Rituals
Ritual is a formal procedure of expression that commonly depends upon the participation of a certain number of people. It developed during the period that preceded language or speech. Men began communicating with each other, in much the same way that other pack animals do — wolves, dogs and so on — and those primitive "strophes" (Greek for a turn in a dance) can still have a powerful effect upon human consciousness. Like a chorus in a Greek Tragedy, the celebrants of a ritual work like a team of expert cooks preparing a royal banquet. Each one has his allotted task — greens, meat, cakes, gravy — but all the contributory tasks are presided over by a "master of ceremonies" or "chorus leader" in order to move towards the noble end result.
backProfound study of ritual, its execution and its effects, suggest that it serves several worthwhile aims simultaneously. (1) it provides a visible lesson on abstract points of doctrine and belief; (2) it strengthens and refines shared emotions of both a positive and negative kind (e.g., joy of good things and horror of bad); (3) it banishes fear and fosters courage in the soul; (4) it renews individual and collective beliefs and confirms mutual goals; (5) it renews each person's commitment to the fellowship of the collective; (6) it is a visible and public celebration of mysteries that cannot be expressed in other ways; (7) it intercedes with the Beyond by bringing blessings and protection, and it invokes additional supernatural power to the execution of will.
backIf they did not, we'd hardly have gone on using them for thousands of years. Of course, we must distinguish between rituals designed by specific organisations — e.g., Freemasonry, the Ku Klux Klan, the Nuremberg rallies of the Nazis, or the camp-fire rituals of Boy Scouts — which have as their aim the cultivation of loyalty, and ancient ritual elements which form a bridge between this world and the Beyond.
backThe biggest difference is that while group-specific rituals work for those taking part, magical rituals work even in the eyes of non-participants. Not only are the goals accomplished for those actively involved, but distant passive observers acknowledge the change. The ritual has done what it was meant to do, e.g., the King was truly crowned, the demon was really exorcised, or the marriage was properly blessed. When magic works in this sense then there is no reason ever to stop performing it. We may not "know" .. the fact that we know may not impinge on our awareness .. how magic is done and yet, when it is done, something older than formal education prompts us to recognise it.
backDoes success depend on proper performance?
This is an issue that has exercised the best minds in the Christian church. For example, can a man who is personally wicked also be a valid priest or a pope? And the answer of course is yes. Well, in order for a ritual to work, must it be done in the approved fashion, i.e., properly in every detail? The answer is no. A ritual will work provided a certain "threshold" of correctness is reached. In other words, there is a minimum standard of performance.
backWho is going to stop them? Not everyone may perform a ritual in the sense that not everyone is authorised to crown the Queen. You can go through the outward form, but nothing magical will happen unless you have the required authority. This is conferred on you as you pass various milestones along the path. And even when you are fully qualified and know how to do the rituals backwards, for some of them you also require a formal "Let" from a Master. This notifies the spirit world that a particular ritual, performed in a particular place and at a particular time has his blessing and that the spirits are therefore invited to empower it.
backThe danger comes from not being prepared or not having proper authority. What would happen in a three-ring circus if an unqualified member of the public accidentally let the lions out of their cage? Well, whether the beasts have got false teeth or real ones, the audience would panic. And I have seen something similar happen at spirit séances when (apparently) something nasty arrived. You should have seen that room clear! So do not do anything out of pure bravado or in a spirit of showing off. Yes, you might well be able to summon up a demon … but what would you do next?
backHow much of ritual is psychological?
Since the flourishing of new sciences, such as psychology, we have many possible explanations at our fingertips about the way the human mind works. But why it works is not at all the same thing as knowing how it works. Rituals may well have a psychological aspect, if only because many of the people taking part do have brains. Since there is no other explanation for why magic ritual works, then we have little choice but to think in terms of the supernatural. What else can we do? Is it logical, do you think, to deny the evidence just because some people are uncomfortable with the explanation?
backCan someone perform magic rituals alone?
No! Or to be more precise, what he did would not be a ritual at all in the real sense of the word. A single person could no more enact a coronation ceremony than he could give a public performance of the Messiah. However, there is a wide range of magical acts that can be performed by individuals or small groups. Before a Master taught you any of this, he would have to be sure that the participants are safe and reliable, i.e., that they are not likely to panic, run amok or cause alarm. They have to remain calm and controlled.
There are also many acts of lesser magic that might be shared with a non-Occultist. Two good examples are (a) healing the sick, and (b) enhancing sexual rapport between partners. I made a set of recorded cassettes for guys, and it was called 'Excalibur' .. I am in process of converting it into a book at the present time .. and in this there were many magical recipes for dealing with particular sexual problems. But strictly speaking, not even these are rituals so much as minor, ceremonial acts.
backWhy can't I perform my own rituals?
For the same reason that you cannot play Beethoven's 9th on a mouth-organ, or hold a boxing match against yourself. The deed calls for concerted effort from several people at the same time. It takes two to make love. It takes twenty-two to play football. A ritual by definition, is a 'communal act'. No individual is a community, even if he has head-lice.
backOf course, each instrumentalist in an orchestra will work on perfecting his own skills, and every sportsman does some training to stay in trim. By the same token, every student of magic ought to engage in a meaningful programme of self-preparation as he gets himself ready for higher levels. As a Master though, I cannot help wondering why every rank beginner is dead set on invoking demons or striking clock towers with lightning. In terms of magic, they are all on par with school-boys .. but you know what happens to them if you forbid them to play with plutonium..
backYou do not discuss rituals in your books.
Volume 7 of 'Liber Lucis', printed in the early seventies, gave a full set of rituals for Occult groups. I also gave The Amethystine Cycle, Waecce, Lytlum and the Wyrm Tyht which were solo training techniques. Many others are available to student groups. These are not mentioned in the books of mine that you may have found in general bookshops, but then they are not intended for the casual general reader.
backThey are extremely hasty. If they were studying medicine, they'd whip out every one's appendix. If they were preparing to work on ships, they'd block the Panama Canal. When it comes to magic, no one can restrain himself. They saw Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer's Apprentice in the film Fantasia and they cannot wait to have a go. I get bored, changing frogs back into students. To teach them a lesson, I make them wait a day or two. Which is why so many stutter when they go to France.
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