About the only truly meaningful "public" ritual I've been part of was Samhain 2002 at Four Quarters Farm www.4qf.org Then again it's public only in the sense that those who have Four Quarters as an integral part of their spiritual experience tend to go there whether members or not.

I've talked to some friends about having a private something for Samhain - friends that I've celebrated with before. I don't know how schedules will go though. We'll probably have something the day before as all of us work during the week or go to school.

I know that on the 31st I'll be sitting on our front porch being my most witchy ;-) to hand out stuff to the neighborhood kids (last year had next to nothing and got a whole mob of the little darlin's).

I'll also be observing some very personal traditions. Right now I'm in the midst of a fast that I take on every year from Mabon to Samhain - most of the time from any and all forms of red meat... one year I did fast entirely from ANY kind of meat... it was both difficult and easy.

I'd love to get together with my entire Family (as opposed to relatives) but they're all scattered to the four winds... someday though.....

Peace,
Raven

>>"I'd love to hear what you find to be distorted"<<

Well, for one thing, I'm reasonably certain the Kandy-Korn has NOTHING to do with the Otherworld......

And the quality of fright-wigs lately has gone utterly downhill since the Chinese began manufacturing EVERYthing.

But other than that, I can't think of a thing that is distorted or misunderstood.

>;-)

Heh.......

DISCLAIMER- what follows is NOT an 'endorsement' of ANY methods or tools, beliefs, or practices for "exploring the other side", merely anecdotal reference to personal experience that I have witnessed in myself and others around me and heard from those in communication with me.

DISCLAIMER- this is the INTERNET! People WILL misunderstand. People WILL decide that there's some secret code here. There's not. What I say is what I mean. Please don't read any 'hidden meaning' into any terms, phrases, or word choices I make here.

THank you.

*****

OK..... I hope I don't bore you TOO much....

Recently, some of my friends and I have been exploring various indigenous shamanic methods that traditionally use dance/drum/music as a method for entering deep trance-state and facilitating ritual for various purposes. This is a tried-and-true method for reaching ecstatic states, and when done in concert with the right music and the right Intent, CAN facilitate meaningful ritual and interaction with the Sacred and/or the Divine.

My experience two weeks ago at the Kan'Nal nightclub concert here in Arcata is a PERFECT example of this- SOME of us on the dance-floor WERE in shamanic trance-states, with dance-ecstasy fully driving the moment. The band, luckily, is one whose Intent is EXACTLY that- they bill themselves as "shamanic rock", and most of us had seen them at Earthdance, either on the main stage on Saturday afternoon, or on Sunday night on the forest stage where the magic was DEEP!

In 43 years, that night two weeks ago- in town here, in a nightclub, on a dancefloor- was the FIRST time that I had achieved true shamanic-ecstasy through dance alone, without any intoxicants of any kind. When one of the two ladies in the band- whose 'instrument' is tribal dance- stepped onto the floor with us dancers, stopping to dance with each few people as she danced across the entire dance floor at the end of the night, there were more than a few tear-streaked cheeks on the floor, since the woman dancing had BECOME the Goddess she was portraying in dance, even though we all reached this understanding seperately and individually.

Finally, She was there, dancing with me and two others who were on either side of me, and as She turned to the next person on the floor, a necklace I have worn on-and-off for three years, chose that exact moment to break. The fact that the pendant- a sterling-silver Venus of Willendorf- landed IN my open hand at the moment of my deepest trance and greatest dance-ecstasy, can NOT be overlooked as "random coincidence". At the end of the evening, I had an opportunity to chat briefly with the lead-singer/songwriter "Tzol" and handed the pendant to him, asking him to give to Her when he got a moment. He didn't question. He didn't ask "why". He just nodded and had that look on his face like he KNEW... and then, as he looked closely at what was in his hand, his eyes got about the size of saucers 8-] and he said "I most certainly will".

Do moments like that "need a holiday"? Of course not. They can't be scripted. They can't be scheduled. But for most people, finding such magic requires that ALL factors be as 'right' as possible, and this means that there must be some kind of organized ritual, on a predetermined date so that EVERYone can be "on the same page" with Intent.

Holidays and systemized rituals provide these things for most people, no matter WHAT their Path, religion, or spiritual worldview.

ANY definition of what might be "proper pagan ritual" is likely distorted by the time we receive it here in the 21st century, and besides, it's entirely possible that "authentic ancient" rituals were, although 'effective', also dogmatic and designed for the best benefit for all, rather than the most effective ritual practice for the individual. It is ALSO possible that ANY claim that "this is the right way to perform that ritual" is as skewed as any other religious claim, since there HAD to be a "first time" in pagan ritual as well.

Sometimes merely saying "thank you" silently to the world around you MAY WELL BE as effective and as "real" as any stylized, organized, ritual practice of Thanks Giving that is handed down for a thousand generations.

Personally, I perceive that Samhain and any other major pagan celebration has been FORCED to become a "personal, private ritual" for MOST of MY pagan friends, simply to make certain that each of us is able to actually interact with our own spiritual world. Too often, "organized" anything is going to limit access and involvement to some, and benefit others disproportionally.

Within my circle of friends, we've all evolved our own rituals or small, 'family' gatherings, except when modern festivals have arranged for more public gatherings like some of the more intimate, but nonetheless 'organized', rituals at Fairyworlds or Earthdance here in the Northwest of the U.S....

Sure, some of us might find a party to attend instead, since there ARE "fool-moon gatherings" whose organizers will add a month-end gig for October or at the Solstices, but for meaningful 'deep' ecstatic-ritual, it's pretty much me, maybe a friend or three, and deeply guided meditations, either in wilderness environs, or indoors in a properly maintained Sacred Space, with EVERYone on board focused in their Intent, or not participating at all. The phone get's unplugged, there's a "no drop-ins" sign on the door, and everyone involved is invested enough that if they're not in the right place, they'll beg off and either 'help out'- moving furniture and fetching beverages and such- without involving themselves, or even totally find somewhere else to be.

Some of us are also exploring other methods that employ entheogenic/empathogenic/hallucinogenic assistance for 'opening that door', and some combine that assistance with Dance, but with focused Intent, rather than the desire to "get high and dance". There is a pronounced difference between "sacramental use of shamanic tools" and "getting high an dancing", and if people are willing to explore these things, one can often find priceless insight into ritual experience..

I know these methods are NOT 'right' for all people, or even 'most'. But I find that with the right teachers, ALL of these methods CAN be useful for SOME people. Sure, they can be problematic for others, not to mention the fact that in many places, the use of any mind-altering substance is downright criminal (unless that substance is alcohol, of course). Those who are severely physically limited (as I was until recently) are often unable to even participate in any form of dance, and achieving ecstatic trance through dance may be utterly out of reach.

Others have personal attitudes or emotional, medical or addiction conditions that preclude the use of any plant or other "mind-altering" tools. For those who do not have these limitations, however, we're (re)discovering what MANY people (and people in this tribe) already know- that dance is a wonderful tool for achieving trance-states, and that for some of us, certain natural substances are wonderful in those instances where more 'intense' investment in the moment is called for.

Personally (and again, ALL of my comments are about MY experience only) I think the "western world" has SO totally supressed the energies and magic attendant to Samhain (and other holy-days- pagan or not) that even just the concrete and steel present in a small town is enough to keep that veil shut tight for most people nowadays, unless there's SOME kind of "kick in the pants"- be it a gathering of the right people, ritual dance, or ritual use of certain plant "allies".

If we can find a place that is TRULY secluded from human habitation, we can usually generate the Intent necessary to engage in meaningful ritual, but if we're limited to "indoors, in town" it's gonna be either less-effective, or it's gonna need a boost to get there.

I have ALWAYS had trouble 'connecting' in heavily polulated areas. After all- it's no accident that I spent the 90s living 15 miles south of the south gate of Yosemite National Park (think John Candy's "The Great Outdoors", filmed 10 minutes from my tattoo shop), and I now live and go to college on the Redwood Coast of California, with the redwoods only a minute from my home and places like "Fern Canyon", "Humboldt Redwoods State Park" and other coastal rain-forest environments less than an hour away by car.

I wish you ALL a wonderful, beautiful Holy Day season. Samhain CAN be beautiful, if you make it that way. I, for one, will be acknowledging the local Halloween parties, but practicing private ritual at home with friends as well.

Love and Respect,

Tom

Okay I am at a loss as to how to begin or even where this will go so bare with me. My disclaimer comes in a form of this is my EDCUATED opinion. I emphasize educated to expound upon the fact that these ideals come from historical knowledge but it is purely opinion since I myself am simply compiling these ideals from my best understanding of them here for you.

You ask about distortion in Neo-Pagan views of Pagan Tradition and, not picking on Shaman at all here, Shaman brings up an EXCELLENT example that is almost thoroughly entwined in ALL Neo-Pagans: Ritual equates with Ceremonial Magick in Pagan Tradition. Fact is that Traditional Pagan Ritual was not ceremonial. The concept of Ceremonial Magick was actually developed within Xianity and then incorporated into Pagan Traditions and hence incorporated into the “ancient” texts and practices even though it was not truly a practice.

The ideal of Ceremonial Magick was made even stronger by Gardner with his creation of Wicca in the 1950’s. The majority of Neo-Pagan traditions today follow some sort of Gardenarian guidelines no matter how hard they point at the fact that they are “traditional” and/or “non-wiccan.” A great example of this is the extensive need in almost ALL traditions to enter circle only from the East, or that over emphasis on the need to “cut a door” once the circle is created for anyone to enter or exit, also the need for “cakes and ale” at the end of ritual in order to “ground.”

Whats interesting to me here is that Shaman accidentally goes on to describe what actual Traditional Pagan Ritual was like, “for meaningful 'deep' ecstatic-ritual, it's pretty much me, maybe a friend or three, and deeply guided meditations, either in wilderness environs, or indoors in a properly maintained Sacred Space, with EVERYone on board focused in their Intent.” This is Traditional Ritual.

It was a gathering, especially in the cold months, to feast, to connect, to mediate, to appreciate and remember. There was a circle because a circle is the best thing to be in to communicate with all in your group. No one counted out in intervals of 3 enough room for everyone to be in the circle. No one said, “ooo wait gotta pretend to cut a door before you can join our circle,” they simply pulled up a chair (or a piece of floor) and widen the circle as needed.

The knowledge of herbs as medicinal, hallucinogenic or tasty wasn’t because you were a Witch, it was because you were (what we would label) a doctor, a dealer or a chef. Yes there was Magick in what you created, just as there was Magick in what you harvested, what you grew, and everything around you. Forgetting this concept of Magick is one of the reasons I think people find it so hard to “connect” with the Magick when in citys or buildings, they forget the Magick that is all around them, the Magick of creation, of contact. The city and buildings are just as Magickal as the tree and flower, we are just so scared of them that we can’t see it. (Yet this is a digression to a different subject altogether.)

So besides these how is Samhain in particular distorted? Well, my favorite one is the concept of it being Pagan New Year based on the view that it was traditionally Celtic New Year. Now, where this gets nice and distorted is in our definitional understanding of New Year. Most Samhain rituals focus on the modern view of New Year and less on the traditional view of New Year or what I like to defer to as New Beginnings. A simple example of this is that many people feel that this is a time to “plant seeds” for new beginnings, yet October is not the time to plant. Samhain is the last harvest and it is instead a time to remain dormant and reflect and begin building the concepts of New Beginnings. This is a big conceptual difference that focuses on the traditional cycle of the seasons rather than the modern.

When you combine this concept with the traditional views of ritual you get a much more laid back and community oriented celebration. You get a group of people sitting in circle, enjoying the fruits of the last harvest, reflecting on the year, the ancestors, the harvest, the magick, the births and the deaths. At the same time you have a group of people whom recognized the cycles and their connections and that at this time the cycles were open to death. They were about death. They would honor death and its importance in the cycles by honoring the ancestors who, do to the nature of this time, could be most welcomed into ones home again with a simple rap-tap-tap on the door.

The rest of the concepts build from this ideal, trick-or-treating being one of them and the complete IGNORANCE in its importance is one of those things that make me laugh and at the same time shake my head in embarrassment. The need for Jack-O-Lanterns is another. Sure it’s become cutesy and marketed and commercial driven, but it doesn’t have to be if you know the truth. It may have a new face or a new name but if you can reach back and truly celebrate the way it was intended all that other crap is just that…crap!

Think about it…Kandy-Korn may have more to do with the “Otherworld” than we even know.

*grins*

~TigressSky~

You know TS, I do know a lot of people that have the "It is written" BS to be passed down from Llewellyn" mentatlity. I guess I'm odd in that I prefer history and archeological texts for my reference materials. I get the gist of what was practised in various parts of the world and then adapt my own sensibilites to it. I pick a few passages here and there from modern texts for formal ritual, but mostly, it comes from the heart. It seems there is a ceremony for every season from one culture or another. I kinda like that approach.

By the way, I loved your description of the ritual dance. I just can't find that thread to tell you that. I love that feeling. I wish more of that could be had easily.

I really want to follow along with this ideal because you are so excited about it. hehehe Yet my fragile brain (which is on its way to exploding due to the huge amount of spreadsheets I am dealing with at work) is easily confuzzled.

Are you using the term Eo-Pagan to describe those whom hold a beleif that is not littered with "new-age/neo-pagan" Dogma? (ie Eo-Pagan equaling one who attempts as accurately as possible to understand the historic traditions and values that createdthe ideal of Paganism based on the earth cycles.) Or are you using the term Eo-Pagan as one who followd there own path? (ie No new-aga/neopagan Dogma but not limited to the historic traditions and values that created the ideal of Paganism based on earth cycles.) Or am I way off in left field trying to catch a ball that ain't ever getting hit too me?

I think I need more Kandy-Korn to fully understands the depths that are Shaman! *wink*

~TigressSky~