NEO-PAGAN RITUAL

          #1619  05 Aug 85  22:48:33 (RECV'D) 
          From: Curly Howard  To: Da Sysop 
          See also msg # 17  
          Subject: NEO-PAGANISM 
          Alright,  I don't want  to sound dumb,  but I have no  idea what these
          rituals entail. What goes on during these, and what is their purpose ?
                                           Curly Howard 
           
          #1719  06 Aug 85  11:59:57 (RECV'D) 
          From: Brad Hicks  REPLY To: Curly Howard 
          Reply to msg # 16    See also msg # 18  
          Subject: NEOPAGAN RITUAL 
           
                Boy, youdon't ask the easyones.  Dr. Regardie takes12 volumes to
          answer this one; Aleister  Crowley, 13 or so; Isaac Bonewits, two (and
          that's only introductory).   
            
                I'lltry to summarize, but ifyou're really interested, track down
          Starhawk's THE SPIRAL DANCE for further details.  Most scholars divide
          ritual into two classes:  1)  theurgic, and 2) thaumaturgic.  In fancy
          words,  this means that  either you are  praying to make  your self "a
          better person" or "closer to God/ess" or "to be saved from your sins",
          or you  are praying for the  God/ess to intervene in  the world around
          you - prayers for peace, for money, for health, etc.   
            
                Neopagan ritual partakes of  both aspects, to some extent.  In a
          typical ritual, various  techniques (as old as  humanity) are used  to
          "raise the  power," then the power is focused via  magickal symbols to
          contact  the God(s)  and/or  Goddess(es) who  are  being called  upon.
          He/She/They take that  magickal energy, augment it,  and return it  to
          the circle.   The  High Priest/ess  then focuses  that  energy on  the
          target  - the  object or  person to  be  affected, if  any -  then any
          energies that remain  (or the total  energy, if  there is no  magickal
          target) are returned to the Gods, via a processes called "grounding." 
            












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                To paraphrase UncleIsaac's wonderful book onthe subject, youhave
          the wind-up, the pitch, and the follow-through.   
            
                The windup uses any ritual techniques that are appropriate to a)
          the  setting,  b) the  purpose of  the  ritual, c)  the  deities being
          contacted, and d) the skills of  the participants.  The universals are
          chanting, dance, and "ritual theatre."  There are, of course, others. 
           
                The "pitch" uses beautiful, poetic imagery in guided meditations
          and ritual movement.   Occasionally (if possible), this uses music and
          dance.   Once the  gods  are contacted  and the  energy  flows, it  is
          concentrated  in an object - usually  cakes and wine, but occasionally
          by  other   means  -   and  distributed,   symbolically  to   all  the
          participants.   Having partaken of the  energy thus raised, the guided
          meditations direct the  people in focusing their energy on the purpose
          at hand.   
            
                Finally,   the  High   Priest  or   Priestess  goes   through  a
          "follow-through",   which  involves   dissolving  the   "group  mind",
          reassuring  people that what we have worked is done and was effective,
          and then "grounding" any loose energies, so that when the group leaves
          the ritual circle, they are back in their normal minds.   
            
                As I write, it occurs to me thatthe real answer to your question
          lies in that last sentence  - "back in their normal minds."   Neopagan
          ritual  is a  collection  of tools  and techniques  for  altering your
          consciousness, temporarily,  to a place  where the Gods  and Goddesses
          are real and near, where  we as their children and lovers  and friends
          can worship them, and where the magick  we work can come true.  Having
          convinced ourselves  of this, we act  on it, then return  to our daily
          lives refreshed.   
            
                (Gods, what a bunch of gibberish! You would have been better off
          reading the books!)  
            
                Anyway, I tried.  Anyone else  (esp. Black Dragon if he shows up
          again, as he's worked at  least as much ritual as I)  please feel free
          to add or comment.  Was this the kind of answer you wanted, Curly?   
            
                             - Reverend Talespinner, O.S.C. 
                               Clan Destiny Chapel of Eris & Dionysus 
                               (aka, Brad Hicks) 






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