One such ceremony is the crystal well ceremony, which she leads twice a month, at every full moon and every new moon. The ceremony is designed to "attune the self to the Earth," she says, and to "heal and balance."

In the candlelit shelter in her yard, a woman uses a mallet to strike the side of a deep 2-foot-wide bowl, producing a clear tone. She then runs the mallet along the bowl's edge, and the tone grows to a deep drone. Other participants repeat the process on smaller bowls, producing higher tones, until a chorus of resonating tones fills the space.

A woman lies face-up on the ground, and Heron begins to speak as the harmony continues.

"Feel the warm embrace of the great mother," she says. "Feel yourself putting down roots into the Earth. Feel them flowing downward like water. They seek the warmth and life of the Earth."

She continues speaking, urging the woman to release her tension, to release negative energy and welcome positive energy. The woman rises and smiles, a man takes her place on the ground and the ceremony repeats.

Jeremy Appling, who participates in the crystal well ceremonies, says he does so because of the way it connects him to the Earth.

"When you observe all the elements, you observe a really strong peace inside of you," he says.

Every pagan group chooses what rituals carry the most meaning for them, or they make up rituals of their own.

"It doesn't matter who made it up, or when," Duffy-Boose says. "It works. It's sacred. It's spiritual. It gives honor to things that deserve honor. It enlightens people. It assists people to live better lives."

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E-mail: dfelix@desnews.com