Rituals/Feast for Fire or Water

From Sekhet-Maat Lodge

by Sr. S.D.M. and Fr. Balise d'Anubis

Performed at Sekhet-Maat Lodge:

(July 25, 2003 ev)

First published in Lion & Serpent 9, no. 1.

This ritual is deliberately written without assumptions regarding the Child's gender; the intent is that it can be used also as a Feast for Water (for a girl), as gender roles in modern western society are no longer segregated. The Authors believe this ritual to be about passage into an adult community, not about the gender roles of men, women, and children.

Setup

Props (general)

• silver bowl
• cup of water
• container of salt
• golden censor
• charcoal
• incense
• drum for Child to keep (1)
• cloth to conceal drum beneath

Props (participants)

• adults only: drum or other musical instrument, if applicable
• gift for Child if desired
• food to share if desired

Temple

The Temple is set up as a large open circle with a small closed (concealed) circle at the center, forming the alchemical symbol for the sun. The inner circle must be large enough to fit three people and have some ventilation for incense. Within the concealed circle is the bowl, water, and salt, and the censor, charcoal, and incense, and the Child's drum. These items are set up in an upward pointing triangle, with the drum as the apex, pointing at the place on the circle where the Leader will sit. The water items are at the left point of the triangle and the fire items at the right point. The drum is concealed under a cloth.

Preparation

The Leader sits on the perimeter of the outer circle facing the concealed drum. The Lead Drummers sit to either side of the Leader. Any participants who have drums or other musical instruments arrange themselves around the perimeter of the outer circle. The rest of the participants, Mother, Father, and Child go to the middle between the inner and outer circles. The charcoal should be lit before anyone enters the Temple.

Officers

• Child - the person the Feast is for.
• Mother - the Child's mother, or someone who represents mother to the Child
• Father - the Child's father, or someone who represents father to the Child
• Leader - a person representative of the leader of a community
• Lead Drummers (2) - these people should be skilled drummers

Ritual

I. Opening

Everyone enters the Temple and arranges themselves as described in the Preparation section. The Lead Drummers begin a beat, and the other musicians follow. Drumming should be relatively light. The participants dance, play, talk, etc. in the space between the musicians and the inner circle.

After this has gone on for a sufficient time, the drumming and all other activity stops.

-GONG-

II. Consecration

Mother and Father take Child and position him at the opening of the enclosed circle furthest from the drum, facing out toward the perimeter of the circle. Mother stands to Child's right; Father to Child's left. Leader comes from his place on the opposite perimeter of the circle to stand in front of the Child, so that the Child is in the center of a triangle with the Leader at its apex.

     Leader: [name], you are [age] years old. Is it your Will to begin the passage from child to adult?

     Child: It is.

     Leader: Are you prepared to take a place of responsibility within the community?

     Child: I am.

     Leader: Are you willing to do whatever it takes to make the passage?

     Child: I am.

Mother and Father turn Child around, take his hands, and lead him into the concealed circle. Leader returns to his place at the perimeter of the larger circle.

After Mother, Father, and Child are within the concealed space, drumming and other activities resume outside. Again, the drumming should remain relatively light.

Within, the Child is placed at the base of the triangle, just inside the door; Mother goes to the side with the water implements; Father goes to the side with the fire implements.

Mother places the salt and water in the silver bowl and consecrates it:

     Mother: Let the salt of earth admonish the water to bear the virtue of the great sea. Mother, be thou adored. (2)

Father places the incense on the golden censor and consecrates it:

     Father: Let the fire and the air make sweet the world. Father, be thou adored. (3)

A. Nuit

Mother picks up the bowl and says to the Child:

     Mother: Every man and every woman is a star. (4)

Mother then may tell Child any story or personal message she would like. When she is done, she anoints him with the water, saying:

     Mother: I am above you and in you. My ecstasy is in yours. My joy is to see your joy. (5)

Mother sets down the bowl.

B. Hadit

Father picks up the censor and says to the Child:

     Father: I am the flame that burns in every heart of man and in the core of every star. (6)

Father then may tell Child any story or personal message he would like. When he is done, he anoints him with the censor, saying:

     Father: O be thou proud and mighty among men! Lift up thyself! for there is none like unto thee among men or among Gods! (7)

C. Ra-Hor-Khuit

Mother and Father take Child's hands and draw him through into the center of the triangle so he is directly facing the covered drum. They say together:

     Father: Deem not too eagerly to catch the promises; fear not to undergo the curses. Ye, even ye, know not this meaning all. Fear not at all; (8)

     Mother: fear neither men nor Fates, nor gods, nor anything. Money fear not, nor laughter of the folk folly, nor any other power in heaven or upon the earth or under the earth. (9)

Together Mother and Father uncover the drum and lift it, each holding one side.

     Mother:Nu is your refuge (10)

     Father:as Hadit your light; (11)

Together Mother and Father they give the Child the drum.

     Mother, Father: and I am the strength, force, vigour of your arms. (12)

Together Mother and Father push Child through and outside of the enclosed space on the opposite side they entered on so he is standing in the middle circle, opposite the Leader and Lead Drummers. Mother and Father exit through the back so that the Child emerges alone. Drumming and all activity stops.

III. Culmination

The Child is standing before the Leader and Lead Drummers. Mother and Father are out of Child's line of sight. Leader stands:

     Leader: To be an adult you must learn both to lead and to follow, and have the wisdom to know when which is wise. All parts in the dance are different, but if one fails, all fail, for all are equal in their connection to each other. Anyone can possess a drum. But [s]he who learns to play it, with the discipline to work with joy, creates the foundation of the World.

One Lead Drummer moves to the side, making room for Child. Drumming and activities resume. The other Lead Drummer maintains the beat while the first instructs Child how to use his new drum, impressing upon him that he must continue to drum until the dance is done (i.e. when the Lead Drummers stop). At this point, the drumming can become as intense as desired. The Lead Drummer may continue to coach Child, instructing him not to play too loudly, too quietly, etc. Lead Drummers should work Child until he is exhausted.

If participants require encouragement to dance, this should be done and lead by both Mother and Father, and both Mother and Father should participate in the dance. If dancing develops in a circular pattern, the circle should move clockwise.

IV. Closing

As the drumming and dancing dissolves, or as people feel appropriate, food is brought out, and presents, and the ritual ends with a party in honor of the Child.

End Notes

1. or other instrument if more appropriate

2. Liber XV

3. Liber XV

4. Liber AL I.3

5. Liber AL I.13

6. Liber AL II.6

7. Liber AL II.77, II.78

8. Liber AL III.16, III.17

9. Liber AL III.17

10. Liber AL III.17

11. Liber AL III.17

12. Liber AL III.17