rachelmanija (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rachelmanija) wrote2010-01-12 12:44 pm
rachelmanija) wrote2010-01-12 12:44 pmEntry tags:
Yes, yes, it's a meme. But a very poetic one!
Were I a summonable creature, what kind of ritual would you craft to summon me?
rachelmanija) wrote2010-01-12 12:44 pm
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I owe you an e-mail! Will reply after the work conference, when my brain kicks back into gear.
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Don't sweat it! I know I'm pestering you a lot!
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~~~~
With the edge of a weapon not seen
for three hundred years beyond the borders of Tibet,
quarter a sky-blue rose tossed
into the wind from the west.
Place one severed petal on your tongue,
speak the name of the lover
who most disappointed you
and spit.
Replace the taste with curry and coffee
brewed in the fire season of monsoon country.
Travel three days by air,
three by sea,
three on foot.
Learn the words for joy and war
in the language of the country
in which you find yourself at sunset.
If it is your own, go up into the mountains
and whisper the first dream you remember
to the foxfire in the stump of a lightning-blasted tree.
If it is not, seek a shrine
where someone has left one shoe
and a leather-bound book of rare poetry
inscribed with the name of a sibling long dead.
If it matches yours, wait.
If it does not, seek the name of the youngest soldier
to die on the nearest battlefield.
Look for the house of his closest living relative
leave the book on the doorstep,
return home.
Prepare a meal given to ghosts.
Open the door to whatever comes
when she knocks.
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speak the name of the lover
who most disappointed you
and spit.
HEE!
Wow, ask and you shall receive - and how! That is so beautiful and so me (and so you) - fire and fighting and food, wanderlust and the written word.
Thank you so much! I will treasure it.
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If it is your own, go up into the mountains
and whisper the first dream you remember
to the foxfire in the stump of a lightning-blasted tree.
Loved that especially.
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Two of the first words I learned in Japanese, for the purposes of pastries, were "kurogoma" (black sesame) and "kuri" (chestnut.) Except that it turned out that in French-style Japanese pastries, the latter is actually called "marron."
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Practitioners who are accustomed to summoning the more basic spirits and elementals may well be confused by the number of different rituals given here. The reason for this is both simple and complex. It is that Rachel, like all sapient numinous beings, has numerous Aspects, each of which must be summoned differently. This is simple because it is a basic truth easily apprehended, and it is complex because of its many ramifications, which space does not permit us to discuss here.[1]
In aid of further explication, let us consider the rituals requiring burning vehicles. These summon Rachel in her Aspect as Rescuer of Those Imperiled.[2] The astute practitioner will object that those in need of this Aspect may well not have time to prepare such a large space as would be required for these rituals. In fact, while use of a burning vehicle is traditional, it is not mandatory; the burning of any object which might normally be expected to remain unignited will suffice for the ritual to be completed.[3]
In a similar fashion, rituals involving foodstuffs invoke Rachel in her Aspect as Seeker of Gustatory Experience. Rituals making use of bad books catch the attention of the Aspect Skewerer of Mockworthy Prose[4], while those using blank paper attract one or another of Rachel's writing aspects.
[1] Those interested in such a discussion may consult Xaviera's An Introduction to Modern Theurgy, particularly chapter 12.
[2] While her remit in this Aspect is not limited to peril caused by flame, other dangers, e.g. earthquakes and floods, are widely considered less convenient to introduce to the conjuring circle.
[3] It will occur to some practitioners to set themselves on fire. While this is efficacious it cannot be considered prudent.
[4] Thrusting a pointed weapon into the book, while recommended and satisfying to the practitioner, is not strictly required. Striking the book with the hand while speaking to it reprovingly will often be adequate.
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HEEE!
That was So. Awesome.
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...I did mention on LJ how I put out a flaming peacock feather fan at a Hanukkah party and a flaming oil painting at Thanksgiving (or Christmas, I forget), right?
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