Five common ways of raising Power
I know that many rituals call for power to be raised without saying how. This
isn't an oversight on anyone's part. Raising power is so personal that the idea
of "telling" a person or a group of people how to do it seems
preposterous. I've noticed a trend toward five types of power raising in
particular, especially in larger circles. These are by no means the only or the
"right" ways to raise power. The Five I've chosen are expandable, and
can be used together in any number of combinations. Have fun!
Drumming:
Drumming is fairly self explanatory. Most people use a "heart" beat
which they increase in speed and complexity as they raise the power. I've felt
my own heart increase with the drum, it can be very powerful. I feel it
necessary to say that not everybody drums well, and that it's not (as at least
one drummer I know says,) something you are born with. It takes practice for
many of us to become that rhythmic, and the idea that EVERYONE needs to be
banging on something for drumming to work is insane. I've seen many circles use
only one drummer to raise power, and for many of us, just being there is enough.
Increasing speed and complexity are a common part of power raising, as more
power is raised, and the air begins to tingle with anticipation, one would have
to work harder to not speed up, and they'd diminish their usefulness, so relax
and let it go. When the power has reached it peak, the drummers stop, often
voicing a monosyllable which pushes the power. "Ra, Ma, Ha, Ho, and
Ay" all have special meanings in different Trads, but research or
spontaneity are equally as acceptable.
Dancing:
Like drumming, dancing is something not everyone can do. Power raising dances,
however, tend to be very simplistic, like holding hands and twirling around the
circle. It's easy to raise power this way, if occasionally dizzying. Combined
with drumming or chanting, dancing can be a simple way to get everyone involved
and is a fairly quick method of power raising. As with drumming, the best way to
let the power out that you raise from dancing is to stop suddenly, often by
ending an accompanying beat, and shouting out a monosyllable, preferably while
collapsing.
Chanting:
There are three schools of chanting in Wicca, one says that chants must be
ancient words and phrases, almost inevitably in another language. These are
often hard to say and even harder to remember. The second school allows
translated chants, but they usually are overly complex small prayers, which are
often hard to memorize. The final school, the method of chanting that I have
found most powerful, is the simplest. You may've noticed I ALWAYS prefer the
simplest, and before I describe fully this school of chanting, I'd like to
explain why, in Ritual, I follow the Rule of KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid.)
Religion must always be a matter of intense Self. No one has the right to
enforce or inflict their religion upon someone. In a group setting, complexity
easily causes a rift to develop between people. By using things that only a few
people can do, you limit the group to those who participate, and those who
can't. In every group I've been in there is at least one person whose abilities
aren't even close to everyone else's. Wicca needs to avoid becoming elitist, and
many covens already seem to have an idea of what members SHOULD be like. By
keeping the recipe for ritual simple, any group may form a firm basis in
practice before attempting more difficult maneuvers. Keep it simple, stupid!
The preferred method of chanting I try to teach all groups is personal chanting,
in which everyone in a group chants what is on their mind, be it. "East,
East, Yea East," or "Almighty Zeus, Sky Father Supreme." or even
my son's spontaneous chant at three years old "Circle, Circle, Power
Circle." The amount of power felt with this method is astounding, and a
person who wants to use an old chant, translated or not, is welcome. The
increase in power at the end is done by increasing volume, with everyone ending
with the same word or phrase, often the "So" of "That it be
so," an easier to end variation on "So mote it Be."
Music:
Weaving This is not a simple method. Often, this accompanies drumming, and is
prevalent in groups with many musicians and singers. A simple melody is played
or sung, a second instrument comes in after the first, with a similar melody
played above in counterpoint, a third in a lower harmony to the first, a fourth
in harmony with the second, and so forth. The power raised and spells worked
this way are intense, but require practice and a good many skills. Harper Wicca,
a musical trad, uses this exclusively.
Tone: Raising While not as complex as music weaving, tone raising is best done with at least one person with perfect pitch and a strong voice. Beginning usually at A or C, the group uses a single syllable to match the leaders tone or harmonize. The leader raises the tone or chord and allows the group to increase in pitch and volume, with those incapable of higher notes dropping down an octave (singing the same note lower) when the volume is maximized, everyone shouts out the syllable and "lets" the power go.
