An Effective Ritual
By- Don Wildgrube- Have you ever written a fantastic ritual only to find out later that it did not go as expected, that your main idea was lost because there were too many distractions, or you planned for thirteen people and fifty people showed up, or the costumes and make up that looked good during daytime rehearsals were not noticeable under moonlight? The intention of this paper is to understand the mechanics of ritual and correct any problems before they occur. If you take the time to understand the workings of ritual and of people, you can have a ritual that will last in the participants minds for years as well as get the job done. After all, it takes a lot of planning to be spontaneous.
Always remember that you are creating an atmosphere, you are setting the tone for the activities. The Japanese have a term for this, it is Wu. Wu is the creation of an atmosphere, a feeling, of an ambience and it is understood that the Wu should not be broken.
What is ritual?
Ritual is the formalization of actions used to bring about a certain result. The ritual action may be magickal workings, worship, celebration of the season, of changes in peoples lives, or other things. Rituals have a beginning, a middle and an end.
Things to be considered:
A. Kind of ritual
B. Who will be the participants
C. Focus or Purpose of the ritual
D. Various elements of the ritual where, help, continuity
E. Simplicity
F. Plan “B”
G. Problems
H. Tips and Tricks of the trade
I. Examples
A. Kind of Ritual
Decide on the type of ritual: Is it for a Sabbat, is it for an esbat, is it a rite of passage, a healing ritual, etc.
In some cases two of these may be combined, but be aware that when two or more ideas are combined, that the energy is divided and if there are two things to consider, rather than each using 50%, it is more likely that the energy will be dissipated and it will be more like 25% for each with 50% being wasted in trying to make the transition from one to the other. It may look good on paper, but will your audience/participants be able to make the transition easily? If you do this, make sure that there is an appropriate segué. You cannot take it for granted that everyone knows what you are thinking. Your job as a Priestess/Priest is as a guide, not a tyrant to force things into place.
B. Who will be the participants?
Will the participants be only those of the Craft or Pagans. Will some of them be muggles, such as with a public Handfasting? Will the participants all be of the same tradition?
Will the ritual be “in good taste?” Decorum is very important to keep up the interest. If you have things that are up for discussion or debate, if there are things that just don’t fit, there will be more focus on what is wrong, rather than the purpose of the ritual.
There are certain other things to consider when planning a ritual. Is the ritual to be robed, is skyclad allowed. Are there to be street clothes or tuxedos. Or does it matter.
Whenever I do a Handfasting, there are usually members of the couple’s immediate family in attendance. It is important for me to ask what the couple expects of me. They know their family and they need to tell me, for example, what I should wear. Should I wear a robe, or maybe dress pants and a “clerical” color. Should it be casual or more formal. Should I wear shoes! (I would rather not.) For one of the Handfastings I did, jeans were appropriate, it was a Biker wedding. Another one I needed to wear a robe and crowns of flowers were placed on the heads of the bride and groom. They were exchanged by me three times in the name of the Mother, Maiden and Crone. But since I said this quietly, the brides parents who were Greek Orthodox understood it as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, so everything was OK.
C. Purpose or Focus of the Ritual.
Leo Buscalia, in a talk he gave several years ago, said about arguing, “If you’re going to argue, for God’s sake, do it at least until you know what you are arguing about!!” Let me turn that phrase: “If you are writing a ritual, for Goddess sake, please go through it until you know what the ritual is supposed to be about!” Some people put a lot of really good ideas together, with a lot of really neat props, etc., then are bewildered when it “doesn’t happen.” This to me is like going into a house filled with bric-a-brac. It is nice for the person that owns it, and it may be interesting to look at piece by piece, but when you stand back, it is all confusing and overwhelming.
What purpose does the particular ritual serve, what is the focus. Notice I said focus, not focii. Focus singular. You need to be able to describe out loud what the focus of the ritual is. Unless you can describe it to another person simply, how can you expect others to know what is going on? If you are going to use other minor sub-elements, make sure that they add to the focus and not detract.
D. Various elements of the ritual: where, help, continuity
If you take the common esbat ritual for example, you can see that there are three main parts:
1. Preparation: erecting the temple, drawing the circle, calling the elements, the God and Goddess.
2. The work: The magick, the asking of “boons,” the healing, and then the release of the energy, the “Cakes and Ale,” etc.
3. The ending, the releasing of the elements, God and Goddess and taking up the circle. I call it cleaning up your mess and putting all your toys away.
The first thing that I usually think about when writing a ritual is what is to be the climax of the ritual and build from there. Remember that in cases like this, the climax does not occur at the exact middle of energy raising. Much like the axiom in Astrology which says that planets exert more energy applying than separating,” in this case, there is more energy leading up to the climax than after. Try to build up slowly but surely, then the climax and then allow the climax to sink in.
Is the climax to be the raising of energy for healing or some other magick, or is this to be a celebration for a Sabbat. In the case of the Sabbat, is it raising and dancing the Maypole, or maybe burning the Wickerman, or lighting candles for Oimelc. Take a hint from speech writers: First tell the people what you are going to tell them; Tell them; then tell them what you told them.
Beginning - planning toward the climax. How do you lead the ritual to the climax. There needs to be a gradual build up based on the focus of the ritual. When you call the elements, the God an Goddess or even drawing the circle, keep the main focus in mind and use words, music, incense, etc. that are in harmony. It is best to start off slowly and subtly and build toward the climax. Allow the psyche of the participants to become comfortably led to the climax so they can experience it more fully. Suspense works in movies, but unless you want to scare or otherwise put the people off balance, let them enter with anticipation.
Middle - how do you bring the ritual to its zenith? Think of what will bring about the grand feeling of the purpose of the ritual. It may be the announcement or proclamation, or “fireworks.” Let your imagination go. What would bring people to the point to say to themselves, “What a nice way to present this!” or better yet what would bring about an overwhelming feeling of knowing within themselves. The Sufi’s have as their symbol a heart with wings. Within the Sufi dance/meditations, the focus is upon opening up the heart center to love unconditionally and to receive the giving of others. Try to achieve this kind of feeling. When friends came for a gathering, I knew what would set one person off. I put on a record of James Taylor singing, “You Have A Friend,” I looked over at my friend Susie, and she would look at me and burst out crying. Others got caught up in this great emotion and began to hug each other in one large bunch. All left not knowing that it was not spontaneous, but contrived and it serves the purpose to achieve this “Gemeinshaftsgefuhl,” or “Oceanic feeling,” as Abraham Maslow calls it.
End - what do you do to allow the energy to ebb and how do you ground the excess energy. If you are going to raise energy, please, please, have a reason for it. As Isaac Bonewits says in Real Magic, “there is some confusion among various groups as to what exactly should be done with the energies at the moment of firing.”
It is the lamest of reasons to just raise energy from the Earth and put it back into the Earth. Have these people never heard of the “Law of Diminishing Returns?” It takes energy to raise energy which is the reason afterwards for the “Cakes and Ale,” so if you are just into depleting your own energy, count me out. I am sure that what ever Deities are called to the circle will either be laughing at you or may leave with out you, if they were there at all.
If and when you raise energy, it is necessary to do something to get rid of any residual energy called forth. This may be by touching the ground, hugging a tree, or sharing a hug with someone else. In many cases if you are not wearing shoes, you are automatically connected to the earth and you are already grounded.
Rituals always work better when you have help. First off, it will take a load off of you, if you can let go. Secondly, you won’t come across as a “super star.” It may be “good to be King,” but you may end up with out a kingdom and you may lose your audience.
Another thing to try is to see if there is any way to include everyone in the circle. It could be by singing a familiar song or chant, a circle dance or as simple as a quick self introduction of first names only, or maybe the astrological sign or some other method of identification. Sometimes at Samhain, names of those that passed on are called out. You may do something like that but make sure that it fits and that it does not get out of hand.
Another thing is to make sure that there is continuity. Unless the ritual is designed for chaos, make sure that all elements dovetail smoothly. Make sure that if you are using a certain myth that all parts of the ritual follow that myth. As an example, if your focus in on the Goddess Isis, the color light blue should predominate. Use light blue candles and altar cloths. Maybe pick an incense that was used in the Temples of Isis. Make sure that there are Isis figurines around and maybe the hieroglyphic symbols of the throne chair.
Try to include all your senses. The incense is important, music and chanting are important, the taste and texture of the “Cakes and Ale” are important, the visual aspect of the ritual is important. The texture of anything else that is passed in the circle is important. And they all must be in harmony with the focus of the ritual. Don’t skimp on the details. Even if they are not consciously noticed, they surely will be by the subconscious.
E. Simplicity
After you finally have all the elements of your ritual together and you have written your ritual, check to see if things need to be pared down. Don’t let your ego keep you from cutting out something that just doesn’t fit or could be made simpler. Some rituals drone on and on just because the person that wrote the ritual has something that they think is important to say. If the talk detracts from the focus, and causes uneasiness or shuffling among the others, cut it out. Even while the ritual is being performed, keep an eye on the participants. Sometimes you need to change “on the fly.” Of course make sure that others taking part in the ritual understand what is going on. Once the focus of the ritual has been decided upon, keep to it. “…let naught stop you or turn you aside,” and remember KISS, Keep It Simple, Stupid!
F. Plan “B”
What if it should rain? How about if the place you plan upon is no longer available. Allow your ritual to be flexible enough that it could take place somewhere else at a different time. Can the props be used in another place. Is there, for example, electricity if electronic music is needed, or will a battery powered “boom box” work? Just because you think that you have a certain rapport with the weather, don’t assume that someone else in the next county doesn’t and is more powerful.
If things go wrong, this is not time to wring your hands or “pick up your ball and go home.” You have consented to do the ritual, it is your responsibility as a Priestess or Priest, acting or actual, to do it! And do it well!
G. Problems to consider
One of the main problems in a large ritual is that there is too much cross talking. Sure, people need to show the proper respect but when they are not shown a reason for the respect, their attention will wander. In broadcasting there is a term, “Dead Air.” The next time you listen to the radio or listen to the TV, count the number of seconds of silence. Unless there is a malfunction with the programming, there is none. An exception is in a drama where there is a “pregnant pause.” If the drama is good, you will be on the edge of your seat, trying to anticipate the next sound. Time is sold in minutes and literally, time is money to them. We are products of the mass media and we should take a cue from them. Don’t provide an opportunity for minds to wander. As an example, when there are things to be done at the altar that take up time and the people just stand around and watch and wonder what is going on, someone could be explaining what is going on, or a song or chant that fits could be started. Or maybe there could be another activity going on in another part of the circle that would serve to accentuate what is taking place at the altar. Remember Focus!
If you are going to have special effects, fire of different colors, a flaming arrow to kindle a bonfire, lights or sounds to come on cue, or just background music, make sure that you have tested them out thoroughly in rehearsal. And as always, have a back up plan.
Be prepared to have more people or less people than you expect. It is necessary to be flexible. Have enough food and drink available. Be ready to expand or reduce the size of the circle, and with as little disruption as possible. This may be done like a game. People will play a game, but are not good at just making a circle smaller, larger or rounder. You need to be prepared to orchestrate it. Remember what Pete Pathfinder said, “Trying to get Pagans organized is like trying to herd cats.”
We all know that you are all perfect and always RSVP, realize that not all people are considerate as you. Remember the Wu.
Tricks of the Trade
Make the script easy to remember. Reading from a slip of paper tends to distract from the ritual. It is better to commit the ritual parts to memory. Sometimes writing the ritual words in rhyme is easier to remember. An exception to this is when a story is related. If this is to be read, please, please, don’t use a plain three ring binder. Use some form of decorated book. Take a hint from your grade school days when a comic book was placed in a regular book. When held up the teacher wouldn’t be the wiser. I have a Book of Shadows that I failed to finish. It was covered in red velvet and had brass hardware. I simply placed the ritual reading inside of the book. Another thing that can be done is to carefully paste the pages end to end and roll on dowels to look like a scroll. The paper can be treated with a tea solution to “age” them.
In regard to reading various parts of the ritual. I find that if I print the words largely and on one side of the paper, it is easy to read holding it between a candle flame and yourself. Work it into your ritual to have the candles lit before the reading. In my Mother Coven, one of the offices was that of the Maiden, or deputy High Priestess. It is one of her jobs to hold a candle for whomever is speaking (reading).
Make certain motions for various part of the ritual, such as use mudras at each one of the quarters. At one of my rituals, no speaking was allowed. Every word spoken had to done in rhyme or song. While doing this, a mudra was done. At another ritual, there was nothing spoken at the quarters. Each person that called a quarter had to do some kind of motion to represent the quality of the quarter, and do something to represent the beckoning of the spirit of the quarter. This particular ritual lends itself to have those calling the quarters to be volunteers. (Of course, don’t let on beforehand how the quarters are to be called.
Being outside lends to special effects such as throwing a packet of saltpeter (potassium nitrate) into a fire at certain times. Even simpler is to throw some “Cremora” into the fire, but make sure that you don’t hold it in your hands and allow it to absorb moisture from your hands.
Sometimes, inside ceiling fans or vents may tend to extinguish candle flames. Or outside the breezes can extinguish candles. I this case you can either buy “hurricane” candles or make them. To make a hurricane candle, obtain a tall, slim clear jar, or we used to cut the tops off of wine bottles. Put a couple of inches of sand in the bottom. Cut the candles down so that they are an inch or two below the top of the jar.
Not all rituals need follow the formula presented earlier. The reason for ritual is to convey a feeling, tell a story or other such thing. Doing a play or skit is in many cases more effective in getting the point across. At one time my group put on a puppet show. The show was for yule and we did the original “Christmas story,” which was the story of the birth of Horus. The puppets were flat cardboard drawings, and since this was an Egyptian story, the characters were drawn in Egyptian style.
If when you use incense, make it yourself. It’s easy. You need a base, such as sawdust from a fruit tree, pine needles, or white sandlewood powder. Add the proper herbs, add some oil (candle oils work well) and then add potassium nitrate, a maximum of 10%. If you reach the optimum balance, you incense will be very smokey, and smell great.
Examples
Oimelc - at one of our Oimelc rituals, a very pregnant woman was borne in on a litter to signify the birth of the vegetation at Ostara. If weather permits, or the ritual is done inside, and semi-nudity is OK, a large red spiral can be painted on the “belly” of the lady and/or the runic symbol, Beth, can be painted there.
Ostara - “Ostara” eggs are always popular. A pre ritual gathering can be held where boiled eggs are decorated or raw eggs can have their inside blown out and decorated.
At one of our rituals, I made a large dome out of conduit and covered it with brown paper and blankets. This was the cave of the ancients and after we meditated with one lone candle inside, we left the cave and were blessed for being reborn.
Beltane - For this ritual, we started in the daytime. We had paper leaves pinned to the men. The leaves had a number on them and was pinned on so that the number could not be seen, and the men did know which one had the number or where it was pinned. Next the men had to line up facing the woman, about 10 or 15 feet apart. The men then had to either sing, recite a poem they made up or otherwise woo the females. At a given signal, the men ran to be chased by the women who were to snatch the leaves off of the males. When all the leaves are taken off of the men, the a number was drawn and the woman that had that number was claimed the Queen of the May. This could also be done in reverse with women having paper cutout flowers with numbers on them. Then the women were chased until all of them were “deflowered.”
Ritual to Eris - When our group got too serious, I came up with a ritual to Eris, the Goddess of Discord, on April 1st. In this ritual, we made fun of everything we held sacred. The story of Eris follows: It seemed that Eris was considered a pain when it came to what was expected of the Gods of Mt. Olympus. Zeus held a party and decided to not inviter her. She fashioned a golden apple which was engraved with “Kallisti” on it, which means to the most beautiful. Eris crashed the party and rolled the golden apple in midst of Hera, Aphrodite and other beautiful Goddesses. An argument ensued and Zeus picked Paris to judge which was the most beautiful. He picked Helen, which started a real battle, the Trojan Wars*.
Litha (Midsummer) - Medieval games can be played along the lines of the time of Robin Hood, since according to the story, Midsummer is when the games were played and the Sheriff of Nottingham held his archery contest. Another thing that can be done, especially if you have members of the SCA available, is a sword fight between the Oak King and the Holly King, with the Oak King winning.
Lugnasaad - At this festival, the baker of the tribe can bake an atomically correct bread man. (Place a cone of aluminum foil over the penis or it will burn!) At the ritual, the bread is consecrated but the first of the bread is broken off in pieces and thrown around the perimeter of the property.
Mabon - A lot of people use the mythology of God, Mab, but I prefer the story of the Faerie Queen, Mab. At our ritual, people arriving were requested to go in the back yard and help decorate the Circle with flowers, etc. Later everyone except the players went inside and a story was begun. “One day as I was walking through a beautiful glen, the birds were singing and the animals were frolicing. As I walked through the fragrant flowers and grass, I came to a slight rise.
As I topped the hill, I saw…” and the next person adds to the story, etc. Outside, giant flowers and mushrooms made from paper maché, were placed around the circle. At the doorway a decorated trellis was put in place. A messenger went inside and invited the people inside to take a trip to “Fair Elfland.” Outside were people stationed at the quarters. They had “Robin Hood” type hats and Jerkins that matched the symbolic color of the quarters. The quarters were not called since each person at the quarters represented the quarters, instead, they identified themselves as the quarter and invited the people to partake of their circle.
Samhain - I decided to write a Harry Potter type ritual with Voldemort the focus of the death aspect. The calls were done in “Pigeon Latin,” chemicals were to be thrown into the fire to flare up in differing colors to match the quarters, and at the climax, Roman Candles were set off.*
Yule - I have a few variations that we have done:. One was mentioned earlier, that of the Egyptian Puppet Show. This is actually very important since the Christian mythology found in Luke chapter 2, was added much after the gospel was written and used one of the myths of the birth of Horus. The names were changed but the essence of the story remains. Jesus was Horus, his father Joseph was Geb and Mary was Isis. (Both Isis and Mary [Mere} were Ocean Goddesses). The couple and child were persecuted by Herod, in the Horus story it was a serpent (snake in the grass) named Herot.*
Yule Pageant - This was a skit that I wrote that takes place in medieval times. A King and Queen on the throne, and winter arriving for the first time. The Druid brings in a Hag causing the ice and snow. Father Winter is called who lectures them about taking care of the Earth and then gives his spark of life to return the season to spring. As the fire blazes, the tree is magically lit and the Hag dances, throwing off her cloak to reveal the young Goddess of Spring.
Birth of the Sun God - A standard ritual is done but in the middle of it, the Priestess excuses herself and after cutting a doorway, she leaves to return very pregnant. She is the Mother Goddess and tells the story of Her pregnancy and the impending birth of the Sun God. She goes into labor and gives birth to a golden helium balloon. The balloon is released and takes his place in the skies.
So you can see that a ritual can be more than just the same old tired ritual. The idea of ritual is to get people involved either by actually taking part in the ritual or to become involved in the story. These types of rituals make an impression and awaken the psyche.
Conclusion
Writing rituals can be fun and allow you to be creative as well as instill a message. Do not let yourself become so verbose that the meaning of the ritual is lost. Remember that you have taken on a role that has commitments.
In the 60’s the psychologist, Fritz Perls, said, in part: “I am not in this world to live up to expectations and you are not in this world to live up to mine…” Regardless of what Fritz Perls says, there are certain expectations put upon the Priesthood. Be aware of them and in many cases you need to incorporate these expectations. You, as a Priestess/Priest, are not leaders in the sense of a King or Queen, you are guides, your duty is one of service. In climbing up the ladder of “leadership,” you may just find out that up means down.
About the author- Although retired now, I (Don) have been working in the Pagan and Wiccan Community for 45 years. Most of it was in the St. Louis area, but I spent several years in Florida, and I am an Ordained Priest of the Church of All Worlds.
Thank you for reading! We hope that you enjoyed this article and if you would like to see more from Mr. Wildgrube feel free to let us know.
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Text is by Brother Don Wildgrube
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