Ritual is an art, the art of religion. Art is the outward material expression of ideas intellectually held and emotionally felt. Ritual art is concerned with the expression of those ideas and feelings which are specifically called religious. It is a mode by which religious truth is presented, and made intelligible in material forms and symbols to the mind. It appeals to all natures passionately sensible of that Beauty in which, to some, God most manifest Himself. But it is more than this, for it is the means by which the mind is transformed and purified …
Arthur Avalon, Shakti and Shakta
Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting…trailing clouds of glory do we come from God, who is our home -Wordsworth
I think that "ritual" is not restricted to spiritual or religious activities. Ritual is perhaps a rhythmic, ordered activity linking the outer actions to some inner qualities or energies.
I just did an little experiment. I found it a little 'unnatural' to walk around in circles anti-clockwise. Much more 'natural' to do it clockwise. Is this also a left brain, right brain thingy?
(I found it really easy to convert to driving the other side of the road in Europe and much more difficult to revert back to Aussie rules when I returned.)
Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting…trailing clouds of glory do we come from God, who is our home -Wordsworth
The clockwise turning lowers frequency. We use it to bring the temple in the heavens (kingdom of heaven) down to earth.
If Masonry were just about raising the consciousness of the brethren we would perambulate anticlockwise.
Deosil movement emulates the rising of the sun, and the right hand; Widdershins, the sun in it's journey through the underworld and the left hand.
In Wicca, we cast the Circle using Deosil movement to create a barrier between the worlds, in which we create sacred space. Widdershins is used to take the Circle down (in actuality, it is a bubble encompassing three dimensions).
They say Japan was made by a sword. They say the old gods dipped a coral blade into the ocean, and when they pulled it out four perfect drops fell back into the sea, and those drops became the islands of Japan. I say, Japan was made by a handful of brave men. Warriors, willing to give their lives for what seems to have become a forgotten word: honor. -The Last Samurai
Widdershins is used to take the Circle down (in actuality, it is a bubble encompassing three dimensions).
So what is the corresponding technical device used in Masonry?
Closing the Great Lights and the closing prayer.
They say Japan was made by a sword. They say the old gods dipped a coral blade into the ocean, and when they pulled it out four perfect drops fell back into the sea, and those drops became the islands of Japan. I say, Japan was made by a handful of brave men. Warriors, willing to give their lives for what seems to have become a forgotten word: honor. -The Last Samurai
In my craft lodge the lights are electric and switched off by the deacons. I am not sure they put any intent into that task and so far I have not seen the switching off trigger any energy change in the temple.
They say Japan was made by a sword. They say the old gods dipped a coral blade into the ocean, and when they pulled it out four perfect drops fell back into the sea, and those drops became the islands of Japan. I say, Japan was made by a handful of brave men. Warriors, willing to give their lives for what seems to have become a forgotten word: honor. -The Last Samurai
The lodge is opened by the SD opening the Three Great Lights and the WM opening the lodge in the degree, and closed in the reverse.
They say Japan was made by a sword. They say the old gods dipped a coral blade into the ocean, and when they pulled it out four perfect drops fell back into the sea, and those drops became the islands of Japan. I say, Japan was made by a handful of brave men. Warriors, willing to give their lives for what seems to have become a forgotten word: honor. -The Last Samurai
I would venture to say that this function is encompassed by the officers recitation of their duties.
They say Japan was made by a sword. They say the old gods dipped a coral blade into the ocean, and when they pulled it out four perfect drops fell back into the sea, and those drops became the islands of Japan. I say, Japan was made by a handful of brave men. Warriors, willing to give their lives for what seems to have become a forgotten word: honor. -The Last Samurai