Ritual basics.
This article outlines a simple ritual and prayer structure, and at the end of the article, there will be a complete example to clarify points made.
Ritual structure:
The structure of a standard ritual is as follows:
Purification/preparation.
Veiling/headcovering (optional).
Sanctifying space.
Opening the doorway (optional).
Prayer.
Offering.
Closing space.
1. Purification/preparation:
Purification is a simple act done before baring ourselves to the Dewoi. Hands (and potentially face and arms) are washed in water before we begin to communicate with the Gods.
2. Veiling/headcovering (optional):
Common in many Indo-European religions and within Britain itself, head-covering is simply donning material to cover your hair and ears. Head-covering can take the form of a toga (or similar) item, or a Birros (Buta Craxanti, 2021).
3. Sanctifying space:
The space in which we do our ritual is sanctified or made sacred before giving our prayers. For example, a place can be sanctified by ringing a bell, lighting a flame, sprinkling water, circumambulation of the space, or any combination of the above.
4. Opening the doorway (optional):
The opening and crossing of doors and thresholds is the realm of Janus, and it is He who is invoked at the beginning of rituals to ‘open the ways’ and line of communication to the Gods on our behalf (MacMahon 2013). The inclusion of Janus and other ‘gatekeeper’ deities is optional and may be more common for those who lean more to the Roman in Romano-British practice. Other ‘gatekeeper’ deities are those who are liminal, such as Brigantia and Ialonus Contrebis.
5. Prayer:
Prayer is structured into three parts, the invocation, argument and petition, as Ausfeld in Versnel (1981) laid out. These parts are alternatively called the invocatio, pars epica and preces.
The invocation is a formal calling and naming of the Gods being called, including their epithets and other descriptions. In general, three epithets or kennings are given, due to three being a common and sacred number in Indo-European cultures, but this does not need to be adhered to.
The argument is the reasons given as to why these Gods being called are being called. For example, ‘you are a God of healing’ or ‘you have given me much in the past’.
The petition is the wish or calls to aid. For example, ‘I am sick and ask for assistance in getting better’. It is important to note that this is often asking the Gods for aid or assistance in something, rather than asking Them to do something for you.
All prayers end with an offering and thanks for all the Gods have already given. Alternatively, the petition can be replaced with a simple expression of gratitude if you have nothing to ask for specifically.
An example of this prayer structure is as follows:
5.1. Invocation:
Callirius I call to you
King of the Woods
Great tree-bearer
Protector of boundaries
5.2. Argument:
I call to you as I have in the past
You have given so much so freely
For aid in guiding my life
5.3. Petition:
I ask you Callirius, oh great God
To guide my hand and heart
As I do what I need to do
6. Offering:
After making your prayer, especially the petition, you now give your offering in thanks for all you have and all you will receive. The offering embodies the cycle of gifting and the principle of ‘Do ut des’, I give, so that you may give.
7. Closing space:
The closing of space is when you thank all who are present and called, and you extinguish flames and other small acts (such as ringing a bell and taking off any head-covering).
An example:
1. Before you attend your altar or space, hands and face are washed.
2. Now that you are clean you put on your headcovering (optional).
3. From the same bowl in which you ritually washed, sprinkle water over the space, and ring a bell three times. Light a flame and circle it around the space three times.
4. Now that the space is ready, you can ritually ‘open the doorway’ by invoking a gatekeeper deity (optional).
Janus, God of Gods, two faced father who was there at the beginning and the end,
I petition you as the God of passages and transitions,
To intercede and send my prayers to those I address them to.
[give offering to Janus/gatekeeper]
5. Once the space has been sanctified or a gatekeeper called, it is time to move into the prayer.
Nodons I call to you
Ironhanded lord
Hunter of thieves
Catcher of dreams
I call to you as I have in the past
Under your guide I have flourished
You who give so freely.
I ask you Nodons, God of sight
To clear away the mist
To help me see what I need to see.
6. After the prayer and petition, you give your offerings in thanks.
In thanks for all you have given and all you will give,
I give to you Nodons this gift.
[make offering].
7. Now that the prayer has been completed with the offering, you may close the space how you like. Thank all the Gods and other attendees for coming, snuff out flames, ring bells and take off any head-covering.
Meaning, purpose and symbolism:
Ritual and prayer have many meanings and purposes according to individuals and different groups. However, one of these meanings and purposes is to engage with a gifting cycle that strengthens your community, relationships and place within it (Woolf, 2013). Another, just as essential purpose is that of cosmic maintenance through imitation of the Gods themselves (Lincoln, 2013). Through ritual and sacrifice, we bring ourselves closer to the Gods by reenacting Their actions and partaking in maintaining the cosmos they created. An example of this is the erection of votive monuments (Derek, 1995). The very act of creation is symbolic of the fight against entropy which is one of the purposes of sacrifice, the other being offerings to the Gods for Their acts of creation (Lincoln, 2013).
Bibliography:
Buta Craxanti. (2021). Ritual Format. [online] Available at: https://butacraxanti.wordpress.com/ritual-format/ [Accessed 22 Jan. 2022].
Derks, T., 1995. The ritual of the vow in Gallo-Roman religion. Metzler et al.(eds), pp.111-127.
Lincoln, B., 2013. Myth, cosmos, and society. Harvard University Press.
MacMahon, A. 2003. The realm of Janus: doorways in the Roman world, pp. 48–58 in Carr, G., Swift , E. and Weekes, J. (eds.), TRAC 2002: Proceedings of the 12th Annual Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference, Canterbury 2002. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
Senobessus Bolgon. (2018). Ritual Format II. [online] Available at: https://senobessusbolgon.wordpress.com/ritual-format-ii/ [Accessed 22 Jan. 2022].
Sepânioi Rotî. (2021). Ritual. [online] Available at: https://followersofthewheel.org/ritual/ [Accessed 22 Jan. 2022].
Versnel, H.S. ed., 1981. Faith, hope and worship: Aspects of religious mentality in the ancient world (Vol. 2). Brill Archive.
Woolf, G., 2013. Ritual and the individual in Roman religion. The individual in the religions of the Ancient Mediterranean, pp.136-160.
Zetochová, Z., 2019. Intentional Destruction of Inventory in Celtic Warrior Graves in the Middle Danube Region. Studia Historica Nitriensia, 23(SUPPL.), pp.215-226.