CHESMAYNE

Midi: Chasing

Ritual

01 Prescribed action repeated from time to time in a systematic way.   The term ritual is often used together with the term myth, because the ritual that is enacted is often connected with a particular myth or significant story. 

02 Tantra (India): ‘Ritual, Rule’.  

03 Uganda: a child was crowned KI of Uganda’s western kingdom of Tooro in a series of ceremonies.   The boy became KI only after performing centuries-old rituals, including fighting a ceremonial battle with 500 men known as keepers of the coronation hill. The President allowed the restoration of Uganda’s four tribal kingdoms in 1993, attended the coronation and was appointed a mentor to the boy KI. 

The dramatic enactment of myth is designed to make a sufficiently deep impression on the individual to reach his/her unconscious.  Myth is extended symbolism.  Symbolic actions are common to many varied rituals and spiritual disciplines used to transform the psyche.   Repetition of words and phrases is used in most rituals because it adds intensity of feeling.   Alcohol has been used to rouse the ferocious animal instinct for battle.   It has always played an important part in ritual by dimming the conscious mind and allowing the inspiration of unconscious intuition to break through.   There also appears to be a symbolic link between drink and the bottle of a baby.   Ritual magic is the most perilous of all the avenues to the mind.   Years of preparation have to precede access and is usually undertaken by a scholar (never alone).   Such people must be sincere, scholarly, have absolute equilibrium of character and superb physical and mental health and then only between the ages of 25 to about 50.  Such rituals are a mental, spiritual and physical exercise with the objective of contact with the universal overmind.  Such rituals would include the esoteric rites of the Roman Catholic or Russian Orthodox Mass or the Jewish Orthodox service (three of the most beautiful rites developed by human beings).  Hierophants (see ‘Tarot’), priests and rabbis spend many years training before being considered competent to perform these rituals.   Participants find these rites uplifting and mystical (true magic).  A master ritualist is usually a scholar of many languages (ie, Hebrew, Latin, Aramaic and Greek) and possesses the memory of an elephant.  The true masters are real magicians and amongst these would be included Mahatma Gandhi, Jesus of Nazareth (of an even higher order - see Melchizedek), Aaron, Moses, Lord Buddha, Zoroaster and Muhammad to name a few.   Ritual involves a psycho-drama (see ‘Drama’) and is the re-enactment of historical or legendary deeds connected with an act of supreme self-sacrifice ie, Hiram Abiff (designer of KI Solomon’s Temple).   Ritual has its origin in ancient Egyptian ritual practices.