Eight

Engage the Subconscious

It is a luscious path, filled with color, and sound, and words to delight the senses. Each stop engages my chakras, setting them to vibrate and glow. I enter the sacred space to joyous singing, and I am brought before the radiant Goddess with bounty about her, and she offers me my shining crown. In the darkness I join a hundred others, basking in their collective glory, heads all aglow. I listen, sing, and soak it all in.

Journey into the Light ritual

From Starhawk about ritual: “A ritual that works moves us emotionally. It speaks to our Younger Self through the language of the senses, using color, smells, tastes, actions, rhythm, music, poetry, and dance to make us all participant heroes of our own stories.” 20

Before we begin to elaborate on the practical aspects of building effective ritual, we have one more important element of ritual to consider and decide how to include. How will you take your ritual intent, the story you wish to tell, and engage your audience in a way that they become personally involved and invested in the ritual? Reaching directly into your participants’ subconscious through symbols and sensory experience is the quickest and surest method to engage your audience.

Most of these engagement techniques involve stimulating the senses. The rest of the methods involve directly touching the emotional foundations within our audience. How the personal engagement you incorporate into a ritual ties into your intent will define how your audience will personalize the ritual and be affected. Without this intimate and individual connection, all your efforts will likely be seen as just an entertaining pageant.

Symbols and Symbolism

We are surrounded by symbols, from the familiar octagon stop sign to the peace sign “V” from the 1960s. They are a visual shortcut to a concept or emotion. They can also reflect the complex or archetypal roots of human experience. Symbols enrich and define our experience in ritual. Whenever you are tempted to use words of explanation in ritual, first explore visual images that can convey your intent. Even those that are uncommon, or from ancient or foreign cultures, will resonate with your audience. There are symbols that will elicit a primal response from humans, much as a hummingbird will be drawn to anything red as a source of sweet food.

In ritual the perception and impact of every action and word are heightened in importance, taking on symbolic meaning whether you intend them to or not. The secret to creating effective ritual is to recognize this and make choices about what you present rather than leaving it to chance.

Think about the state or condition that you want your participants to attain. What images are relevant to the intention or the process of getting there? Here it is helpful to make a brainstorm list of every bit of symbolism you can come up with. Some will seem weaker or stronger, but most symbolism gains its impact in relation to its context. A long list of potential symbols appropriate for your ritual will give you more ideas to consider. If you get stuck looking for the right symbolism for your ritual, use library and Internet resources to search for ideas that will work. We sometimes consult “spell” books as they often contain lists of symbolic references for many concepts and situations.21

Exercise

Take any common ritual theme and create as large a list of symbols as you can that might help to realize the intention. For this example, use “transformation.” We’ll start you out: fire, a butterfly, an ice cube, and a diamond. Build on this list in your ritual notebook.

There needs to be an understandable relationship between the symbology you use and the response you are reaching for. Care needs to be taken so as the ritual unfolds the connection becomes obvious. You do not want to have to tell your audience, “The seed represents our new beginning”; you want them to absolutely know that with all their senses, intellect, and heart.

Don’t overthink symbols and substitute an abstraction for something that you can simply provide. You don’t need a symbol for fire if you can provide a campfire, candle, or torch. A pan of black dirt is “the Earth.” Making a sacrifice can be offering a lock of hair, which is a real sacrifice.

Symbols have such a deep impact on our subconscious that unless you pay close attention, the experience is internally digested and you are affected with hardly a notice. As a ritualista you need to be fully aware of what you include and why. Only then can you integrate and refine your use of symbols to move your participants where your ritual intent directs you.

Vision

It is essential in creating ritual to develop your ability to visualize. You must be able to see the ritual unfold as you imagine a participant would experience it. This aspect will often dominate, defining the theme and intent. The visual experience can be tightly controlled. All of your participants will receive a nearly identical visual experience.

Imagine your basic ritual plan through the participants’ eyes. With each portion, use your mental “rewind” button and try imagining different visual techniques and images. Is costuming important? What does the movement within the ritual look like? Can simple tasks be enriched by how they appeal to the eye? If you are creating an attunement activity to bring participants closer together, for example, is there a visual method you could include to support that goal? With experience, this storyboard run-through and sensory enrichment process becomes second nature.

Visual impact can deeply engage the emotions and the spirit. Many factors will influence the visual aspect of your ritual. Just as in home decorating, color sets the mood and promotes a particular emotional response. Take any emotion, such as grief, joy, worry, or love. Now brainstorm a collage of five images that evoke that feeling for you. Visual representations in the ritual context can magnify their power. Incorporating them into a ritual gateway, masks, costuming, or any ritual props increases the personal engagement experienced by participants. Incorporating visual symbolism into a central shrine is a great way to bring focus to it.

Costumes can be essential to create ritual characters that are instantly recognized. They can be important if there is a theme your team is working with, or even if they need to be readily identified.

Do not ignore the importance of ambient lighting when planning a ritual. It is a factor that is easy to take for granted. We have offered rituals outdoors in conditions from full sun to the dark of night. People squint and burn when they stand for any length of time in full sun. Our well-planned makeup and visual effects will seem garish and our props awash in hot glue when seen in bright light. Ritual thrives in an atmosphere of visual mystery. Dark of night can be fantastic, but only if participants have enough visual cues to know what they are experiencing. A large central fire and a torch-lit perimeter can work, but much visual detail will be lost. If electricity is available, string and rope lights can provide a good quality light. Mount them above head level on ropes or wires, and keep them safely out of the way. Mirrors can offer double duty as both a prop and to amplify and direct soft lighting after dark. Twilight or deep shade has the advantage of soft light and yet ample visibility. Timing a ritual just before darkness is tricky. We usually visit the site ahead of time with a sunrise and sunset table and watch the light as it fades to schedule the ritual optimally.

Indoors, you can have more control over lighting, but you will likely have to provide it. If the existing lighting is too harsh or not suitable, plan to add what your ritual needs. It may take extra effort to secure and install the right lighting, but it will make a world of difference in how the experience is seen. Note how much emphasis is put on lighting in a theatrical production the next time you attend a play. It is usually one area where expense and planning are not spared! We occasionally offer ritual at a local church meeting room. They have several lighting options, from perimeter down lights to selective and dimmable ceiling lights. This is optimal for a walk-in space. When planning for an indoor ritual, be sure to check with the site owner about fire codes. Most commercial spaces restrict the use of open flame (such as candles).

We tend to take the visual for granted. Sometimes the smallest details will be those that stand out and define the ritual. Take whatever time you need to thoroughly imagine each visual detail and plan for the quality of illumination. Your audience will notice the difference through their experience.

Sound

The sense of hearing is easy to engage in ritual. We are continually bombarded by noise, sometimes without even realizing it. This can be intense and startling, the subtle hum of the natural world, or the din of the city. All of life’s most important moments are associated with sound. What is the pitch of grief, of death or tragedy? What music evokes elation or ecstasy for you? Even the tiny chirp of a cricket can stimulate our memory to times of solitude or contemplation.

Sound, more than any other sense, can also be a disruption to personal engagement in ritual. Traffic noises, idle conversation, or a child in distress can distract from spiritual purpose. The use of your voice, whether speaking in authority or explanation, can be just as distracting. “Together, we cast this circle, hand to hand, heart to heart,” combined with appropriate gestures, engages your participants. “And now it’s time to cast our circle, so all join hands, forming a circle” says the same thing but is more a voice of direction and does little to captivate. With the exception of the theatrical voice, engagement in ritual should be enticed with sound, not commanded or instructed.

Which sounds build toward an energetic release and which ground us in safety? We all have felt the powerful urge to move upon hearing a gospel song. Now combine sound with the movement that complements gospel: hand-clapping. This can rhythmically charge a song or chant, or be a percussive element all in itself. A finger snap is a simple act and subtle sound, yet the magic of one person starting a basic beat with it and a hundred joining in can become both a large sound and a bonding experience.

The shattering crash of metal, the resonance of a gong, the gentle patter of a rain stick—these all have the power to support a story, shock the psyche, or gentle the soul. These small additions can make the difference between accomplishing a transformative impact and only being entertaining. Enrich the experience of your ritual by adding appropriate background sounds: a singing bowl, a whisper, a rattle, the sounds of water, a bullroarer,22 or even a simple stick clacking.

Add to the ritual sound the power of phrased words and the human voice. Most traditional religious experience has associated sounds. We both fondly remember the call and response of the Latin Catholic Mass. Vocal toning, using voice to express specific sounds, can shift the mental, emotional, and spiritual perspective of your participants. Rich harmonies are easy to create when the constraint of words is removed from our vocalizations. With both song and chant, we add the direct message and lyric phrasing to communicate and reinforce our intent. The musical quality of song and the rhythmic power of chant have energized whole spiritual movements. Songs are a standard technique for providing unifying and bonding personal experience in ritual. They are so useful we may be tempted to add a song whenever the ritual needs something. As with any technique, overuse can diminish its effect.

You can use music, sung or instrumental, to frame ritual actions into a desired emotional context. There is a whole industry of writing scores for movies based on this principle. Who hasn’t felt “foreboding,” or “victory,” or “sorrow” from a well-composed soundtrack? Emotional response in your audience can then be used to support your ritual intent.

But what about the sound of silence? Silence is always framed by some type of sound at its beginning and end. The absence of sound has an undeniable impact. A pause commands attention. An action performed in silence augments its importance. A quiet moment can provide time for an action or experience to be absorbed and internalized. Use silence sparingly and with discretion. Imagine the sound of your ritual taking place. What does a participant hear at each portion of your ritual? Make choices to orchestrate the audible experience to increase the impact of each part of your ritual.

Percussion and Rhythm

Percussion is a rhythmically defined form of music. It can involve and affect people in many ways. Increased tempo will energize movement, adding tension that builds to a crescendo. Mimicking natural sounds adds depth and induces connection with the environment. Steady, throbbing rhythms are used to induce trance-like states.

The use of percussion and rhythm is invaluable in aiding the flow, pacing, and energy level of a community ritual. We immediately think of drums, but there is a wide and diverse vocabulary for both percussion and rhythm. Percussion can be everything from a hand clap, finger snap, mouth slap, or foot stomp, to a rattle, bell, gong, or drum. Rhythm is simply a pattern of percussion and we can use our breath, guttural sounds, or the music of metallophones. We can beat upon logs, or even use staving, in the manner of Scandinavian ancestors.23 Percussion can also be your biggest nightmare. Once unleashed it can take over your ritual and simply encourage individual egos waiting for applause.

Percussion Uses in Ritual

Types of Percussion and Rhythm Tools

Considerations for Using Percussion and Rhythm in Ritual

Plan in advance how you will integrate any percussion you include. Request percussionists to talk to the officiants before beginning or at the ritual gathering location. A blanket inclusion empowering anyone to add percussion can lead to auditory chaos and disruption! Instruct percussionists to be especially sensitive and appropriate to the flow and energy of the ritual. They need to always watch for signals from the leaders who guide the ritual. Remember, with rhythm less is often more. To manage a percussive energy raising, have a signal for acceleration and volume increase, and then have a clear signal to stop. Percussionists should focus on the ritual facilitator, not each other!

Words

Words are in some ways the least effective tool in our toolbox, yet they will always be important in ritual. For our words to be effective they need to flow naturally from us, and also contain exactly what our script and intention moved us to create. There really is no substitute for memorization of words essential to our role in ritual. We each individually will have a limited capacity for memorization, so it is important to limit the words in our roles to the essential. The K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, stupid) principle applies throughout ritual planning but especially in composing any scripted words.

When you write a word script, design it so the key words are easy to remember in relationship with each other, and then accept that the sentence structure can vary upon delivery. You are memorizing the essence and content, not the exact words. For example, your notes might say, “Welcome to a celebration of the effort Fred brought to his studies,” which can be spoken in many ways. It could be spontaneously spoken, something like: “Today we come to this sacred space to share in a celebration of the six years of dedicated focus Fred has brought to his studies to reach his goal.” This way you memorize the content and don’t have to obsess over getting the exact words correct. This relieves your anxiety and makes it more likely you can speak with authentic confidence, which is more important.

The use of rhyme to help the speaker remember lines and engage the audience arises in the origins of both ritual and theater. Rhyme is a technique that has been used in many of the epic poems and myths of the world. It reaches deep into our psyche and by itself creates a ritual mindset, just as our childhood rhymes did. Rhyme grabs our attention as we listen for how the thought will complete itself. Like percussion, a rhyming rhythm can be a trance-inducing factor in ritual. Composing in rhyme takes more time and effort, but the result for your ritual is well worth it. Your ability to use rhyme will grow with practice. Once you work with rhyme in ritual you will find it makes memorization much easier.

We used rhyming language exclusively in a series of folk magic–based rituals. We created a “standard” ritual opening that was completely spoken in rhyme. By using it for each of four rituals (with some small variations) we were able to limit memorization and also connect the ritual series together thematically. For this work you will find a good rhyming dictionary and thesaurus invaluable.

There are alternatives to memorization, but they have real limitations. Carrying a written script during ritual is a temptation but a very problematic answer. You have a piece of paper to drop, lose, or become illegible. One hand is always occupied. Your attention and focus are taken away from the presentation by every few seconds having to glance at your script. This disconnect inevitably diminishes the authenticity of your words. Usually the lighting is too dim to read by anyway. Many ritualistas need reading glasses, and where do you carry those? In specific situations you can mitigate some of these factors by having scripted words written on a prop. Now you don’t have to hold a script or use your hands, but you can’t avoid the other hazards of being dependent on a written script. In a complex ritual, you might have a simplified outline printed and in a pocket. When the focus of the ritual is on another team member you can then catch a quick glance to refresh your memory. Even writing cues or notes on your hand or arm is preferable to carrying a script.

The ritualista should be familiar with the tools of the poetic trade: literary devices.24 Many of these devices help you create not only evocative language but also a script that is easier to memorize. Commonly used are:

Another way to limit memorization is through the use of a narrator or reader. We used this technique once when we were confronted with a ritual script that was way too wordy and memorization-dependent, with little time to prepare or rehearse. What we did was simplify the script where we could, and the ritual roles became acting parts. Wherever dialogue was needed, a person at the edge of the space read the scripted lines in a loud, expressive voice. The actors only had to make motions that indicated they were taking the speaking role.

You will find the scripting of effective words and memorization is one of the most time-consuming parts of producing a community ritual. When immersed in this task it is a great incentive to again ask, “Is there a way to communicate what I am trying to say here without the use of words?” This is the time to look deeper into your ritual toolbox for answers! Maybe a song, chant, or action conveys just the right words.

Once your ritual begins, the use of spoken words should be limited to those scripted and essential to the ritual. Each time we use words to talk about something outside of or in explanation of the ritual experience, we draw people out of ritual consciousness. Never start a sentence with “And now we will … ” As soon as you say that phrase, the likelihood of a shared experience has diminished considerably.

Voice: Songs and Chants

We have all felt the hair rise on the back of our neck during an empowered and enthusiastically offered song. Whether with unified voices or rich harmonies, human voices joined together have inspired and energized communities since the first fire.

Several of our most memorable rituals have developed completely around an inspiring song or chant. In each case, what made it possible was that the song itself told a story or declared a theme within its essence. With a powerful artistic creation to work from, the ritual intent expressed what the song evoked within us. Don’t be afraid to write your own songs! They can be very simple and you can focus the lyrics exactly on your intention. Judy wrote this song for the “Gratitude” ritual using an easy-to-learn melody:

Walk in the way of gratitude, walk in the way of gratitude,
Walk in the way of gratitude, walk in the way of gratitude.
All around me, open my eyes, see
Blessings aplenty, give it freely.

Lyrics can connect directly with your ritual intent. We collect songs and chants covering a wide range of topics because we never know when one will be needed. If you can’t find or compose what you need, ritual songs can be an adaptation of a popular tune. Simplify your words and apply them to existing lyrics. It is a team’s dream situation to have a choir available to support a ritual. Working with a group willing to rehearse, you can use music that is complex or lengthy. You will find people able to harmonize on the spot in ritual. It is always a wonderful surprise to hear a simple song explode into multiple tonal parts.

If you are depending on your ritual participants to carry a song, especially for building a crescendo, plan on a simple tune and lyrics, and try to introduce it prior to the ritual. As people gather or during a procession are great times to get exposure for the song. If you have a website or your group has an electronic newsletter, secure or make a digital recording of your ritual song and post a link to it in advance. Get your community humming your ritual tune before they even gather!

If you want to include songs, you need at least one strong vocal leader. They need to have a loud, pleasant voice, and be able to project the tune and lyrics clearly and without too much stylization so your participants are able to join in. They also need a sense of rhythm. Keeping a consistent pacing will help everyone follow along. Many songs need to start on a specific note to be in the vocal range of a majority. If you do not have perfect pitch for beginning a song, purchase a small pitch pipe to use. Consider taking a couple of voice lessons to improve your skills and assess your voice if song is something you wish to add to most rituals.

Chanting is an ancient method to energetically empower your ritual wishes. Chants can be very easy to compose; just a few key words are enough. One of the anonymous classics from Pagan practice is still one of the best: “Earth my body, Water my blood, Air my breath, and Fire my spirit.” 25 An easy tune, hand motions, and many descants (supplemental chant parts) have since been added, but the power is in the brief descriptive words and strong metaphors. Sometimes just describing what you are doing in ritual can become a chant.

Example

You have included a working for participants to ask their ancestors for help in guiding their way forward into the future. Here is a chant to energize that portion:

“Ancestor wisdom, whitened bones.
Dark before me, light the way home.”

Try chants out in advance of the ritual. Sometimes what seems perfect for one person in the shower is droning or boring when a hundred people repeat it for ten minutes! Chants will naturally speed up to form an energetic peak. Make sure that as it accelerates, yours doesn’t turn into a tongue twister.

In both song and chants the use of the round is powerful. We have designed whole rituals around a well-worded three-part song. When spoken with two or more starting points, even a simple chant becomes a magical entrainment with the energy of combined voices.

You can use a meditation tool, the OM, as a very effective energizing tool. Use a series of three pitches getting ever higher. Start comfortably low, and let it resonate until it dies away. Raise a few notes and OM again. Then finish with a comfortably higher pitch. Add some harmonies. Start with your hands relaxed at chest level and lift your arms with each pitch until fully extended above your head. The energy felt by your community will be palpable!

Growing up, we all learned to recreate sounds with our voices. An auditory interpretation of the sound of footsteps, machines, electronics, even automated processes can be integrated, just as old radio shows were enriched in this way. The human voice can mimic many natural sounds. We have all barked, howled, buzzed, and recreated sounds for fun. To draw these simultaneously from your participants requires advance planning and modeling to succeed. A group improvisation of spontaneously created sounds can offer a unique chorus of powerful natural sounds.

The Intimate Senses: Taste, Smell, and Touch

The senses of taste and smell are invaluable tools for the ritualista. While ever so subtle compared with sound and visual effects, they reach deep into the human psyche. They can evoke memories of the past, of childhood, of trauma, and of joy. They can generate an intense physical or mental response in individuals. In the Jewish Passover seder, for instance, the bitter mixture of horseradish, the maror, symbolizes the bitterness of slavery endured in Egypt. The taste is meant to transport people back to the slavery of their ancestors, with the ritual purpose of remembering the importance of subsequent freedom.

There are seven basic tastes: bitter, salty, sour, astringent, sweet, pungent, and umami (savory). Our taste buds can detect extremely small amounts of these and the subtle mixtures are endless. There are also tastes that stimulate our heat or cold sensors, such as cayenne or spearmint. For group distribution, stick to single substances that evoke the feeling you seek. Certain acids can be used to enhance sour tastes. Each acid imparts a slightly different tartness. Acetic acid gives vinegar its taste. Citric acid is found in citrus fruits and gives them their sour taste. Unripe persimmon causes a very unpleasant astringent sensation on any part of the mouth it touches. Honey is often used to represent the sweetness of life.

Taste is a difficult sense to safely offer participants. First, participants must be warned of the substance used to prevent allergic or sensitivity reactions. Then they must get the substance to their mouths without creating a health hazard. It is not safe for a large group to dip their fingers in a substance and transfer it to their own mouths; the vessel will be quickly contaminated. In some cases a disposable tool, a tongue depressor or cotton swab, may be a practical method. Best is to have a method that can dispense a small amount by dripping, dropping, or shaking on a participant’s own finger. Then the distribution vessel (typically an eye dropper or powder shaker) can remain sanitary and people can choose not to taste.

Consider the use of both fondly attractive smells and nasty ones. A whiff of Play-Doh brings most people immediately back to their childhood. The scent of a corpse flower will fill one with a sense of the dead and decaying. An easy way to present odor is to use a wicking material saturated with essential oil. Hung on a path it will vaporize into the air. Hunting supply stores sell products specifically designed to efficiently distribute scent. Heating, in a candle or in a potpourri warmer, is also a very effective delivery method. We often use the sense of smell to support and increase the effectiveness of other sensory encounters: visual, sound, or action.

Smell requires close or actual physical contact to be effective, and so is not appropriate in all situations. In this age of allergies and sensitivities, participant awareness of the content of products they will be exposed to, and provision for alternatives, must be provided for.

Touch can be used as an intimate or nurturing action. Slow and gentle touch, on appropriate body areas, will be perceived as comforting. Touch can be used in blessing individuals, in creating bonds, and in theatrical expression. It can be subtle, firm, gentle, and, using very structured techniques, dramatically evocative. In many blessings the third eye (forehead) is marked or anointed. Touch does not have to mean body contact. A whisper carries the touch of another’s breath. Passing through a veil involves feeling the fabric. Touch can occur when squeezing by or passing through an obstacle. Being aware of how the sense of touch is engaged adds another layer of understanding to your ritual skills.

Touch, like any sensory method, should not be assumed to be a casual act. As a ritualista you must be sensitive to the fact that, for some, touch is a risky intrusion into personal space.

Movement and Dance

People love to move. Movement and dance are actively energizing. The trick to using them in ritual is to get participants started, help them overcome their inhibitions, and then know how and when to end! Once your audience gets moving they may not want to stop.

The “all dance” method refers to what we have seen in many ritual outlines: “At this time, all ritual participants dance.” With a community experienced in ritual, making this outline note become a reality can be very easy. With an older, more sedate, or inexperienced group, this directive will fall flat. Typically, to start an “all dance” energy raising, a cue is given to a group of percussionists, musicians, singers, or hand clappers. You need something to set a beat to move to. Ritual shills or team members start by modeling the activity. With eye contact and inviting gestures, team members entice those who are eager to participate to the center, hopping, skipping, or dancing—just get them moving! As soon as they have one participant dancing, the team member focuses on the next. Usually the participant, now left alone, will get the idea and bring another person in. The process continues until everyone who is inclined to is moving.

A problem you may encounter with this method is that people have relative mobility, and often are less than flexible about their comfort zones. Some move frantically fast, others are more limited, and some may not want to move at all. You may be expecting people to grab one another and attempt to make the hesitant participants move. If your community is comfortable with that, and people know it’s coming, it can work. What is worse than a lack of activity is when people leave feeling they were bullied and “forced to participate.” If dancing as a means of raising energy is a new method for your people, and particularly if there is insensitivity to personal boundaries, it can be a disaster! An “all dance” event is potential anarchy, so prepare to be flexible in how it will play out. Plan to have a cue or action by your ritual team to coordinate bringing the dance to a crescendo and a conclusion.

A more controllable movement approach is to have your ritual team gather people in pairs, foursomes, or small groups. Within these groupings simple steps or movements can be taught, adapting to the sensibilities, limitations, and tempo of the individuals in each group. You have a much greater chance of getting a large percentage of participants involved in this way. There are dance patterns and movements a little research will find that are specifically designed to engage groups and draw them in.26 Movement doesn’t have to be wild galloping! A simple “grandmother step” (right foot forward, now together, left foot forward, now together, either done sideways or forward) can be done in tiny increments, with grace and intention and including those from young children to ancient ones!

The spiral dance is a good technique to add movement as an energizing event. The spiral dance has some very positive features: participants all hold hands, they are guided to pass by each other face to face and can engage each other with their eyes as they pass, and they all end up in the center to reach a crescendo!

How to Lead a Spiral Dance

Slowly! That is the first thing to know about leading a spiral dance. Always bear in mind that your pace at the beginning of the dance will impact the whiplash factor at the end of the dance, so no matter how slowly you think you are going, you are probably still going too fast. But let’s go back to the beginning.

Generally, you’re going to want your spiral dance to happen during the energy-raising part of a large group ritual. Either you’re going to be inside a very spacious area, or you will be outside. Whichever the case may be, this cannot be done without someone getting hurt unless you take precautions ahead of time. There should be no obstructions, no altars, no trees, or anything else that people can trip over. Make sure that you scrutinize the surface that people will be dancing on. If indoors, are there rugs? Anything loose? A change in levels? If outside, holes or divots in the ground? Rocks or branches? How many people, and how much space do you have? If you have enough clear space so that the people in the circle can stand right next to each other and hold hands, and there is no obstruction within the circle, you’re probably fine. If you have a fire in the center of your circle, you are going to have to be aware of how close you are bringing people to that fire. Another problem is you might not have enough people to fill your space. Don’t let them be spread out; have people hold hands until the circle is closed. That should do it.

If you are the person leading, find some way to take your bearings or pick a visual point of reference that’s outside the circle, so you know when you’ve gone around once. The people across from you before you start will be moving and you will not be able to see what’s on the other side of anyone across from you, so your visual point of reference should be something that is a little taller than a person.

When you are ready, drop the hand of the person to your left and start to move to the left, slowly, passing just in front of that person. Those in the circle follow as they are guided by their joined hands. Keep moving one full time around the circle; continue about halfway past the point where you started, slowly; and then turn toward the person on your right. One way to make sure that each person makes that turn easily is to take a moment to make eye contact with that person as you turn to face them. Now as you continue (SLOWLY) past each person, make that eye contact. This is the magic of the spiral dance! Continue on until you have passed the last person in that line of people. Remember, that last person will be the person whose hand you let go of when you started (unless they’re switching places to mess with you).

Now you have to put your faith in the dance or in physics or in magic, or you just have to let go of control, because you have to continue this slow one-step-at-a-time dance, facing out, for one more circle. At this point you have a choice to make. You can turn again and face the person to your right, and make that eye contact again with each person as you move past them. This will reverse your spiral, bringing you and the line of people you lead back facing inward along the perimeter of the circle.

The other choice you have with a spiral dance can be used to gather everyone close together around a center point. Once you see everyone has been turned facing out, you turn inward facing the center, with your back to the person on your right. Now you are going to continue spiraling toward the center of the circle, making your circle smaller each time. Keep it slow, and concentrate, because at this point everyone is going over the same territory that you have covered, so you want them to have plenty of opportunity to catch up. Keep winding slowly toward the center until you all become a tightly wound, huddled mass. Don’t forget, if there is a fire in the center, you need to stop moving once you reach a safe buffer area around the fire. You will not know when all of the people have finished their inward spiral. You will have to depend on your senses to tell you. If you are singing or chanting or in any other way raising energy, here is your point of climax. Revel in this moment—it is truly splendid.

Challenging the Intellect

Our thinking, analyzing selves can be tricked into engaging our subconscious in ritual. We have used activities that challenge people intellectually to bring forward an intuitive result. When problem solving, puzzle assembling, unscrambling, or decoding ritual actions occupies our conscious mind, our subconscious is free to explore any theme presented by the ritual intent. This is not necessarily the best or easiest tool for your ritual toolbox, but when you need something unique to pull out of your hat, it can present a very profound experience.

You can use riddles or questions whispered to participants to help them think about subjects relative to your ritual intent. They can be used to provoke thought, or the answers (or clues to the answers) can be presented later within the ritual. You can develop a team-building activity by dividing participants and offering a problem or riddle to solve in order to progress on in the path or ritual. Incorporating these mental exercises into engagement with a prop, or revealing later how the answers add to a larger context, ties them to the overall ritual. As with a challenge, compose your questions so the exact or “right” answer is not primary. What is important is the process.

Example

In a tarot-themed ritual, we had a 4 x 6-foot puzzle commercially made of an artistic rendering of the Fool card.27 In the ritual we divided participants into eight groups and gave each person a puzzle piece, each with a color-coded back. We had them write their name on the back of their piece for later retrieval. Each of the eight groups in turn, as other ritual activity continued, was given a chance to assemble their puzzle portion (without ever seeing the full image). Once all eight groups had assembled their portion ,the whole image was displayed. At festival’s end, we flipped the puzzle over and participants were invited to find and take home their piece as a gift. Participants have showed us their piece years later, connecting them to the ritual and the process.

People love to do craft projects in ritual. The hands-on work of creating or decorating a prop engages the mind. The desire to excel keeps them focused on the task and distracted from whatever symbolic content they may be creating. The later realization of what they have made will increase its impact. In the ritual “They Will Remain” (see chapter Nine), we had participants block-print leaves and flowers with simple potato stamps and paint onto two clear, masked acrylic sheets. Later in the ritual the masking was removed to reveal male and female deity figures which were then assembled into an exit gate. The realization of what the participants had unconsciously created reinforced the symbolism of the ritual.

(24)Puzzzle2008.tif

Photo by Jenna Touchette

(25)Puzzle_gift.tif

Photo by Jenna Touchette

Fool card puzzle and participants retrieve
their puzzle piece as a gift at festival end (left to right).

When offering a craft project, care must be taken to determine what happens to any leftover materials. How are they removed from the ritual space or kept out of the way until the ritual is finished? If the project makes a mess or gets onto participants, you must provide a cleanup station. If they take something with them, it is good to have them mark it or add their name. Items can get lost, and they will want to be able to identify their own creation. Sometimes a project will support a transformation theme, and if you plan on burning it, make sure the materials are organic and safe to burn. This type of activity needs to be designed to encourage full participation. People can be inhibited when feeling their “talent” is on display; many won’t participate if it feels competitive.

Consider each activity in your ritual outline as an opportunity for a sensory engagement by your audience. Design your use of the senses to enrich and develop your ritual intent. Our unconscious mind and spiritual state of being are most integrally connected to the raw data we get from our senses. Let the sensory experiences you include tell the story. A well-crafted ritual uses the senses to allow the story to be perceived by the unconscious self.

Ritual: Journey into the Light

Location: Sacred Harvest Festival, 2012
© Nels Linde

Ritual context

This ritual was offered as the main last-night ritual at Sacred Harvest Festival 2012. It started at dusk and had about 180 people participate.

Ritual intent

To experience our chakras opening to the sacred and to bask in the light of community and infinite love!

Ritual description

A path-working opening our chakras, and gaining a sense of the divine within each of us. We empower our community for the next year’s journey, embracing and filled with the light of the crown chakra. This ritual will involve a path-working with a 20-minute wait time to enter; please bring a chair if needed. Bring rhythm instruments for the ritual procession and ending, and bring your voice! Join in the procession from the Heart Chakra gathering place at 8:00 p.m.

Ritual setup and supplies

See the ritual script and path-working details descriptions below.

Ritual team members

Crone: Dressed as a wise woman, she acted as the path regulator.

Woodwose: A “man of the woods,” bare-chested, ragged, and fierce.

Maiden: A beautiful young woman in fine dress.

Deity: A serene Mother figure in fine dress, with her hair braided into a crown.

Two bass drummers (became wranglers after the path emptied).

Singers (at least four)

Six Sirens dressed as dancers in leotards and bright tops. They put on mirrored gloves and brought the gate veils to the circle, to be used as sheer flags, as the path emptied.

Six chakra activity path-workers (in order):

  1. 1. Costumed as the Bull, at the red veil, root chakra gate. He played a hoop drum.
  2. 2. Costumed as the Fish, at the orange veil, sacral chakra gate. He played a didgeridoo.
  3. 3. Costumed as the Ram, at the yellow veil, solar plexus chakra gate. He played a bell chime.
  4. 4. Costumed as the Dove, at the green veil, heart chakra gate. He played a rattle.
  5. 5. Costumed as the Lion, at the blue veil, throat chakra gate. She played a chirping bird call.
  6. 6. Costumed as the Owl, at the indigo veil, third eye chakra gate. He offered an anointment with water.

Ritual script

A procession was led by the ritual singers from the gather location. It swung by the ritual circle for instrument or chair drop-off on the way to the path entrance. The Deity figure was observed in passing, saluting the directions and making the ritual space sacred. The procession moved on to the woods path entrance. Waiting there were all the chakra gate ritual team members (six Sirens, six chakra activity path-workers), the Maiden and the Woodwose (both cloaked), and the Crone. A double-wide two-person path was set up along the woods path, passing through veils set 12 short paces apart.

On arrival at the gate to the path-working, the procession song ended, and the Crone said: “Begin deep breathing before you enter, in and out through the nose only, making a small hiss at the back of the throat as we breathe in and out.” The Crone also had this written on a card to pass back down the arrival line for latecomers. The festivants formed a double line, and the singers began “Prepare Yourself” by Abbi Spinner McBride (16 bass drumbeats per verse).

The Crone was the path regulator, allowing two festivants to pass with each verse of “Prepare Yourself.” The ritual team entered first in order of their encounter along the path: chakra gate pairs, then the Woodwose and Maiden, then the singers.

Two bass drummers were on each path end, in sight of each other, and kept a synchronized slow walking beat in time with the song. One added a bell chime cue every 32 beats (or two song rounds). Pairs walking the path took 12 steps/beats to move to a chakra pair and pass through the veil, 4 beats to center and prepare, 12 beats for the activity, and then 4 beats to absorb the veil activity and move onward.

Path-working details description

Five pairs of path-workers were spread along veiled chakra gates, each 12 steps apart. These gates represented the first five chakras from root to throat. One half of each team pair was costumed or marked in some way as the appropriate associated animal, and offered a sound activity directed at each pair of participants as they approached the veiled gate. As participants passed through the veil they made the verbal Bija (“seed”) sound said to activate the particular energy of that chakra. They were aided by a Siren team member who helped guide the participant pair through the veil, offered them a scent, and then whispered words sending the participant pair onward to the next chakra gate.

Red veil gate: A hoop drum was played, directed toward each participant’s root chakra in turn. They were passed though the veil to the Siren while making the Bija sound “Laaaumm.” The Siren offered an optional scent, cedar, and touched the participant pair to send them to the next veil, saying, “Breathe deep and connect with the fiery center of the Earth. Pull that energy up until it glows at the base of your spine and feel that red glow expand.”

Orange veil gate: A didgeridoo was played, directed toward each participant’s sacral chakra in turn. They were passed though the veil to the Siren while making the Bija sound “Vaaaunnngg.” The Siren offered an optional scent, orris root, and touched the participant pair to send them to the next veil, saying, “Breathe deep and connect with the viscous mantle of the Earth. Feel that orange energy rise into your womb or prostate and feel that orange glow brighten.”

Yellow veil gate: A bell chime was played, directed toward each participant’s solar plexus chakra in turn. They were passed though the veil to the Siren while making the Bija sound “Rummmm.” The Siren offered an optional scent, dragon’s blood, and touched the participant pair to send them to the next veil, saying, “Center and draw from the ground below you. Feel the yellow fertility of the soil become your core. Let that boundless yellow swell.”

Green veil gate: A rattle was played, directed toward each participant’s heart chakra in turn. They were passed though the veil to the Siren while making the Bija sound “Hummmm.” The Siren offered an optional scent, copal, and touched the participant pair to send them to the next veil, saying, “Breathe deep and pull up the green living energy of the Earth. Fill your heart with the pulsing green glow that is life.”

Blue veil gate: Near the woods’ edge at the blue veil gate, a chirping bird call was played, directed toward each participant’s throat chakra in turn. They were passed though the veil to the Siren while making the Bija sound “Yummmm.” The Siren offered an optional scent, frankincense, and touched the participant pair to send them to the next veil, saying, “Draw the blue energy of healing sound from below. Feel the throat expand in empowered blue glow as you join the mantra “Yummm.”

Indigo veil gate: Festivants now exited the path and approached the “true mirror” at the ritual circle edge. This was a prop that mirrored in reverse, so participant pairs saw themselves exactly as others view them. At this indigo veil gate, a third-eye anointment with water took place. Pairs were passed though the veil to the Siren while making the Bija sound “Shaauummmm.” The Siren offered an optional scent, mugwort, and moved the pair to the “true mirror,” saying, “Rise and fill the third eye with the deep indigo of divine vision. Swell the soul until it moves past the night sky to join with the light.” Participants gazed into the “true mirror” and saw themselves reversed, as others see them.

Participants then passed by a gauntlet of singers, all singing the first verse of “Held in the Heart,” by Abbi Spinner McBride.

One singer took each of the entering pairs by the hand and led them to the Deity figure, who was near the center, sitting facing the fire. The singer then returned for another pair.

The Deity sat in a sacred shrine surrounded by candles and incense. A lotus blossom was on her head, and she held a large bowl of grapes. The Deity met the eyes of each participant as each was given a violet glow-stick crown. With a radiant smile, the Deity said, “Grow toward enlightenment.” A bar chime was rung by the Deity as each participant touched their crown. The Deity made the Bija sound “Aaoouummm,” and offered the scent of lotus as she motioned for them to join the others.

Participants formed a tight, multilayered circle bounded by torches, leaving a small center area open. They were sitting on blankets and singing together. The Crone’s entry into the path signaled it was empty, and the ritual team followed through to the circle behind her, in pair order. The team pairs removed and brought all the path gate veils, which were now carried as flags.

As the last festivants passed into the circle, the second verse of the song was sung by the singers. The Crone and chakra activity people (bringing their instruments) now passed through the chakra veils into the circle. The path-working portion was complete. All participants were seated and singing together in the approaching twilight, wearing their glow-stick crowns.

Symbolic drama: The torches were now extinguished by the team so only the small central fire was lit. The Maiden appeared from the woods, exuding love and joy. Holding a lit candle, she slowly walked around the inner, open circle area. A coarse Woodwose, man of the woods, broke through the circle holding a spear. In silence he stalked the Maiden in a crude dance and then was drawn in, fascinated by the flame. He got closer and closer, then threw his spear to the ground and knelt before her. She spread her arms and kissed him on the forehead, freezing him in place.

The Crone entered the ritual circle and raised the bowl of grapes for all to see. The drum, didgeridoo, chime, rattle, and bird chirp sounds all returned together as she said:

“Raise your voices in the holy sound, to bless our bounty as the crown of infinite love becomes open.”

The Deity started the sound “Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa” and all joined in. After 20 seconds, the Crone said, “So mote it be.”

The Deity rose and gave a lit candle to the Woodwose. She then took the bowl of grapes from the Crone. The Sirens entered, wearing their mirrored gloves. They gathered in a tight group behind the Maiden and the Woodwose, facing the participants. Four of the Sirens reached around the Maiden and Woodwose, moving their mirrored hands behind the two candles to shine the light and reflections back to the circle of festivants. The song “We Are Opening Up” by Gladys Gray was begun by the singers.

As this “illuminating” group slowly moved deosil, facing the crowned participants, the two remaining Sirens carried a large veil that spanned over the wide circle of people. It was slowly drawn deosil across the heads of the festivants, as the illumination group passed. The Deity followed behind and placed a grape in each festivant’s mouth. The perimeter torches were relit after this group passed by all the circle participants.

While the song, illumination, veil, and Deity worked their way around, the fire in the center was being stoked. Once the action and removal were complete, the song accelerated until it ended with repeating “We are opening, we are opening.” An energy-raising dance began, led by the Sirens carrying the colorful chakra flags and circling. When the crescendo peaked and crashed, all team members modeled touching the earth as a grounding.

The ritual team gathered in the inner circle. They faced the East, South, West, and North in turn and uttered “Maaa,” bowing in unison to each direction. The Deity nodded in agreement and walked out of the ritual circle through the gate. The other principal characters followed. The singers started the second verse of the song for a procession back to the gathering spot.

[contents]

20 Starhawk, “Creating Community Ritual.”

21 One example is Patricia Telesco, Spinning Spells, Weaving Wonders (Berkeley: Crossing Press, 1996).

22 A weighted aerofoil of wood attached to a long cord, swung in a large circle to make a characteristic roaring vibrato sound.

23 Staving: The rhythmic tapping of a wooden staff against a wood floor or the earth.

24 “Literary Devices,” www.literary-devices.com.

25 “Earth My Body,” www.flutopedia.com/song_earth_my_body.htm.

26 Dances of Universal Peace, www.dancesofuniversalpeace.org.

27 We used the Seeker card from Joanna Powell Colbert’s Gaian Tarot, www.gaiantarot.com.