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Dawn Dickson of the ACMCV In 1974 Lionel Murphy’s dream was realised,  to enable people to be married by their peers, with words of their choice, at a time and place of their choice, in circumstances that suited them. Prior to then, marriages were the domain of the Christian churches or State Registry Offices.  Non-believers,… Continue reading Why 3 days notice to marry is a bad idea.

by Dally Messenger IIIFoundation President of the Funeral Celebrants of Association of Australia (1977): Principal of the International College of Celebrancy: Author of the text – “Ceremonies and Celebrations” (Hachette Livre) Published in the Australian Humanist no 100 Summer 2010 p13See also – Funerals by Celebrants —This heart was woven of human joys and cares,Washed… Continue reading The Secular / Humanist Funeral

by Kate Armon and Craig Smith – Reviewed by Dally Messenger Mark O’ Connor, the distinguished poet, said that poems at funerals should be understood at the first reading. The cover of Poetry for Funerals by Kate Armon and Craig Smith calls it a unique collection of poems. I would prefer to call it a… Continue reading Poetry for Funerals

By Kate Armon and Craig Smith – Funeral Celebrants Description Of the many funeral poems that have been written over the years, it is sometimes difficult to find one that truly reflects your loved one. Many traditional poems, while beautiful in nature and spirit, just don’t capture the essence of the person once known and… Continue reading Poetry for Funerals

Introduction The Naming Ceremony is a meaningful secular celebration of the arrival of a new life, wherein the child is given a name.The parents, godparents, grandparents and guests express their love, support and commitment to the child. This ceremony, which originated in Australia, is also practised by civil celebrants in different countries including New Zealand,… Continue reading History of the Naming Ceremony as performed by Civil Celebrants

Ceremony refers to a ritual or symbolic event that is performed with a sense of importance and often includes specific actions or symbols. Ceremonies can serve a variety of purposes and can be found in various cultures and societies throughout the world. One advantage of ceremony is that it can provide a sense of community… Continue reading Why do we have Ceremonies?

By Wanda Brittain You are the Celebrant you are the Ritual Maker you are the crucible in to which the mysteries are poured. You are the sacred vessel which  holds the wisdom of the shamans the pure light of the priestess and  the knowledge of the wise ones. You are the book of empowerment that… Continue reading You are the Celebrant -Poem

Believers and Unbelieversby Dally Messenger III – written on 4 Jan, 1997 (modified Dec 2022) Twenty years or so ago*, I got myself into a passionate argument. Two of my teaching colleagues at Haileybury College in Melbourne were making the case that it was a good thing to go to church on Sunday, and to… Continue reading Do the clergy really believe in the supernatural?

There are 10,000 celebrants out there. 8000 more than is needed. Stephen Brook asked me what would I do if I was Attorney-General for two hours. I would call in the best public servants I had and ———————————————————- Dally Messenger III