RITUAL AND THE INITIATE

Part 1

By Anna Franklin

"…it is not enough to cry Lord, Lord, loudly and persistently; there must be an adequate equipment of scholarship and organization of the physical plane to enable the spiritual forces to find a channel." Dion Fortune

Ritual is something that many new witches have difficulty coming to terms with; after looking forward to their first coven event, they are often left with a feeling of disappointment. I sometimes have probationers who are drawn to the ideology of the Craft, but say to me ‘I don’t like the rituals�?or ‘I don’t get anything out of the rituals�? They can be left unaffected while their fellow coven members are reeling under the impact of a powerful ceremony, feeling divinely blessed and spiritually enlightened. They were all at the same event, so what was the difference? It may sound simplistic to say it, but you only get out of a ritual what you put in.

In order to work effective ritual, you need to understand why you are performing the ritual [its intent], you need to be fully prepared, purified and consecrated, able to understand the magical language [the symbolism] that the ritual employs, and you need to be capable of total concentration, able to focus your whole being on a single aim. Furthermore, you need to be able to relinquish your ego in order to become part of the group mind. If you merely observe and do not try to contribute, then you will never be touched by ritual; the person who holds themselves apart receives nothing. Those who give of themselves will receive blessings in return, stimulating experiences that extend their understanding and development far beyond the bounds of what may be achieved by study and meditation alone.

Those who take readily to ritual are often Old Souls, celebrants of the mysteries in previous lifetimes, whose past-life memories are stirred by ceremony. Newcomers take longer to come to terms with ritual. However, some people can never work magical ritual; it takes a special kind of person, what we call in the Craft a priest or priestess, a person who is willing undertake the training, to persevere when faced with failure, and who is able to find within themselves deep reserves of self-discipline, application and learning: an initiate. Not everyone has the strength of will and mental stamina to withstand the pressures of such a path.

 

WHAT IS RITUAL?

The purpose of ritual is experience beyond the realms of everyday consciousness and normal sensory limitations. During ritual, things which cannot be put into words are conveyed by experience. A ritual dramatizes [or imitates in microcosm] a Cosmic theme, such as the death of the corn god, so that the participants may experience - on a deep, fundamental level beyond the grasp of the conscious mind - the larger themes that are portrayed: the cycles of life, death and rebirth perhaps. Ritual is a powerful path to illumination; humankind, through ritual, gains access to the Cosmic consciousness.

As Wiccans we employ a variety of rituals with varied purposes. We might perform rites of healing, growth or knowledge. We might celebrate rites of passage such as a handfasting to join a couple in marriage, a memorial for a dead friend, or a Wiccaning to welcome the birth of a child. We mark the dedications and initiations of our coven members. Religious rites concentrate on worshipping a deity, and this is probably the purest form of ritual, paying tribute to and venerating the deities we serve. We might focus on whatever aspect the God or Goddess is being celebrated at that time, as in seasonal observances when the death of the vegetation god is mourned at the harvest, for example, or when the sun god is reborn at Yule. All Wiccan rites have aspects of this straightforward worship, but there is far more to ritual than that for the trained initiate. Though the ritual magician differentiates between ritual and magic, Wiccan rites are also always magical acts designed to achieve magical purposes.

It is said that there are two forms of magic, thaumaturgy which means ‘the art of working wonders�?harnessing natural forces to create effects, and theurgical which means ‘divine work�? The latter is the approach of the witch, one that puts religion and magic hand in hand. Wicca is a religious path after all, and aims to develop the soul by magical means. We recognise the existence of the creative forces of the Cosmos, and each person’s right to approach the transcendental powers themselves, without an intermediary: "The gods are alive in the minds of all of us, and it is up to us to open the channels of inspiration."

It said that praying is talking to God, but meditating is listening to God; I would add that ritual is our means of conducting a dialogue with the gods.

THE MAGICIAN’S WORLD VIEW

The philosopher and magician Francis Barrett said that "Magic is a comprehensive knowledge of All Nature" in other words, knowledge of how all things function. The magician’s notion of the universe and its workings is not the same as that of the scientist or natural philosopher: the magician has a particular world-view in which knowledge is organised and interpreted in a certain way. He or she then follows natural laws in accordance with that knowledge.

The world-view of the majority of Pagan magicians [and other occultists] is that all of the Cosmos, both manifest and unmanifest, is one unified whole, which may be called the One, the Unity, the Archetype, the Ideal Identity and so on. In the Craft we are taught that "…beyond the two is the One, which we cannot name or limit, for the One is without limit, therefore we do give our worship unto the Lady and her Lord." This is far from being a belief in a supreme monotheistic god who is separate from his creation; it means that everything, even the gods and goddesses, are part of a single great whole. They are it, and it is them. This is a very ancient idea. Plato reasoned that the Cosmos is a living creature, with soul and intelligence, while Hermetic teachings spoke of a ‘world soul�?or anima mundi. Indeed, in many Pagan myths, the world is created from the body of the creator god or goddess, as in Norse legend where Ymir is dismembered and his flesh becomes earth, his blood the waters, and his skull the dome of the heavens. Similarly, in Mesopotamian lore, heaven and earth are formed from the two halves of the goddess Tiamat’s skull, which Marduk cleaved in half with his mace. Her breasts are the mountains, while the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flow from her eyes and her spittle forms the clouds.

Most Pagans believe that the Divine Spirit is not separate from creation, but is manifest within it and within each of us; just as we, and everything else, are contained within the Divine Spirit. Thus the Pagan recognises his or her place in the Cosmos, not a stranger in the universe, or a separate being apart from it, but part of the �?I>living diversity in unity…a Child of Earth, but [of the] race…from the Starry Heavens". Fundamentally, the magician believes that there is no real difference between spirit and matter - that gods, humans, and everything else are part of each other, indivisibly connected.

The material world we perceive with our five senses is only part of the whole; there are unseen Otherworlds overlapping our own, populated by gods and goddesses, non-incarnate adepts, nature spirits, elementals and wildfolk, embodiments of natural forces and energies - un-numbered conscious entities which are responsible for the functioning of the Cosmos. They have been given different names, faces and allotted assorted functions in sundry cultures around the world. We humans view them anthropomorphically in order to identify with them more closely as concepts we can easily grasp, but in truth they are not limited by the forms we give them, which merely reflect our own desires and fears: we only glimpse their true natures.

Some occultists claim that the gods and spirits are but fragmented parts of the human consciousness or the archetypal products of mankind’s imagination over centuries, aspects of the psyche that need to be acknowledged and tamed. Probably in ninety per cent of cases this is the true nature of the supposed deities and spirits contacted by would be ritualists. Nonetheless, as Pagans, we know the gods are real, as is our ability to contact them, however often we fail. We acknowledge that they have a separate existence, intelligence and awareness, not to mention their own paths and purposes; they are not there to serve our whims. Cosmic forces are not to be contacted lightly or randomly. We should approach them only when fully prepared, respectfully; using ritual to control and regulate the exchange. And here I should point out that as well as benevolent powers, there are also beings of a negative or malevolent nature which it would be folly to deal with heedlessly.

To be capable of wielding occult power is a lifetime’s work - it involves the striving for perfection on the part of the magician, what we in our tradition call the Grail Quest, but which others refer to as Great Work or Soul Quest. The Renaissance magician Cornelius Agrippa once posed the question as to how it was possible for a man to wield magical powers, and then answered himself �?I>No one has such powers but he who has cohabited with the elements, vanquished nature, mounted higher than the heavens, elevating himself above the angels to the archetype itself, with whom he then becomes co-operator and can do all things�?/P>

The ultimate aim of any serious magician is not the childish creation of effects, but the realization of his or her full mental powers, the freeing of the spirit from the chains of ego and the material realm, so that it might pass freely through the universal doors and know what is unknowable in the normal course of life. This expansion of knowledge, of consciousness, this striving to achieve perfect balance �?nothing less than the fundamental transformation of the Self - is the ultimate aim of magic and ritual. A person who has fully experienced the unity of him or herself with the Cosmos is said to have completed the Great Work or to have achieved the Holy Grail. The same experience was described by the Buddha as achieving Nirvana.

THE LAWS OF MAGIC

At its core, there is a consistency in magical practice and thought all over the world, from the ancient cultures of Egypt and Babylon, and the shamans of Siberia and South America, to the mediaeval cabalist or modern witch. The laws of magic have been observed and codified by adepts over thousands of years.

Law 1: As Above So Below

This fundamental law of magic was inscribed on the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus, one of the legendary magicians of the ancient world. It is said to have been discovered by Alexander the Great in the magician’s tomb, and was inscribed in Phoenician script "that which is above is like that which is below, and that which is below is like that which is above, to achieve the wonder of the one thing". The ‘one thing�?is the totality of which we have already spoken: the Unity, the Archetype, the Cosmos of which the physical universe is but a manifestation. All aspects of the Cosmos are reflections of ‘one thing�?which underlies and connects them. What the tablet tells us is that what happens in the greater Cosmos is reflected here in the physical realm; events on Earth run parallel to events in the greater Cosmos because both are part of the One. This is the basis of such arts as astrology and divination, where the warp and weft of the greater pattern are discerned within specific threads such as the movement of the planets, the flight of a raven, or the fall of a tarot card.

It follows that what affects a small part of the Cosmos eventually affects the whole in some way. By manipulating events below in specific and powerful ways known to those who have studied them, the greater pattern will be affected - and this is the basis of magic.

The principle of above and below is sometimes referred to as the macrocosm and the microcosm. Macrocosm is from the Greek and means ‘great arrangement�?while microcosm means ‘little world�?or ‘small arrangement�? The macrocosm refers to the Cosmos, which means not only the physical universe, but the totality of the One. Strictly speaking, the microcosm refers to the individual human, said to be a reflection of the principles of the macrocosm, a miniature cosmos. By the same token, the macrocosm is viewed as a human organism on massive scale, and everything that humans experience is thought to be mirrored with greater magnitude in the universe. Astrology ascribes our vices and virtues to the influence of the planets- Jupiter the bringer of joy, Mars the bringer of war, Venus the bringer of love, and so on. The totality of experience is apportioned by the Cabalist to the ten Sephiroth of the Tree of Life. Religions have related these various powers to deities: love, peace, harmony, justice, war, nurture, motherhood, wisdom and so on.

Law 2: Like Attracts Like

According to the principles of magic, like is attracted to like; this is an extension of the principle as above so below. In a magic spell, or in a ritual, we will use something that is like a thing [an object, symbol, or action] to attract or influence that thing. For example, to attract rain, a tribal medicine man may pour water from a gourd, or by damaging a wax poppet in the likeness of a man, a sorcerer may seek to harm his enemy. In all cases, there must be a link established between the substitute and the target to make sure that the magic flies true. In the latter example, this may be done by naming the poppet for the victim [a person’s name is part of their essence], or by incorporating his nails or hair into it so that what happens to part of the man will affect the whole of the man �?working on the principle of microcosm and the macrocosm.

On a basic level of operation, this is sometimes called sympathetic magic. A shaman may take a shell or bead that resembles the human eye and make it into an amulet to protect the bearer from the evil eye. A sufferer with an affected arm might leave a small model of an arm at the temple of a healing deity; a lame man might leave a bronze foot and so on. In Crete I saw many such historical offerings on display at the museum in Heraklion, but what I did not expect to see were identical tokens nearby in a modern day church on the island of Spinalonga, an old leper colony, left to implore the local saint for aid. Even today, in parts of Britain and Ireland, pieces of cloth are left at holy healing wells, tied to ‘cloutie trees�?so that when the cloth decays, the disease will disappear with it. [Those despoilers of the environment who tie bits of indestructible plastic to the trees are in for a disappointment.]

The use of analogy and representation brings us on to symbolism. A symbol is something that represents something else by being connected with it, an extension of the like to like principle: the poppet is the symbol of the man. A statue or a glyph may be the symbol of a god, bread may symbolise food and nourishment, the rune beorc symbolises springtime, growth and feminine power. The colour green is associated with vegetation and growth, so a ritual for growth and expansion may make use of the colour green. Red is the colour of blood, and blood is necessary for life, so a spell for strength might make use of the colour red.

A symbol or image can convey ideas much more profoundly than any number of words and explanations; it appeals to the psyche on all levels. The subconscious mind communicates in the form of symbols and is the messenger between the physical and the spiritual realms. The psychologist Carl Jung said that "the unconscious knows more than the conscious does; but it is a knowledge of a special sort, knowledge in eternity, usually without reference to the here and now, not couched in the language of intellect."

Symbolism is the universal magical language. However, a symbol, as used in magic, is much more than a reference to a thing. When properly employed, it taps into the nature and essence of the thing itself: the form becomes the channel for its energy. The symbol takes on a level of actuality and participates in the magical reality. When we, with knowledge and intent, use a cauldron to represent the Cauldron of Ceridwen, it becomes her cauldron. The magical tools are focussing points which enable the ritualist to link with the spiritual force behind the symbol, which can stand for a complex and extended set of ideas: the cup stands for love, nurture, the emotions and so on.

Symbols are keys that open the conscious mind to a collection of related ideas. Thus a ritual magician would associate the colour red with the Mars [the planet of strength and direct action] and a Mars ritual to invoke these energies might employ red candles and red robes. In my own Wiccan tradition, red is the colour of energy, fire, the south and noonday, and for this reason we place a red candle in the south of the magic circle, so that every time we see it, we are reminded of these things.

Related correspondences or harmonics are used to reinforce the idea and add another layer of symbolism. Fire and the south are associated with the magical tool the wand and with the development of the Will. A simple red candle, placed in the south of the circle can bring all these resonances to mind! Elements, directions, festivals, gods and goddesses and states of mind have their own perfumes associated with them; every plant has a body of lore associated with it, and various uses in healing and in magic, affecting their blending and usage.

Using the harmonics of symbolism can become very complicated, and is best taken a step at a time. Become completely conversant with one set of symbols before adding the next layer and its concomitant associations. When you work with these ideas frequently further harmonics become apparent. We call these harmonic ‘correspondences�?and use them to set up the magical frequency we require for our intended purpose.

The vibration or wavelength of colours, images, smells and so on all reflect each other to create a harmonious whole. They should be consistent, whether simple or complex, each re-informing the intent. This helps to evoke and direct the right emotional response and level of consciousness in all the participants. There should be no jarring note that will detract from the overall goal or through it off course. It will have occurred to you that there are many possible interpretations of a single symbol. For the Hindu, a swastika is a symbol of good luck and the movement of the sun. For most people in the western world, on the other hand, it is associated with fascism and great evil. Any religious or magical system uses a codified system of symbols based on their own mythology and associations which all of their members learn and follow, but which outsiders do not [this in itself helps to bind a group or tradition]. This does not mean that there is only one correct way of interpreting a symbol; it only means that any one group must use the same set. Introducing inconsistent elements or contradictory meanings into a symbolic system undermines the whole system. Using those symbols then weakens the power and cohesive nature of the tradition, blurs and obstructs its channels of Cosmic communication, and will eventually destroy it. Only the ignorant ever mix traditions, symbolic systems and pantheons, thus creating ritual chaos. Stick to symbols, traditions and pantheons you identify with, maybe ones you are connected to via your cultural heritage.

Law 3: The Law of Balance and the Doctrine of Opposites

Like the modern Wiccan, the ancient Greeks recognised polarities in nature: day and night, summer and winter, life and death and so on, a pendulum swinging back and forth. They believed, as we do, that those opposites are held in a kind of dynamic equilibrium, or eternal balance, by the One. This is characterised by the concept the Greeks called ‘Justice�? which is portrayed in the tarot card of that name. The ancient Egyptians called it maat, and it was embodied in the goddess Maat, the personification of truth, justice, divine order, cosmic harmony and balance, whose attributes include the scales, still a symbol of balance and justice today. It was the pharaoh's duty to maintain the rule of Maat, and Egyptian social organisation was meant to be a reflection of the divine and natural order. If the pattern should be transgressed against, then chaos and its consequences would follow. Maat’s law governed all the worlds and even the gods had to obey her rule.

The path to the One lies in the reconciliation of opposites and their synthesis transcends them; the God and Goddess are reconciled in the One. Some magicians purposely set out to experience the extremes of joy and sorrow, lust and chastity etc. in order to be able to know them and bring them into balance. Whether of not this is necessary, the initiate must try to bring about some measure of equilibrium of the opposing forces in his or her own nature: between intellect and emotion, the physical and the spiritual, the male and female sides of the personality and so on. One aspect should not be rejected in favour of the other. When balance and harmony are lost, then depression, negativity, conflict and illness result.

Wiccans always strive to maintain the natural balance of the Cosmos itself, and this is sometimes achieved by using magic. The village wise woman was the first person a man or woman in trouble would turn to as the witch would understand what had happened to disturb the natural order of things, and see what had to be done to put it right. Witches were the healers, but not just of human bodies, but of the whole Cosmic harmony. This maintenance of balance applies to the giving and receiving of magical energies. The old Pagans knew that in order to receive, one must first give. When people wanted good crops, they made offerings to the gods of what they had �?bread, wine and incense, for example. This is forgotten today when people demand without giving in return, even from the gods. Gaia responds to the ungrateful rape of her bounty by sending floods, storms, and earthquakes.