Over the last couple months, several of my friends and I were struggling with divination. We were getting answers, but they weren’t making sense. So, for the last dark moon esbat (we try to celebrate on the last day before the new moon, which I recognize is a very 21st century sort of timing, but I like it) I wrote a ritual that I hoped would help us all out.
Like some rituals we’ve done before, each of us took a turn as the passive center of attention while the rest of our group worked on their behalf. In this instance, we each took a turn articulating our question that we were struggling with, then sat and waited while the others performed their divinations.
The writeup below is nearly identical to the outline that I provided for my ritual crew. I have changed the pronouns (we -> you), and turned some of the outline into complete sentences, but have left most of the idiosyncrasies intact for your amusement. Honestly, I feel like too many people idealize their ritual scripts when sharing them, and while I definitely do that sometimes, too – because the high dramatic language is entertaining to write as well as read – that’s not the vibe I’ve chosen for this particular post.
For our vision oil, I added a few drops of Quadrivium’s Revel Oil to a jojoba base. You could use anything, including plain olive oil or baby oil. Just be sure it’s skin safe and/or cosmetic grade, particularly if you intend to anoint your eyelids.
The clarity of the oracular chorus will wax and wane. Ideally, each oracle will be on their own wave and each suppliant will have enough oracles on point to have their question answered, but it’s very likely that the first suppliant will get the weakest answers.
Dark Moon Shenanigans Clarity of Vision Ritual
n-1. Pre-prep
Dinner & touch base. (Our lunar rituals always start with dinner. Your group rituals should, too, unless you’re fasting for a reason.)
Confirm that each of you have a set of divination tools and a question that you haven’t been able to answer for yourselves.
Decide on order of divinations in advance. This will save you stress and chaos in the ritual. The order in which you are seated is perfectly adequate.
0. Preperation
Finish setting up temple room, and make sure there are seats for everyone plus the “hot seat”. (Because, between making dinner and cleaning house, I can’t get this done before people arrive. Kudos if you can.) Ideally, everyone will be within arm’s reach of the altar.
Finish setting up the altar. (I drew an ouroboros on a mirror and put the vision oil in the center between two candles.)
Start playlist (I have been using a generic witchcraft music playlist for most of my workings for the last month.)
Exit temple room for purification.
I. Opening
Purification and procession into temple room. Everyone washes their hands in cinnamon and lustral waters. Have a towel handy.
With everyone standing around the altar, invoke your oracular gods and spirits (let people freeverse for a minute), and make offerings of incense and whatever else your tradition demands.
Mix and consecrate your vision oil, telling it “each of us shall approach you and offer up a secret; in return you shall grant all of us clear visions with which to answer our compatriots’ questions.”
Everyone takes their seat.
II. Body
The first suppliant kneels before the altar, whispers a secret truth to the oracular oil, and takes the hot seat.
The oracular chorus anoints themselves with vision oil.
The suppliant speaks briefly on their troubles and asks their question.
The oracular chorus performs their divinations singly and together, answering the suppliant’s question. Tarot. Runes. Scrying. Whatever.
The suppliant thanks chorus, and the gods and spirits, then steps down from the hot seat and purifies themselves before (re)joining the chorus.
Next suppliant steps out of chorus and everyone repeats above steps until everyone has had their turn in the hot seat.
III. Closing
After last suppliant has purified themselves, oracular chorus kneels around vessel of vision oil.
Everyone thanks the oracular gods and spirits for their aid.
Final offerings are made.
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