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Author Topic: I would like to hear about the preparations that you use  (Read 12849 times)

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DragonsFriend

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I would like to hear about the preparations that you use
« on: October 04, 2015, 02:10:49 PM »

I have rituals that precede the rituals that we hold. I would like to hear about your pre-ritual rituals.
I make the food for the altar, and my wife prepares the drink for the chalice. We have ritual showers, only rarely together when the ritual calls for that energy, to cleanse the body mind and spirit. I then spend time in meditation of the intent of the ritual. We set the altars and I then balance the quarters to fit the ritual. We have a discussion on the focus of the energy and how it will be raised. We define the expected behavior and set the minds and emotions of all participants at ease. Just before we enter the place that will become sacred space I lead a short meditation to clear our minds and to leave the physical outside the space. Calm minds and spirits are beneficial to most rituals.

This pretty well outlines my pre-ritual preparations. What do you do to prepare for walking between the worlds?
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dragonspring

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Re: I would like to hear about the preparations that you use
« Reply #1 on: October 04, 2015, 06:04:57 PM »

My preparations for ritual depend on the people who will be included.  My husband and I mostly practice alone and our personal rituals are usually very informal and spontaneous.  However, on occasion, we might include other close friends in a rite. For those occasions when we are acting as Gothi and Gythia for a group, I find that the ritual preparation involves writing the ritual, choosing the ritual elements, choosing an offering, preparing the altar, and preparing Feast and Sumbel.  Personal purification and grounding occur before the guests arrive as well as choosing ritual garb and jewelry.  We spend a moment before the rite explaining the purpose and then some time in the ritual call to allow all the participants to enter ritual consciousness and to invite the land spirits and Ancestors who might want to participate.
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vordan

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Re: I would like to hear about the preparations that you use
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2015, 05:40:33 AM »

In a group we tended to prepare in advance, gather what we needed and set up the altar, in additional we had a program or ritual written out for people to follow with instructions on who was doing what. Personal rituals are often very spontaneous and free, tried that in a group but usually resulted in complaining and confusion.
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DragonsFriend

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Re: I would like to hear about the preparations that you use
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2015, 01:41:30 AM »

The reason that spontaneous rituals do not work with a group of people is that there is nothing to keep people in time to what others are doing.
It is the same when any group gets together without some kind of guidance to keep them "on the same page" they get scattered and whatever they are trying to accomplish is lost in the chaos that springs from their individual emotions and perceptions.

Religions were created to focus the individual perceptions into a continuous thread with a single goal. Religions allow individuals with different perceptions of deity join in common while allowing the differences in their spiritualities to coexist in the group. The ancient Pagan religions were very tolerant of differences as long as their gods were not disrespected. In Arratu, as in the practices of ancient Sumer, all deity is accepted as our own but called by another name. I take it a bit further in that I believe even the very different gods and goddesses are simply aspects for which we have no name or sometimes a different name. If any one of you were to walk between worlds with us you would use your magikal name, the names of your parents, your patron deity to be recognized by the aspects of deity evoked in ritual. Whether you are calling a guardian or your ancestors you would use the same way to Identify yourself.
"I, my magikal name, whose parents are name and name and whose god and or goddess is name, call forth..."
Each of us is provided by the four guardians with a way to personally connect to each one yet we have their formal names that the rest of the group uses in the chant. The caller uses their personal name or sigil to bring them into our temple. It is necessary to keep the group attuned to where we are and what we are doing even though each individual has their own gifts with which to be identified by the spirits. In this aspect there is a personal mystery yet no mysteries tied to ones level of instruction. For that reason above all others Arratu is a personal religion as well as a public religion. The only oath bound secrets are the names of our members and the rites of passage. Those are revealed as you travel on the path to arrata. (arrata = (ahr raw tah) the magik). Arratu (ahr raw too) means the magik workers.
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A mature witch's life should reflect the balance of the universe
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