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- Black Moon Ritual,
-
- Conquering the Shadows,
-
- by Sor.: Zauberkraut
-
-
- Dealing with ones fears and socalled shadows is essential to the
- aspiring magician. Only through continously facing and conquering
- our shadows can we put ourselves truly in charge of our lives. Being
- in touch with, and realistic about "the dark night of the soul" is
- also a tool against the most dangerous, and common, sickness of the
- magician: megalomania and paranoia.
-
- It appears that the majority of humans in this society go through
- life in a moderately depressed state. It seems that people avoid
- major mood changes, preferring to be more or less miserable at all
- times. One who does not know the deep pit of fear and depression
- will also never know the high altitudes of ecstasy.
-
- This ritual is designed to get people in touch with their shadows
- and to overcome them. Our fears and depressions are in fact our
- demons and shadows. For the individuals who refuse to deal with them
- they become ever more treacherous and powerful. To quote Fra.: U.D.:
- "If you lock the demons in the basement they are going to blow up
- your house!"
-
- Paraphernalia: Black altar cloth, one black candle, tarot card XVIII
- (The Moon), Hecate or Moon/Pluto incense, tapes with appropriate
- music (Diamanda Galas "The Saint of the Pit" and Laibach "Life is
- Life), white votive candles in glass containers, one for each
- participant, to be used to cast out unwanted shadows.
- Structure:
-
- -Banishing ritual of personal preference.
-
- -Statement of intent: "It is our will to face and overcome our
- shadows".
-
- -Five minutes of guided pranayama during which the instrumental
- portion of the Diamanda Galas is played. The Magister Templi guides
- the pranayama by raising and lowering his or her hands over the
- altar in time with the breathing. He or she should begin to slow the
- breathing down gradually in order to allow all of the participants
- to tune in and breath simultaneously.
-
- -At the end of the instrumental portion of the tape participants
- form a circle facing outwards, for we must conquer our shadows by
- ourselves. Here a guided meditation follows while the music
- continues:
-
- Remember a time in your life when you were truly miserable, you have
- become terribly depressed, you feel you have no value, your love has
- betrayed you, life is pain.
-
- You begin to feel very weak now, all your will power is gone and you
- are frightened. Your knees are shaking, no strength, no hope,
- nothing can help you now.
-
- Lie down on the floor, curling up in an embryonic position, you are
- alone, nobody is present to help you, all of your friends have left,
- your parents have long since departed. You have nothing any more,
- terrified you lay there.
-
- This is the dark night of the soul, you are completely obsessed by
- pain, insanity, depression. You begin to go insane with misery as
- the shadows around you begin to cackle with delight. There is naught
- you can do in the paralyzing anxiety. There is absolutely nobody
- there to assist you. All that remains is total surrender.....
-
- (All of this litany should have been read in a slow enough fashion
- to allow the participants to trance out and the tape to end. During
- the rest of the meditation the M.T. moves about lighting the candles
- one by one.)
-
- Yet in darkness there is light! Feel the life force retuming to you.
- Feel your heartbeat strong and vigorous, fill your lungs with air,
- roll onto your back and stretch. Stretch your body as though it were
- recently awakened from a long deep sleep. Stretch with your arms,
- legs, back and neck. You are attempting to touch the universe, open
- your senses and your eyes as wide as they possibly can be. Get up
- and take your candle from the altar, passing it over your body. Cast
- out all that is not strong, healthy, vibrant and whole. Tune in
- completely with the light and allow it to heal you. Take your time
- allowing its rays to permeate your being, cleansing every aspect.
- Make certain there is nothing left that is not light, bright and
- strong.
-
- When you are ready, replace the candle upon the altar in the middle
- of the temple. (At this point place the Laibach tape in the player
- if you desire.)
-
- -All partcipants hold hands and move rhythmically around the altar,
- ever faster, drawing the combined life force within.
-
- -At the climax of the circumambulation collapse to the floor whilst
- performing a laughter banishing.
-
- -Closing banishing of preference if desired.
-
-
- -oOo-
-