|
CATHARTIC MOTHER'S DAY RITUAL
by Allyson Sbazo Background In today's world, abuse is rampant. Mistreatment and
outright neglect,
painful punishments, and other nightmarish things happen to some as we
grow up.
When the world pauses to celebrate days like Mother's Day, those of us
with
abusive parents stop to ask ourselves, "What do WE do?" For many, the
answer is to ignore the holiday, or to lash out at others around us who
may not
be aware of our pain. This is counterproductive to a healthy spiritual
life,
though. Working through our feelings of abandonment, imperfection,
guilt, and
anger is very important, because it frees us up to look at our bare
souls. This
ritual is created with the idea of releasing anger and hatred for your
mother,
allowing you to embrace motherhood in different and much more positive
ways. This is written up as a ritual for a single worshiper.
Please feel free to
adapt it for use with groups. Set
Up
Assemble all the items for the ritual: a bell or drum,
wine, fresh water, a
bowl for holding dirty water, a bowl for wine offerings, a branch, a
candle or
oil lamp, barley, a goblet, gifts for each of the Goddesses, and a
small meal
or feast (for after ritual). Have them ready, either on the altar or in
the
basket, as appropriate. The wine should be a bottle reserved just for
that
ritual. Any left over may be imbibed by the attendees, considered
sharing with
the Gods. Take time to bathe and completely cleanse the body and soul
of any
miasma. Procession
Walk quietly, piously, into the ritual area. This marks
the change from
profane to sacred space. You may wish to ring a bell or beat a drum
slowly to
accompany the pace. Treat this as seriously as a procession with a
hundred
people! Purification of the People
Just outside the sacred space, have a vessel of spring
or sea water and a
bowl waiting. You should wash your hands with the water, into the bowl
(the
water in the bowl is considered unclean, and so should not be touched).
If more
than one person is attending, the water is poured by the priestess, and
the
bowl is held by the priest. When by yourself, simply pausing to wash
your hands
in the bowl is fine, and the water should be disposed of away from your
home or
garden later. Sanctification of Sacred Space
The remaining water in the vessel is used to sanctify
the sacred space and
the altar. Use a branch to scatter droplets of clean water around the
entire
area to be used during the ritual. As you walk, you can hum, sing, or
recite a
prayer. End the cleansing by sprinkling yourself, then take the
offering basket
up to the altar, and place it before it or under it. Ritual Lighting of Sacred Fire
The oil lamp/large candle is lit with a blessing to
Hestia. This should be
impromptu and not scripted. Other candles can be lit now, using a taper
lit
from the oil lamp. Tossing of Barley
Scatter barley around the sacred space and altar, from a
container of
barley. Preliminary Invocation
The priestess says: You
who are beyond death! Goddesses
of the Sacred Heights,
the Earth around me, and the Great Below, Hear
me call! Bless
me with your presence, Mothers
of Gods, for
I wish to honor you. Libations
Water and wine are mixed together in a wine glass or
chalice. Pour the wine
in first, filling the goblet half way, and then add the water. Then say: Dear
Hestia, Receive
this libation, and
rejoice, for
your joy is mine this night. Hestia,
Goddess of the Hearth, Guardian
of the Home, For
you I pour out the first
portion, Accept
and delight in my
offerings. For
tender hearted Hecate, Bright
coiffed Lady of torches
and light Protector
of childbirth and
children, Accept
and delight in my
offerings. For
Ox-Eyed Queen of Heaven, Hera,
thou Mother and wife, Dark
eyed one, peacock clad
Goddess, Accept
and delight in my
offerings. Rhea,
Mother of the Gods
themselves, Mysterious
one, Great Mother, Wise
and wizened one, Accept
and delight in my
offerings. Celebration
On the altar, place a gift for each Goddess called, one
at a time. Take a
few moments to speak from the heart, saying what that Goddess means to
you, and
why. Explain to the Goddesses called that you are asking their aid in
overcoming anger and negative emotions in regards to your own mother,
and that
your offerings are made with their help in mind. Enumerate your
problems
carefully, and bluntly. You may wish to have them written down, so that
you can
remember your issues. This can take as long or as short a time as you
wish, but
you should not be afraid to wallow just a little bit in your emotions.
This is
a good time to yell about your mother, and to allow the negative things
to well
up, and be cried out. Last Libations
Once you are done, share some of the wine with the
Goddesses, and then use
the last part as a final libation to them. Say: Receive
these libations, and be
kind, for
your joy is shared with me
this night. Hestia,
Goddess of the Hearth, Hecate,
Mistress of Childbirth, Hera,
Queen of Heaven, Rhea,
Mother of the Gods, For
you I pour out the last
portion, In
thanks for your help and your
comfort. Accept
and delight in my
offerings. When you are done, quietly extinguish all candles and incense, if necessary. Clean up, and take any offerings outside, dispose of the dirty water, and generally tidy your altar space. Then, go have some food, with a small portion set aside for the Goddesses, in thanks.
Bibliography:
Neokoroi - The Temple Keepers. Template for Noumenia Ritual. [1] Sannion's Sanctuary. Hellenic Polytheism. [2] Fairbanks, Arthur. A Handbook of Greek Religion. [3]
Diasia/Chloaia. A ritual. [4] |