Ritual of Flowers

The Ritual of the Flowers is a widespread ritual that likely dates back to before the time of the The Great Darkening. It is used to ward off evil, or evil spirits and monsters.   To perform the ritual, flowers are picked, dried and stored until the right time. The type of flower isn't important, though the more fragrant the flowers are preferred. When the time of the ritual approaches, a small clay bowl is brought out. These bowls are specially made to mount a candle underneath. Water is poured into the bowl, and the flowers put it while the candle is lit. Occasionally, if the owner is wealthy enough, fragrant oils are put into the bowl.   Peasants can barely afford the bowls and wax candles, but they are sure to make this the purchase when they move somewhere. Often the bowl is a wedding gift to a new couple, or neighbors will get together to buy an inexpensive one if they are new to the area. When leaving a home, it is considered bad luck to leave it behind and discourteous to the new inhabitants. When one willingly leaves their home, they take the bowl outside and break it.   The liturgy of the ceremony looks mostly like this in many languages and loose variations that amount to the same things.  Most of the time, a particular deity is substituted where it's most appropriate.  
Gods of good, we beseech thee
 
Gods of good hear us in our hour of need   Gods of good do not forget us   Gods of good enshroud us in your protection   Set your guardians above us   Set them between us and evil   Show us the wisdom we need   Give us the food for both our body and our spirits   and let them not be taken by evil.
"Look, I am not going to knock it. Some of these villages can't get a priest to visit them but every couple of months. Some of those neophytes couldn't pray their way out of a paper cage. Of course they pray the way they pray. Of course they have superstition. What am I going to do slap them around? What would the Father and Mother feel about that?!"   ~Brother Ignatious

Comments

Please Login in order to comment!