The Psychology of Ritual

Description

We all perform rituals of one kind or another during the course of our daily lives. These range from the purely practical routines of home life, to the social, political, religious and magical observances which vary according to our personal ideals and persuasions. The rites we choose to perform are highly revealing, as they act as an unconscious statement of our real intentions and transpersonal aspirations —they are keys to the hidden Self. Both the therapeutic benefits of the rite and its potential as a conditioning agent have been realised by mankind over the ages. Here, Murry Hope examines the birth, growth, history and heritage of the rite, and its influence on cultural development over the centuries. The Psychology of Ritual Contents Acknowledgements Introduction Part I History and Background Chapter 1 The Birth of the Rite Chapter 2 Yesterday and Today Chapter 4 Magical and Secular Rites in History Chapter 5 Psychism and the Rite Chapter 6 Disciplines of the Rite Chapter 7 To Play or Not to Play? Chapter 8 Ritual Heritage Chapter 9 Rites of Death and Departure Part II Psychological Breakdown Chapter 10 Psychological and Somatic Side-Effects Chapter 11 A Qabalistic Pathworking Chapter 12 An Ancient Egyptian Rite Chapter 13 A Triple Goddess Rite and an Old Celtic Healing Chapter 14 Two Protection Rites Chapter 15 An Enochian Angelic Rite Chapter 16 Ritual World Tour Chapter 17 Initiation Rites Chapter 18 Women's Rites Part III Rituals of the Nuclear Age Chapter 19 The Age of the Cult Chapter 20 Interplanetary and Interstellar Rites Chapter 21 The Role of Ritual in Everyday Life Chapter 22 Secret Rites Chapter 23 New Age Initiation Chapter 24 Modern Healing Rites Chapter 25 Collective Power Rites Chapter 26 Ethics and Self-Defence Chapter 27 Conclusions Appendices I A Qabalistic Pathworking II An Ancient Egyptian Polarity Rite Dedicated to Bast III A Triple Goddess Rite IV An Old Celtic Healing Rite V An Old Roman Catholic Protection Rite VI The Hammer Rite in the Norse/Teutonic Tradition VII An Enochian Angelic Invocatory Rite Glossary of Terms Bibliography