What a blessing to have the Internet. We hear so much about the dangers
- I wanted to share with you one of the good things!
For two years I took part in an online Wiccan tradition which
gave me great teaching and experience, which I have applied in my own life. I had been initiated into the first
degree and had planned on staying, served as one of the keepers, and chat host coordinator. I left for personal
reasons. It is hard to accept a new season sometimes and I was stubborn LOL
So that is where and how I gained my first experiences performing online
ritual, and it was powerful. I honestly believe the level of energy you
put into something will determine what you get out of it. In our cyber rituals we enter the circle in
perfect love and trust, we each prepare separately, we set up our own mini altar, even if it is just
a candle and a working space. We rely heavily on visualization
- which for me is no problem, as I am more of a visually oriented person.
I know some may say it is better to perform ritual in person; I
am now also part of a local coven, we perform ritual and it is great. I would not say it is 'greater
than' because the energy is different. In the end, it is what you put in - the spiritual and mental energy/intent/focus
and the physical preparation - that makes it as real as you allow it to be.
How Do You Create and Perform Online Ritual?
1) Write out the ritual and set a date.
This means decide what type of ritual you want to perform, and then
compose it. Recently after I left the former tradition I had trained
in, Rosie and I got together with a few others in another room. It turned out not to be the
greatest chatroom experience, but we did manage to perform an Awakening Moon Esbat honoring Isis. It
was something I had worked on from the end of last year. If anyone had drums, flutes, etc. they were invited
to use them. Yes, we were online, but we were able to perform both chanting and drumming.
2) Confirm with those you have selected to help lead.
3) Assign parts like Elemental or Quarter Calls, Deity Invocation,
Libation, etc.
I learned by experience to follow the response to others, allowing both
them and myself to be spontaneous, 'go with the flow' of whatever happens, and trust that later an understanding
of what it all meant would come.
Where it is said 'Mote It Be' everyone would type in the same phrase - the
same for 'Welcome Air' or 'Welcome Beloved Isis' or 'Mother Isis', etc.
4) Have a cyber chatroom ready set up in an aol private room if possible - they work
best - and provide a name for it.
Everyone participating in the ritual should have their own personal copy of
the ritual at least a day if not a week ahead of the time and date for performing the rite. The ritual
participants need to copy and paste their ritual roles/parts into the chatroom, or if that fails, they need to type
it in. (I had to manually type in all my parts once, LOL)
This is a great way to learn to do ritual. My first online ritual was performed
as a solitary - I created it all myself - everything written in my own words. I was so nervous and excited.
I wrote a
Yule song to the tune of a Christmas carol and put so much information
into the ritual text, it sounded more like I was teaching a lesson! Yet it was during this initial experience that I
fell in love with ritual work.
Online ritual has helped me with self confidence doing things I was not sure
I could do. I learn best by experience. Not everyone has a group near them and
honestly one has to know someone in order to connect with a group. Also not all of us may be able to
travel to the FOI Convocations to connect with other members. So this is an excellent way of not only connecting to Deity
but to each other.
We stand between the worlds, spirit has no bounds. As I wrote earlier, I was dedicated and initiated into my first degree online, and it was very touching. I have had beautiful experiences come out of online ritual work and also felt
something in me was changing. It was also when I first got a taste of the sweetness
of Isis. I had a dream of Isis knocking on my heart wanting to get my attention.
The basic of ritual is first of all, the quality and intensity of your intent,
your heart, your motive. It does not matter what you have and do not have. You
can have all the hoopla and if your heart is not right before your Deity it is meaningless.
Online ritual with a tradition was very structured and strict. Many don't
give a lot of room for honest errors but the Goddess has a sense of humor, and if you have put your heart and soul into
it, I believe She will be pleased. The
main objective is creating a chatroom all can get into. Most may accomodate up to 30 people.
Do expect to spend an hour maybe even an hour and a half if
everything goes well. It depends on the length of your ritual and the type of work you want to do. Group meditations
are great and are easier in a way, so you may want to begin with meditation and invite others to join you.
4) Quirks
Do remember aol and yahoo
have their quirks. I got booted three times once during a ritual, but most of the time it works out well.
Just remember to do this - as you come back into the chatroom make a door and if you must leave early, open
and close the door without drawing attention to yourself. If you make a mistake go on.
If you ever have the opportunity to go to an online ritual go for
it! I promise you will be blessed.
About the Author: Irisi Meskhenet is a member of the Fellowship of Isis. She is an accomplished poet,
who frequently shares her poetry and insights on the Circle of Isis online discussion list. Her gifts of laughter and insights
into the beauty of the Goddess are infectious, lifting the hearts and spirits of those around her. She is a regular contributor
to the Mirror of Isis. Irisi has been intiated as a First Degree in a Wiccan Tradition. Her Matron Deities are Isis and Hekate.
