Introduction To Rituals

(Jan 3, 2023) Perhaps every family has their "ghost stories." Additionally, many have actually experienced strange spiritual events or have been told of them in confidence by trusted friends. Those who live a magical life have a higher probability of experiencing these events because the relevant emotional channels are not blocked by materialist expectations.

Yet, the more skeptical among us wedded to the materialist paradigm will claim these events all have rational materialist explanations. Those people (and I included myself among them) will first need to be convinced of that the existence emotion magic is possible and even likely.

First Observation

The first piece of evidence magic's existence is the observation that conscious experiences are not material. They represent a completely different realm of reality. Conscious experiences are not found in any theory of modern physics. Additionally, they are produced in low energy brains when all the frontiers of physics are at high energies. 

Second Observation

Next consider what might be the evolutionary purpose of consciousness. It must provide some evolutionary benefit for social mammals in order for the biological brain to connect to it. Most likely it evolved for the purpose of stealth group emotional propagation for aiding in non-verbal group coordination (like group yawning to indicate time to rest)

Third Observation

Electrical stimulation studies of the brain indicate that conscious experiences are not involved in individual intelligence. Electrical stimulation studies of the brain show different conscious sensations are only generated in different specific sensory regions of the brain. They are not generated in its reasoning or cognitive centers. 

Fourth Observation

Two ways exist to change the state of a system. Consider a paddle ball held to a paddle by a rubber band. Hitting the ball harder (adding more energy) makes the ball go farther but so will weakening the stiffness (spring constant) of the rubber band. The material world works with energy in which the physical constants (spring constant) are, well, assumed to be constant under all conditions. This assumption is likely false for complex neuro-proteins and that is the mechanism by which the spiritual realm interacts with the material realm and vice-versa. 

(August 30, 2022) To get into a spiritual mood and to set the right mood for the desired ritual, a sacred space should be created. This is a time to forget about normal day to day existence and focus on the spiritual and eternal. This done by darkening the area, cleansing the area, "calling the corners," and lighting a fire or candles. Optionally music and scents are added.

Calling the cardinal direction using some meaningful correspondences begins to focus the mind while simultaneously defining the ritual space. The classical element correspondences has been found to work well:

Earth (north)

1. Confidence
2. Stability, Grounding, Practicality
3. Home, Comfort

Air (east) (ancient languages used the same word for air and spirit)

1.  Insight, Awareness
2.  Empathy
3.  Motion, Spirits (winds of change) 

Fire (south)

1. Passion, Energy, Motivation
2. Heat, Primal Feelings
3. Transformation

Water (west)

1. Cleansing 
2. Life Flow, Focus (moving waters, blood, sap, rivers)
3. Life Birth and Death, Reflection (still waters, womb, ponds)

If in a group then circling a central alter with a chant is a good technique. If solitary then a habitual grounding and centering practice like some simple meditative yoga moves is also good in which feeling awareness starts at your core with breathing and then moves outward to your extremities and beyond.

Ritual Preparation

(July 8, 2022) In a deep sense we are always doing a rituals because we are constantly connected to a social/spiritual network. Every focused feeling we have affects those around us. 

Rituals can range from spiritual exercises to celebrations after a time of preparation. They can be either solo or group. The most popular exercise ritual is Yoga.  Whether Yoga as ritual is intended or not it has a significant spiritual effect. 

Effective rituals generate feelings. Only conscious feelings have any chance of transmission to and from the spiritual realm. Participants reading from a prepared script is a sign of an inherently non-effective ritual. Rituals must be done from the heart.

The greater the number of people in a ritual harder it is to get the same shared energy. Consequently, large rituals tend to be more about the social bonding than about doing emotion magic. 

Every ritual has a start, middle, and an end. The start is all about getting in the mood by raising spiritual energy and getting focused. The middle is the connective part where props may be used to aid in making the desired connections. The end is a time of quieting and reflection. Remember that you are responsible for its consequences so start out simple. 

Every effective ritual must meet four conditions:​

 1. Do you feel you have the needed wisdom?

Do you feel emotionally comfortable with the ritual's intent? Do you really know what you are doing? 

 2. Do you feel you have the needed insightful focus?

 Are you able to feel the emotions needed at this time? Are you focused and ready for the time period required? 

 3. Do you feel you have the needed confidence?

 This is not a question of believing hard enough. This deals with our emotional conditioning and in making sure we have removed all relevant emotional blockages to the conscious thought flow. 

4. Do feel you have the passion?

Are you really motivated and energized for this?

Significantly, the apostle Paul listed three of these ritual conditions in his manifestations of the spirit section of 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (along with healing, prophecy, and miracles). This whole passage suggests that the earliest Christians were still doing magical rituals in accordance with the teachings of Jesus. Only with the rise of the apocalyptic viewpoint was this magical practice suppressed. Puritanical Paul only left out passion. This is his list:​

1. Conscious connections (logos) of Wisdom (sophia)

2. Conscious connections (logos) of Insight (gnosis)

3. Conscious connections (logos) of Confidence (pistis)

(July 8, 2022) Mental focus (intention) is required to channel emotions. This is why the ancient texts call magical emotions "considerations." If the mental focus is too broad and too undefined the results may not be what is expected because many channels are subconsciously opened due to prior emotional conditioning. Most ritual leaders have stories about unexpected ritual results. Proper use of emotionally resonant objects helps the narrow down the possibilities.

Rituals and emotion magic have three categories of intent which should not be mixed because that reduces emotional focus (Historically this is the ancient Aegean point of view). They are:​

1. Transformation (to acquire or expel something, to change direction. In ancient times this was imagined as editing network links)
2. Amplification (make something more or less. In ancient times this was imagined as affecting the flow rate of spiritual fluids)
3. Connection (thankfulness, receptiveness, empathy)​ 

(July 8, 2022) Mental focus (intent) is required to channel emotions. This is why the ancient texts call magical emotions "considerations." If the mental focus is too broad and too undefined the results may not be what is expected because many channels are subconsciously opened due to prior emotional conditioning. Most ritual leaders have stories about unexpected ritual results. Proper use of emotionally resonant objects helps the narrow down the possibilities.

Rituals and emotion magic have three categories of intent which should not be mixed. They are:​

1. Transformation (to acquire or expel something, to change direction)

2. Amplification (make something more or less)

3. Connection (thankfulness, receptiveness, empathy)​ 

(July 8, 2022) Connecting to existence requires connecting to the spiritual power of causality which makes all existence possible. Causality has two complimentary components which are "flow" and "guidance." For example, fluids are guided by river banks or by pipes, while the flow of electricity is guided by wires. 

Significantly, these components of causality were recognized by the Neolithic Farmers who incorporated them into their Ancient Pagan Paradigm. They identified flow as a masculine power and guidance as a feminine power.  All life powers thus had their masculine and feminine components (deities).

The feminine life source powers seems to have been represented by a chalice since ancient times. The Indus-Valley Unicorn seals shows a chalice representing the feminine underdome in front of the unicorn bull (image below). The life network is pouring fluid into it and that looks like a dagger (athame).

In Sumerian times the life source goddess was named Erishkigal meaning "wise One of the Earth Chalice." Her later lordified name was Ningal meaning "Lady of the Chalice." (Gal means chalice, Nin means "lady" while ki means earth)

Gerald Gardiner who invented it was apparently inspired by recent Sumerian and Indus Valley findings. He incorporated causality into it as "all the powers of the universe." The whole phrase is: "As the woman is to the chalice so is the man to the athame. In their union are all the powers of the universe. " 

So Mote it Be

(July 8, 2022, updated November 11, 2024) This ancient ritual closing phrase seems to derived from an the Akkadian magical phrase Ma'u-Tu meaning "push with astrology-magic" or more loosely as a ritual ending "May this be pushed with astrology-magic." 

Astrology magic is associated with the motion source god Su. Because motion powers were thought to have two sources, one from the moving heavenly bodies and the other from emotions, the god Su represented the astrological powers as the dark new moon and the inner emotional powers as the pupil of the eye. It's English dictionary entry is:

The word "mote" was the King James Bible word assignment for the Greek noun karphos meaning "withered thing" like a raisin.

Amen

The word "Amen" also seems to come from the Druid Akkadian phrase AMu-ENu meaning "Reed-Boat reassign" or more loosely as a ritual ending "May the Reed-Boat reassign."

 The "Reed-Boat" is an epithet for the crescent moon goddess Ayu who edits the life network to direct the flow of life powers to earth. She can reassign the life power flow to other places. That is what this ritual ending is asking.

As a phrase "Amen" could be used either at the start or ending of a statement. One example of its use at the start of a sentence is preserved in one passage in the Hebrew Scriptures.

In Summary, we have the "So Mote it Be" ending for rituals involving changing the motion powers and the "Amen" ending for rituals involving the life-powers.

References