the person’s family may remember them at Samhain, the autumn festival of the dead. A Pagan interviewed by The Wild Hunt hopes to be remembered in the Samhain ritual after her death, and another says she wants her funeral to reflect who she was in life, Pagan or not.

What might I see at a funeral?

A funeral may be Pagan, a blend of Pagan and another faith, or entirely secular, as the Covenant of the Goddess guide notes; families choose. The Pluralism Project says Pagan funeral rites may include telling stories about the person who died, toasting their memory, and rituals meant to ease their passage to the next world. In a Wiccan rite, a circle is cast to set the space apart, and the example service in the Covenant of the Goddess guide calls the four elements and then opens the circle at the end. Many Pagans prefer potted plants or small living trees to cut flowers, so that the plants can live on as memorials, and a service may include water, earth, fire, and air, photographs, and objects the person loved. The service often includes music, readings, a eulogy, and time for people to share memories, and the guide says humor is welcome if the family approves.

A typical farewell is “Merry meet, and merry part, and merry meet again.” Afterward, a graveside act lets everyone take part: shoveling soil, planting seeds, placing coins or stones, or planting a tree. The service usually ends with a private moment for the immediate family.

What about the body, burial, and cremation?

The Covenant of the Goddess guide describes washing the body and thanking it for housing the person, and suggests keeping the body cool rather than embalming unless the person’s tradition calls for embalming. It recommends natural or eco-friendly caskets, and says cremation is a popular choice, which can be seen as a separation of body and spirit. FuneralWise says Wiccan funerals share many characteristics of green burial, often in an outdoor natural setting, though they may be held at a private home or, less often, a funeral home. Where natural burial is not allowed, Wiccans encourage cremation and burial of the ashes. Circle Sanctuary, a Pagan nonprofit, runs Circle Cemetery, a green cemetery established in 1995. See Natural Burial Grounds.

How can I be a good guest?

Follow the officiant’s lead. You may be invited to join hands or form a circle, and you can take part in whatever feels comfortable. The Covenant of the Goddess guide says nobody should be forced to view the body, and that the tone may mix grief and joy. Check the obituary or ask the family about flowers, because many prefer living plants or donations. Avoid stereotypes about witchcraft.

What should families and individuals planning ahead think about?

Write down your wishes. The Covenant of the Goddess guide urges every Pagan to leave an “Advanced Funeral Wishes” document covering burial or cremation, the tradition and type of rite, the tone, who should speak, and what should happen to ritual tools, and to store it where family can find it. Choose an officiant who knows your tradition; Circle Sanctuary’s annual report says its ministers provide end-of-life care and support for survivors. If your next of kin follows a different faith, written wishes matter, and Right of Disposition Explained covers who decides. For a home-led service, see Can You Have a Funeral Without a Funeral Home?.

What doesn’t this guide cover?

• Druid, Heathen, and other specific paths, each with its own practice
• Historical claims. The Covenant of the Goddess guide notes that modern rites adapt ancient practices, and that there is no archaeological proof that ancient Pagans washed their dead; these rites are modern adaptations, not ancient survivals
• African diaspora and living Indigenous religions. The Covenant of the Goddess guide deliberately leaves them out out of respect, and so does this guide
• Review by the community. This guide needs review by Pagan and Wiccan clergy and community members before it is promoted widely

Practices vary widely by community, family, and faith. This is general information, not religious or legal advice and not a substitute for the family’s own guidance. It has not yet been reviewed by members of the Pagan and Wiccan community.