What is the core part of your Druidic ritual? Is the space crafted in order to carry out some action, either direct or symbolic? Do you use magic in any way? Let us know what you do and why: email us (either keep it to 150 words or less, or send a full article).
Mark Williams : The core of a ritual consists of a series of symbolic acts. These have to stir the heart to be meaningful. Usually, they come under the headings of ‘Purifications’, ‘Invocations’ or ‘Thanksgivings’. I can’t give a description here, but gesture, symbolic objects, offerings, music and, especially, fire are all common elements in our Grove. I strongly believe that all the senses should be intoxicated by ritual. The Winter Solstice rite of the Mistletoe (for which we have a set ‘liturgy’) is one example: when we touch the mistletoe to the earth, the fire is lit at that moment. But it is filled with dried bay branches, and so explodes into crackling, clove-scented life. Nothing kills the joyful moment of the sun’s rebirth that someone on their knees in the mud, trying to light the fire and hissing frantically ‘Who put all the dead ones back in the box?!’ At our Samhain rite, each person pours a whole bottle of spirits into the fire from a brass bowl, as an offering to their ancestors. This goes whoooomph! with an extremely impressive blue-gold flame. But everyone has to get up and back off each time, which has the beautiful effect of having the Grove stand to honour each member’s beloved dead. At Beltane, bread and honey are dished out, and at Imbolc a cloak is wrapped around people’s shoulders with invocations to Brighid. And one or more people always sing or recite poetry. Simplicity is the key, as is practice!
Kris Hughes : This is dependant on the nature of the rite. During open rituals we use as much visual and audio input as possible to shaken the senses, to instill that sense of awreness in those present. Symbolic action lends itself well to open rituals where we celebrate the drama of sun and moon, of passage and celebration. During closed rituals where relationships develop we require direct action through overtly energetic means, the transference of energy through sex, sensory depravation, physiological trauma (e.g. sweat lodge rites of Hypothermic chambers, where heat or cold are used to alter the mind) etc. Direct action in my opinion requires commitment, sacrifice and dedication, it is where a group or an individual leaves the confines of the human mind during intense ritual, accessing the subtler senses and the other worlds of consciousness.
Phil Ryder : Action, whether direct or symbolic is an important part of ritual. It may be something very simple or very dramatic but it wakens the senses and aids focus. In open group ritual stimulating all the senses by speech, movement, sight, smell, touch and even taste can enable all present to feel connection and gives a sense of ownership, responsibility and belonging. I feel it is equally important though not to over do it, it is very easy for the ritual to descend into the realm of amateur dramatics.
George Chaplin : I inadvertently did the most amazing ritual on Saturday night.
One of the Tara campaigners had come over to visit in order to
gain respite from the violence currently happening at Tara, and I
decided that it would be a good idea to camp at the Northern Henge at
Thornborough.
We lit a small fire at the firepit and I thought it might be nice
to light some tealights and place them around the henge. Before I knew
it I started blessing each candle in the name of Brigantia/Brighid and
eventually I must have placed around 60 candles in total and with each
candle I had felt the energy of the place rising. At the end I looked
around and what had I created? A massive pentagram!
In the centre, where we were camping, the energy was almost unbearable, but it gave us great comfort.
All of my best rituals have the absolute minimum of planning; in
this case there was virtually none, it was completely spontaneous.
(Obviously, the following day I cleared up every tea-light after me,
another important aspect of rituals for me is to leave the place as you
found it.)
Ximena Eduarda : The central part is linked to how goddesses/gods/spirits/entities present in the place and/or invoked answer, after the place is arranged, offer/sacrifices and its elements are well placed. Signals, events and perceptions received, in my rituals as well as in group ones. That is the apogee of the ritual, towards which all previous actions are intended. After this the intensity diminishes. Certainly, fire ignition and how it behaves is also a very special moment. And, in group rituals, passing around coca leaves and alcohol for libation is a deliberate action to connect the energies of all present.
Through magic powers are activated/awoken: arms/dance to remove energies, vibrations/heartbeats with words/chants/drums, fire/water to reach the qualities of herbs/plants/minerals/others, wool/wood/stone to tend bridges to other worlds, emotion irradiation to melt barriers, ingredients mixing to provoke reactions, hands for fluid transference, eyes to stop/protect/crossover/move, igneous impetus to transform and others.
