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TCOURSE.03
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1995-11-25
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III.DAY THREE: BASIC RITUAL TECHNIQUES
The previous two courses teach the full minimum necessary to work
solo magick. The remaining two days will concentrate on group
ritual. In Day Three, we will discuss the basic techniques.
To explain the outline, relate the outline of the three Essentials
of Eastern magick - mandalla, mantra, and mudra.
A. Mantra - Music and Chanting
Discuss the three types of mantra most often used in Neopagan
ritual: memorized chants (for creating and focusing the Group
Mind), impromptu chanting (for advanced meditation and growing
together), and plainsong (for worship).
1. Memorized Chants
Teach them the chants listed below. Then run quickly (for
familiarization purposes only) through "We Wander Now",
"Hoof and Horn", "Burn Bright", "Circle 'Round the Fire",
and any others that I can remember on the spot.
a. "We All Come from the Goddess"
We ALL - COME from the GODdess
AND to HER we SHALL reTURN
LIKE a DROP - OF - RAIN
FLOWing TO the O-CEAN (repeat)
b. "I Circle Around"
I CIRcle aROUND, I CIRcle aROUND ...
the BOUN-'DRIES OF the EARTH ...
WEARing my LONG tail FEAthers AS I GLIDE ...
WEARing my LONG tail FEAthers AS I GLIDE ... (repeat)
c. "Air I Am"
(evenly spaced, every syllable emphasized)
Air I am,
Fire I am,
Water, Earth and Spirit I am ... (repeat)
d. "The Goddess Chant"
iSIS, aSTARte, diANna, HECaTE,
deMEter, KALi - inNAna (repeat)
2. Impromptu Chanting
Discuss the uses of impromptu chanting: ecstatic magick
(where one can't count on elaborate chants) and for deep
probing rituals, where they are used for free association.
As an example, demonstrate the three-word style that
Starhawk teaches in SPIRAL DANCE. Emphasize the use of
beat and tempo as unifying factors.
3. Plainsong
For contrast, sing the NROOGD classic, "O Earth Mother" to
demonstrate that not all ritual music needs to be in the
form of basic chants.
B. Mudra - Movement and Dance
1. Ritual Dance
(This section has not yet been finalized. Current plans
focus on simple circle-dance steps, the famed "spiral
dance", and then brief discussion of free-form dance and
ecstatic ritual.)
2. Theater Techniques
Remind people that one of the purposes of ritual is to
catch and hold the attention of Child Self, and point out
that the language that Child Self speaks best is
melodrama. Instruct them that gestures and actions in the
Circle should speak loud enough that words are not
necessary. Then, since they undoubtedly won't get the
point, do two exercises to rub their noses in it.
a. Banishing Exercise
Set up a circle, then pick out someone who seems to
know a bit about magick. Get him to go to one of the
quarters and ground and center. Then have him
visualize a threat approaching from his quarter, and
tell him to do a banishing. (He will inevitably do
something traditional, elaborate, and sterile.)
Relax him, then ask the class how THEY would have
reacted, if THEY were attacking the circle, to what
he had done. Pick an absolute novice, put him in the
same place, ground and center, pump them up with
melodrama and heroics, then describe a different
menace and instruct them to scare it off, turn it
away (don't use the word "banish"). See if the
gestures aren't more dramatic.
b. Charging Exercise
Pick a couple who seem to know a bit about magick (if
possible), and have them ground, center, and use the
wand and chalice for a symbolic Great Rite. (See if
they do anything more sexual than just stick the wand
into the cup - I doubt it.) Relax them, then point
out to the class that the energies to be raised in
this exercise are to be earthy and sexual, EXACTLY
like the "rush" or thrill of heavy flirtation. Then
pick the most COMPATIBLE-looking couple (if possible)
and repeat the exercise (and see if they don't make
it more energetic).