Using Sound and Music in Ritual
Bells can create mood in Pagan rituals - FanghongSound is a powerful thing, it can calm and relax you or it can hype you up. Why not make use of it in ritual?
Certain sounds can grate on your nerves, like fingernails on a blackboard or bring back nostalgic childhood memories, like "Greensleeves" playing from the Ice Cream truck. In Pagan practice, many groups use sound regularly and to great benefit.
Ritual Cleansing with Sound or Music
Most rituals begin with a cleansing of participants before they enter the ritual space or circle. Often this cleansing may take the form of smudging with incense or smudge stick, aspersing with blessed water but sometimes, as is in our traditional values it is done with sound or music because we feel against the act of killing a plant to smudge for cleansing. A string of small bells moved around the body and aura can be very spiritually cleansing, as can having a rattle shaken around and over your chakras and aura. A simple song or chant such as “Cleanse My Body” makes it clear to all what is happening. This chant goes as follows:
Cleanse my body
Cleanse my soul
Cleanse my heart and
Make me whole.
Calling the Elements
Sound and Music can be used to call the elements. There are plenty of songs and chants available online at places like Pagan Chants Library to call in the elements either individually or all at once. Another idea is to have all ritual participants make sounds that they associate with each element; Air can be a whisper or a whistle, Fire a crackle or a roar, Water a drip or a gurgle, Earth a stomp or a deep tone.
Simple repetitive chants like “Air I am,” or “Earth my body,” are great for either calling in the elements to your circle in one easy step, or they can be used to raise energy or empower an item, spell or charm.
Creating a Cone of Power or Raising Energy with Sounds or Music
A cone of power is usually raised to send energy elsewhere, most commonly this is achieved by singing and dancing in a circle. A single relevant word repeated over and over can provide a narrow singular focus such as healing for a specific absent person. A song like the Goddess chant (Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna) can work if your purpose is Goddess worship.
Raising energy is done in a similar manner. This can be used to empower or charge an item, heal someone within the circle, or in worship. Songs, chants, or repetitive phrases all work well. Another great way to raise energy, heal or balance someone is to give them a ‘sound bath’. A sound bath is when one person stands in the centre of a circle, and everyone else sings a wordless tone at them. Different notes and sounds relate to different chakras, and it can be fascinating to see what comes out for each person. It also often changes throughout the sound bath. Most start with a low note and finish on soaring sopranos, although some stay short and deep and others go straight to the higher end of the scale.
A drumbeat helps in raising energy, it sets a pace and keeps you going, often long past what you thought your endurance level was. A fast paced beat hypes you up and a slow beat relaxes and helps to wind down. A heartbeat drum beat sets the tone for a somber serious ritual, and anchors the ritual participants in their journey between the worlds.
If you’re feeling uncomfortable with the thought of being able to hold a steady drumbeat, or ring bells, or sing or chant, clapping your hands is simple and effective too. Or you can use recorded CDs to set the tone for ritual. Afro-Celt Sound System with their blend of drums and pipes creates a great atmosphere. Didgeridoo music, reclaiming chants, and any music that is mood-setting and a wonderful accompaniment to ritual.
It doesn’t have to be elaborate; it just has to be sound.
RavenStar Enchantments A Traditional Roma Metaphysical / Agricultural Self Sustaining Community
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
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