|
| |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I come even if I've never done this before?
A: Absolutely. We always have one or two people who have never been involved with a ritual before.
We open our rituals to the public, and that means we take the responsibility to make you feel
comfortable and welcome, even if this is the first time you have done anything like this.
Q: What should I wear?
A: Most of us wear normal street clothes, the sort of thing you might wear to hang out with a
good friend. Some of us use the occasion to dress up a bit with a cloak or a robe, or to take off
our tie and jacket, but it's up to you. For some rituals, the people involved in running the ritual
might be dressed in robes or costumes to represent a god, goddess or other mystery play character
appropriate to the season.
Q: What kind of rituals do you offer?
A: Generally, our rituals fall into two categories: full moon rituals, and sabbat rituals.
The full moon rituals are held close to the day of the full moon, and the sabbat rituals are
always held on a weekend. The sabbats celebrate the winter solstice, the summer solstice,
the spring and fall equinox, and four other dates half-way between a solstice and an equinox.
These eight dates are usually called "The Wheel of the Year".
Q: What happens at a full moon ritual?
A: Full Moon rituals are informal. We arrive with no special plan. We talk as a group and
decide if we want to dance or chant or light candles or read tarot or any number of other things.
There is at least one experienced ritual planner on hand to help get the group focused, with
ideas from other full moon rituals. Usually the point of a full moon ritual is to
"Draw down the Moon" and experience the energy of the full moon, but how this is done and what
is done with the energy is entirely up to group participants. Once we all agree on what we want
to do, we take a short break, get our stuff ready (candles, matches, stuff like that) and then we
do the ritual. It usually lasts about an hour to ninety minutes. A generic format is covered on
the page, on this website, entitled A Typical Ritual
Q: What happens at a sabbat ritual?
A: The larger sabbat rituals are more organized. There is always a core group that has helped
to write and polish the ritual. They have gotten together for a rehearsal or two so that they
understand what's going to happen. When everyone arrives, we take some time to explain the
ritual in advance, so everyone knows what to expect. Then, we start the ritual. Afterwards, we
share a potluck feast that is usually brimming full of delicious hot food and tasty desserts.
Some of this is covered on the page on this website, entitled
Sabbat Rituals.
Q: Who can come?
A: Anyone is welcome, so long as they are well behaved. We don't want anyone who is
drunk, out-of-control, wants to preach at us or express intolerant views, that sort of
thing. Luckily, we rarely ever get anyone like that. We are all just normal people,
leading normal lives in all sorts of different situations. Some of us are married with
children, others are single without kids, and everything in between.
Q: Are children welcome?
A: Children are welcome, especially at festivals, but use common sense. Our primary
concern with children is that they do not cause problems that will interfere with the
ritual. For example, a crying baby would not be any more welcome at a ritual than at a
movie theater. But age alone isn't everything. People of any age who talk and/or giggle
the whole time might be equally distracting as a crying baby. However, anyone who brings
a small child who they expected to behave and find themselves suprised can be let out of
the circle, no problem, just like at the movie theatre. It's mostly a matter of common sense,
and respecting the rest of the group. Some rituals are practically made for children. A
few rituals are inappropriate for small children, but these will be mentioned in the event
publicity.
Q: Can I just watch?
A: No. This is one of our rare, firm rules. Ritual is a participatory experience.
If you don't want to participate at all, then you would be distracting to the rest
of us, and it would tend to cause us to lose focus.
Q: What are you going to ask of me if I come to the ritual?
A: We will ask you to participate as a group member. You don't have to do anything
like give a speech or call a quarter, but we may ask if you would like to. Normally,
we will all hold hands in a circle. Then we might sing a simple chant or dance in a
circle. We expect you to join us, but we recognize that you might be on crutches or
recovering from laryngitis, so this is not mandatory. Of course, we would love it if
you felt like taking on one of the many little things that needs to get done during
a ritual. Perhaps you can hold the incense and use the fan to blow the fragrant smoke
on everyone. Or perhaps you can do the ritual sweeping. We often have people who want
to do things during their very first ritual, but always, it is up to you.
Q: Will you make me do something I'm not comfortable with?
A: You will never be forced to do anything you don't want to do. If you come to the
ritual and you've never been to one before, you are already trying something new.
We might also ask you to help make the ritual happen, but that's up to you. For example,
we might ask you to "call a quarter". We often have first time visitors call a quarter,
and they usually do a great job. It just means giving a short speech, something like this:
"Welcome spirits of the North, come join our ritual tonight."
Of course, it can be a lot more complex, if you feel like it. One of the best parts of
ritual is that you never know exactly what is going to happen. Perhaps you'll end up
really enjoying what you did, or maybe you won't want to do it again next time. Don't
worry. We won't make you take a role for which you didn't volunteer.
On another note, though we will ask before the ritual starts if anyone allergic to
any kind of incense or oils. Also if you find a particular part of the ritual has a
problem for you (such as an anointing), speak up and we will work around it.
Q: Can I bring a friend?
A: Of course you can. Better still, we hope you MAKE a friend or two while you are with us.
Just make sure your friend understands that everyone who attends a ritual needs to be
involved a little. You don't need to stand up and give a speech or anything like that, but
at the same time, we don't want you to sit in the corner and just watch us. Participating
means things like holding hands in a circle with the rest of us, chanting simple chants
together, perhaps a circle dance.
Q: What do you use the knife for?
A: The ritual knife is called an "athame"(ah-thaw'-may). It is used to help us focus
our energy during the casting of the circle, the calling of a quarter, or the opening of a
mystical doorway to let the energy of an archetype in, such as the Full Moon or the goddess
Isis or the god Apollo. However, we don't always use such a tool, and even when we do, we
sometimes replace the knife with something else, such as an ear of corn, a sword, a wand,
or a letter opener.
Q: Will I have to reveal personal things about myself?
A: No. But we often have a place in the ritual for each person to say a little about how they
are feeling today, or what they wish to accomplish in the ritual. You can always pass and
remain silent, especially at the festivals. Sometimes, people have the opportunity to talk
about things that are troubling them, but as always, you can skip your turn and remain silent.
If you do, you won't be alone. In a larger ritual, there are usually a few people each time
who don't care to say anything.
Q: What if I cry/get scared/feel bad in front of everyone?
A: It's more likely that you'll get stuck giggling or smiling broadly. But if that happens, just
remember: we're all people too. If you want to talk about why you are crying, we will listen.
If you get scared or feel bad, you can always ask to leave the ritual. That rarely happens, but
sometimes people need the bathroom, or they are coming down with a cold, and they just can't
finish the ritual. Most people find the rituals fun and deeply satisfying.
Q: What if I can't sing/dance/remember words?
A: We mostly use very simple chants, and we practice them before the ritual so that everyone
knows how the melody goes. We also usually provide the words to chants on cards for participants.
Some of us are not able to remember the words, and then we just hum along.
Q: Do you charge money?
A: No. We ask for donations to help cover the costs of the materials we use:
incense, candles, and so forth. At the bigger rituals, we usually have a potluck
feast, and it is always nice to bring something to a potluck, but even that isn't
a requirement. Still, if you know a good vegetarian recipe, or want to stop off for
a bucket of chicken, or have some cookies just warm from the oven, or want to
grab a loaf of bread, or some chips and something to drink and bring these, we'd
love to have you bring those along.
Q: Are you going to initiate me?
A: No. We have no initiation protocol. We are just people who meet together from time
to time to note that the moon is full, or to follow the changing seasons: solstice to
equinox to solstice and back again. However, we can refer you to information about
self initiation, and if there is interest, we may conduct classes or study groups
about various aspects of ritual practice.
Q: What does it mean to be a "member" of CUUPS?
A: First of all, you don't have to be a member to participate in our rituals.
They are open to everyone. So then, what is a member, anyway? Generally,
it is the members who spend their time behind the scenes working on the little
details like reserving a space to hold the ritual, getting the maypole ready,
buying fresh incense, writing the scripts for the larger rituals, working on the
mailings and announcements, and all the other necessary stuff that goes on behind
the scenes. If you like what we do, perhaps you'll want to get more involved and
help us continue to plan and offer really good rituals. In that case, we invite you
to attend our monthly business meetings. We'd love to have you join us.
Q: What about photography?
A: We often do take some photos before, after, or during the ritual, especially if the
core group of ritualists have put in a lot of work on their costumes. It's fun to have
those memories in print. We will ask you if you mind having your photo taken before we
do so. We have a strict policy that we never let anyone see the photos unless the people
in the photo have given permission. We will also blur your face in any picture that goes
on our website if you request it. As with everything else, it is entirely your decision
if you want to have your photo in the CUUPS album or on our website.
Send mail to
seattlecuups@seattlecuups.org
with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2004 Seattle CUUPS
Last modified: November 12, 2006
|
