Please check your websites: if they are not working, see whether we're using the correct URL, or if the site has simply vanished. Let me know ASAP if there are corrections, deletions, or changes.
These websites are now in the
order that you ranked them, on average. The relative value of the
sites--as decided by your classmates and by me--will be factored into your
grade for Assn. 2.1. While the descriptions here don't always reflect
my opinion of the website, I've left them as is.
This is the site of the Taoist Culture
and Information Centre. I think it’s a great site. It is quite comprehensive
and easy to navigate. It is also nice to look at. They offer tons of information
on Daoism- from the origin of Daoism to its cosmogony, beliefs, and social
ideals...from its scriptures, to its practice in the modern world. There
are also pages devoted to religious activities and rituals, which is what
we are concerning ourselves with. The site covers the Morning and Evening
Rites, fasting, and other topics under the religious practices heading.
Under rituals, one can find information on rituals of purification and
sacrifice, rituals on communication with spirits, as well as many, many
more Daoist rituals. There is also information on alters, and ritual tools
and dress under this heading. Elsewhere on the site one can find information
on talismans, magical incantations and instruments, divination, Daoist
folk customs including funeral rites and the Spring Festival. There is
just a wealth of information here. They even offer a glossary, a multimedia
section, and a Daoist culture database. I would certainly recommend this
site. EM 9/25
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1.71
www.mythinglinks.org/ct~natya.html
The home page of this site
offers ample research sources for many ritual investigations on a gamut
of subjects, from ancient Egyptian ritual practices and mythologies, to
sacred and secular ritual ceremonies of specific Indian and Asian cultures.
The web page was created by Kathleen Jerks, Ph.D., professor of Mythological
Studies at the Pacifica Graduate Institute in California. An examination
of her background lends credibility to the site, as she has an extensive
scholastic career in the areas contained within the web page. I reached
the site on Sacred Theatre and Dance in search of dance rituals.
This link encompasses a variety of connections to dance as ritual, and
the mythologies, folklore, and sacred traditions therein. Along side
of the inclusive areas of theatre ritual rites as sacred art, there are
annotated notes on essays listed within the site pertaining to the ritual
aesthetics of trance, liturgical, and ancient Greek forms of dance.
There are reference pages specifically designed for student research, and
teacher/ tutor research. And a more supplementary portion of the
package contains connections to news articles, fiction, poetry, and history
of relates topics. This fruitful site connects the researcher to
an enormous collection of onsite information, as well as [world wide] links
to an array of resources pertaining to ritual within the context of mythology.
In reference to the superficial aspects of the site, it retains an attractive
and dynamic marketing value, yet is easy to navigate.
LH 9/24
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1.81
http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm
This website
is “The Internet Sacred Text Archive”. It is a gold-mine of information
regarding a large number of religions and spiritual teachings and beliefs.
Not only does it contain many sacred texts in their entirety, it contains
articles about the texts, and the religions themselves. There are
articles about the histories of the religions, key figures, basic beliefs,
different sects, and other articles from academic journals.
Classic texts pertaining to each religion are also featured, some in their
original language in addition to the English translation. For instance,
under the “Christianity” section, I found Dante’s complete Divine Comedy,
canto by canto, Inferno through Paradise, English, and original Italian.
The subject that is most of interest to us here is ritual. Rest assured
that there are many descriptions of a diverse body rituals. I found
descriptions of rituals from the Japanese tea ceremony to modern Wiccan
rituals. I’m sure the material presented is authentic. There
is quite a large bibliography. This website would be useful to anyone
looking for clear, unbiased information. It would be great for academic
research. While I was looking at websites, I found this site mentioned
and linked to from many others, so a lot of other people must agree.
I couldn’t believe that this site was free for anybody to access.
I found that they do sell CD-ROMs of the information, if you would like
one, but it’s not necessary to use the texts. I would recommend this
site. It’s an absolute wealth of information.
FM
9/25
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1.81
www.terrylarimore.com/BirthRites.html
This website offers great insight on the fact that the
procedures performed in hospitals regarding childbirth are overstressed
and unnecessary, but is done so often that it becomes ritualistic. It goes
into quite some glorified detail about the characteristic of rituals, symbolism,
and the rite of passage. I found this site very interesting because it
gave a large amount of quality detail about American childbirth.
It goes into deep explanations about the excessive amounts of care that
American Hospitals are giving to newborns, when the mother can provide
all its basic needs, naturally. This site stresses a very important factor:
That is, childbirth should be unique to each individual woman instead of
using a generalized procedure. The ideas that the medical profession considers
necessary to bring forth a healthy child in this world, has in fact become
an exaggerated ritual. Over time, we will begin to see that American
childbirth is making American women look incompetent, compared to those
of other countries. Women of low-technological cultures, such as
the Mayan Indians of Highland Chiapas, need only to sit, squat, semi-recline
on hammocks or rest on their hands and knees in order to produce a healthy
newborn. American hospitals encourage pain-relieving drugs, episiotomies,
and even synthetic hormone pitocin to speed up labors. I think this is
a wonderful site to do research on American rituals, one of the best I
have seen thus far. The website was created by Robbie E. Davis-Floyd, Ph.D.
JC
9/25
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http://members.aol.com/egyptart/mummy.html
This website is by Richard Deurer. Deurer is an artist
whose inspiration is Ancient Egypt. It contains his pictures and
paintings and various sculptures about Ancient Egypt. At first it seemed
to me like it was just an avid fans website, especially since I stumbled
upon it by accident; but the more I saw, the more I liked. It contains
a Glossary of Egyptian Mythology and an Ancient Gallery Directory. It gives
an extensive history of the Process of Mummification, which I think is
the mother of all rituals. It says that Mummification is the preservation
of a human or animal body, either by a natural process or deliberately.
In the case of the Ancient Egyptians, it was deliberately done by drying
the body. These bodies could be preserved wet, dried or sometimes frozen.
They eliminated moisture and used Natron- a natural substance found in
abundance along the Nile River. Egyptians believed that there are 6 important
aspects of the human being: the Physical Body, Name, Shadow, Ka (Spirit),
Ba (Personality) and Ahk (Immortality). These elements played important
roles and had to be intact or else the ritual won’t serve its purpose-
which is rebirth in the afterlife (reincarnation). In terms of information
on Egyptian rituals and methodology, the possibilities on this website
are endless. Deurer has to have been involved in this for the better part
of his life. It’s a really fun website, because it doesn’t just recount
his experiences, but the Glossary pretty much provides excellent resource
material for anyone interested in Egyptian Mysticism. Check it out!. RD
9/25
3115112131115132
2.0
http://www.erowid.org/spirit/spirit.shtml
This Webpage is a sub-section of “The Vaults of Erowid”
(www.erowid.org), which is a website with a huge number of articles about
psychoactive plants and chemicals. It has many sub-sections with
articles about the chemistry, legal, physical and mental effects, spiritual
aspects and personal experiences pertaining to a broad range of mind-altering
substances. This website is enormous, but luckily it’s searchable.
The sub-section I was interested in for research on ritual is the “Mind
and Spirit” section- “Erowid’s Vaults of Spirituality and Religion”.
The contents are not all drug-related. There are numerous links to
the spiritual use of dance, dreams, yoga, etc. Links to online spiritual
texts are also featured, as well as links to pages on different religions.
At the bottom of the “Mind and Spirit” page is a search box. I typed
in the word “ritual” and got back over 300 results, listed in order of
relevance. Not all of the articles were academic in nature, but some
were very good, with sources cited & bibliographies. This website
is different than a lot that I’ve seen, because it combines the scientific,
and scholarly with religious and other aspects of psychedelic drug use.
It’s very vast and well organized. I found articles from academic
journals, as well as first-hand accounts from a raver’s journal.
A good thing about this site is that it makes it clear what type of article
you are reading. This site would be good for fun or academic research.
It was authored by hundreds or perhaps thousands of people. Some
of the articles are opinionated, and some are objective, but it’s easy
to tell one from the other. I would give this site a very high rating.
FM
9/25
4121124221123222
2.0
http://web-dubois.fas.harvard.edu/dubois/baobab/narratives/yoruba/yoruba.html/
This online sight is on the traditions
and rituals involved in the Yoruba masking tradition of Africa. The
site includes beautiful illustrations on the epu, egungun, and gelede masquerades.
You will get a history lesson on each of the three types of mask.
These mask are used for funerary purposes mark the death of important individuals
or commemorating the deeds of ancestral warriors. Elaborate performances
and festivals are held with the mask to commemorate the dead through the
remembrance of their past life. These rituals are expressions of
Yoruba culture and artistry that also serve important social functions
in Yoruba society.This website is easy to read. I recommend this
site to view beautiful craftsmanship of the Yoruba Masking Tradition.
The short history lesson is very informative on the three types of mask
making. SC 9/25
12331 2.0
This is the official site of the
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. It is a rather large site
that covers everything from the Greek Orthodox community in the US to the
basic ideals behind the Christian Orthodox Church. I mostly examined
the “Our Faith” category on the site toolbar, which offers an array of
choices. The most useful subcategory is the “Worship” category, as
it explains the most important customs and rituals of the Greek Orthodox
Church. Throughout the “Our Faith” section of the website there are
detailed descriptions on almost all Greek Orthodox rituals during Easter,
baptism, prayer, confession, fasting etc. It is a rich and thorough
site for anyone interested in learning about the Greek Orthodox community
in the States or the Christian Orthodox tradition in general.
EX 9/25
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2.06
WWW.1-spirit.net/pages/metaphysics/circles/samhain-31oct.htm
This is a new thought, New Age website
created by a metaphysics study group sponsored by One Spirit Ministries.
This website last updated was 09/14/2002. This is a serious website in
which the information presented is liable and easy to understand. The website
also offer spiritual services. This specific address gives us the idea
of Samhain ritual. However, you can go in WWW.1-spirit.net, and you
will find a lot of interesting information about spirituality. This website
give us step by step how the ritual is presented. I found this information
very important because we are pretty close to Samhain, and I think that
people should know the real reason to celebrate this day.
Samhain (pronounced sow-en) is also known as Halloween and All Saints/Souls
Day. It is no doubt that this Sabbath is the most important, though less
understood, of the Wicca rituals. Samhain is a time for change and
a time to look to a better future. Maybe you can try a different
way to celebrate Samhain this year.
RM 9/16
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ttp://www.religioustolerance.org/sra_intro.htm
Satanic Ritual Abuse. In the
1980’s, religious fundamentalists revived and created new crusades to prevent
the decline of America’s morals. To support their hunts against the corrupt,
they revealed that we were all being deceived by a vast satanic conspiracy,
which had been laying underground for centuries only to now be brought
to the light by beyond-pious believers. This was the return of the Illuminati,
Satan-style. ReligiousTolerance.org, a fairly objective Christian
Net-project, examines one of the issues used by the fundamentalists as
proof of the conspiracy; the issue of Satanic Ritual Abuse, or SRA. SRA
is the abuse of children and adults in Satanic ritual, where they are sexually
abused in a ritualistic manner. The majority of the evidence of SRA comes
from therapy, where adults were in a sense made to recall past abuses and
where the therapist convinced children that they had been abused.
The website is hosted, as
previously stated, by ReligiousTolerance.org and I find it a useful site
because of the fairness the subject is treated with. I have used their
site on previous occasions, and trust their credibility. With each essay,
they provide a complete bibliography and the names of quoted authorities
(unlike radical fundamentalist sites). The ritual information provided
is the coverage of one of the more infamous urban legends within the world
of ritual and religion. The issue is treated objectively and scholarly,
with a thorough analysis into SRA. I believe it is a good academic source,
and provides substantiated information. The author is B.A. Robinson, and
the multi-page article was last updated on March 22, 2002. NG
9/25
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2.3
From Plants of the Gods—Their Sacred, Healing and Hallucinogenic Powers,
by Schultes and Hoffman, this page tells about peyote, a hallucinogenic,
“wooly Mexican cactus.” Narrative accounts of Native American rituals
surrounding peyote and its consumption tell of drumming and wild dancing
that would often last through the night. The authors summarize a
history of peyote use among the Indians of Mexico and, later, the North
American natives, despite colonial efforts to suppress it. Longer,
more detailed descriptions of a Huichol tribe’s Peyote Hunt and of a Tarahumara
Peyote Dance are particularly interesting. Straight out of a book
written by two very accomplished scientists, this is a reliable source
for a brief study of peyote use in ritual. The writers explain that
its use as a sacrament extends to forty tribes in the U.S. and western
Canada. Facing suppression, tribes of the Peyote religion organized
into the Native American Church; the movement now boasts membership of
a half-million Indians. Changing culture has changed the religion
and the rituals surrounding it. Concluding with today’s tribal rituals
of the peyote cult, and why use of the plant developed into a sacrament,
this page gives a thorough investigation of the history of peyote among
Native American cultures. AL 9/18
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This site is devoted to educating
people about the shamanic practice of Trance Dance and Soul Hunting. I
found this site because I was interested in looking up dance in rituals.
I certainly found it to be an informative site, as well as an eye-pleasing
one. It is also easy to navigate this site, and there aren’t a lot of annoying
extras crowding up the site. It is authored by a man named Wilbert Alix,
who... "has earned international recognition as a contemporary healer and
teacher of progressive psychology and neo shamanic studies." He has worked
extensively for over 30 years to help elevate Trance Dance to a legitimate
form through which individuals may explore spirituality and heal themselves.
He also helped to develop and was director of the Natale Institute International-"a
worldwide network of education and training programs that have empowered
tens of thousands with the ability to transform their thoughts into reality."
Alix has also worked with the Baylor College of Medicine and the University
of Texas Health Science Center, he was the president of the Capital Area
Mental Health Center, and he has had a t.v. show on public television called
‘Awakening the Mind’ since 1988. Alix gives a good history of "spiritual
dancing" on the Trance Dance page. He writes about dance’s original purpose
as a vehicle for worship and healing, and about it’s relationship to nature
and animals and thus to God. Trance Dance incorporates pieces from the
"ancient rituals" such as drumming, healing music, and breathing techniques
as well as the contemporary tool of a blindfold. The blindfold is used
to create the darkness that is necessary for the individual to "focus on
their inner experience..." The idea is that, in the darkness and through
the dance, the individual will be able to see things and feel things within
themselves that are normally hidden and find solutions for their problems,
and heal themselves there. This site also offers information on their ritual
training programs, gives locations of upcoming events and retreats, and
provides links to articles pertaining to this subject and other closely
related subjects. You can also contact them to get more information. I
found this site an informative and interesting introduction to the world
of Trance Dance and other shamanistic practices. EM
9/25
224213222124314
2.33
This website is as authentic as
they come. It’s a very visually stimulating website that contains every
single thing there is to know about the Hindu’s of India. It is managed
by the Global Hindu Electronic Networks. Links on the website range from
News to Festival Reminders to Health and lifestyle to Event Planners; you
name it. Out of all the websites I checked out, this seemed to be the most
resourceful since it had analyses of all the facets of this Mysterious
Religion of Gods, Sages and Deities. The most fascinating section in it
is its description of the Tulsi Puja. Tulsi is a plant found in all Hindu
homes, which is similar to the Basil plant. Hindu’s claim to have an intimate
relationship with the tulsi, which they believe to be the archetype of
Hindu femininity, so Hindu women perform Puja (a ritualistic worship) through
this plant. It goes on to give a very detailed performance of the ritual,
with the tulsi plant in a miniature terracotta temple. Holy water is poured
onto it, while the floor is painted with designs of flowers and conch shells
with rice powder and Sindur (vermilon). A clay lamp filled with ghee (clarified
butter) must be rotated in large circles in front of this temple. In the
meantime, chants are belted out to Vishnu (sustainer of the Universe),
for the spiritual gifts of wisdom, love, dedication and virtue. To culminate
this ritual, the woman must garnish the tulsi with marigolds and hibiscus
flowers, then shake off its leaves and injest it to take in the Spirit
of the Goddess. This is just a glimpse of what this website has. It also
has a history of the religion and an in-depth look at Hindu Trinity (Brahma,
Vishnu and Mahesh or Shiva), along with the 9 incarnations of Vishnu and
one that is yet to take place. This is a very informative website when
researching about ritual because the information is written from the ancient
and historical perspectives of Hinduism in all its splendour.
RD 9/25
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2.35
The Dharma Dance Bistro web site
is a self proclaimed “Personal and Communal Healing Transformation through
Drumming, Dancing, Rhythm, Trance, and Ecstatic Ritual. As one of
the few sites on the increasingly popular dance form Ecstatic Dance, I
deemed this site worthy of investigation because, although slightly biased
in perspective, it gives quality background and contemporary information
on this New Age active meditation. The writer and creator of this
site Karen Berggren, author of Circle of Shaman: Health through Ecstasy,
Rhythm, and Myth finds herself presently practicing “Mythical Ritual Theatre.”
Berggren's spiritual roots are found in Taoism, Theosophy, Spirituality,
Buddhism, Mysticism, the list goes on…. Most of the articles
are written by the web author and her fellow “Rhythm Colleagues.”
Although Berggren does not have a profession education in these subjects,
this site reflects the warm and true heart of her personal and passionate
pursuit of field explorations and therefore presents an authority on the
subjects of greater value.
The site also includes information
on Pagan Pentecostal Ecstatic Dance Rituals, Trance Dance Rituals, Ecstatic
dance FAQ, Drumming, Shamanism, Myth, Ghost Dance, and Fire Circles.
The best site to date on subjects of ecstatic origin. LH
9/24
251241422222211343
2.38
http://www.ealdriht.org/husel.html
From the “Angelseaxisce
Ealdriht Asatru and Heathen Pages,” this is the ‘rituals’ section of the
website. It describes several different rituals of the pagan religion,
which extends as far back the Germanic tribes who invaded England in the
5th century B.C.E. Rituals detailed here include Blot, a libation
ritual about communion with relatives and ancestors; Husel, Blot with feasting;
Symbel, a ritual requiring alcohol ingestion rather than libation, with
speeches about the success of deeds past and present. Following a
short history of each ritual, the guidelines for its performance are outlined.
A separate section includes procedures and tradition for other ceremonies
such as weddings or funerals, altar dedication, etc. This website
gives an insider’s view to a religion as it is maintained by believers
who seek to promote their values. A variety of links are available
to other kinds of information about ancient Anglo-Saxon paganism, covering
subjects from gods to runes, from symbols to oaths, from forming a kindred
to writing prayers. . . . The writers offer details of the history
of the religion as well as the forms in which it exists today. This
is an easily navigable and an extremely informative website covering a
wide range of topics related to Ango-Saxon heathenry. AL
9/19
314321352112242 2.4
I’ve always been captivated by the
cultures and traditions of the Far East; from the Ancient Dynasties to
the Triads to the Geishas to Feng Shui to Origami. I set out to find a
website that had all the Oriental constituents bundled into one, but there
were hardly any out there. When I came across this website, it seemed
to my criterion. It is by the Holy Mountain Trading Company which sells
aesthetically and spiritually satisfying hand made art and provides a wide
scope of information about Japanese Legends and Rituals. The Japanese Tea
Ceremony is a particularly interesting event described on this site. Even
though it’s called a ceremony, the first time I heard about it, it was
referred to as a ritual, as you will see. Chaji is a tea presentation
with a meal which takes place in the Chashitsu (a special tea room). 4
people are the preferred number of guests that are to partake in this ceremony.
A Hanto (assistant host) offers Sayu (the hot water for the tea) to the
guests and they in turn have to choose someone in their group to act as
a leader. They are then led to a Roji (a water-sprinkled garden devoid
of flowers). The Garden should be this way because they need to rid themselves
of the dust of the world and anticipate the house master’s arrival. A Stone
Basin called Tsukabai is used by the Host to purify his hands and mouth
before he proceeds to welcome his guests with a bow. Silence is observed
throughout all this. The guests are led through a special door which symbolizes
a purification and a passage between the coarse physical world and the
spiritual world of tea! After this, the guests have to purify themselves
at the Tsukabai, then enter the tearoom, respectively crouching and bowing
their heads. The tearoom should be devoid of any decoration, except Kakemono
(scroll paintings), which reveals the theme of the ceremony. The kettle
for the tea is carefully examined by all the hosts and finally, greetings
are exchanged when the last person to enter latches the door. Special utensils
that are considered works of art are used for a four course meal, which
are then cleaned by special cloths brought by the guests. Finally, everyone
retires to the Roji and awaits the preparation of the tea by the host.
This ritual is really important to the Japanese because the water represents
Yin and the fire in a hearth represents Yang. This is an awesome website
with very valuable information. I had a hard time sticking to the rituals
part. Not only does it contribute the Mysticisms of Japanese Rituals and
Art, it discusses Asian Astrology, Jade, Feng Shui Fortune, the 9 Basic
Cures, Mysterious Principles of the Blue Bag, Ch’i and so much more. Most
of the other sites I went into just had clusters of articles from newspapers
or excerpts of term papers, but this website seems to be the product of
a knowledgeable group of individuals who seem to know their history because
everything about the topics discussed fits into place. On the surface,
it may just seem like an Online Tea Store or Art Gallery, but there is
some really fascinating information on this website and it would definitely
recommend to any one.. RD 9/25
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2.466
http://korea.insights.co.kr/passage/psg_el.html
This concise web site provides
an overview of the funeral rituals of the Korean people. Koreans
view death as an extension of life. A funeral is an expression of
the rite of passage that separates a person from the living allowing an
eternal good-bye to the deceased. The funeral ritual is begun with
the family members taking the clothes of the deceased to a roof and crying
out his name three times and asking him to return. This also serves
as the official announcement to the townspeople of the passing. After
the ritual, the family members bathe the body and they wear traditional
mourning clothes. If you click on the mourning clothes prompt, you
will learn more about this part of the ritual. A ritual table is
prepared to pay respects to the deceased’s soul. The pallbearers
build a stand, known as a bier, for the coffin. As I mentioned earlier,
since this culture believes that death is an extension of life, the pallbearers
and the people of the village to comfort the family put on a play. Another
noteworthy feature was that on the day of the burial, as the coffin was
lowered into the grave, the pallbearers stamped on the grave to pack the
earth and prevent leaks. This site provides a background that makes
it easy to understand the cultural rituals of this conservative society.
WS
9/25
23
2.5
www.upsd.wednet.edu/UPSD/CHS/ganghand.html
Anyone who is researching gang rituals should definitely
enjoy this site. This website is very informative compared to other sites
that I have visited on this subject. It elaborately discusses every aspect
of gang culture and what roles they play in today’s society. Rituals become
strong impacts in society due to and are an essential way of life,
and survival. The rituals that are performed by these
“gangsters” determine leadership, rites of passage, and
affiliation into the group. Gangs are spreading everywhere in world so
in order to stop their violent activities one must understand what goes
on in their societies. We must pry open the doors and peek at their customs
and rituals. This website is a great overview on this subject. It goes
in depth on the types of gangs, how the came to be and what style of clothes
they prefer. This article was written by Ron Brock a highschool Vice Principal
of Curtis Senior High. JC 9/25
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2.529
This is the official website of
the Bahá'í faith, geared towards anyone interested in the
nature of Bahá'í, its philosophy, its followers and its rituals.
I followed the “Spiritual Truths” sections of the site, which explains
the basic characteristics of the faith. The rituals of the religion
are mostly described under the “Prayer, Meditation, and Fasting” branch.
Bahá'í is a beautiful, simple faith that embraces unity and
peace. This website is probably the most thorough and accurate site
on Bahá'í since it is created and maintained by the official
organization of the religion. EX 9/25
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2.53
http://www.glasstemple.com/home/
The Glass Temple:
This is a well done website with an exhaustive stockpile of information
on the ancient pagan religion of Wicca. The website states: “Wicca
is a type of Neopagan Witchcraft. That is to say, we generally practice
a reconstructed version of pre-Christian European Pagan spirituality. Beliefs
and practices are generally centered around a culture of the practitioners
choosing, usually with a belief in that culture's deities and folklore,
etc. However, since Wicca is a personal spirituality, this does not hold
true for everyone. Many practitioners choose beliefs on the basis of what
'feels right', and you will find those who practice a mix of Celtic, Greek,
Native, Sumerian, Hindu, Buddhist, and other beliefs. Wiccans have a high
regard for the beliefs and practices of others, and for the individuals
right to find their own path. As such, almost any combination of beliefs
and practices is possible.” The website contains sections for the
beginning Wicca practitioner as well as the more advanced. You will
find articles on Wiccan community, music, art, satire and more. Of
particular interest to our ritual class are the sections pertaining to
the creation and observation of rituals. Keitha, a practicing Wiccan
who holds a BA in English and Sociology, created this site. She has
written many of the articles published here and – based upon her writing
– seems to know what she’s talking about.
MM9/26
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2.53
http://home.teleport.com/~packham/temples.htm
This website obviously
portrays the Mormons and their rituals. The first element that caught
my attention was the word “temple”. Religious websites nowadays seem
to be saturated with church or Christian related topics. I do not
get offended but I do feel excluded when that is the topic. This
site adequately supplies basic knowledge to people who have not been exposed
to this religion; not overbearing them with thousands of facts, but on
the other hand, not giving them just a brief introduction. It also
gives links to photographs for better understanding. This website
describes 4 different types of rituals that the Mormons practice.
The first one is “Baptism for the Dead”. This ritual gives one the
gift of a “Holy Ghost”. The second ritual is “Endowment” (for the
dead and for the living). This is the initiation ritual where each
patron is serviced only by one of the same gender. I think this is
because some people are not comfortable with being washed by the opposite
sex. ( the article did not say why it was gender specific ). Another
part of this ritual includes a re-enactment of the creation and history
of the world. The third ritual is called “Sealing”, in which relationships,
such as husband and wife or child to parent, are performed to ensure an
eternal seal. The last ritual is “Second Anointing”. This salvation
ritual is perhaps most important ritual to the Mormons. Because of
its significance, not many Mormons have had the opportunity to experience
it. This document is a very reliable source because the author has a lot
of informative links and books for further comprehension. He also
uses examples from external sources to document his words. He does
not show any discrimination or bias against other religion. This
website is a good source because it is educational, objective and most
importantly, it does not try to convert one. Its main purpose was
to spread knowledge. The only bad part about this site is that is
does not satisfy an “academic” purpose, because it is not detailed enough.
TV
9/18
343122154222112443
2.55
http://dying.about.com/library/weekly/aa032099.htm
Lakota Tribe Funeral Rituals:
As I was on my quest for web sites, I came across this interesting yet
informative one about Native American funeral rituals. The Lakota
Tribe pays tribute to the souls of their deceased in a traditional 3-part
ceremony. The first is the Wacekiyapi wherein the family as well
as the tribe mourns the deceased four days. At the end of this period,
the elderly women of the tribe move the body onto a platform from the tipi
together with the personal possessions. The second part of the ritual
is the one that held my attention. This one in particular takes an
entire year of preparation. The Spirit Keeping Ceremony honors the
spirit of the deceased. It begins with the making of a ghost lodge
where a lock of hair, representing the spirit of the deceased, is kept.
The elders of the tribe feed the spirit by putting food in a special bowl.
The family employs a seamstress to make the most exquisite clothes.
When enough clothes are made to honor the spirit, they paint a portrait
of the deceased’s face and attach it to a pole at about the deceased’s
height. They dress the pole in the clothes that were made and a prayer
is said. They ceremony ends when they set it free so that it can
travel on the Spirit Road. The last and most elaborate of the rituals
is the White Buffalo Ceremony. This is only practiced for those who
have a special honor in the tribe. The family buys this very hard-to-find
white buffalo skin and puts it in the ghost tipi. It is first blessed
and then a small hole is made at the front of the buffalo’s head and filled
with burnt earth, and covered with a red cloth. A prayer of thanksgiving
is made and in the morning, the skin is removed from the tipi. The
skins is then cut into three pieces, where a piece is given to the one
who bought it and the other two pieces to the leaders of the tribe to use
as a headdress in times of piece. Although short, I found this article
to be concise while at the same time providing a clear and complete picture
of the topic. WS 9/25
25231242133334
2.71
http://rubens.anu.edu.au/student.projects97/aztec/ACosWorldView.html/World1a.html#Sacrifice
This website correlates the infamous
sacrifices conducted by the Aztecs with the scarce resources of Mesoamerica.
According to the author, who quotes liberally from a Spanish conquistador
by the name of Bernal Diaz, the Aztecs would sometimes also cannibalize
on the sacrifice’s flesh after the ritual. He, the author, links the consumption
of human flesh with the lack of amino acids and fats in the Aztec diet.
I thought this website was interesting due to the cannibalization issue
it brings up. Was cannibalism part of Aztecan sacrificial rituals? While
the author provides a rational reason for this, his over-reliance on the
second-hand stories of a Spanish conquistador casts a shadow of doubt over
the article. As most conquers, the conquistadors had many reasons to demonize
their opponents. After all, if they were fighting against a decadent empire
that ritualized cannibalism, few people would judge them for taking the
actions they took. Demonization of the opposition works both to increase
your personal conviction as well as your righteousness in the eyes of the
public.
The ritual information given
is that of a more grotesque possibility to the Aztecan sacrifices. Did
they partake in the consumption of human flesh? Often times, rituals are
given an exaggerated reputation and can sometimes blow out of proportion
(see the Satanic Ritual Abuse article on http://www.religioustolerance.org/sra_intro.htm).
This can be done out of ignorance, or out of spite. The article appears
to have been authored by a student at Australian National University, and
likely written (based on the address name) in 1997. NG
9/25
45212313342242
2.71
www.cs.utk.edu/~mclennan/BA/Saturnalia.html#
This website is about a Winter Solstice
Ritual which is called Saturnalia or Brumalia. It is a ritual, which
is dedicated to Consualia (God of the Storage Bin), the Saturnalia (God
of Sowing), and to Opalia (Goddess of Plenty). The website is written
in informative form so as to teach one how to perform the ritual.
It provides information about the equipment and supplies, the preparation,
the location, the timing, and how to perform the ritual itself. It’s
very descriptive nature allows one to believe that the website is valid,
but to be sure, one must further investigate by looking for other sources
that make valid statements about this ritual. This website is objective
and would be good for research because it tells you how the ritual is performed
and what you need to do to perform it. The author is Apolloonious
Sophistes and seems to be a scholar in the ritual as a whole. It
is written unbiasedly because it’s purely for informational purposes.
EI 9/25
22431353232233
2.71
http://www.bawarchi.com/festivals/dassera.html
http://www.andhratoday.com/festival/dasara.htm
Ten Day Rituals of Dassera:
The informative website detailed the Ten Day Rituals of Dassera.
This festival is celebrated all over India during the months of September
and October. The story of how she was created was fascinating.
It goes something like this. The gods in heaven wanted to create
a being with great power to kill the demon king Mahishasur. A beautiful
woman with ten hands was created from the lightning that came forth from
the mouths of three of the gods. All the gods provided her with the
weapons to kill the demon king. In the web site you will find photographs
that detail her looks and the weapons. In this festival of victory,
the goddess Durga is worshipped during the first nine nights known as Navaratri.
The site goes on to say that the different religions worship her in their
own way. Some with religious rituals and chantings of mantras, others
with story-telling known as Katha. The purpose of the religious readings
was to stir the religious passion in the listeners. Legend has it that
the Pandavas hid their weapons in the Shami tree during their 13-year exile.
This is where the interesting tradition of exchanging Shami leaves came
about. This symbolizes the victory over evil. What I found
unusual was that material possessions such as cars, appliances, and tools,
to name a few, were worshipped. It was also believed that any new
venture started on this day would be successful. All in all, the
information given was well documented for anyone interested in doing research
on this particular ritual. This article was written by Malini Bisen.
WS
9/25
244213242111424444
2.72
This website shows us one important festivals celebrated
all over India, Dasara. It is also called Nava ratri or nine nights festival.
It is one of the fascinating festivals of India and is celebrated with
joy and enthusiasm for ten continuous days. The first nine nights
are spent in the worship of goddess Durga. The farmers invoke her blessings
because this festival coincides with the period of rest and leisure after
their strenuous work in the fields. The farmers with her blessings wait
with tremendous hopes for a bountiful harvest. Like everybody else,
Indians love celebrations and festivals. Dasara festival represents the
victory of good over evil. The Hindu mythology is replete with instances
of fierce battles between gods and demons. One such battle is fought
between Durga and a demon called Mahishasure in which she kills him.
Dasara is the celebration of that killing. I found this website pretty
easy to understand this interesting part of Hindu mythology. RM
9/22
http://rampant-griffon.net/paganplace/
This website
is called “Wyldcat’s Pagan Place”. I found it when I was looking
for websites related to shamanism. The information presented here
comes from a Wiccan/Pagan point of view with an emphasis on shamanism.
There are many rituals described in the website, and I thought it was interesting
because it had a very do-it-yourself feel. It attempts to explain
all the why? and how? of these rituals. It would be useful to any
solitary practitioner attempting to perform some of these rituals for the
first time. There are several types of ritual featured. Under
the sub-section entitled “The Basics” is another section entitled “Rituals”.
This section outlines a basic non-specific Wiccan ritual- or rather, elements
part of all traditional Wiccan rituals. There is also a section called
“Sabbats” which lists and gives short descriptions of Wiccan “ritual days”,
as the author puts it. There are also some shamanic rituals in the
“Rites and Ceremonies” section under the sub-section “Shamanism”.
Within the “Pagan Family” sub-section there are a great deal of rituals
in the “Life Rituals and Ceremonies” section. I believe the material
on ritual presented in this website to be valid. This is because
I’ve done some reading on the subject and all of the information in this
site coincided with what I have read in several different books.
I’m not exactly sure if it would be a good site to use for academic research.
There are no sources cited, but I know that the information on the website
is valid. However, if I knew nothing about the subject, I couldn’t
be sure that it was legitimate. It was authored by one person, as
far as I can tell. I guess it can’t be called objective since it’s
from the perspective of an insider. I did find it accurate, though.
FM
9/25
251434221242243
2.73
www.hermeticgoldendawn.org/index/shtml
The Hermetic Order of the Golden
Dawn: This website is a great resource for those interested
in learning of esoteric traditions and ceremonial magic. As such,
it should prove invaluable to those interested in the study of ritual,
as well. As stated on the main page of the website: “The Hermetic
Order of the golden Dawn is a non-profit Florida organization whose goal
is the continued preservation of that body of knowledge known as Hermeticism
or the Western Esoteric Tradition”. The introduction goes on to say
how the organization has roots that go back to London in the late 1800’s
and is not a religion but a “Hermetic Society dedicated to the philosophical,
spiritual, and psychic evolution of Humanity.” This website
has loads of great information and links relating to esoteric knowledge
(including many common elements in ritualistic symbolism – from angels
and other Christian elements to the more pagan). There is even a
review of a book that describes how to create magical tools for ritual.
As I said earlier: a great resource.
Due to the Hermetic
Order’s ties to a long history and magical tradition - as well as its incorporation
of Egyptian, Judeo-Christian, Greek, Gnostic, Rosicrucian, and Masonic
elements – I would say that this website is a trustworthy source of information.
The creators of this website have done their job well.
MM 9/25
2432 2.75
http://mcrae.ca/greek/docs/fratrit0.htm
Fraternities were a result of the opressing environment
of universities, students felt the need to have a group where they could
discuss different topics. They began as secret societies created by students.
After telling how fraternities came to exist and listing the different
names and dates of the fraternities created, you arrive to the last link
of the website: modern rituals. Here you can find a brief description of
the common components of the initiation ritual that students must undergo
to become a member of the fraternity; this includes an oath, teaching the
secrets and symbols of the fraternity, and a prayer. At first I thought
the website would be interesting, since I believed it would detail a ritual
within a fraternity, but it doesn't. Nonetheless it was not that bad, for
it tells in some way how fraternities use ritauls of initiation, which
symbolize newcomers change of status and their new relationship with the
other members of the fraternity. AG 9/25
31224332333343
2.785
If starting from the home base of
this site, use the navigation icon to connect to any portion of the site
that offers direct connections to rituals, articles, Q&A… otherwise
access through http://dwij.org/forum/cerritomni/cerritomni.html, the home
site offers correlating information, as well as the obvious promotional
institutions of performances, online stores, artwork, community projects,
etc. but can be difficult to wade through. This site has wonderful
reference material on Native American and Asian cultures, and is exclusively
dedicated to the ritual and ceremonial aspects of these ethos. Once
connected to the less cluttered designation, there is a list of articles
by twelve professionals and educators who have collectively created the
sight. Many of the authors are Native American elders or doctors.
The link to ritual begins with a luxurious overview of the human endeavor
of ritual and ceremony, with reference to Chippewa medicine men.
An article written on Cerritomni ceremony outlines in lengthy detail, the
universal histories and differences between ritual and ceremony, preparation
and invocation processes, and explains magic circles. Other topics
within the site include articles on Indonesian dance rituals, Aromatherapy
rituals, the ritual Dance of the Golden Bear, Druid magic, Tantra Tai Chi,
and Chanting the Chakras. This unique site offers beautiful and lofty
text on a variety of spiritual reutilizations and ceremonies. LH
9/24
342223434321243
2.8
www.msu.edu/~jdowell/miner.html
The website is about the Nacirema
people. The Nacirema is a North American group living in the territory
between the Canadian Cree, the Iaqui and Tarahumare of Mexico, and the
Carib and Arawak of the Antilles. They believe that through body
mortification rituals they can avoid diseases. The website provides
information on why and how the Nacirema people perform body rituals.
It talks about the materials and the role of the Gods. It is written
in the form of an essay and does not provide information the same way the
other two websites do. It is descriptive, and could be used as a
good source when doing research. It is a valid website because he
has citations of other sources. The author of the website is Horace
Miner, and he is unbiased when he writes because his feelings aren’t present
in the website. EI 9/25
4441143433312233 2.8
http://www.veling.nl/anne/templars/mrituals.html
This page is focused on the profound symbols and rituals
of the Freemasons. Through a collection of quotes from various publications
as well as dialogue from actual rituals, Anne Veling brings this enigmatic
world to life. Everything is explained from symbols, ceremonies,
and regalia, to the initiation processes of the various degrees.
It follows the plight of masonry from its origins to today, offering fascinating
details that really make you think. For instance, "the Shrine is
the wealthiest 'charity' in America [yet] spent only 29.8 percent of its
1984 income on its program services.” Kind of makes you wonder where the
other 70.2 percent of its donations were spent. Since the information
presented in this web page was taken from many different scholars, I believe
it is founded in fact rather then hyped-up conspiracy theory. But
I will warn you, if you have the time and desire for more than this one
page has to offer and click on the Knight’s Templar logo on the top of
the page, you will get lost in a fascinating world of history, rituals
of secret societies and new world orders. This Website is loaded
with so much juicy information, that you may have a difficult time leaving.
Enjoy the knowledge! VS 9/22
4143235341112344
2.81
http://www.nasponline.org/NEAT/memorials.html
Rather than describing a specific ritual used by some
culture, this website discusses the importance of the development of rituals
for the healing process that is necessary after a traumatic event, such
as the attack of September 11. Closure is necessary, even for those who
were not directly affected by that traumatic event. Schools should organize
a ceremony, activity, or memorial; yet it should be carefully organized
abd should involve students of different ages in the decision making process.
The ritual should emphasize tolerance, and must be appropiate to the developmental
level of the student. I know this is not quite a "ritual" website,
yet I think it's important and valuable because it shows the importance
of rituals in our lives. It stresses how schools should develop a ritual
so as to help students, as well as staff, cope with the traumatic event
that struck the United States on september 11, 2001. It may seem quite
far away from the topic I was suppossed to "deliver" yet I believe it is
an important and valuable infromation. AG 9/25
2431531243343313
2.81
Written and created by an unknown smoker, this site
explores the components of ritual smoking. I, being a non-smoker found
myself strangely interested in this site. This site provides an interesting
history lesson as to how tobacco occupied the western world and why it
is frowned upon now (minus the obvious). Ritual Smoking is defined
in depth and is clearly defended by the author:
Ritual Smoking is a conscious and appropriate use of
tobacco and as such is a choice, something done at special times and in
a special places, maybe with special smoking accessories, and maybe in
the company of others who share and know how to participate in smoking
as a ritual as well. Above all, Ritual Smoking is done for pleasure, for
the connection to spirits it invokes, and as a wholly positive experience.
Ritual Smoking is a singular activity, it is not something done while attempting
to accomplish anything else: It calls for your complete and focused attention
and rewards that attention with an experience which expands the boundaries
of awareness and pleasure.
Although very similar to the other sites I skimmed,
this site provides links to creating your own smoking ritual for the pursuit
of the spirit world. There were no references (other than a few quotes)
provided on this site, therefore I can not verify that its content is true.
I can however, suggest any smoking novice to click on the link titled “Creating
and Participating in a Smoking Ritual” to read the excessive thought, dedication
and preparation the author described to join a smoking ritual. Smokers
will love this site, and non-smokers (like me) will gain interesting beliefs
about smoking and spiritualism. SL 9/30
445234312232335
2.866
www.spiralnature.com/magick/hansford course/course07.html
Ritual in magic involves limitation in the sense that
you ascend past the limitations of your consciousness, to help you release
your magical energy that you must channel without miscalculation.
Essential steps in magical rituals include opening/closing the circle,
opening/closing the gate, invoking the power, some kind of sacrifice, and
the main ritual. The magician uses the ritual to get from here to
there on a map, but the interpretation varies from person to person.
It is just like how the symbolism of the color white could range from death
to purity. Basically, magical ritual is a technique for focusing
magical power through the deliberate use of limitation.TH
9/26
43143242 2.875
http://tea.hypermart.net/teapage.html or www.franchia.com
This website is a comprehensive
guide to the origins, cultural symbolism, production and marketing of tea.
The site includes illustrated information on the ritual of tealeaf reading.
Tea and Zen are one in the same. In Asia tea drinking was believed
to foster self-discipline in preparing one’s mind towards enlightenment.
Tea drinking is called Tea Tao. There are three meanings to Tea Tao
when one drinks tea: one is in harmony with nature; one is to attain a
state of being unperturbed by life’s ups and downs, and last one is to
attain elegance and grace. In the Tao of tea a person must strive
to achieve these three things to understand the ritual of drinking tea.
This site is friendly and enjoyable. The website is well maintained
and put together for the Tao of Tea. If you are a tea lover, you
must go to this website to truly understand the ways of drinking tea.
SC 9/25
34531421 2.875
http://www.acenet.edu/faq/costume_code.html
The American Council on Education (ACE) here begins with a brief history
behind the traditional formal wear for graduation ceremonies. Rules
describing such details as the shape of the robe and the color of the trimmings
or lining are listed in the Academic Costume Code because the cuts and
shades symbolize different levels of education or certain schools.
The ACE, as it points out that rules of costume cannot be enforced, urges
us to stay within these guidelines to preserve the meaning behind the symbolism,
which tradition has set down since the Middle Ages. A guide to the
graduation ceremony and procession, including commencement and baccalaureate
services, follows the suggestions on dress. The source, ACE, is reliable
as it is a national group for the promotion of higher education.
What is interesting is how meticulously the costumes for graduation are
described, the way even a certain cut has a designation. Basic guidelines
are touched upon for the services and procession, such as the order of
entry/exit and how to divide between groups. The details of the graduation
costume and ceremony are not that exciting; what is interesting is that
the symbolism goes widely unnoticed while it tells so much detail about
each individual graduate. AL 9/18
22153451333253412
2.88
This is the major website of the
Unitarian Universalist Association. It is a site that offers information
on the philosophy and nature of Unitarian Universalists. Most information
is under the “About UsàUnitarian Universalism” portion of the website.
It is a non-creedal religion that follows no book, person or institution.
Instead, it is a liberal religion based on the individual with Judeo-Christian
roots. Unitarian Universalist rituals are discussed under the “Newcomers”
link, which goes in depth about the characteristics of the religion.
This is an informative and objective site clearly created by the official
members of this religious sect, as it also constantly invites anyone viewing
the site to visit a congregation nearby. EX
9/25
343423144144223
2.93
http://www.soulfulliving.com/august01features.htm
This website is mainly about personal
rituals that one would perform to help himself/herself emotionally, psychologically,
and spiritually. This site is very interesting to me because its
contents are universal. A lot of people nowadays have problems and
need emotional support, but few have been able to receive help. There
are also lots of soulful and meaningful sources for one to read.
It is also different because it has nothing to do with religious rituals,
although it does include thoughts or phrases that are taken from religious
literature. The rituals provided ranges from lighthearted (problems)
rituals such as bedtime rituals to severe (problems) stress-relief rituals.
The authors give suggestions on what actions to take to help one better
his/her current situation. Because this is a personal site, the rituals
are not carried out as a group. I truly believe this site can help
people. This site’s sources are very reliable.
It contains many self help rituals written by different known authors who
has either written their own book or has earned a degree in their own field
of study. I would consider this an excellent for academic, or personal
use. It is open to anyone who wishes to use its words and it is also
open to suggestions for improvement.
TV 9/18
2432215441324352
2.937
www.cs.utk.edu/~mclennan/BA/HL
This website is about the
ritual of the Labyrinth. It is a ritual that is intended for High
Priestess, High Priest, Acolyte and a dozen or so Paides. This website
is written in informative form so as to teach one about the background
of the ritual, the preparations one makes to perform the ritual, the people
the ritual is dedicated to, and how to perform the ritual. Since
it is very descriptive and informative in nature, one may believe that
what is written on the website is actually valid. One may be able
to check its validity by consulting other sources where this ritual is
talked about. Further analysis of its validity is essential if someone
is definitely interested in performing the ritual. The ritual is
written about objectively, and is very useful for academic research in
every aspect because it gives you a sense of where the ritual came from
and how it is performed. The author of the website is John Opsopaus,
who was very unbiased in writing this website because it’s intent is to
teach rather than to voice his opinion.
EI 9/25
3524331253232243
2.937
http://www.congregationofyhwh.org/xmas.html
This site talks about the true origins of the ritual
we practice called Christmas. This was something that I was always
interested in. The truth about Christmas is that it originated from
a pagan holiday of the birth of the sun god. It also explains some
of the symbols of Christmas and where and how they originated from.
It talks about how the symbols such as the mistle toe, Santa Clause, and
the Christmas tree came to be and how the originated from paganism.
This was always part of my intrest because I went to catholic school my
whole life and I never really agree with all the nonsense that the catholic
faith preaches about. I actually look at the religion as a complete
lie and do not agree with most of its regulation. I feel that the
catholic religion as long with mostly every other religion is only to profit
off of the members of the religion. The site I feel is reliable because
it is mostly facts it speaks about. It has many other reliable
sources that you can also look up. DR 9/25
52152314134441343
2.94
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/8409/karecki1.htm
This site was composed by
Madge Karecki dealing with the subject of
Religious Ritual as a Key to Wholeness in mission. It covers the paths
that western religions have gone through and there relationship with ritual.
It is different than other websites I have come across for it tries to
understand ritual from perspectives by others writer given in the past
and grouping them together to better understand the nature of our present
beliefs. Its usefulness is only measured by what subject matter the person
is trying to forefeel. For this class it would be instrumental in getting
another viewpoint on ritual. The site seems clearly composed and straight
forward with its proposition. It deals with ritual in a serious base but
it overall expression of what is ritual and its context seems limited for
it only expresses one clear view of its importance. It doesn’t give a diverse
understanding of ritual but gives a limited view to Christianity. It does
have a presentable bias, but one must gather all information to understand
what one should belief and not. For further information on this subject
matter there are references seen at the end of the article.
CC 9/25
2444431333323423
3.0
http://orunla.org/pnohteftu/ch528.html
I found many conflicting descriptions
of the Orixas, so I have chosen to use one reliable source. This
website is an excellent introduction to Candomble – the Orixas’ religion.
Although the state religion in Brazil is Roman Catholicism, there is a
prevailing attitude of religious tolerance that has allowed a number of
alternative belief systems to flourish. Orixas Afro Brazilian is the worshipping
of the respective African deities through the masks of Catholic saints.
This website “Candomble and the Psychological Types” by Carminha
Levy give us an important information about each Orixas and the rituals
related to them. Mrs. Levy is an educator, clinical psychologist
of Jungian orientation and also she has been dedicating herself since 1981
to the spreading of Shamanism in Brazil. I am pretty sure that you will
like it. You will have the opportunity to learn about the most respectful
belief in Brazil. In addition, the bibliography presented in the
end is a good source of information if you want to know more about the
Candomble. RM 9/20
24231341453354313
3.0
The ritual ceremony known as rites of passage have been seen virtually
in all human societies, “it marks significant transitions in the social
status of individuals”. Ari Nave in this article tries to express the importance
this rites have on the community and society, its ritual stem past a life
cycle of maturation to a symbolic understanding of the mystical. It embodies
trials that individuals must face to be recognized as a discrete person.
Its usefulness not only helps the reader get a better understanding of
ritual in a transformation state but also to get another prospective in
our own society as similar and different from western ideology. The article
seems to have many sources for its research that gives credibility to the
material and its objective. The validness seems to branch from its directive
and significance. It not only imposes one view but many to give the readers
choices
to form there own conclusion on the importance of rites of passage to its
community. CC 9/25
34123325333343
3.0
This website was prepared by Rainbo
(Research, Action and Information Network for Bodily Integrity of women).
Female Circumcision or Female Genital Mutilation, the partial or total
cutting away of the external female genitalia, has been practiced for centuries
in parts of Africa, generally as one element of a rite of passage preparing
young girls for womanhood and marriage. In many places where female
circumcision is practiced, the physical operation is but one moment in
an elaborate ceremony. In every case the purposes and meanings of
female circumcision are related to specific cultural understandings of
identity, personhood, morality, adulthood, gender, bodily aesthetics, and
other important issues. It is clear that female circumcision, steeped in
ritual, is an ancient practice, yet it survives among the Somali Muslims
living as refugees in the United States. Given the pain and risks
associated with this practice, health care provides need to direct their
efforts to the tasks of untangling this very complex web. This website
is easy to understand the meaning of this kind of ritual. RM
9/22
34235111334354315
3.0
In this site it speaks about the Rastafarian religion
and its rituals. It talks about how the Rastafarian’s view marijuana and
binghi as a ritual. I really found this site interesting to me because
I grew up around a lot of Rastafarian friends. I always found the
religion to be very interesting because I saw how respectful every member
in the house hold was. They treat their mother or any lady like a
queen, which I think is the way it is suppose to be, and the woman in that
culture are very respectful to the men. One of their rituals is to smoke
ganja. They meet and say prayers and smoke “the holy weed” as they
call it. It is passed around in a water pipe rich some Rastafarians
consider the same symbolism as Christianity’s chalice. Another
ritual is binghi which is all night celebrations to mark a special occasions
throughout the year. This site’s information is very credible because
it states a lot of information that are facts about the religion which
I know that are accurate. DR 9/25
35142413322443343
3.0
http://entertaining.about.com/library/weekly/aa041601a.htm
This website covers the ritual of funerals and mourning in comparison between
major religions. The usefulness of this site gives the reader a broader
understanding of the ritual that death brings and how different religions
deal with them. To comprehend ritual one must see the presence that it
has in our culture. The information seems very accurate matching other
reading I have encountered, as well it encompasses a serious nature that
is not merely fun but one that deals with the passing of a love one and
the guidelines that one must follow to respect the beliefs and culture
of others. It is an objective but scholarly site that only lacked unbiased
amounts of information. Western religions gathered more research and explanation
than in comparison to eastern religions but overall it served for greater
understanding of one form of ritual. We gather a more complex way to the
view other religions perception of the after life and the rules that must
be obeyed to achieve a goal that is spiritual based.
CC 9/25
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www.goodgriefrituals.com/rituals.htm
In relation and awareness of the
emotional aftermath of 911 I found this website to be compassionate
and unique. It entails expectations stemming from grief as well as the
human need for nurturing and the importance of healing rituals. Often while
enduring catastrophic times people subconsciously delay grief because it
is to shocking and overwhelming to face. Unfortunately, the painful loss
always exists and reappears. Rituals are exercises most helpful in accepting
and recognizing a loss as well as therapeutic and supportive in healing
the bereaved. Through time, ritual slowly helps people to endure
their loss and establish wholeness by creating, observing and experiencing
ceremonies of ritual. PL 9/13
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http://www.dagobertsrevenge.com/index.html?articles/levenda
The dark secrets of occultism, symbolism, and ritual in
Nazi Germany are revealed and discussed in this macabre site. Levenda,
the author of “Unholy Alliance: A History of Nazi Involvement with the
Occult,” is interviewed by DR Magazine and provides an enlightening and
horrific view of the Nazi Party from its inception to its fall. The
site takes us on a twisted psychological journey into the mind of Hitler
and the dark magicians that surrounded him; we are given insight into the
slaughter of the Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, communists, etc., which was
designed to purify the planet of diseased blood and diseased spirit. Our
world is filled with so much more than meets the eye. I found this
Website particularly disturbing, especially considering how far the Nazi
party actually went in their attempt to “purify the world” and the fact
that a growing underground neo-nazi movement exists at this very moment.
VS
9/22
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3.117
www.digital-brilliance.com/kab/rtt.htm
This article by Colin Low is a discussion about magical
ritual as being “good” if it achieves an intention without undesired side
effects. Some rituals seem to work better than others do, but that
is improved through a “process of consciousness” that must be followed
to reach the consciousness able to properly receive the magic results.
You must shift to a “magical consciousness” through the ritual to reach
a state not normally attainable. The magical ritual is basically
a means to an end, and it requires a technique like cooking from a cookbook,
or praying from a prayer book. Symbols have power, but the crude
magical power comes from the person bringing the symbol to life through
the ritual. This shift in consciousness is not a quantum leap into
another dimension, but it becomes a “normal” shift in everyday life to
help you deal with the extraordinalities of life. TH
9/26
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At this site you will discover
Colin Low’s Ritual Theory and Techniques “guidebook” to ritualism in the
form of magic. This scholarly, semi-humorous site does not state whether
Low is a professor, or anything so I don’t know the validity of its content.
It is obvious; however, that he is a practicing magician. His word usage
and detailed descriptions also displays that he is very well informed in
the category of magic and ritualism. This site is different from the other
sites that I viewed because this site is in actual essay form, without
links or flashing gimmicks trying to get me to buy “ritualistic” material.
I found a couple of things interesting about Low’s site/article including:
· Low’s feelings of ownership over magic and the rituals involved,
and· Low’s definition of “good” vs. “bad” rituals,
· His ideology about the
role of limitations set on unleashing consciousness. Low does a good job
at setting up the reader for a lasting educational experience. Equipped
with a table of contents and a clear beginning, middle and end, this site
is sure to educate an inquisitive mind. SL
9/30
http://www.lifepositive.com/Spirit/god/food.asp
Lifepositive.com is a site dealing
with holistic issues, and their homepage offers an abundance of resources
in this area. The page that I looked at is called Food for God, and it
deals with the use of food in religion/rituals. This article is written
by a man who is the author of six books concerning the mythology of Hinduism
and who also gives lectures. There is a link to his personal website provided.
In the opening of the article
the author states that, "Every religion has rituals where food is offered
to be worshiped, shared, eaten, or even tabooed." He discusses food taboos
within religions and how these taboos serve to delineate religions from
one another. He talks about the Eucharist and the role food plays in this
ritual as well as how food is used in most Hindu rituals. One way it is
used is as an offering to the gods. Another way it is used has to do with
the concept of "like produces like"( incidentally, this reminds me of the
folk medicine reading we had). For instance, in a fertility ritual, foods
that represent fertility will be used. He writes that "food is always eaten
in joy not sorrow." In India, sweets are given out before the announcement
of good news-sweetness is used to prevent envy. He also discusses how the
ancient Hindus believed that the soul, after death, enters food, forming
a part of the life cycle. EM 9/25
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3.14
http://www.metal-tiger.com/Wu_Tang_PCA/tattoo.html
Ritual tattoing has been a part of many cultures throughout
history. This website tells how different cultures use tattoos and what
are their meaning. Frank Allens discusses how tattoos were considered
to be part of a sacred relationship with the gods or some spiritual world
due to their permanence, pain, and the release of blood ("the sacred life
force"). He walks through time telling the different uses of tattoos. Primitive
people used them as rite passage to the spirit world, or as clan markings.
Warriors used them as protection, or to intimidate rivals. Some tattoos
are meant to connect with deceased loved ones, others to cure you from
a disease. Many different reasons have moved people to tattooing, unfortunately
with time people have stopped ritual tattooing. The main reason for tattoing
nowadays is merely art, the meaning behind the tattoo has been forgotten.
When I saw and read the website I thought it appeared to be very amateur,
it lookes like a "home-made" page of a tattoo freak. However Frank Allen
seems to have studied a lot about the matter. At the end of the page he
has a list of resources which somehow gives more validity to what you just
read. AG 9/25
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http://www.stophazing.org/nuwer/chronicle.htm
Educating to Eliminate Hazing:
In this article, author Hank Nuwer compares fraternity and sorority chapters
that commit hazing to cults, sharing characteristics in their subjugation
of pledges and the “familyness” of the groups. He believes that these behaviors
are dangerous and have resulted in numerous fatalities and ruined lives.
He provides the solution of irrevocably eliminating chapters that commit
hazing and expelling participating students. I found this article interesting
for two reasons: 1) it revolves around relatively secular rituals; 2) it
is about hazing within college fraternities and sororities, which may make
it applicable to some students. Also, the first semester I went to FIU,
there was an issue discussed in the school newspaper whether or not a sorority
had conducted a form of hazing to three of its pledges. While not much
seems to have come out of it, it did help perpetuate my own skepticism
towards the brother/sisterhoods; which I admit may influence my perspective
on this article. The ritual information provided concerns ritualized
hazing and how it is used in fraternities and sororities. As it is a quasi-religious/quasi-secular
ritual, I thought it might be an interesting addition to our collection.
The article itself describes the effects these rituals may have and why
they should be prevented (and why current prevention methods are not enough).
The article appears to be credible as it refrains from particularly emotional
language and the author has written and published two books on the subject
of fraternities and hazing. Nuwer does not outright condemn fraternities
and sororities as a whole, but rather the aspect of hazing that is prevalent
in certain chapters; this speaks to his credit and establishes him as a
sincere contributor. It is scholarly and slightly biased against a certain
activity (hazing) and is sponsored by StopHazing.org. It was written November
26, 1999. NG 9/25
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http://twm.co.nz/hopi_rain.html
The rain dance has always been intriguing
and entertaining to all of us. This website I found particularly fun as
the Hopi Indian Tribe of Arizona is observed through the eyes of a "white
man." The Hopi call their dance the sacred snake dance. The ritual last
for 16 days. It has been recorded to be performed every year since the
1900`s. The ritual entails catching snakes for four days, from the four
cardinal directions. They are then placed in a kiva with the priest. The
snakes are worshipped, sung to, and bathed in preparation for the ceremonial
dance to ask the god for rain. Two fraternities participated in the dance
standing facing each other. Each holding a snake around their neck or between
their lips. After the ceremony the chiefs stay in their kivas for four
days for purification and prayer for
rain. In the event rain does not
come they believe it is only of an error in their performance. This website
also much more links and collected research on the customs and rituals
of the Hopi. PL 9/12
43322333343343543 3.235
I have always been fascinated
with the Native American culture. I came across this web site written
by Edward S. Curtis. It seems that Curtis had been an avid fan of
the Hopi tribe. After years of research, he was initiated into the
Snake Order as a priest. This is a very high honor to be bestowed,
especially to a white man. This ritual takes place in August and
lasts 16 days. I thought the most challenging part of the ritual
happened on the eighth day. Dressed only in a loincloth, he entered
the kiva with the Chief Priest, following every order to the letter.
This meant fasting, no contact with anyone else, and no sex. On the
tenth day, they took their clothes off and painted their bodies with red
paint, symbolizing the snake’s pollen. After a prayer and an offering of
cornmeal were made, each was given a stick to dig the snakes out of their
holes, an eagle feather whip, a bag, and food. To his surprise, Curtis
was the first to catch a snake. What I found disgusting was that
before he put the snake in the bag, he had to place the snake around his
neck out of respect for it. After four days of snake searching, they
were put in the kiva with the priests. Treated as gods, they were
worshipped so that the gods would provide rain. What happens next
is what is interesting. In preparing for the dance, they covered
their shoes with pink clay, spread a manmade concoction over their forearms,
calves, and the right side of their heads only, and painted their chins
white and their faces black. They wore a bright, woven fringed belt
and a fox skin. In a plaza, they would begin the rain dance ritual.
When the ceremony was over the chiefs and Curtis went into their kivas
for four days of prayer and cleansing. It’s funny that after all
that, they believed that if no rain came, something went wrong in the ceremony.
This article was well done. I would definitely recommend this site
to anyone because it gave a clear and very detailed picture of the ceremony.
WS
9/25
http://www.whitedragon.org.uk/
The White Dragon: This
website is an online magazine that “covers the area from Manchester
to Oxford and from the Welsh Marches to Nottingham and Northampton, serving
pagans, witches, occultists and EM freaks in Mercia with news, events and
happenings plus articles and artwork.” This website is unique
in its geographic specificity. The region of England covered by this
site is rich in ancient stone circles, mounds and the pagan tradition.
You will find on this site articles covering the gamut of pagan and supernatural
issues. An example of some of the articles: “Earth Rites: a Chaos
Magickian’s Approach to Practical Green Majic”, “The Archeology of Folk
Magic” and “The Sacred Vine, Choosing and Using Ritual Wine”. Altogether,
this site is a very good source for information on the British pagan/magical
tradition, and should provide much for those studying ritual.
Here’s a little bit about the philosophy behind this site: “WHITE DRAGON
does not set out to publish material by the paganly famous (especially
those famous merely for being famous) but rather seeks out those who actually
have something worthwhile to say. Further, it deliberately encourages new
writers from the fields of paganism, the occult and earth mysteries to
develop their ideas and to share them with the wider pagan etc community.
These are the pagan writers and artists of tomorrow - today's pagan press
must nurture them!” Due to its connection to a long-standing tradition,
as well as its geographic specificity and high standards, I would say that
one could consider this site to be a trusted source of information.
MM 9/25
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3.26
www.orkneyjar.com/history/skarabrae/religion.htm
My second site was called Ritual and Religion in Skara
Brae. From the beginning the authors admit that since there are no
written records of this Religion many “assumptions” have to be made.
They remind us, that whenever dealing with ritual and religion, the people
of Neolithic Orkney’s beliefs and practices are completely “alien” to our
own. Tombs were found that signified that this Neolithic society placed
a great importance on death, due to the obvious importance placed in the
building of these ancient tombs. Additionally, without any direct
proof the author denotes that the Neolithic people of the Skara Brae probably
worshipped a multitude of gods, representing a multitude of different aspects
of nature (pantheism). Finally, the article describes the importance of
the sun and the moon to the Skara Brae. Moreover, they had monuments
in accordance with the solar and lunar cycles. This website does not provide
vital information on any specific rituals of the Skara Brae, so it is not
effective. The veracity of the article dwindles, honestly and is
on the extreme end of vague . FR 9/25
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3.31
http://www.sekise.co.jp/sougi/eng/eng1.html
This website will guide you in conducting
Japanese wakes, funerals and memorial services. You will be able
to get tips on legal and ritual formalities in aiding you in you process.
The preparation for holding a wake and a funeral begin after the dying
hour is described. You will be able to identify what the chief mourner
should be doing to keep with ritual. Learn how to contact the temple
for the funeral service. Tips are provided to set up the ceremonial
hall. The site addresses the farewell and how to carry
a coffin out of the ceremonial place. If you decide on cremation
for your loved one the site will show you how to gather the ashes of the
deceased. You will have tips on the funeral and the religious service
held on the seventh day after death, which includes a purification ceremony.
After the funeral you will know you followed all the rituals to allow your
loved one will rest in peace. All of this is in keeping with the
Japanese Buddhist funeral practice. The site is easy to read and
understand. There are no pictures, just straight facts. I would
recommend this site for a checklist of a Japanese funeral. The only
problem is how would you find the website with this strange and long address?
SC 9/25
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http://myesights.faithweb.com/social-action/bohemian-grove/
http://www.counterpunch.org/bohemian.html
What happens when the world’s richest and most powerful
people get together (off the record) to perform ancient rituals and discuss
political action in, what President Herbert Hoover once called, “the greatest
men’s party on Earth?” Democracy becomes a fallacy. This is
the Bohemian Grove exposed, and I have provided two websites because, I
think, in order to gain an objective view on the Grove, both should be
read. The first one contains a collection of various articles.
It is radical, a call to action, and goes into great depth about the origins
of the rituals, which are supposedly re-enacted each year in order to maintain
tradition. It also tends to border on the ridiculous in some areas
so please filter as you read. I don’t want to give anything away, but let’s
just say that some of the rituals mentioned are at the very least entertaining.
Also, at the bottom of this page there are many links to explore (I highly
recommend “Third World Traveler” for more information). The other site
is a more realistic article of facts with less mention of ritual.
It is also a call to action, or at least a call to education. Former
President George Bush, Pres. George W. Bush, Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell,
Newt Gingrich and Dow Chemical Chairman Frank Popoff, as well as actor
Danny Glover, are just a few familiar names that are members of this elite
group. And the controversy that surrounds the Grove is intense.
So if you find yourself moved by what you have read about this elitist,
sexist, and anti-democratic group, you can always call the number at the
bottom of the Website and join the protest. VS 9/22
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3.38
www.americandivorce.net/divorce-support/rituals.htm
This website discusses recovering from divorce. It objectively
examines the reasoning behind our innate need and purpose for ritual
in our lives. When we are forced to confront a monumental truth, we rely
on formal ritual ceremonies to recognize and confirm their importance.
The divorce rate today continues to be high, yet the institutions which
allows the participation of these rituals provide little in the consequence
of emotional and spiritual closure. Issues and situations involving divorce
are addressed in this website, presenting ways of ritual to deal with the
negative effects of anger and emptiness as a result of a painful separation.
Through the use and power of ritual, divorce related closure, enables
the divorced to create a positive, stronger personal foundation giving
them the freedom to move forward in their lives with strength, self assurance
and mindfulness. PL 9/12
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3.47
This site talks about all different sorts of different
kind of sex rituals that are interesting. It speaks about tantra
and how to use sexual energy. It tells you many sexual rituals and
how they can help during everyday life, but it does not give you the complete
procedure unless you pay to receive it. If they would post
the entire ritual it would be an even better site. What I like about
it is that it gives many rituals just using your body’s sexuality and energy.
This site also has really interesting links dealing with rituals in different
ways. It has some that deal with drug rituals, another talks about
using sex to open your fifth brain circuit. This one was interesting
because it says that sex uses the right brain hemisphere and during the
time of sex it is able to tap into the fifth brain circuit brings forth
the feeling of bliss, a vision of wholeness, and the ability to see
holistically. This one was interesting to me because it dealt with
the Tao. Now I would not say I believed in these things, but I found
them intresting. DR 9/24
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3.47
news.mpr.org/features/200202/04_williamsb_africans/index.shtml
This website was written by Brandt Williams is based on
how Africans-Americans though separated from Africa for so many years have
incredibly kept rituals of dance, song and cooking in their culture without
ever knowing it. . Take rap and R&B for example then compare the beat
to that of some African tribes and you will find a great similarity between
them. It is like the roots of Africa are embedded into the souls of African-
American people. Some African Americans want to feel closer to the land
of their ancestors and that is why they celebrate Kwanzaa. Titilayo Bediako
daughter of civil rights leader Matthew Little says “Participating in African
rituals helps give African-American youth a sense that they belong to something
larger than themselves or their surroundings.” JC
9/25
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http://www.thedance.com/rituals/
Unlike other rituals, this ritual
is one that is actually held online. It is open to anyone of any
background. The goal of this ritual site is to ask for healing power
from the “Dark Goddess”. Of course there is a site regulator that
screens all participates before they enter the circle. Apparently
the persons involved take this seriously. They have rules and regulations
before joining, and afterwards when one is an official member of the circle.
This online ritual is held on specific days, which are all posted on the
site. Each day has a different goal that the circle will accomplish.
Its main goal is to send healing power to loved ones through combination
of mediation from the members. Unfortunately I have not had to opportunity
to join in the circle and actually participate to see the how this is carried
out and to observe the mood, or the intensity of this ritual. I believe
this site can be considered reliable, and not just someone’s joke.
One has to go through an operator in order to participate. Whether
this site is “serious” or not, would depend on how the individual will
absorb the information given. I do not believe this is academically
useful, however, one could use it for emotional support. This is actually
a good idea, because one can practice this in the privacy of their home.
TV
9/18
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3.56
www.mc.maricopa.edu/~tomshoemaker/celtic/Toscad.html
This website deals with fasting. Common in many
religons, fasting is the way that we can hear what our god has to say to
us. Many of us fast for personal needs or even loved ones.
The troscad deals with trying to compel one's rights. I feel that this
website is good because it shows that many religions and beliefs have the
fasting ritual. Mnay husband and wives fasted aginst each other for
justice. This fasting is known as the toscad. ER
9/30
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3.64
az.essortment.com/indianscustoms_rcou.htm
Many people snakes with in India
Feel that snake worshipping is an ancient religious practice. They
worship the snakes with foods and flowers. Many might find this website
strange. It caught my attention because it involved the worshipping
of snakes. This made me want to find out why some people worship
snakes. this website will be interesting to a snake lover.
It allow them to see how important snakes really are to some people. ER
9/30
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3.66
www.anisoptera.com/grimoire/salt.htm
In my opinion, the best website of all, was The Salt Bath
Ritual. It appears to be from a Native American and seems valid.
The author of this article is Arwen Nightstar and he admits to having changed
the ritual, from its original form to preserve the anonymity of these sacred
unseen rituals. I learned in Native American Religions, with Dr.
Huchingson, that Native Americans that do performances for the public,
often just make these up, being completely different from the real rituals.
This is done for the crowd’s entertainment. So I can see the validity
in the invalidity. Get it? Moreover, the ritual consists of
putting salt in your “power hand” (the power hand is usually the hand with
witch someone writes with) and performing a set of blessings and
symbolic acts to purify the bathwater, therefore, purifying the person
entering the bath. This ritual website is effective in the sense that the
positive mental support one Must get after performing such a ritual,
such as casting out demons, illness, welcoming the positive and avoiding
negative karma. This article is extremely explicit, it details everything
step by step and is relatively simple to perform. FR
9/25
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3.875
www.adamastarfirereiki.com/store/protection_bath_prayer_ritual.htm
Bath Prayer Ritual is one in which involves relaxing and
no disturbance at all. This website lets you know what you have to do and
use, in order to complete the ritual. It also shows you how
to relax while in your bathtub. I think that this we be quite beneficial
to people who like to take long relaxing baths. I selected this website
because i like to relax in the tub after a hard day of work. ER
9/30
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4.23
This website is devote for those interested in Wiccan, Pagan, Witch, Shaman and New Age infomation. I found it to be interesting since it was my first time looking at a website on these topics. I found the graphics to be very mystical and the language used very devoted to the topic discussed. The site itself was well organized and included many different subtititles upon entering. It was different from other sites that I found on the topic because it was more broad and had a wider range of information. It was also different because it was personally done but seemed to appeal to not just one group of people but many. When I clicked on the link for the rituals part of the site I was amazed at how many there were. The topics were alphabetically listed and raged from nature, AIDS, Wicca, Peace and Money. I read through some of them and they were very detailed and discriptive with sources listed and quotes included in the text. There were direct instructions as to how to perform the rituals. I think the information posted is believable for those who practice the Craft or any form of the above listed beliefs. I personally found it to be very interesting and believable but not something I would practice myself. The data seemed valid since most of the sources were from texts. It was a good website for research on the types of practices involved in the craft since it did cover many topis beyond just rituals like spells, wicca practices, ceremonies etc. For research purposes I am not sure if the actual rituals would be of help except to understand what is practiced and the details on certain ritual topics. I think it would be helpful for people that want to learn specifics on rituals and how they are performed. While was reading one of the earth rituals I was fascinated at what it actually involved. I think someone doing research on the subject would also find it interesting but the site is more useful for those practicing them. HN
This website was similar to the above website but was
more involved in the actual writings and publications of witchcraft.
There were newsletters ang links to articles, songs and many forms of expression
that the website above did not have. It was different from other
websites that I have seen since it was once again derived for those involved
in witchcraft. It's subheadings were very specific and when linked
I was able to travel around the sites many topics very easily. It
was not as exciting with graphics like other sites I have seen but was
more detailed. The site appealed to all those practicing and believing
in Earth Spirituality and gave information generally for those just looking
for it. There was a huge database on ritual practices that even included
a link for Ritual Food and Drink. The ritual
information was useful since many were publications in
article form. I think the AMG site was believable because it had
newsletters, bulletin boards, calendars of events and it was a more informative
rather than spiritually generated site. I determined that most of
the data was valid since it was all linked to the common beliefs in their
spirituality as well as Celebrating the Architecks of Magic. It seemed
not to be a raving nut since there was no personal information and it was
made by many contributors and followers. It would be a good website
for objective study and for finding sources to read about rituals and behaviors
that involve ritual practices. It seemed to be a relaxed site but
serious when explaining some rituals because they seemed to be concerned
about who was practicing them. If being used for academic research
I thinik it would be helpful for details not information in general and
possibly good for the links it would lead a person to. HN
www.religioustolerance.org/santeri.htm
After finding this website I was interested to continue
looking in the religioustolerance organization database. I was interested
in this Carribean Religion because I know some people who practice it here
in Miami. The site was very informative for me. It was very well
organized and included terminology, quotes, and a detailed introduction
that provided general information on rituals and beliefs as well as where
Santeria is practiced today. It provided general ritual information
on the sacrifices, worship of deities, and ritual dancing. It was
useful for me since it was so organized and gave me a good understanding
of what people in this religion believe and practice. One thing I
liked about his website was it had legal information and where the religion
had been used in history. I think the data was very valid
although it was biased against those who wrote to criticize
Santeria as a religion. I think if this website were to be used for
research it would be very helpful. It was very organized and did
not only include information on rituals but the vocabulary and environment
it is practiced in. The links would be very useful for academic research
because each had a brief description of what that website included and
how it may be useful for people. It was a very serious site that
was purely meant to inform anyone about what Santeria involves. It's
bias was shown when introducing the links because it made comments on other
religious groups that wrote against the Santeria practices. HN