Ritual Lab
Ceremonies for People and Planet at the PNC Center for Sacred Arts
Eco-Chaplain Circe Moss MacDonald serves as the Spiritual Director and ceremonial guide at the Portland New Church Center for Sacred Arts. She brings a grounding presence and a creative spirit to life thresholds where people join together in marriage, and where lives are honored in passing. Since 2003, Circe has been leading fresh, unique, and sometimes whimsical ceremonies:
​Neo-traditional weddings, Fairy weddings, themed weddings, elopements, second (or third or fourth) marriages, LGBTQ marriages, marriages for people in recovery, and weddings for those of faith or no faith.
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“Celebration of Life” services for our beloved dead have unfolded in a library garden, with a toasting ceremony in a favorite pub, and gathered close around a kitchen table. Each one reflects the spirit of the person being remembered; a memorial can be as unique and personal as the life it honors.
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Circe’s ceremonies are co-created with joy, gratitude, and reverence for the natural world, making them deeply meaningful for those who identify as spiritual but not religious as well as for those who simply wish to mark life’s passages with authenticity and care.
Circe welcomes the opportunity to meet with you, to listen to your story, and to co-create a ceremony that feels true to your life. Free 30-minute consultations upon request. Contact her at circe.moss@gmail.com, or 717-961-0270. To learn more, visit Ritual Lab. Rituallab.org
Weddings
Circe offers several affordable options for couples at the PNC Center for Sacred Arts, from simple and intimate to deeply personalized and celebratory:
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Simple Civil Ceremony – $120
A short and sweet simple ceremony for up to 10 guests. -
Wedding Package – $300
Includes a simple ceremony, use of the PNC Center for Sacred Arts sanctuary for one hour, and tables and chairs for up to 50 people. You bring your own flowers, music, and refreshments. -
Personalized Wedding Ceremony – $600
A more in-depth ceremony shaped around your love story and your shared vision for the life ahead. Circe guides an in-depth consultation, creates a personalized ceremony, with a unique process for vow creation that can serve as a blueprint for your marriage. Includes use of the sanctuary for 2+ hours, with time for gathering, ceremony, and celebration. You bring your own flowers, music, and refreshments.
Circe is also available to advise you on obtaining your marriage license and will file the completed certificate for you.
*The PNC only allows non-alcoholic beverages in the sanctuary.
Celebrations of Life
Circe supports families in honoring the life of their departed with compassion and care. Each ceremony is created to reflect the essence of the person being remembered and to provide space for both grief and gratitude.
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Simple Ceremony – $240
A tender, heartfelt gathering with a set format. Includes a consultation to prepare, and 1+ hour in the sanctuary. -
Memorial Package – $400
A personalized ceremony shaped with readings, music, and shared storytelling. Includes 2+ hours in the sanctuary, and pre-consultation to design the experience. -
Full Celebration of Life – $600
A deeply crafted ceremony co-created with family and friends. Includes extensive consultation, writing, and ceremony design, and 2+ hours in the sanctuary. May incorporate music, ritual elements, storytelling, and communal practices to honor the fullness of your loved one’s life.
Additional options include audio-visual accompaniment such as a slideshow and/or live Zoom feed for out-of-town guests (available for an additional fee). Circe also officiates green burials at Maine’s natural cemeteries, helping families create ceremonies that honor both their loved one and the Earth.
