Religious Weekend
What a wonderful weekend, A Papal Funeral yesterday, and a Royal Wedding today. It's been great fun to see the great and the good of Britain gallivanting all over the place, in the middle of an election no less.
Technically, in this election period, no one is in power. And then we get to see our entire power base run off to Rome. Prime Minister, both leaders of the opposition, The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Heir to the Throne.
One life ends but the world carries on. The wedding is the perfect antidote to the sadness surrounding John Paul's death. It reminds us that life is neverending.
I love ritual. When I did Peace Studies we looked at ritual and what it's place was in the world. I think the tutors were disdainful of it and so I became, but I think on it now and it is so wonderful. Ritual allows for great gatherings. People on their own are individuals, but in groups they become a herd, as easily corralled as sheep by a dog. The larger the gathering the easier to corral because the space around the individual whether physical or intellectual, is closed down. The person who knows this can have power beyond any other means, What ritual does, whether state, religious, ceremonial or even everyday, is sanctify the gathering, give everyone their own place and time, led by a responsible person, who leads but does not wield the mob. The ancient rituals have survived because they do this succesfully, and with either pomp and circumstance or simplicity, embody the needs of the mob without giving it it's head. Ritual only becomes dangerous when it is artificial or led by an irresponsible person.
This is perhaps the problem of new states. States such as USA and Israel among others. America is an amalgamation of many different cultures with few overall traditions. The Ku Klux Klan is a mob that takes its needs rather than embodying them. Not that embodying them would be any better in this occasion, but in America, there is no ritual, no belief, only need and want. So the mob get together and take because there is no other way for it to express itself. Israel is the same. Pakistan and Bangladesh have escaped this perhaps because Islam has it's own strong rooted traditions.
Anyway. This weekend has been a lovely show of religion as opposed to the past few years which have shown a horrible side. Part of ritual is helping people get through times of strife and this weekend has been a great success.
I'm so glad for Charlie. He and Camilla are greatly in love and finally they can be together properly. The ring he gave her was beautiful.
Technically, in this election period, no one is in power. And then we get to see our entire power base run off to Rome. Prime Minister, both leaders of the opposition, The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Heir to the Throne.
One life ends but the world carries on. The wedding is the perfect antidote to the sadness surrounding John Paul's death. It reminds us that life is neverending.
I love ritual. When I did Peace Studies we looked at ritual and what it's place was in the world. I think the tutors were disdainful of it and so I became, but I think on it now and it is so wonderful. Ritual allows for great gatherings. People on their own are individuals, but in groups they become a herd, as easily corralled as sheep by a dog. The larger the gathering the easier to corral because the space around the individual whether physical or intellectual, is closed down. The person who knows this can have power beyond any other means, What ritual does, whether state, religious, ceremonial or even everyday, is sanctify the gathering, give everyone their own place and time, led by a responsible person, who leads but does not wield the mob. The ancient rituals have survived because they do this succesfully, and with either pomp and circumstance or simplicity, embody the needs of the mob without giving it it's head. Ritual only becomes dangerous when it is artificial or led by an irresponsible person.
This is perhaps the problem of new states. States such as USA and Israel among others. America is an amalgamation of many different cultures with few overall traditions. The Ku Klux Klan is a mob that takes its needs rather than embodying them. Not that embodying them would be any better in this occasion, but in America, there is no ritual, no belief, only need and want. So the mob get together and take because there is no other way for it to express itself. Israel is the same. Pakistan and Bangladesh have escaped this perhaps because Islam has it's own strong rooted traditions.
Anyway. This weekend has been a lovely show of religion as opposed to the past few years which have shown a horrible side. Part of ritual is helping people get through times of strife and this weekend has been a great success.
I'm so glad for Charlie. He and Camilla are greatly in love and finally they can be together properly. The ring he gave her was beautiful.
posted by Caractacus at 13:40
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