A Pagan Ritual Prayer Book by Ceisiwr Serith

after another. If they start on the same side of the fire, they will have to pass each other. This can result in awkward maneuvering. It is better if they start on opposite sides. But maybe they have things to do together at another point. Or perhaps there is a fire-tender on one side, blocking access. They will need to know how to approach the fire and then leave without colliding.
     
A difficulty that can arise even in solitary rituals is the manipulation of objects. Most important is to remember that you only have two hands. You'd be amazed how easy it is to forget that when writing a ritual.
     
To avoid clumsy fumbling, always put objects in a place that will make them easy to get to at the right time. If two people are to use the same tool at different times, where should it be placed? And where should the participants stand so they don't bump into each other on the way to or from it?
     
A given tool won't be used after a particular point in the ritual. What should happen to it after that? You don't want to mix it in with tools that you'll be using. A pitcher or bowl with the remains of an offering can be unsightly. Maybe there can be a spot for used tools. Or maybe they can be moved from the side of the space where they began to the other.
     
A particularly difficult maneuver is the transfer of tools from one person to another. This is especially true of pitchers. If two people need to pour a libation from the same pitcher, there has to be a handoff. Since pitchers are held by the handle, it can be awkward to switch them to another set of hands. The pitcher may even be dropped.
     
If people start out at a distance from each other, there may be time to put a tool down between their using them. Even if the people start out near each other, this can still be done to smooth out the transfer, with the first person putting the tool down and returning to his or her place before the second comes to get it. This will affect the pacing of the ritual, which is something to keep in mind.
     
In every case, it is not just the primary use of an object that should be beautiful. All aspects should be. Picking up a pitcher gracefully is as important as pouring a libation with it gracefully.
     
Rehearsal can show you where the problems are and give you the chance to fix them before you stumble across them in the middle of a ritual. Rehearsal increases the ease with which a ritual is performed, adding to its beauty.
     
Keep all this in mind when constructing a ritual from the prayers in Part II. It is possible to create an entire ritual from these by choosing a single prayer from each of the chapters. It would be a short ritual, but complete in its way. That may even be a good way to set up a solitary ritual, perhaps for daily devotions, where brevity is a plus.
     
It is unlikely that a ritual like that would be satisfying for a group, however. It would probably only last about fifteen minutes, and by the time people were getting into it, it would be over.
     
Imagine, however, that your group is holding a ritual. In your tradition, you cast circles and as part of that you address the four directions, calling on the classical elements of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth assigned to each, using a tool connected with that element. Let's say as well that it is part of your tradition that each direction is addressed by a different person.
     
So there you are, sitting in a circle, and the time has come to call on the directions. The person who is to call on the first stands up and goes to the place where you've put the tools—maybe on an altar. They pick up the right tool, goes to the right direction, and pray while manipulating the tool. Then the person goes to the altar, puts the tool down, returns to their place. The next person does the same thing. You've already added several minutes to that fifteen-minute ritual.
     
Or maybe you're doing the purification. You pass a bowl of water around for people to purify themselves. Say everyone