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June 22nd, 2009
11:34 am - The Solstice Somersault
I think it's well-known that things don't always go as planned at ritual: we've all had mishaps in various rituals (heck, we have mishaps in every ritual). Of course, it's the more spectacular ones that we particularly enjoy chatting about, and the ones that we all wish we'd gotten a good picture of!
Many have heard about ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) druidkirk's spinning fiasco where he took out the world tree in the middle of opening the Gates. Well, I'm here to offer a solid "thank you" to him, because I ended up going out of control in my own Gate opening on the Summer Solstice, but at the end I could say, "You know, at least I didn't break the f-ing tree!"
Summer Solstice is, for the Cranes, basically a picnic in the park, where we get together, all the parts are sung (or mostly sung) and drawn from pop song lyrics. As an example, we sang "What a Wonderful World" to honour the Earth Mother, and I pulled "Beachhouse On the Moon" out for the Gatekeeper. So, think about it as about the most laid-back Core Order of Ritual rite that you'll ever see, anywhere.
Anyway, because of the laid-back nature, I left my staff at home. Most of the time, I focus hard on the staff, which helps reduce the dizziness that comes with spinning around quickly (and adds a lot of support when I ram it into the earth at the end of the spin). This could, perhaps, be best described as "working without a net" for the first time.
So I sang my invocation to the Gatekeeper, left unnamed but described as a magician, and then started the "Open the Gates" chant and started to spin.
Now, to explain the setting: the folk were in very close (the "box" of people was about 10-12 feet across, with people on three sides and the fire on the fourth). Complicating matters was a slight downhill grade that stretched from west to east, losing a few inches of height in that short space. It didn't look like a lot of grade, but when you're dizzy, it's a bit more than you might think.
Most of the way through, I checked my position. Catching a glimpse of tanrinia's hands up and in front of her, I knew I'd drifted (probably more than a little) down the hill some, and so worked to correct myself and end with the Gates open.
Well, I planted myself pretty firmly, spread my arms, got, "Let the Gates be Open!" out. . . and then found that my feet, though planted firmly, were planted very firmly on a cosmos that was still spinning about on its axis. This led to a bit of tilting in my brain (science calls this "dizziness"), and I began to fall forward.
Realizing this, I checked my bearings again, noticed I was about to fall straight onto a lovely young lady who was attending her very first ritual with us, and realized that I'd probably crush her if I didn't move quickly.
I somehow managed to somersault over her, actually leaving the ground and not getting caught up on her too badly (you can see she's still sitting up in the blue shirt in the photos) and then landing gracefully on my back without hitting anyone else.
Yes, the Gates were open, and (as is fitting in a rite like this) everyone got a good laugh, and we just continued on, grins and joy in our hearts.
At least I didn't break the f'ing world tree.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/classic/smile.gif) amused
Current Music: "Beachhouse On the Moon", -JB
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Comments:
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/7448451/1366673) | | From: | anivair |
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| Date: | June 22nd, 2009 04:38 pm (UTC) |
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"Most of the time, I focus hard on the staff"
I'm just saying that I believe I saw this exact line printed in Penthouse Forum.
glad the rite went mostly well, though.
Shh! All those postings are supposed to be confidential!
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/43226227/8759861) | | From: | illious |
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| Date: | June 22nd, 2009 06:09 pm (UTC) |
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yeah, at least you didn't break and trample all over the F'ing world tree at someone's consecration ;)
Glad you're ok, and didn't hurt anyone. This is exactly why I don't do a whirling dirvish type opening.
It doesn't happen often enough, to me, to cause me to stop. . . though I might hear renewed calls to change the opening to something else a bit more kinetic. . . some ideas have been floating about our Grove for a while.
Besides, it was good for a laugh and it's not likely to happen again in the near future, and it looks good. :)
| | From: | illious |
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| Date: | June 22nd, 2009 08:14 pm (UTC) |
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no, I just know better than to spin around on uneven ground :P
Yes, any sort of a grade can be tricky. I almost wiped out a whole line of folks at DMF year before last. Sigh. And I had a staff.
I don't always spin anymore, but I usually do. One trick is to spin more slowly - especially if there is a grade to the land.
I've had to do it without a staff ever since it got broken - so I hold out a wand (or use my index finger) but that also means that there is no staff to plant firmly in the ground after spinning.
I keep doing it, I guess, despite the occasional mishap, because it just moves the energy within me so well - I really see/feel/hear the Gates open that way. Most of the other things I've tried just don't move me as well. If you come up with something, please let me know!
Oh, and congratulations on your gymnastics!
I'm usually not spinning all that fast: I tend to go at a rate I'm comfortable with. But yeah, there's a lot more "happening" when I'm spinning, and I like that. I really do think that anything the officiant can do to make it happen for them is going to make it happen that much more for everyone else.
I think in this case, due to the closeness of the folk around me and the lack of a staff (which, interestingly, causes me to feel resistance as I "stir" the cosmos), I was probably going faster than normal.
I remember you nearly taking out folk at DMF two years ago. I'd have helped ya, but I knew you'd manage to stop. Besides, you had a good ten feet between you and the edge of the circle when you finally planted the staff. :)
You could try to "mark" your spin if you don't have the staff. You find a focal point (such as the tree or the flames) and let your eyes keep returning to it as a point of reference while you are spinning. That is how ballet dancers keep from falling down. I can't do any spinning without marking or I get really disoriented. On top of that, opening the gates while spinning has a tendency to make me nauseous. But then, I also have a tendency to chant very intently while doing it. :)
Besides, it was a fabulously played somersault, delivered with a smile!
I've never been happy with the marking, mostly because I don't get the "feel" of opening the gates when I do it. It's why I focus on the staff instead.
And I deliver everything with a smile, given half the chance :)
You're a lumberjack, and you're okay...
At least I didn't break the f'ing world tree.
And no one was struck by lightning. That's my personal litmus test. That, and "At least it didn't set off the smoke alarms."
*shakes head*
WWJD, I have to ask. WWJD??
(Y'know, I might actually try opening the gates with a somersault sometime. A bit of chaos never hurt anyone, eh?)
Oh, I HAD to go and ask that question, didn't I? *headdesk*
Yeah, I made a similar comment once, Jenni. That was enough to teach me to hold my tongue. Chaos can be excruciating sometimes. *hugs*
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/46638005/9126924) | | From: | tesinth |
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| Date: | June 23rd, 2009 02:54 am (UTC) |
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Classic; guess these things are to be expected with you for the obvious reasons, the fact that no one got hurt and everyone was no doubt very amused might be interpreted as a good indicator of things.
I generally think so. Laughter is a good indication that things really are alright :)
Besides, I hear it was spectacular, so I would hope it would be "as expected" from me :)
Sorry I missed it:) sounds lovely
I'll be around for a walk in the woods this week, and possibly comfest teardown on sunday and helping some during the afternoon.
*giant cyber hugs*
you guys are all in my heart deeply.
You're in our hearts, as well. . . always :) |
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