LunaMystic Groove



Hallows '98 Ritual

at SPIRITFEST, Camp Sister Spirit

Sat, Oct 31, 1998




THEME: 'Death Transforms Us'





Purpose: to acknowledge our mortality in a positive way

(*Weavre's note: the actual location was changed after we examined the available possibilities in light of the climate, and the ritual was held in the back of a long, narrow old barn--which meant a dark walk through cryptlike stalls to reach it, and a comforting wooden ritual space at the end separated from the rest by a doorway. It turned out to be perfect for what we needed!)

Individual Purification: Smudging the physical space & individuals (CB) Each womon puts on a veil as she enters.

Group Attunement: Moaning/wailing (dissolve into low hum sustained through creating sacred space & invocation)

Creating Sacred Space: individuals call/invite: East-AH, South-Weavre, West-MR, North-MT, Center-JS

Invocation: to Hecate-CB (everyone standing in a circle around a 'deathbed', with candles lit all around)

Enactments: 1. Everyone chants funeral song/incantation: (AH hasn't come up with yet, stay tuned) The chant (mystical sounding, not a 'happy song') aids in transporting us to otherworldly realms/consciousness. Everyone keeps the energy spiraling.

2. One at a time, a womon will step forward. The group picks her up (trust) & lays her gently down on the deathbed.
One womon (prearranged) reads out whatever the 'dead' womon has prepared.
---(*Weavre's note: We drew names to see who'd read whose.)
This may be a eulogy/how this womon wants to be remembered, instructions to the group about her funeral/what to do with her body upon death, her perceptions/wishes of how she wants her next life to be, an 'endings' affirmation about the ways she will no longer be/act (death to the thoughtforms of patriarchy), etc.
When her reading is done, the 'dead' womon gets up on her own, removes her veil & re-joins the circle as a spirit.
Optional: rub ashes on face.

Everyone comes to the ritual with their reading prepared (typed or neatly written), keeping in mind practical concerns about time, cold, focus, etc. That is, if each reading is 5 minutes, the readings will take more than 40 minutes. Of course, it's all important & we don't want to silence anyone's expression, but…..

3. When all readings are done, we all pick up the candles & 'ghost-walk' over to the bunkroom.
We will walk through a veil at the doorway, & have a time for individual meditation/ invoking assistance from spirit guides, ancestors, wimin's genetic shared memories, etc.

4. After the time for individual meditation, our group plans are sketchy. MH has a need to do kinesthetic 'spirit-play' together. AH wants a concrete transition from ritual consciousness to mundane consciousness. It was suggested to walk together, first in silence, then chatting; around to the community bonfire. Bee wants us to eat raisins (crone-food symbolism) along the way. Weavre suggested passing out treats to anyone we might encounter along the path & at the bonfire.
---(*Weavre's note: this turned out to be a *very* powerful ritual for us. We walked together back to the main bonfire, glad just to find ourselves living together (!) and quietly shared a few of our experiences with a couple close friends who had remained there waiting on us after the larger group ritual. Our "grounding" involved roasting marshmallows and eating a few small treats, which turned out to be less effective than we needed!)

Releasing Sacred Space: again, group plans are sketchy. Weavre suggested consciously expanding the sacred space 'bubble' to encompass the entire planet.




Reminders/Commitments

Moving a bedframe & mattress- Weavre & bee.

---Smudging materials-CB
---Raisins-Bee
---Bowl of ashes: AH
---Big cloth for doorway: __________? ---Flashlight for readings (with fresh batteries): ___________?
---(*Weavre's note: we ended up with plenty of candlelight to do without the flashlight!)

Everyone: ___________?
---veil or scarf to cover headbatteries): ___________?
---A black & a white candle (in outdoors, fireproof containers) ___________?
---Different clothing than usual ? (robe, cloak, death shroud ???) ___________?






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E-mail me at Weavre_@hotmail.com.