Ritual in Theory and Practice

ORDER OF SERVICE

 

Generally speaking most rituals follow a very similar Order of Service. Thus, most parts of the Order of Service become second nature as one gains more practice with ritual. Once the basic Order of Service is second nature, it can be varied as needed or desired to fit the situation.

 

In the example given below, we use the formal Circle casting preferred by the Correll Mother Temple, which you learned in the First-Degree Lessons. We prefer this Circle casting for formal Correllian rituals, like initiations. However there are many ways to cast a Circle, and in ordinary ceremonies you should not feel limited to this one. You should judge by your circumstances what is best for you and adapt accordingly. In letter sections of this course we will introduce you to several other ways of casting the Circle, but we will start with the formal Correllian casting.

 

This Order of Service is appropriate for the vast majority of rituals which you will do. Because of this, after you have done a few rituals, the basic form will become second nature. You should remember this material from the First-Degree Lessons but may wish to look back to the First-Degree Lessons to refresh your memory as to the appropriate visualizations and suggested wording to use.

 

The Order of Service is divided into segments which correspond to the Elements.

AIR 

Clear and release all excess energy

Bless the Salt and the Water

Cleanse the ritual space, going Tuathal and asperging with combined the Salt and Water.

Bless the Fire and Air (usually incense)

Charge the ritual space, going deosil and censing with the combined Fire and Air

Cast the Circle

FIRE

Call each Quarter:

a. Cleanse the Quarter with Salt and Water

b. Charge the Quarter with Fire and Air

c. Invoke the Quarter

- Invoke Goddess and God in a manner appropriate to the ritual

- Invoke the Ancestors, if desired

SPIRIT

Define and explain the focus and intent of the ritual

The body of the individual ritual (Act of Power)

 WATER

 Bless the Chalice (and “cakes” if desired)

Share the Chalice around the Circle

Offer what remains to God/dess and the Ancestors

EARTH

Thank the Ancestors (if called)

Thank Goddess and God

Thank and devoke each Quarter

Open the Circle

Cleanse and release all excess energy

 

The Order of Service should be kept on the altar in a discreet position, so that you can refer to it during the ceremony if you need to.

 

As stated, ritual should not be “read.” There are exceptions to this, however. If you are working with people who do not have experience with ritual, you can make up note cards to assist them in taking a role in the ceremony –but this should be regarded as a temporary practice, soon to be weaned off of. Also, some rituals have “mystery plays” in which a person will personify a Deity. Not everyone has enough knowledge of theology to simply do this off the cuff, and again note cards provide a solution. But ideally people should work to move past this.

 

It is always best to prepare for a given ritual well in advance, so that you have time to familiarize yourself with its requirements. Think about how you will handle the ritual and make yourself thoroughly familiar with its components. Commit to memory any part of the ritual you feel that you should memorize and try to have the Order of Service in your head as well as on the altar.

 

If it should come to pass that you should make a mistake –even a big one– it is best not to call attention to it. Better to continue as if nothing had happened, correct the mistake without emphasizing it, or if this can’t be done let it go altogether. As a rule people will not notice. Even if they do notice, it will still be less disruptive than calling attention to the situation.

 

Of course sometimes you may make a mistake that can neither be glossed over nor ignored. In this case you should correct the matter in as considerate and dignified a manner as possible, apologize without being self-deprecating, and explain that mistakes are an ordinary, human part of ritual. Do not become flustered or over-compensate. Remember, you want people to be comfortable and to enjoy the ritual, not feel embarrassed or awkward.

 

In writing this course I have assumed I was writing for situations in which more than one person would be present. The rituals can for the most part be adapted to solitary use if desired or expanded for group use by dividing the parts among as many people as are present.

 

In dealing with group ritual, problems present themselves which are not readily apparent in solitary ritual, and rarely touched upon by books on the subject. The first is boredom. It is important in ritual to keep people interested and excited, and not to lose their attention. Alas, this is all too easy to do –and to a large extent you can only learn to avoid it through experience: by learning to recognize people’s moods and expressions. But some mistakes of this nature can be avoided easily: you will lose people’s attention if you talk too long at any one time: you will lose people’s attention if you carry a meditation on too long: you will lose their attention if go from person to person around a circle (as in a healing circle) too many times: and you will lose their attention if you have so many people in a circle that even going around once (as passing out the drink for the toast in a circle of 40 or more people) is tedious –in this last event you can avoid the problem by having more than one person serving, or by introducing a chant or other activity in the meantime. Having people waiting too long at any point, is death to the energy of a ritual.

 

In any ritual, be careful with fire. If you are using a censor, cauldron, or burning dish make sure it is suitable to the purpose. Avoid setting yourself or others on fire. There are no such things as over-cautious. If you are not sure you can do something safely, don’t do it.

 

Consider the needs of other people. If people are in attendance who are allergic or otherwise unable to tolerate incense –don’t use incense. Many incense alternatives have been enumerated in other placed in our Lessons. If there are people present who need to avoid alcohol, make sure you don’t use wine in the Chalice –use fruit juice or water. Be polite –and make sure everyone else is too.

 

Perhaps most important –don’t forget to enjoy it. Ritual is meant to be a joyful, loving experience –allow it to be. Don’t get caught up in the details –allow the experience to unfold as it needs to. Doing ritual should make you feel good –it should leave you feeling energized and strongly connected to the Divine. This is more important than any of the details.

 

In these pages I have attempted to treat ritual as a systematized pattern of inter-changeable parts. To emphasize a basic, simple order -which can be expanded and re-dressed in any number of ways. If I have succeeded in my intention, upon completion of the course you will have the building blocks of an infinitely variable system of ritual form. You will also have many discreet examples of the component building blocks, which can be expanded still further by personal research.

 

All of this means nothing however, if you do not put your heart into it. Ritual in the end is only a skeleton upon which emotion and faith put flesh. Too often people forget this and are left with only the bare bones.