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satya_firestoneIf you've been following along with this series, you'll notice there isn't a lot of "how-to." It's been mostly Theory with little Practice (some minor exceptions have been my Tarot Ritual, Orano Ze Zoma, and Channeling). This is because my Coven has had to start from scratch with this system, not only in terms of meeting the Gods and learning about Directions, Sabeot/ds, other Beings, etc., but also HOW to express it all in a way that satisfied the Gods (some of Them can be very particular), made sense for humans, and honored previous Oaths the Coven members had made.
However, rituals are extemely important for Sorgae 'Craft. They are the Doing, the Will. And we mostly have to write them ourselves. Arduina thinks the rituals we had been doing (in keeping with our initial Tradition) make absolutely no sense. Erian likes frippery and formality, props and processes. Some Deities insist on certain methods and words being used to Call Them, others show up pretty much as They please. Or not at all. So while rituals are absolutely essential, we haven't finished formulating them yet.
One aspect we've deemed necessary thus far is Calling all eight Directions and Elements, including the Beings that reside there, because our rituals must represent a Temple of All, inclusive and balanced. And since it is for All, we don't consider casting a Circle necessary; instead of creating a temporary space that is between worlds (as is the procedure in much of modern Paganism), we instead leave the boundaries open, acknowledging the energies, forces, and entities all around us. We still feel it important to make our space "hospitible," with consecrations and other rites of purification, but we aim to create the feel of a Place That is Not a Place, a space without borders or limits.
The altar we use, then, is necessarily round (as the shape is infinite), with tools and representations of Gods, Directions, and the current status of the Wasteland upon it. One idea we've come up with, is to begin the year at B/Pelatin's rite with a bare altar, representing the potential and promise the coming months hold. Incense would burn underneath the altar, since Smoke in the Northeast is that place of potential, but it is not yet revealed to us. Then as the year progresses, we add further tools, as the Wasteland is renewed.
Since we have a total of 19 Deities we are in contact with (so far), we won't be Calling all of Them for every ritual. As I've mentioned before, there is one Deity pair "assigned" to each Sabeot/d, in addition to Ghiana and Iove, the High Gods. But each Direction also has a Deity pair, and They won't always be Called together in the same ritual. Having all their representations on the altar would make it very crowded, or else necessitate it being too large to be practical. We've solved this with the idea of setting up small shrines in each Direction to be the Deity representations' "default" position, and then moving the appropriate representations onto the altar for the appropriate rites. We know our rites will also involve Channeling those Gods, not merely honoring Them.
Clearly, there is a lot of thought that needs to be put into this, as Sorgae is vastly different than any other Pagan path being practiced today (that we know of). We are, very appropriately if not sometimes frustratingly, starting with only Potential, that has lead to Ideas, that have yet to be Decided and Acted upon. We have not yet taken the full Risk, Dared to face the Mystery, and come into our full Communion with the Gods.
However, rituals are extemely important for Sorgae 'Craft. They are the Doing, the Will. And we mostly have to write them ourselves. Arduina thinks the rituals we had been doing (in keeping with our initial Tradition) make absolutely no sense. Erian likes frippery and formality, props and processes. Some Deities insist on certain methods and words being used to Call Them, others show up pretty much as They please. Or not at all. So while rituals are absolutely essential, we haven't finished formulating them yet.
One aspect we've deemed necessary thus far is Calling all eight Directions and Elements, including the Beings that reside there, because our rituals must represent a Temple of All, inclusive and balanced. And since it is for All, we don't consider casting a Circle necessary; instead of creating a temporary space that is between worlds (as is the procedure in much of modern Paganism), we instead leave the boundaries open, acknowledging the energies, forces, and entities all around us. We still feel it important to make our space "hospitible," with consecrations and other rites of purification, but we aim to create the feel of a Place That is Not a Place, a space without borders or limits.
The altar we use, then, is necessarily round (as the shape is infinite), with tools and representations of Gods, Directions, and the current status of the Wasteland upon it. One idea we've come up with, is to begin the year at B/Pelatin's rite with a bare altar, representing the potential and promise the coming months hold. Incense would burn underneath the altar, since Smoke in the Northeast is that place of potential, but it is not yet revealed to us. Then as the year progresses, we add further tools, as the Wasteland is renewed.
Since we have a total of 19 Deities we are in contact with (so far), we won't be Calling all of Them for every ritual. As I've mentioned before, there is one Deity pair "assigned" to each Sabeot/d, in addition to Ghiana and Iove, the High Gods. But each Direction also has a Deity pair, and They won't always be Called together in the same ritual. Having all their representations on the altar would make it very crowded, or else necessitate it being too large to be practical. We've solved this with the idea of setting up small shrines in each Direction to be the Deity representations' "default" position, and then moving the appropriate representations onto the altar for the appropriate rites. We know our rites will also involve Channeling those Gods, not merely honoring Them.
Clearly, there is a lot of thought that needs to be put into this, as Sorgae is vastly different than any other Pagan path being practiced today (that we know of). We are, very appropriately if not sometimes frustratingly, starting with only Potential, that has lead to Ideas, that have yet to be Decided and Acted upon. We have not yet taken the full Risk, Dared to face the Mystery, and come into our full Communion with the Gods.