WOLFISM XXII from Wolfie's blog

Quelling misconceptions:

Group ritual is pointless and for many (such as myself) it is counter-productive. I don’t do it. I wouldn’t do it, even if invited. Most people who do group ritual are laboring under the delusion that a ritual can affect external reality. Given that (utterly false) assumption, it makes sense to think multiple people doing the same ritual would be able to “combine their power” and make external reality their bitch! Utter nonsense. Other people would simply distract me.

Belief is not necessary for ritual. Usually this notion of belief has to do with believing discorporate entities exist in external reality (they don’t) or believing ritual can affect external reality (it can’t). Cathartic ritual is psychodrama undertaken to put the Ego temporarily in submission to the Id. It lets the Id run the show. This serves to break the chains which have been placed on the Id by the Superego. It’s how we say to the Id, “It’s OK, go ahead, I give you permission.” It requires a temporary suspension of disbelief, but only about as much as we employ when we watch television.

Performing cathartic rituals created by other people is a waste of time. The goal of cathartic ritual is to temporarily put your own Ego (not someone else’s) in submission to your own Id (not someone else’s). The only way to do this is with words you wrote for yourself, expressive of your own Id, dismissive of your own Superego, and designed to be compelling to your own Ego. No one else can do this for you. No one can read your mind, and reading your mind is the only way someone could write a cathartic ritual that would work for you.

There are no rules around designing a ritual. You can wear a cool costume, or not, your choice. You can use props or not, your choice. You can play music or not, your choice. You can use old-fashioned language or not, your choice. You can make things rhyme or not, your choice. You can call upon fictitious entities or not, your choice. You can speak in your native language, or in a made-up language like Enochian or Elvish, or in a classical language like Latin or Greek, your choice. Anything that feels ridiculous to you, don’t do. If you can’t think of anything that doesn’t feel ridiculous to you, then drop the whole thing, cathartic ritual isn’t for you. Cathartic ritual is supposed to be FUN! If you can’t have fun with it, then drop it.

Up with the Id and down with the Superego! ISCHYROS DIAVOLOS!