All of a sudden, we have found a lot of our lives need to be lived in electronic formats. Working from home, socializing time, family holidays, weddings and funerals all are online right now. Even many rituals are online. With all that we are asking of our technology I think now would be a good time to do a ritual to help it to work as smoothly as possible. I wrote this ritual to be performed in an online format. We used Zoom but any method where you can all be working together.
Supplies and Preparation:
- a talisman for each electronic device you want to bless, You choose what works: a sticker? a rock to set beside it? a charging cord?
- white candle and
- whatever holder works for you
- lighter/matches
- Cookies and wine (or whatever works for you as cakes and ale but cookies seem appropriate)
As people are arriving, determine who is the farthest in each of the 4 directions and ask them to call in that quarter.
Introduction Notes:
In this ritual, I envoke all the computer gods I can think of. Use these and add or substitute your own Gods and Goddesses into your cyber circle. What that is going to look like is that when it is time to call in the gods, the person holding center will start but then each participant will have a chance to name those they invite to the blessing, and light their candle to welcome them in.
Language and philosophy notes: I sometimes refer to the internet as The Web. It reminds me of the UU principle of “The Interconnected Web of Life.“ Through the internet, the cell phone network, the cables and satellites, we are all connected in an ethereal web where communication flows in every direction.
also
For myself, computers, search engines, the internet all belong in that fuzzy space where sufficiently advanced technology appears to be magic. I know there is science and math and logic to why it all works. But I don’t have to have that level of knowledge in order to start a zoom meeting, send an email or create a meme. I just need to know the steps, or spell, to do so.
These two ideas help me to tap into the magical energy of the technology.
Grounding:
Take a moment to get present. Feel your feet and your seat and the weight that draws you to the earth. If you were a plant you would likely have roots that press deep into the earth. Can you feel them? Let them draw deeper and connect to the iron crystalline core of the earth, and the energy there. Draw that energy up though your roots and legs to your middle. Then let it flow out and up into the heavens. Let the energy branch out and connect to the energy of the moon and stars. Draw that energy down and into you and allow both kinds of energy to swirl and settle in you.
Offering to the Outdwellers:
Offering to the Outdwellers By Amber Araneae Denizens of our thoughts and minds, Dark spirits old and new, You act against our ways tonight So we extend this gift to you. Stay far away from our sacred space! We ask that you now go! Keep yourselves out of our way And don’t disrupt our flow. Outdwellers we offer you Scotch and cookies. Please keep yourselves at bay. Outdwellers, don’t bother us! We ask you Stay Away! Move the offering somewhere that can be outside the circle for now. And take it outside, if possible, after the circle is over.
Set the circle:
By the salt of our bones and the water of our blood, By the air of our breath and the fire that moves us By the spirit within that calls to the Gods By the light above and the depths below I call into being the circle that defines us, A circle built between time and space A circle around each of us and all of us together A circle within The Web and outside the machine We come together while staying apart We do this by our will and by our heart So mote it be!
Quarter calls:
quarters decided by location: Who is furthest in any direction. They each invoke by inspiration.
Calling in the Gods and Goddesses:
There are many gods who have influence over our computers and the web that interconnects them. Computers intersect with so many different realms So how do we know who to call on for help with them?
They are inherently machines and as such I call in the gods of the forge, of craft and making, Brigit and Hephaestus
But computers are also inherently about communication, so I call in god of communication: Hermes.
The web is also a place of knowledge and wisdom, so I call on Athena,
But then there are so many names that we associate with computers and making them work right:
There is the ancient ones: for in the beginning there was binary and the intricacies of “machine language”
And then there was God Fortran and The Goddess Cobalt
But then there came more complex deities. Ones that are both more familiar and also more mysterious: practical ones such as Apple and Google
And I reach back into the old stories of computers for the longstanding Mike, sometimes known as Mycroft or Microsoft, but I just talk to him as Mike.
I am going to call on each of you to call in your own deities and light their candle. If you don’t want to, you can just say “pass.”
Charging the Talismans:
Main blessing: Hold your talisman(s) and charge them Bless this computer to work quickly and correctly and consistently May all connections be made easily the first time Defend all browsers from Malware Help search engines to bring us directly to the information we need as well as that we are looking for. Keep all hardware cool and clean inside and out Defend all my information from anyone who would use it to harm me or mine And, of course, protect me from trolls So mote it be
Chant: (I will lead it, please turn off your mics for this so it doesn't end up crazy. But you are encouraged to chant along. Or leave the mics on and enjoy it all mixed up) Bless this computer and all its connections With smooth working, clear info, And above all protection. And when I use it, I remember this rule I am the person and this is the tool
Cakes and Ale:
I call on all the divine presences we have called here today to bless these cookies, that they may nourish our bodies and only download what is important for best functioning. And bless this wine with healthy relaxation and confidence when we work with our technology.
Closing the Circle:
Thank the deities and release them from our circle. Each person can thank whomever they called in and put out their candle in turn.
Thank the Circle and release that energy “each individually and all of us together.”
The Circle is open and unbroken Merry meet, Merry part, And merry meet again.
Offering to Outdwellers can be found here: https://www.druidspider.org/prayers-songs-and-poems/offering-to-the-outdwellers?fbclid=IwAR1w6GtD0hHTsYEofbWsk5uyqLjky6tIzLzNH65pjGMEiv5QDOm8-ri0zmc
Wild Witch Wondering 