The Castes and ritual work

[The Madame X]

The Castes and Ritual Work
(c) 2006
By Madame X

This essay depicts 7 points that are important areas within ritual work, and magical circles. Highlighted here is the way in which castes can help insure the safety, intent and energetic flow of the rite.

1. LOCATION
Select a location that is quiet, safe and conducive to the working. If you want an outdoors location understand the risk of weather change, wind, bystanders and even police interference. The last thing you want is for the wind to blow out all the candles/torches. Large groups of by standers cheering and jeering, or worst the cops arriving to loudly break up the gathering. Indoor locations should be quiet and safe. Send the children to a trusted sitter, cleanse the space, and unplug both the phone and doorbell.
Ramkht: Select the best location and positioning of the circle for the desired intent and purpose.
Mradu: Inspect the safety factor of the space for possible distractions, set-backs, and danger areas. Secure the location at the time of ritual.
Kitra: Confirm positive energy flow of the space, decorate, cleanse and set up.

2. PARTICIPANTS
It’s very important that are very comfortable with the individuals that you choose to engage in ritual with. By engaging in circle with strangers or questionable individuals, decreases the power of the working as the focus may stray and you may find your self bringing back with you unwanted astral cooties. Be selective on who you choose to join your working. Some individuals have very negative paths and engaging in group astral work is often the best way to somehow become involved in their mire. When we connect to the astral in circle, we open doors not only to the astral and back but also toward each other’s astral selves. Sometimes we need to do extra cleansing and grounding work on those individuals that might have felt disattached from reality, or as if something has latched onto them.
Cleansing participants before and after the ritual is of the foremost importance. Before, to make sure that you are leaving the mundane world behind and that are ready for sacred space, and after, to insure that you are back and grounded, leaving any astral residue contracted during ritual behind. Never omit this final step, lest you may bring back with you some astral cooties. Sage is good, so is Florida water, but so is ocean water, rock salt, sand and even earth. In fact, you don’t really need something to cleanse with. Try a chi bath, or a personal energy cleansing.
Ramkht: Select/approve ritual participants and cleansing methods in accordance to ritual intent.
Mradu: Consider participants’ ability to engage in the ritual and offer grounding assistance before during and after magical working.
Kitra: Making all the participants feel welcome and delighted in this positive experience, conduct cleansing if possible.

3.[b] ENERGY[/b]It is also important that the group shares similar energetic frequency…by that I mean not only the mental and emotional state but also the biochemical processes… in some rituals the group is expected to fast for a few hours prior, or feed immediately before, or partake of some libation immediately before. This type of group preparation helps the group better align their energy. When the group is unprepared and rushed into magical work we need to take extra time to tune into each other. Sound vocalization is a great way to harmonize frequencies… so hum together for a few minutes before spontaneous ritual work.
Grounding, centering and breath control is important before, during and after ritual. Individual and group centering helps bring everyone to that calm place inside from where magic work can be performed. Group breathing exercises, like chanting and toning, can help bring everyone to the same energetic frequency. Group meditation before the ritual is a good idea to accomplish this. During the ritual there may be a certain time when the participants are required to breath together in unison, this will bring the group energy and focus back together if they were somehow deviated.
Do tell the ritual leader or officiates, if possible in advance, if you are taking medication, or any drugs (prescription or otherwise). Chemicals affect not only your physical body but also your energetic body. The ritual leader may find that you are not able to participate, or may recommend certain cleansing work and positioning for the ceremony that will compensate for your altered etheric body.
Ramkht: Recommend pre-ritual and ritual work to insure harmonizing energies, communicate the importance of harmony within the group.
Mradu: Determine sobriety and working ability of participants, provide grounding.
Kitra: Raising, sustaining, and anchoring the energy of the group toward the desired intent.

4. MINDSET
You must be at peace to engage in ritual work. Anger and fear are your worst enemies. Seek someone to help you ground out this negativity, and if you don’t feel at peace, don’t engage in magical work. It is important to have circle members assigned to ground participants. More than once have participants been ‘lost’ in the astral during ritual. Personally, I like to form a circle where everyone is within no more than arm’s length of each other, so that is your neighbor begins to slip away you can help retrieve him or step to hold them should they faint or become paralyzed. I don’t believe in breaking circle should something of this nature happen. Each person is flanked by 2, those 2 can provide assistance to the one and the space should be sustained, not broken, till the episode wanes, and the working should continue with all the initial participants. Should the incident last for an extended period of time beyond the means for the circle, the main or secondary officiate should properly close the circle, so that full attention can be given to the distressed party.
Ramkht: Positioning participants, exerting the option to sustain, continue or close the circle in case of incident.
Mradu: Providing grounding assistance and emergency response it it’s needed.
Kitra: Open lines of communications among participants to ensure proper mind set.

5. INTENT
Focus and intent are very important in ritual work; especially in group ritual you must be certain that the individuals share that same intent and focus. All participants should have a clear understanding of the purpose of the circle and their personal duties therein. Deviation from this focus can interfere with the working. Personal agendas must be put aside, and those participants that cannot commit to the group focus should not be involved. Establishing the intent should be important for every participant, make them do home work on the rituals’ purpose by writing a prayer, offering or research which can then be offered during ritual. Give each participant a duty supporting the ritual’s purpose. Affirmations are a great way to establish group purpose, focus, and center. Verbal affirmations offer positive value and direction to the ritual work and to the individuals involved.
Ramkht: Communication of intent, encouraging personal affirmations, directing intent and purpose of magical working.
Mradu: Strengthen and solidify the intent of the circle
Kitra: Enable and anchor energy flow to vivify intent

6. TOOLS
Consecrating tools, substances and altar (live altar too) is an important way to insure the purpose and direction of the ritual tools. Such consecrations are important for the ritual officiate, the individuals wielding such tools, for the rest of the participants, and for the tools themselves to know their indented sense of purpose. These tools should be charged and cleansed periodically. Ritual tools should be put aside before the ritual takes place. If they need to be transported to the ritual place, make sure you have all the tools with you and a strong back to carry them. Although tools add a very dramatic element to the ritual, they are not necessary in most magical working. Sometimes, less is more.
Preparation is an important tool to have on your side. Although some groups like to pull off impromptu rituals, it is always best to be prepared with full knowledge of what is to take place, and if possible have had the opportunity to walk thru it or rehearse it at least once. Participants should not be worried about getting it right, but at peace with the encounter.
Light and fire is always a big problem with ritual work, whether outdoors or indoors. Make sure that there is enough illumination if there will be readings involved. Make sure that there is extra candles, oil and dry matches, just incase you need to relight a candle or lamp, replace a candle that won’t stay lit, add an additional source of light, etc… Make sure you have designated individuals to maintain the fire and the light.
Ramkht: Choose and consecrate tools, offer opportunity for rehearsal.
Mradu: Inspect, transport and itemize tools. Carry matches, tape and pocket knife. Sustain the fire, maintain the candles lit, and provide back ups if needed.
Kitra: Set up ritual space. Insure that tools are properly presented and cleansed.

7. PROTECTION
Amulets, Talismans and protective stones are helpful if you are working in community/open circles. Such personal tools can be charged with the intent to deflect or entrap negative energy. Don’t forget to charge and cleanse these tools periodically. If you are in a bad location energetically, you may want to move the ritual to a different area, a different position in the space, or maybe you just need to move yourself to a more conductive location or be near those of a more similar energy signature; sometimes we are ill affected by the negativity of those that are standing next to us.
Whether you are magically sensitive or not, pay attention to the 5 senses during ritual work. Sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing alike are very important, as is any sinking feeling or stomach uneasiness. Note any changes in temperature and humidity. During ritual work a certain degree of transformation is expected. Be informed and be prepared to lead or help in the banishment, combat or deprecation of any astral cooties; discuss this with your ritual leader.
Ramkht: Educate participants and recommend appropriate protection. Exert the option to banish any astral cooties.
Mradu: Demonstrate preparedness, awareness, and effective quick response.
Kitra: Sense and communicate the first signs of energy transformation and/or astral danger.

[Syngin]

This article has helped me sooo much. Although I have participated in many circles I had no real clue what duties each caste performed or for that matter what a ritual would be like within this enviroment.

[The Madame X]

I'm glad it assisted to some degree.
However keep in mind that this list is more of a precautionary list, not a list of duties within the ritual.

Aside from the above mentioned possible responsibilities, there can be a large or small addendum of possible chore with the rite like:
Opening and Closing the space (Ramkht or Mradu)
Harvesting (Ramkht/Kitra)
Erecting the Temple (Ramkht/Mradu)
etc...

Personally, I design ritual according to purpose and participants.
Every ritual is for me like a unique piece of art, which is molded by its intent and by its participants. Each participant has a set of unique skills and beliefs that i enjoy incorporating into the magical working; I feel that such personal talents and understandings give added strength to the working.

I have included drama, dance, processions, BDSM, masks, runes, roses and ribbons, live altars comprised of multiple Kitra, human candelabras, embodiment of god forms, flash paper, animals like cats and snakes, weapons like swords, bows, hammers, spears and axes, gongs, bells and conch shell horns, etc...

The cast/road system is perfect for the employment of such tools. Ramkht create Drama... Kitra dance...Ramkht design runes (Mradu design protective runes)... Kitra and Mradu make beautiful human candelabras... Ramkht and Kitra are perfect to embody god forms... etc...

Each ritual design building not only on the specific and often unique intent but also on the abilities, gifts, and level of experience of each participant. Furthermore, when planning a staged ritual or one that will be for public viewing I must keep in mind the space constraints and the attention level of the audience.

[Syngin]

It sounds very much like the staging of a play. Though the more enraptured the participants and in the case of a public ritual, the audiance, the more powerful the cone of power. I tend to employ specific tools, ie.... my sword, and dragons quite often along with the dark god forms. This is probably due to the one ritual I do write and perform every month is that of the Dark Moon.

[The Madame X]

hummm... I know what you'll be doing on the 27th...

[deacongray]

This is indeed a great piece, it gets the mind working and considering much.

Deacon

[Alterra Von Feuers]

As we have found over time it is most vital that all partcipents know and understand thier place in a working to get the optimum desired result from it .I understand more than ever why its helpful to embrace all the aspects of the caste to some degree. Often one of the types will have to take on the aspect of another to cover a situation or problem that may arise.This applies especailly in public and open ritual work.

Its hollywood to think you can just walk into a ritual working and adlib what your trying to achive from a handful of papers. In personal chaos magic this is great! you are the director and coordinater in control of every aspect of that working no matter how you garner the desired result ! (Just leave the pilsbury Dough boy out of it )

But a collabrated working of any magnitude requires preperation and practice to really make it come together.The most critical component , which is energy ,will flow only as well as the participents will allow. Confusion , uncaring mentality and misinterperting thier place can knock down energy flow as easy as pulling the plug from an outlet.

With understanding and a wee bit of practice we can also take up another caste at the moment to serve a purpose in a ritual working if necessary.
Even Kitra can become Mradu in a hot second when a ritual is misinterpreted !

Go Cleanse!

~A

[deacongray]

Fierce!

I think there is a great deal of the practice and explaination that goes into a public Ritual. People have a bad tendancy not to read what they are supposed too, and not really be focused because they are not really sure what their role in the grand plan is.

Focus for ritual, in my limited view, is hampered by those who are not directly involved in the planning if they are not really feeling as if they understand the whole concept, and what they are adding to the pool. Their energy drops, their focus drifts and you end up with dampening area's in your circle that the Mradu need to really focus on making more manifest so to speak.

[Alterra Von Feuers]

[LadyGigiFrost]

Thank you for this article, it's truly a great piece. I can see while reading this where and why the Mradu is such a important part of this as well. It also allowed me to reflect to my own work as a Kitra and the feeling and communicate are the first signs of energy transformation and how to my own being communicates this into danger in either the energy coming from other's in a group or is something astral coming in was a danger. Again, the Mradu is vital.
I also feel it's important to learn all aspect of the caste not just the one I associate with regularly.