{"id":530,"date":"2017-04-17T12:36:34","date_gmt":"2017-04-17T20:36:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/tempest\/?p=530"},"modified":"2017-04-17T12:36:34","modified_gmt":"2017-04-17T20:36:34","slug":"balance-ritual-performance-ego","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/tempest\/2017\/04\/balance-ritual-performance-ego.html","title":{"rendered":"The Balance of Ritual, Performance, & Ego"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Hi all! \u00a0I\u2019m in Book Jail for Sigil Witchery, just a couple more days to go, so I\u2019m pulling this post from the archives (2014) \u2013 \u00a0Relevant at any time!<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Photo
Photo of Tempest by The Dancer\u2019s Eye<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Where is the line between Ritual and Performance?
\n<\/strong><\/em>Not only for Sacred Dance (which can be a hot topic along the lines of \u201cCan or should a trance dance be performed? How appropriate is that? And under what context?\u201d<\/i>) but this is something that can be considered for almost any kind of ritual. \u00a0I\u2019ve seen and participated in a lot of Ritual and Performance over the last two decades, and lately I\u2019ve been thinking about what works\u2026and what makes me want to bang my head on the nearest hard surface. \u00a0Of course, to each their own, but it still makes me wonder the why and how things work or don\u2019t work for me.<\/p>\n

First, we must consider the question, what IS Ritual?<\/strong><\/em>
\nRitual is a very misunderstood entity. When most people think of ritual,\u00a0they picture a very intricate, ornate, long, and intense ceremony. Ritual\u00a0can be that, but it\u2019s most often not. Humans are ritualistic beings (not\u00a0unlike cats), and do certain things every single day in order to make\u00a0progress within that day or evening. It helps to bring meaning and order\u00a0into daily living. Despite its mundane nature, it\u2019s a form of ritual. So\u00a0between these two extremes, we see that ritual is done to bring meaning,\u00a0purpose, and order to something. It can be very elaborate, or simple, as\u00a0long as it works for you.<\/p>\n

The following is one of my favorite explanations of ritual:\u201cIt is believed that the human need for some kind of formal, often public\u00a0acknowledgement of significant events is one of the fundamental forces of\u00a0our development as social beings. At the same time, ritual allows us to\u00a0transcend our individual selves to gain a sense of participation with the\u00a0greater environment of the forces controlling our singular and communal\u00a0destinies.\u201d<\/i> \u00ad<\/i><\/b>John T. Nelson, A Year in the Life of a Shinto Shrine<\/i>
\n<\/i><\/b>
\nRitual is also \u201ca fusion of the powers believed to be inherent in the\u00a0persons, objects, relationships, events, and histories which are represented\u00a0by the ceremony itself.\u201d<\/i> \u00ad(Victor Turner)<\/p>\n

So what about Performance?<\/strong> <\/em>By simple definition it can be\u00a0\u201can act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment.\u201d <\/i>I think a key element to consider is that Performance is done for some sort of audience, to communicate some sort type of idea, art, or other form of expression. \u00a0It opens up a dialogue and creates a shared experience. <\/b><\/p>\n

Who is the audience? Depending on where and when Ritual is done, the audience can be active participants (part of a group activity\/service), an observing contingent (such as a seated, paying audience in a theater), the performer\/practitioner themselves (especially in solitary), and\/or something\/someone metaphysical (deity, spirit, elemental, ancestor, etc). \u00a0In that consideration, all Ritual contains some element of Performance, and that there are a lot of angles and nuances to consider when crafting Ritual.<\/p>\n

Which brings us to Ego.<\/strong> Ego can be defined as\u00a0\u201ca person\u2019s sense of self-esteem or self-importance\u201d<\/i>, \u201cthe part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious and is responsible for reality testing and a sense of personal identity\u201d <\/i>or \u201ca conscious thinking subject.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0 I think Ego, when it\u2019s integrated with Ritual and Performance, becomes the crucial element that makes it all work \u2013 or not.<\/p>\n

\"Photo
Photo of Tempest from Hexenfest 2014 (?)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How so? Well, it is definitely important to be confident in your abilities to accomplish what you have set out to do. \u00a0When focusing intent and working metaphysics, you cannot be shy or unfocused about what needs to be done. \u00a0You need to understand the parts you are bringing together, have a sense of timing and flow, and have a voice. The sum of these parts signifies a healthy Ego. It does not mean believing that you are MORE important than anyone or anything else (especially your audience), that it\u2019s your job to instruct, bestow, or pander to the audience \u2013 or completely exclude them all together. The \u201clook how powerful\/dark\/smart I am\u201d<\/i> shtick falls flat and will be obviously hollow to a grounded practitioner.<\/p>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

So how does one avoid that trap? <\/b>
\n-First, don\u2019t take yourself too seriously. Those who are truly confident don\u2019t feel the need to over-dramatize\/demonstrate that point. It allows you to have permission to be more open to what\u2019s happening, to be more expressive, and communicate more freely. The more your try to show how \u201cimportant\u201d you are, the less it will work.
\n-Don\u2019t be afraid to laugh or to make a mistake \u2013 you\u2019ll actually trust yourself more.
\n-Don\u2019t put yourself above anyone else \u2013 we\u2019re all in this together and you never know who\u2019s watching.
\n-Do consider what it is that you wish to accomplish and how it can affect not only yourself, but others.
\n-Less is More. You don\u2019t have to over-explain everything, and don\u2019t rely on props to get your point across. Make them count, but don\u2019t make them the focus. \u00a0Also, don\u2019t believe that longer = better. Ask yourself is everything you\u2019re incorporating truly necessary to accomplish your goal?
\n-Clean up after yourself; physically and metaphysically.<\/p>\n

Keep these simple ideas in mind and you will be on your way to crafting Ritual that will work in more ways than you could have ever imagined!<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi all! \u00a0I\u2019m in Book Jail for Sigil Witchery, just a couple more days to go, so I\u2019m pulling this post from the archives (2014) \u2013 \u00a0Relevant at any time! Where is the line between Ritual and Performance? Not only for Sacred Dance (which can be a hot topic along the lines of \u201cCan or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2676,"featured_media":533,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,72],"tags":[73,227,82,43,7,4],"class_list":["post-530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-modernpractice","category-movement","tag-dance","tag-ego","tag-performance","tag-ritual","tag-witch","tag-witchcraft"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Balance of Ritual, Performance, & Ego<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Where is the line between Ritual and Performance? How does ego balance in or tip the scales? 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