Comments on: Ritual – Ceremony – Sacrifice – Dignity http://crippledcowstudio.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/ritual-ceremony-sacrifice-dignity/ Better Than Rat's Milk... Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:18:18 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: donkunze http://crippledcowstudio.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/ritual-ceremony-sacrifice-dignity/#comment-14 donkunze Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:04:04 +0000 http://crippledcowstudio.wordpress.com/?p=56#comment-14 Some thoughts about rituals . . . despite the variety of 'applications' throughout history and culture, the structure seems to be standard. AND it seems to relate to Roussel's procédé in the way that circularity is combined with a restricted entry or placement. We might call it a 'gapped circle'. A restricted 'entrance' (this could be some variation on the minimal difference theme) leads to unlimited visions. Can't have one without the other. Usually the restricted entrance is some kind of hazing/initiation routine. There is also a funny relationship in foundation rituals with twins: they always seem to be involved in some way when a space (city, building) must be consecrated (Romulus/Remus, Castor/Pollux). The 'templum' is the quartering of the sacrificed victim that corresponds to the four-fold division of the night sky for divination purposes. The four corners of intersection become the four 'quarters' of the cosmos. That's also related to the four elements (fire-earth-air-water) and the intersecting rivers of Eden (always wonder how rivers intersect). You could say that the templum is the gap of the gapped circle, and that the sky is the domain of the unlimited visuality: from the 'inside frame' of the quartering of the victim to the externally-bounded four corners of the cosmos. A lot of good stuff is in the book, 'The Ancient City', by Numa Denis Fustel de Coulange. Fortunately there's an electronic copy linked on our 'documents' list. When you think of sacrifice, try to focus on the specifically spatial-temporal things that can happen, such as the restricted entrance of the Japanese tea-house. Loss, as in Roussel's procédé, is the important element. Limited space, size, dimensionality, etc. Don't rely on loss that is a characterization or caption; make it something that is actually thrown away, lost, done without. Then the category will remain 'open' so that everyone is able to attach personal meanings to it and do their own captioning. Some thoughts about rituals . . . despite the variety of ‘applications’ throughout history and culture, the structure seems to be standard. AND it seems to relate to Roussel’s procédé in the way that circularity is combined with a restricted entry or placement. We might call it a ‘gapped circle’. A restricted ‘entrance’ (this could be some variation on the minimal difference theme) leads to unlimited visions. Can’t have one without the other. Usually the restricted entrance is some kind of hazing/initiation routine. There is also a funny relationship in foundation rituals with twins: they always seem to be involved in some way when a space (city, building) must be consecrated (Romulus/Remus, Castor/Pollux). The ‘templum’ is the quartering of the sacrificed victim that corresponds to the four-fold division of the night sky for divination purposes. The four corners of intersection become the four ‘quarters’ of the cosmos. That’s also related to the four elements (fire-earth-air-water) and the intersecting rivers of Eden (always wonder how rivers intersect).

You could say that the templum is the gap of the gapped circle, and that the sky is the domain of the unlimited visuality: from the ‘inside frame’ of the quartering of the victim to the externally-bounded four corners of the cosmos. A lot of good stuff is in the book, ‘The Ancient City’, by Numa Denis Fustel de Coulange. Fortunately there’s an electronic copy linked on our ‘documents’ list.

When you think of sacrifice, try to focus on the specifically spatial-temporal things that can happen, such as the restricted entrance of the Japanese tea-house. Loss, as in Roussel’s procédé, is the important element. Limited space, size, dimensionality, etc. Don’t rely on loss that is a characterization or caption; make it something that is actually thrown away, lost, done without. Then the category will remain ‘open’ so that everyone is able to attach personal meanings to it and do their own captioning.

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