Ritual: A Very Short Introduction
Ritual: A Very Short Introduction

Author: Barry Stephenson

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2015-01-28

Total Pages: 143

ISBN-13: 0199943583

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Ritual is part of what it means to be human. Like sports, music, and drama, ritual defines and enriches culture, putting those who practice it in touch with sources of value and meaning larger than themselves. Ritual is unavoidable, yet it holds a place in modern life that is decidedly ambiguous. What is ritual? What does it do? Is it useful? What are the various kinds of ritual? Is ritual tradition bound and conservative or innovative and transformational? Alongside description of a number of specific rites, this Very Short Introduction explores ritual from both theoretical and historical perspectives. Barry Stephenson focuses on the places where ritual touches everyday life: in politics and power; moments of transformation in the life cycle; as performance and embodiment. He also discusses the boundaries of ritual, and how and why certain behaviors have been studied as ritual while others have not. Stephenson shows how ritual is an important vehicle for group and identity formation; how it generates and transmits beliefs and values; how it can be used to exploit and oppress; and how it has served as a touchstone for thinking about cultural origins and historical change. Encompassing the breadth and depth of modern ritual studies, Barry Stephenson's Very Short Introduction also develops a narrative of ritual's place in social and cultural life. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

RitualCraft
RitualCraft

Author: Azrael Arynn K

Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 577

ISBN-13: 1567180094

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From Sabbat events to magick ceremonies to handfastings, ritual is at the heart of Pagan worship and celebration. Whether you''re planning a simple coven initiation or an elaborate outdoor event for hundreds, "RitualCraft" can help you create and conduct meaningful rituals. Far from a recipe book of rote readings, this modern text explores rituals from many cultures and offers a step-by-step Neopagan framework for creating your own. The authors share their own ritual experiences-the best and the worst-illustrating the elements that contribute to successful ritual. "RitualCraft" covers all kinds of occasions: celebrations for families, a few people or large groups; rites of passage; Esbats and Sabbats; and personal transformation. Costumes, ethics, music, physical environment, ritual tools, safety, speech, and timing are all discussed in this all-inclusive guidebook to ritual.

Ritual in Its Own Right
Ritual in Its Own Right

Author: Don Handelman

Publisher: Berghahn Books

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 242

ISBN-13: 9781845450519

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Historically, canonic studies of ritual have discussed and explained ritual organization, action, and transformation primarily as representations of broader cultural and social orders. In the present, as in the past, less attention is given to the power of ritual to organize and effect transformation through its own dynamics. Breaking with convention, the contributors to this volume were asked to discuss ritual first and foremost in relation to itself, in its own right, and only then in relation to its socio-cultural context. The results attest to the variable capacities of rites to effect transformation through themselves, and to the study of phenomena in their own right as a fertile approach to comprehending ritual dynamics.

Rituals, Collapse, and Radical Transformation in Archaic States
Rituals, Collapse, and Radical Transformation in Archaic States

Author: Joanne M.A. Murphy

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-09-29

Total Pages: 339

ISBN-13: 1000172732

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Rituals, Collapse, and Radical Transformation in Archaic States explores the role of ritual in a variety of archaic states and generates discussion on how the decline in a state’s ability to continue in its current form affected the practices of ritual and how ritual as a culture-forming dynamic affected decline, collapse, and regeneration of the state. Chapters examine ritual in collapsing and regenerating archaic states from diverse locations, time periods, and societies including Crete, Mycenean and Byzantine Greece, Mesopotamia, India, Africa, Mexico, and Peru. Underscoring similarities in a variety of archaic states in the role of ritual during periods of threat, collapse, and transformation, the volume shows how ritual can be used as a stabilizing or divisive force or a connecting medium between the present to the past in an empowering way. It also highlights the diversity of ritual roles and location in similar situations and illustrates how states in close proximity and sharing many cultural similarities can respond differently through ritual to stress and contrast the different response in rural and urban settings. Through detailed, cultural specific studies, the book provides a nuanced understanding of the diverse roles of ritual in the decline, collapse, and regeneration of societies and will be important for all archaeologists involved in the important notions of state "collapse" and "regeneration".

Theatre, Ritual, and Transformation
Theatre, Ritual, and Transformation

Author: Sue Jennings

Publisher: Psychology Press

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 9780415119900

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Shows how the themes of drama, play, trance, music and dance have been found to be fundamental to the practice of good health in a Malaysian culture, and how this can be applied to the more general notions of therapy, including dramatherapy. .

Iron, Gender, and Power
Iron, Gender, and Power

Author: Eugenia W. Herbert

Publisher: Indiana University Press

Published: 1994-01-22

Total Pages: 302

ISBN-13: 9780253115966

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"[Herbert] has constructed a model of power relationships structured upon gender and age, and derived from male transformative processes, and in so doing has written a notable, and most enjoyable, book." -- African History "Herbert examines with great care and thoroughness the relationships between gender and power and the rationales that give them social form.... [Her] analytical ability is outstanding." -- Patrick McNaughton "This book is a well-written and essential study of the place of belief in African material culture." -- International Journal of African Historical Studies Herbert relates the beliefs and practices associated with iron working in African cultures to other transformative activities -- chiefly investiture, hunting, and pottery making -- to propose a gender/age-based theory of power.

Ritual Failure
Ritual Failure

Author: Vasiliki G. Koutrafouri

Publisher: Sidestone Press

Published: 2013-12-31

Total Pages: 174

ISBN-13: 9088902208

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‘Ritual Failure’ is a new concept in archaeology adopted from the discipline of anthropology. Resilient religious systems disappearing, strict believers and faithful practitioners not performing their rites, entire societies changing their customs: how does a religious ritual system transform, change or disappear, leaving only traces of its past glory? Do societies change and then their ritual? Or do customs change first, in turn provoking wider cultural shifts in society? Archaeology possesses the tools and methodologies to explore these questions over the long term; from the emergence of a system, to its peak, and then its decay and disappearance, and in relation to wider social and chronological developments. The collected papers in this book introduce the concept of ‘ritual failure’ to archaeology. The analysis explores ways in which ritual may have been instrumental in sustaining cultural continuity during demanding social conditions, or how its functionality might have failed – resulting in discontinuity, change or collapse. The collected papers draw attention to those turbulent social times of change for which ritual practices are a sensitive indicator within the archaeological record. The book reviews archaeological evidence and theoretical approaches, and suggests models which could explain socio-cultural change through ritual failure. The concept of ‘ritual failure’ is also often used to better understand other themes, such as identity and wider social, economic and political transformations, shedding light on the social conditions that forced or introduced change. This book will engage those interested in ritual theory and practices, but will also appeal to those interested in exploring new avenues to understanding cultural change. From transformations in the use of ritual objects to the risks inherent in practicing ritual, from ritual continuity in customs to sudden and profound change, from the Neolithic Near East to Roman Europe and Iron Age Africa, this book explores what happens when ritual fails.

Economy and Ritual
Economy and Ritual

Author: Stephen Gudeman

Publisher: Berghahn Books

Published: 2015-02-01

Total Pages: 214

ISBN-13: 1782385703

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According to accepted wisdom, rational practices and ritual action are opposed. Rituals drain wealth from capital investment and draw on a mode of thought different from practical ideas. The studies in this volume contest this view. Comparative, historical, and contemporary, the six ethnographies extend from Macedonia to Kyrgyzstan. Each one illuminates the economic and ritual changes in an area as it emerged from socialism and (re-)entered market society. Cutting against the idea that economy only means markets and that market action exhausts the meaning of economy, the studies show that much of what is critical for a people’s economic life takes place outside markets and hinges on ritual, understood as the negation of the everyday world of economising.

Rituals for Work
Rituals for Work

Author: Kursat Ozenc

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2019-04-09

Total Pages: 279

ISBN-13: 1119530784

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Experience the transformative power of creative rituals in the workplace Rituals for Work shows us how creative rituals can make our personal and business lives more meaningful and rewarding. Rituals are powerful tools: they reinforce good habits, motivate personal and professional achievement, create a common bond between co-workers and build shared values; they can transform an organization’s culture and provide a foundation to achieve common goals. Focusing on real-world examples, this book takes a practical approach to the power and benefits of workplace rituals. This insightful guide presents 50 creative rituals, from business and management to design and personal development. Specific case studies highlight the use of rituals and their positive impact to real-world organizations, while vivid visuals allow us to feel their energy and emotion. A ritual is only effective when its purpose is clearly defined. This book goes beyond simple analysis to provide actual recipes for individual rituals designed to promote specific habits, change negative behaviors, and instill values. Each ritual can be adapted to achieve a multitude of goals and tailored to fit your organization or team’s specific needs. ● Change behaviors, form positive habits, and assign meaning to shared goals ● Build shared values, foster innovation, and encourage strong teamwork ● Deal with conflicts effectively and engage others to work on resolutions ● Learn the fundamental concepts of ritual-building and share your knowledge with your team An informative and inspirational resource for executives, managers, team leaders, and employees of every level, Rituals for Work provides a blueprint for building a culture of engagement, innovation, and shared purpose for organizations of all sizes, across industries.

Sekhmet
Sekhmet

Author: Nicki Scully

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2017-05-25

Total Pages: 373

ISBN-13: 1591437865

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A shamanic ritual with the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet to bring about alchemical transformation at the deepest levels of your being • Details how to work with Sekhmet to transform your negative behavior patterns and character flaws into creative impulses and higher energies • Leads you through guided visualizations, illustrated with photographs, to Sekhmet’s chapel at the Temple of Karnak and through her shamanic ritual of transformation • Includes initiations, rites of passage, and transmissions from Sekhmet to release your fears and anger and rejuvenate your body, mind, and spirit Sekhmet is the lioness goddess of the Egyptian Pantheon, a fierce protector of truth, balance, and the Cosmic order of Ma’at. Known and feared as the goddess of war and destruction, she also represents the transformative power of kundalini energy, or sekhem, and is the main goddess to harness this power for healing. As “She Who Comes in Times of Chaos,” she takes offerings of fear, rage, and weakness and transforms them into alchemical gold, the universal medicine for physical, emotional, and soul healing. In this book you are guided through a shamanic ritual of alchemical transformation and initiation with Sekhmet, working with this powerful goddess to release your most deeply rooted negative behavior patterns and be reborn into a more purified state of consciousness. Using intensive self-examination exercises to help you prepare to meet the goddess, the author leads you through a guided visualization, illustrated with photographs, to an ancient statue of Sekhmet in her chapel at the Temple of Karnak. There, you will be shamanistically devoured by the goddess, directly experiencing the alchemical process of transformation in the belly of Sekhmet until you are rebirthed as a fully realized adult child of the goddess. You will experience how your offering of pain, fear, rage, and self-sabotage is digested, absorbed, and assimilated by Sekhmet while you are initiated into the alchemy of total transformation. The initiations, rites of passage, and transmissions from Sekhmet included in the journey restructure the most important aspects of your body, mind, spirit, and soul. This journey of shamanic death, illumination, and rebirth in the belly of Sekhmet provides an opportunity to heal on all levels and allows you to release your rage, anger, and fear as you transform the energies that maintained them into creative and constructive solutions that benefit yourself, your community, and the planet.