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From: ba@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu (B.A. Davis-Howe)
Newsgroups: alt.magick
Subject: Re: Alcohol and Magick
Date: 22 Jul 1994
Sherry Michael writes:
During a ritual, my consort and I hit the libation wine a bit hard. :-) I noticed that the resulting ritual was focused and spontaneous. I've never been one to condone (or really condemn) the controlled use of drugs in magic. Has anyone anything to comment on their experiences with alcohol in ritual? Any dangers? (besides burning the house down knocking down candles)
There is no one answer to this question. Sometimes, for some people, wine can be very useful to lower some inhibition barriers just enough to allow the people to reach new levels of connection, openness, or whatever. In other cases, wine can make everyone too muddle-headed to do anything useful. For some people, wine should never be used, including in ritual because of their addictions. Any circle should be able to do ritual without wine if it would cause problems for anyone present. If a circle believes that they can't do ritual without alcohol, I would suggest they need to look at why.
An additional facet: people are likely to respond to alcohol differently in circle than usual (set and setting, you know). In one case, five people who didn't tend to drink went through a bottle of Maywine, a bottle of blackberry wine, and half a pint of cranberry liquor with none of us getting even tipsy. In other cases, quantities of alcohol which would have no major effects under normal circumstances may have major effects in circle because the person is especially receptive.
Case by case is the only way to deal with ritual use of alcohol, IME.
TO USE OR NOT TO USE, THAT IS THE QUESTION... WHEN AND HOW MUCH?
Most ritual practitioners do not see anything wrong with the use of alcohol during or after a rite. As long as it is consumed in moderation. To use it in excess can cause the energies to not co-mingle properly and the ritual workings may become confused or the outcome may be unfocused or not what was desired. People cannot focus nor concentrate fully enough when they have consumed too much alcohol therefore the rite would have been offended. Moderate alcohol consumption is acceptable to toast and honor one's chosen deities, and to celebrate the holiday (or reason for rite).
The only time I may incorporate any alcohol into ritual is as a libation during the offerings of cakes and ale - of which I would first offer to deity, and then a bite and a sip for myself - so we are not talking about much there. We usually save the rest of the alcohol for after we have finished the ritual and closed the circle. Then we lay back, talk, laugh, and socialize and indulge with a few more glasses of wine or other refreshment.
I personally would not want to be trying to do energy work with an alcoholic buzz, not only ritual work, but also energy healing work, such as Reiki. I have found that my energies have been altered and do not work as well for me, being counterproductive and unpredictable. I prefer to do my energy working first, then indulge in beverages when they have been completed.
Maybe it is just the usage of anything that puts a person into an altered state of conscience is why some pagans would use alcohol (or other substances) for ritual use. It depends on the person and what they feel when they are using any mind altering drug (including alcohol), and what may be their preference. Or maybe they can not find any "shrooms" or other substance right then and so alcohol is cheaper and easier to obtain.
We often use alcohol in ritual, but not to excess, though we often have rituals at festivals where people drink pretty liberally. It is a personal choice for the most part. some people find that alcohol releases their inhibitions, for others it clouds their minds (I tend to fall into the latter when it comes to ritual work).
Alcohol can help, but it is a very blunt tool. Too little is no good, too much is harmful (to your efforts). The amount that is needed is like a knife edge, and the other problem is that it takes time to have an impact so it is even easier to misjudge. A limited use of alcohol (say, one or two drinks for most people) can relax someone without causing a significant drop in consciousness. However, this also depends on the type of alcohol served. Beer has depressant qualities found in hops and yields a different effect than, say, absinthe, the "green fairy of inspiration."
As a former bartender, I have noticed individual people respond to alcohol differently and different types of alcoholic beverages will affect individual people differently. Some people cannot drink wine. Others cannot drink hard liquor, such as whiskey, vodka, rum or scotch. Others are unable to tolerate beer. Some people when they drink a certain type of alcohol will experience distinctive personality changes (such as the mean drunk after a few shots of hard liquor). Individual tolerance comes into play. Avid drinkers will usually have a higher tolerance than a first-time indulger.
Some people would not use alcohol before or during a ritual simply due to the fact that they are a "light weight" with a low tolerance level and usually can not concentrate enough to find their shoes much less do a ritual and focus energy. However, after a ritual... that's a different story... since much focus is not needed except to be sure to get home without a problem, if the ritual is held away from home (calling a taxi cab or having a designated driver can be a good idea for getting home safely).
Personally, I think it is best to wait until after the ritual to indulge in more than a ritualistic sip during the cake's and wine, simply for safety reasons. Especially if fire is in any way involved (even candles). Nothing can ruin a ritual faster than having the fire department show up to put out a fire because of preventable carelessness. Using too much will impair someone and energy working should be restricted. Overindulgence should be considered potentially dangerous, like working with heavy machinery or being unfit to drive. If you are not fit to drive (legal alcohol limit will vary slightly in many states), you probably should not be moving energy during a ritual. However, some methods of training can prepare someone for energy work in altered states of consciousness. But for the those of us who work better sober, we should wait until after the work is done.
For people who are under-age or have alcohol-related issues, there are many alternatives to serving alcohol during ritual use, such as grape juice, apple juice, and sparkling non-alcoholic wine. Adapting your rituals for the "good of all" should always be kept in mind when planning a ritual for a group of people.
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