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This page created 06/16/99 last updated 11/13/05
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Exploded Ritual Procedure: for a Small Group Ritual in the Braided Wheel Tradition

This is a very detailed step by step description of what goes on in a small group Braided Wheel Ritual.
  1. Preliminary building of group consciousness
    1. Discussion of purpose setting of goals
    2. Agree on procedures
    3. Claiming duties
  2. Set up Altar
    1. Collect necessary tools and equipment
    2. Build focal point/mark vertical axis/define ritual center
    3. Establish boundaries
  3. Lighting the center candle
    1. Call to order, statement of purpose, and focus attention
  4. Grounding meditation.
    1. Establish secondary axes
    2. Open channels to energy flow,
    3. Stabilize energy flow/equalize pressure
  5. Purify the space
    6. Soak
    1. Call an Earth elemental
    2. Honor and consecrate it
    3. Call a Water elemental
    4. Honor and purify it
    5. Establish unity between them
    6. Purify participants and space
      7. Smoke
    7. Call a Fire elemental
    8. Honor and consecrate it
    9. Call a Air elemental
    10. Honor and purify it
    11. Establish unity between them
    12. Purify participants and space
  6. Circle Casting/outer rim
    1. Delineate the boundaries declaration of parameters
    2. Build containment field
    3. Statement of success
  7. Quarter calls/inner rim
    8. East
    1. Descriptive evocation of forces of the East, Air
    2. Request for assistance
    3. Welcoming, signal arrival/completion
      4. South
    4. Descriptive evocation of forces of the South, Fire
    5. Request for assistance
    6. Welcoming, signal arrival/completion
      7. West
    7. Descriptive evocation of forces of the West, Water
    8. Request for assistance
    9. Welcoming, signal arrival/completion
      10. North
    10. Descriptive evocation of forces of the North, Earth
    11. Request for assistance
    12. Welcoming, signal arrival/completion
    13. Honor East to complete circle
  8. Deity calls/center
    9. God
    1. Descriptive evocation of the male deity
    2. Request assistance
    3. Welcoming, signal arrival/completion
      4. Goddess
    4. Descriptive evoking of the female deity
    5. Request assistance
    6. Welcoming, signal arrival/completion
    Alternately
    1. Descriptive evocation of universal diet
    2. Request for assistance
    3. Welcoming, signal arrival/completion
  9. Magical work
    1. Statement of intent
    2. Statement of means
    3. Focusing of group
    4. Vows, Thanks, Spell Casting or Rite of Passage
    Alternately
    1. Dramatization of mythic theme (Passion Play)
  10. Energy Raising
    1. Singing, Dancing, Omming, Drumming
    2. Focusing and sending
  11. Grounding
    1. Draining of excess energy
  12. The Symbolic Great Rite and Wine and Cakes
    13. Honoring/identifying with the Sacred act
    1. Performing the Symbolic Great Rite
      2. Alternately (Saying the Wine Blessing)
    2. Saying the Bread Blessing
      3. Accepting the sacrifice/blessing
    3. The Priest/ess taking a bite and a sip
      4. Sharing the blessing
    4. passing the Wine and Cakes around (sometimes with a kiss)
      5. Group sharing of joys and concerns
    5. Everyone has a chance to speak (pass the Chalice or the Talking stick)
  13. Devocations
    1. Refocus- everyone stand up and pay attention
      2. Thanking the Deities in reverse order
      Goddess
    2. Name
    3. Thank You
    4. Good bye
      5. God
    5. Name
    6. Thank You
    7. Good bye
      8. Thanking the Quarters in reverse order
      North
    8. Name
    9. Thank You
    10. Good Bye
      11. West
    11. Name
    12. Thank You
    13. Good Bye
      14. South
    14. Name
    15. Thank You
    16. Good Bye
      17. East
    17. Name
    18. Thank You
    19. Good Bye
      20. Circle Dispersal
    20. Open the circle
    21. Ritual Closing Blessing
  1. Decompression
  2. Share food
  3. Talk, Sing, Drum
  4. Clean up