A Spiral Rite

This rite was originally performed as one of seven stations for the Friday night ritual at the Twilight Gathering 2001. The theme of this year's Gathering was "Living Mystery," and each station represented one of the great mysteries: life, death, birth, sex, eating, ethics, and cosmology. This particular station dealt with ethics, and is an attempt to adapt the Spiral Dynamics system of Clare W. Graves into a ritual framework.

The people are brought into the temple in batches, preferably six at a time plus a Guide. Before them is a veil, out of which emerges a Priest robed in white, carrying a staff surmounted by the image of a Beige wolf.

Priest: I eat and avoid being eaten.
I sleep when I'm not run away.
Unreflective, I strive like an animal,
Living from day to day.

Guide: We seek to know: what is right?

Priest: Through the hunger and the danger
And the coldness of the night:
To survive is what is right!

The guide hands each person a card containing their lines before it is their turn to speak.

1st Person: But there is more to this life than the elements,
For we see that things happen with cause.
We prevail with increased understanding
Of our way and the world and its laws.

Priest: Then pass me by.

The Priest exits behind the veil as a Priestess emerges from the veil, robed in black and carrying a staff surmounted by the image of a Purple flame.

Priestess: We live as a clan in the wilderness
And the voices of gods reach our camp.
The world is dark but magical;
The way of our tribe is our lamp.

Guide: We seek to know: what is right?

Priestess: Through the wisdom of our fathers
And the spirits in their might:
Tradition's what is right!

2nd Person: But some tribes have more power than others,
And we tire of the chieftans and rules.
If custom is but superstition,
We may ask: are we faithful or fools?

Priestess: Then pass me by.

The Priestess is replaced by the Priest, now carrying a staff with a Red spear.

Priest: I am strong, and expect strength from others.
I desire, and seize what I prize.
My lands and possessions stretch outwards.
My enemy kills me or dies.

Guide: We seek to know: what is right?

Priest: Through the increase of my glory
And the spoils of the fight:
I am what is right!

3rd Person: But does life contain no greater meaning
Than to force our own way till we die?
We may take but we can't take it with us.
We struggle while wondering why.

Priest: Then pass me by.

The Priest is replaced by the Priestess, now carrying a staff with a Blue pyramid.

Priestess: We live by the dictates of righteousness,
And sacrifice ourselves today
For salvation in the hereafter,
For justice in truth we obey.

Guide: We seek to know: what is right?

Priestess: Through guidance of the leaders
Of the armies of the light:
Authority is right!

4th Person: But we have our own experience
That scriptures don't explain.
We resent the yoke of king and priest
And yearn to break the chain.

Priestess: Then pass me by.

The Priestess is replaced by the Priest, now carrying a staff with a crossed pair of Orange lightning bolts.

Priest: I am ready to seize opportunity
And figure out things for myself.
The prize goes to the swiftest,
And why shouldn't I possess wealth?

Guide: We seek to know: what is right?

Priest: Through the fortunes of the market
And the contest at its height:
To succeed is what is right!

5th Person: But to live just for oneself feels hollow.
Are there none else for whom we should care?
We loose touch with our neighbors and family
As we grasp at our plans in the air.

Priest: Then pass me by.

The Priest is replaced by the Priestess, now carrying a staff with a Green ring of interlocking circles.

Priestess: We live in a circle of sharing,
Equality, and peace
Where each shining soul is cherished,
Each hatred is released.

Guide: We seek to know: what is right?

Priestess: Through our joy for all beings' gladness
And compassion for their plight:
Togetherness is right!

6th Person: But although we love our circle,
Must consensus always be
The ideal for every problem
If the wisdom speaks through me?

Priestess: Then pass me by.

The Priestess is replaced by the Priest, now carrying a staff with a Yellow spiral.

Priest: The world is a delicate system
Of not-always-harmonized parts
Requiring cogent fine-tuning
And novel alchemical arts.

Guide: We seek to know: what is right?

Priest pulls down the veil, revealing the six previous staffs arranged in a row.

Priest: Through the wholeness of the spiral
And the spectrum of our sight:
(points to Beige wolf)
The prey shall have survival,
(points to Purple flame)
And the tribe shall have tradition,
(points to Red spear)
And the proud shall be important,
(points to Blue pyramid)
And the good shall have authority,
(points to Orange lightning bolts)
And the players shall have success,
(points to Green interlocking circles)
And the warm shall be together,
And all of it is right!

Priestess: (emerges from behind veil) Is that your final answer?

Priest: (laughs) In time, then, pass me by,
And enter the Living Mystery.

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