Pagan rites and rituals. Pagan traditions of pre-Christian Russia: description, rituals, rituals and interesting facts

In Russia, pagan beliefs were ubiquitous. People believed and worshiped various Gods, and this continued until 988, when Christianity became the official religion in the country. Since then, the pagans have been persecuted by the Orthodox Church, which has done everything to eradicate ancient beliefs from the heads of the Russian people. Nevertheless, Christianity did not succeed in completely destroying Slavic paganism, and in a modified form it has survived to this day.

Today, pagan beliefs and the magical rituals associated with them are becoming more and more popular among ordinary people. The rites of the Slavs were very diverse, but all of them were based on the worship of the gods of nature, whom Christianity equated with demons.

Our ancestors worshiped nature and the basic elements, they sincerely believed in the kinship of man with animals and gods. Each Slavic community in Russia worshiped its own Deities. In the pre-Christian world, there was no single idea of ​​the Gods and the higher world as a whole, there was no single pantheon of Gods, as was the case, for example, in ancient Greece or Ancient Rome.

Slavic rites

Our ancestors had a huge number of different rituals, as they say, for all occasions. But the Slavs paid special attention to the burial rite. On the territory of Russia, there were two main methods of burial: burning and cadaverization. With the ritual of burning, everything is clear, it is still used by people today in the form of cremation. Corpses - the oldest type of burial used by the Slavs. It provided for giving the human body the position of an embryo in the mother's womb.

This rite was associated with the belief that after death a person experiences a second birth. This type of burial existed until the Bronze Age, when it was abandoned due to the emergence of new beliefs that after death the human soul rises to heaven to the Gods. To help the soul free itself from the body shell, our ancestors began to burn the bodies of their dead relatives, and gave the ashes to the earth, that is, they returned the remains of the human body to where it came from.

Christmas festivities

Many Slavic rituals were associated with various holidays, which were revered by various communities and tribes. Christmas time was considered one of the most revered holidays, at this time people dressed up in animal-like clothes and gave dancing and fun. Such masquerades continued throughout the Christmas season and reached their climax in early January.

With the advent of Christianity, pagan holidays were replaced by Orthodox ones, however, people did not forget their roots and, along with the day of the Nativity of the Virgin, celebrated the feast of all women in childbirth.

Paganism and Modernity

Paganism was never eradicated from the minds and hearts of the Russian people. Even today we continue to follow the traditions and beliefs of our ancestors without even thinking about it. For example, who has not heard stories about the various evil spirits that can be found in forests, rivers and even houses? Has anyone forgotten about the goblin, about brownies, about mermaids and kikimors?

All this came to us from the depths of centuries, from the beliefs of our ancestors in pre-Christian times. Even many of the old tales retold by famous writers are rooted in pagan beliefs. Thus, even today, mothers tell their children all the same instructive stories on which generations of the ancient Slavs grew up. And nothing can be done about it. So it was, so it is, and so it will always be in Russia.

Brownie

Pagan rituals

Pagan Slavic magical rituals are an integral and very important part of folk traditions. Many witchcraft rites were timed to coincide with various holidays, and they could only be performed at strictly defined times. Magic was most often used during housewarming, after the wedding, during the harvest, and at other important moments in the life of the community.

Almost all Slavic magical rituals are based on a call for help directed to higher powers.

Both Gods and natural spirits, as well as the souls of departed ancestors and various mythological creatures, could act as higher powers. The Slavs believed that there were three worlds: the world of Reveal, the world of Navi and the world of Rule. The Explicit World is the visible world in which people live. Navi world is a world where spirits, mythological creatures, evil spirits and the souls of the dead live. The World of Rule is the world in which Gods and Souls of Glorious Ancestors live. The human world must be in harmony with other worlds.

Any pagan Slavic ritual is a sacred action in which service to the Gods, showing respect and honor to the Ancestors, takes a special place. That is why a person should approach the process of conducting a magical rite very seriously, and for this, special theoretical and practical training was needed. Complex rituals could only be performed by the Magi, however, there were many rituals that were known to every person, including conspiracies for health and good luck, rituals for love and well-being in the family, and much more. Many of these rituals have survived to this day in their original form.

Pagan love spell

This magical rite should be performed on a dark night during the growing moon or on the new moon. To conduct the ritual, you need to take some water from a clean spring, located far from the places where people live. At this time, you need to listen to all the sounds from the outside world.

Phenomena such as the loud croaking of a crow, the barking of a dog, or the howling of a wolf were considered a bad sign, and if such a sign was given, then water could not be taken from the selected source.

After the water has been collected, you can proceed to the performance of the ritual. To do this, go with two closest friends to a clearing in the forest, light a small fire there and place a pot on it. In this pot, it is necessary to boil the water drawn from the spring, throw a rowan leaf into the same place, count to three and take it out.

After removing the water from the fire, throw any silver object into it and whisper the words of the conspiracy nine times:

“I (name) will get up and go to a clean field, a wide field. I will meet on my way a bright fire, but a violent wind. I bow to (name), fire and wind. I will bow low, to the ground itself. I bow low, but I ask tearfully:
“Goy thou, fire, violent wind, and fast water. Do not water the green meadows, do not sink the ships in the blue sea, but serve me (name). Perform a faithful service, a great service, take out of me bitter melancholy, weeping dryness. Carry my longing through the forests, but don’t lose it along the way, carry it through the rapids, but don’t drop it, carry it across the seas, but don’t drown it. Carry it to my water, and put longing into this water, so that longing would grieve in it day and night. Let this water burn the white chest, let the zealous heart dry the one who drinks this water. So that he yearns for the one who brings this water to him. My word is strong. May it be so".

After that, the water is put outside the outlined circle and the words of the conspiracy are read nine more times. Only then can the liquid be poured into another vessel for transportation, for example, into a plastic bottle.

*

Having delivered the water home, it must be hidden in a secluded place, and stored there until the full moon. On the night of the full moon, you need to return to the place where the ritual was performed, lay down a fire in the old place, count three steps from it, and in a circle from the central fire, add 8 more fires, so that there are 9 lights in total. Now you need to collect dew in three thimbles in the field, pour them into the charmed water, and then walk in a circle (clockwise) and cast the spell:

“I conjure (name), you, mighty forces, forces that are hidden in the tears of mother earth. I conjure you, the forces that are gathered in the centuries of antiquity. I conjure you, the forces that rule over the fate of man. I collect (name), moonlight, wind whistle, grass whisper, twinkling stars, my love and maternal tenderness. I will put everything I have collected into this water, into conspiracy water, into conjuration water. I conjure (name), you, Dennitsa, weave for me, weave two threads of fate into one thread for me, so that the knot is powerful, so that it is enough for life. Tie me threads not for death, but for the love of a strong girl and a good fellow. I conjure (name). You Mother Goddess. Yes, the grandmothers-partners, the grandmothers-rodunitsa will help me, they will help me, they will protect me from dangers. No one can undo a braided knot. No one from one fate will make two back, except for me alone. I myself will weave that knot, I myself will only unravel it, as I wish. May it be so".

After that, the performers must pass the charmed water from hand to hand and read the words of the conspiracy eight more times. For the ritual to work. It is necessary to leave a good sacrifice to the Goddess, for example, the wool of a wolf and one chicken. Now the performers must pierce their fingers and drop one drop of blood onto the damp earth. Close the water with a white canvas, put out the fires and, without looking back, return home.

This is a very powerful magical rite that allows you to create the strongest love water in its effectiveness. With its help, you can fall in love with absolutely any man, while the goal will not lose its individuality.

General Spell Rules

spells are energy structures created from the personal energy of the Mage. He builds their pattern himself. Spells are based on the idea of ​​how the brain encodes information. Any image perceived by the senses is transmitted by nerve chains to the brain, where a spatial structure is formed corresponding to an external object. If this structure is projected onto a flat screen, we will get an image called Mandala in Magic. At the same time, it must be borne in mind that the magic symbols depicted in numerous reference books are only flat projections of multidimensional structures.

Of great importance is the space in which the original was created - a mandala, the projection of which we see on a flat sheet of paper or canvas. The strength and form of the impact of the depicted mandala on people with different levels of consciousness depends on this. For example, the same spell in our three-dimensional space will have a strong effect on people of the first caste and in no way on Mages of the first level.

Spells can be persistent, or expire fairly quickly. It depends on the way they are fixed and energized. A spell can be localized, cast on a specific person, or associated with a specific object.

In a multidimensional space, the concept of size and distance loses its meaning. A spell cast by the Mage's mind can affect a large number of people. It happens in the following way. Let's say that you eat bread, and you have sensations that are transmitted to the brain along the nerve chains. In the corresponding centers of your brain, spatial structures arise corresponding to the sensations you receive. If you project them outward, which is exactly what Magicians do, many other people will come into contact with these structures, perceiving them directly with the brain. At the same time, they will receive the whole complex of sensations corresponding to eating bread.

The average person's brain is well shielded. He seems to be floating in liquid shells that shield the thought forms of other people. As the level of consciousness grows, structural changes take place in these screens: the upper chakras open. One of the most important features of Mages is the ability of their brain to radiate (transmit) these structures. Thus, the brain of Mages turns into a powerful transmitter, the radiation of which is not shielded by the shells of the brain of ordinary people.

In essence, the evil eye and damage are in many ways similar to each other. This is a negative impact on the biofield of the subject by the field of another subject. The symptoms of negative manifestations are also similar to each other, for this reason only a specialist in this field can diagnose the problem and distinguish one suggestion from another.

The strength of any conspiracy depends on many factors. But, first of all, it should be understood that magic can be used only in emergency cases, when it is not possible to solve the problem by any means. Any conspiracy is pronounced alone. And you can’t even tell anyone about the plans for the ceremony.

Spell Classification

The mechanism of action of the spell almost always comes down to reading the energies of the energy lines directly by the human brain, bypassing the senses. At the same time, under the influence of a spell, a person receives the whole complex of sensations that should have arisen if the event were real. For example: we are trying to wean a person from the bad habit of alcohol. To this end, we cast a spell on him, which causes his brain to identify the sensations received from drinking alcohol with the sensations from drinking ordinary water. As a result, at the level of sensations, the state for which a person drank disappears. Drinking alcohol is meaningless. The spell itself is a structure placed in the centers of recognition of sensations: taste, smell, etc.

1. By the time of entry into force:

• instant action (most spells);
• with a delayed exposure time (they act when a certain condition is met) - for example, disenchanting when someone truly loves you or you love someone (“Scarlet Flower”).

2. By the time of action:

• permanent action (sometimes until the death of the object of influence) - until the application of the counterspell;
• temporary action - acting for a short period (up to several hours).

The duration of the spell depends on the amount of magical energy spent when casting the spell.

3. According to the object of influence:

• fire, water, air, earth - controlling the elements;
• inanimate objects - spells of transformation, levitation, obtaining information;
• living beings - control of the being, transformations, illusions, understanding the language of birds and animals;

4. By the number of objects of influence:

• aimed at a specific object;
• affect various objects within the established boundary;

5. By the primacy of spells:

• primary spell;
• the counterspell is the reverse of the original.

6. By the nature of the impact:

• creative (increment magic) - the creation of magical creatures, construction, restoration of lost parts or treatment. "Augmentation magic uses what already exists, increasing its quantity or power, or combining different forces and materials";
• destructive (damage magic) - counterspells, destruction of objects or creatures. “Damage magic is the opposite of augmentation magic, essentially like night and day. At the same time, they are interconnected. You can create something in the world, or you can destroy everything.”

13 rules you should follow when creating a spell.

1. Find a time when you have nowhere to hurry and everyone will leave you alone.
2. Free your thoughts - let there be only one desire in them, which is the purpose of the spell: you must want this with all your being.
3. Focus.
4. Don't think about whether someone else will use your spell - write it for yourself.
5. Use words, phrases and word order that you are used to and that is unique to you.
6. Encrypting a symbol or image, choose exactly the word that most accurately characterizes it for you.
7. Rhythm, rhyme and melody - enhance the spell, increasing its power of creativity, but if they are alien to you, do not torture yourself.
8. Try not to print, but to write a spell. Firstly, there is such an ancient rule - it is believed that printed spells lose some of their power, sometimes a very important part; secondly, your brain will memorize every squiggle of your handwriting, and the spell will have one more link with you.
9. Do not do "demi-season", i.e. a universal spell for all occasions, even if you have many of them, but each one is for a certain moment, with a clear, strong and vivid meaning.
10. Sometimes, in order to enhance the effect of a spell, it is necessary to associate it with something. Most often, this is a certain ritual that your consciousness and subconscious remember. You don't have to include it in the spell itself - you can write a note, or you can write nothing. Once, in order to get rid of one very unpleasant attachment, I had to cut my palm. Due to the specifics of the spell and the fact that my wound hurt for three weeks, the need for this person quickly disappeared ...
11. The more precise the words in your spell, and the fewer of them, the better. You are not writing a treatise. It is better to choose a specific word for a specific symbol than an insane amount of words that do not exactly characterize anything, but circle around the concept.
12. Do not rest on traditions and existing views - if you agree with them and they are close to you - please! But you shouldn’t go into Latin just because “it’s so customary” or write spells in the Old Russian language with all sorts of “thou” and “verb”. If this is given to you, then go ahead. For example, it takes me about a minute to create a valid conspiracy in Old Russian, but it takes at least ten minutes to sweat over a standing spell in modern language.
13. And - the main thing! Be careful with words: sharpen, check them - is there a double interpretation, does this word cause only the right sensations, does it contradict your intention and the rest of the words.

Sometimes, with experience, you will have moments when the spells will pour on their own - just write it down, sometimes - it will be difficult to connect words to words. But if you have long noticed in yourself a craving for creativity, the unknown and magic, the process of casting spells will give you real pleasure!

Officially, pagan rites were actively practiced in Eastern Europe until 998, when Christianity was adopted. However, it would be naive to believe that with the advent of the official religion, paganism in all its manifestations completely disappeared. In particular, many pagan rituals have come down to us, albeit in a slightly modified form.

In the article:

Paganism assumes a whole pantheon of gods, entities of various kinds, forces of nature, elements.

Since ancient times, people have communicated with higher powers in three main ways. Firstly, this is a verbal appeal, which took a variety of forms: from prayers to conspiracies and whispers. Secondly, a non-verbal appeal to deities, spirits, forces of nature. Various ritual dances and dances, magical gestures, rituals became a manifestation of this method of contact with divine forces. The third way to establish contact was the use of symbols - fetishes, amulets, talismans ...
Krasnov I. P. "Nauzes - Slavic amulets"

At the same time, pagan pantheons do not strictly divide the gods into "bad" and "good".
The Slavs, like any pagans, had many rituals and. In them, they turned to the forces of nature, for example, in conspiracies, directly to any creature, if they wanted to appease him, to the gods, if they asked for something.

Among the most famous pagan rites and holidays that have come down to us are Christmas time, Maslenitsa, Rusalia, Ivan Kupala Day, Osenina. The holidays of our ancestors correlated:

• with agricultural work (for example, Yarilo, Lelnik, Zhivin Den);
• with the astronomical calendar (solstices and equinoxes);
• with the concept of Kin and family (Chura day, Radonitsa);
• with the change of seasons.

On these holidays, pagan rituals were held to honor the Family, ancestors and gods, which, as a rule, were performed by the sorcerer in a special sacred place - the temple. There were similar places near every village or settlement. He addressed with a greeting, for help, asked for protection. Generous gifts were brought, round dances were performed.
The most famous Slavic rituals practiced to this day are Christmas divination. It is curious that they have hardly changed over so many centuries. First of all, this concerns numerous ways to look into the future and see your betrothed: fortune-telling variations with a mirror, a ring, a rooster, threads, in the shadows, with an egg. All these rituals were performed at home. Another, larger group, refers to ways to find out about a future spouse by going out into the street. In this case, they asked the name of the first man they met, counted how many times the dog would bark, threw boots on the road to find out the direction from where the betrothed would come, eavesdropped on the neighbors. There are also a number of conspiracies for invoking sleep about the betrothed.

It is interesting that for centuries the Slavic magicians did not have a theory, as such. All knowledge passed from mouth to mouth, from mother to daughter, from teacher to student.

With the advent of Orthodoxy, many Slavic traditions and holidays changed their name, began to be tied not to natural phenomena or the agricultural calendar, but to Orthodox holidays. Slavic gods began to be called the names of saints. The essence of some rituals was lost. However, the main ones remained, and, albeit in a modified form, are still celebrated.

The texts of many conspiracies were altered under the influence of Orthodoxy. Such elements as holy water, as well as church candles and earth, appeared in the rituals. However, they continue to be actively used to this day.

Rituals and rituals are only part of the rich Slavic culture, which had a great influence on the subsequent development of the peoples of Eastern Europe. Scientists are still exploring the burials that have survived to this day. In the last twenty years, Slavic paganism has found a second life. In particular, this is due to numerous reenactment communities that restore not only the life of our ancestors, but also the cultural component.

You can take advantage of the numerous rituals of the ancient Slavs. All of them attract with their lightness, simplicity and high efficiency.

In contact with

From time immemorial, our Ancestors created ancient rites- Solar Holidays of life, Goodness, Light and Love. The importance of rituals cannot be underestimated. This magical action directly reflects the spiritual life of a person. In the first place in the essence of any ancient rite there is a communication with the forces that affect the goodness of a person at a level beyond his direct control. Native Ancestors, spirits of nature, Gods possess such forces, therefore a person interacts with them. In the views of the ancestors, the picture of the world was not limited to materialistic chains of events. A holistic picture was opened to human understanding, in which Explicit events had their roots in the worlds of Navi and Rule. This made it possible to clearly see the causes and consequences of everything that was happening. The rite is the same reason, which, like any Explicit action, having passed through non-obvious paths, comes back to us later. But unlike simple actions, the rite allows you to control the result and the time of its completion.

The essence of ancient rites

Rite is a simple yet profound concept. It seems simple only at first glance, as an action aimed at achieving a specific goal with the involvement of the necessary forces. It turns out to be deep in understanding the involved forces and the mechanisms of their interaction with the creator of the rite.

An important point in ancient rite is to attract precisely those forces that are really needed and can help. To do this, you need to know these forces, as they say, “in person”. That is, to know their qualities and capabilities. It is on this that the content of the rite depends: the presence of the necessary paraphernalia, the sequence of actions, the form of designation of the goal and the ways of its manifestation in the manifest world.

In addition to knowing the nature of the forces around us, it is necessary to understand the principles of their interaction, causes and effects. One must be able to perceive their circulation: rotation, circulation and return. In a word, know Kon. Kon is the path to Rod - the source of the eternal movement of life. The construction of the rite depends on the quality of this knowledge.

What else affects the performance ancient rite? The person who creates it. This is the key and most important point. A person must be purposeful and holistic, like an assembled nesting doll. His subtle bodies must be awakened and united, just like that matryoshka. And all this happens with a clear thought, in full awareness, without trance states. This can be achieved only by protecting oneself from harmful food, narcotic substances and bad deeds, which are generated by equally bad thoughts (in other words, follow the path of high morality).

Appointments of ancient rites

It is customary to distinguish between rituals according to their purpose: wedding, funeral, natural, rituals of feeding the Ancestors and glorifying the Gods. They can also be divided according to the level of interaction with various forces and Gods, so to speak - in scope. These are tribal, natural and cosmic rites. Often these three levels are present together.

The generic level is an appeal to one's Family, to the Ancestors. It is very important to know your pedigree. When you purposefully and by name “feed” (treat) departed relatives, your grandfathers, you receive a talisman from them in business. And if you also know what they did during their lifetime, and what they were by nature, then the sense of ancient rite and you will know whom to thank later for the help. Through the rites of this level, the strengthening of his Family takes place, and then he protects his relatives from all hardship.

Natural level- when you embrace with your action everything that is with Rod: you perform a ceremony for the weather, for the harvest, you turn to the spirits of stones, streams, rivers, lakes, fields, forests, trees, animals. Praise the Gods responsible for certain periods of the year.

Cosmic - an appeal to the Gods of the cosmic order, the creators of galaxies and Rod-Father.

It is also possible to distinguish at least two more types ancient rites by semantic load. These are rituals that program an event, a phenomenon and strengthening rituals.

Strengthening rites- these are the days of commemoration and glorification of the native Gods and Ancestors. It is their strength that is the talisman of families, clans, peoples. These are the most important holidays in our time, which are obligatory and decisive in the revival of the former power of our people. Strengthened by our bright feelings from the world of Reveal, the influence of such rituals becomes faster and stronger, and the amulet of our Clans grows on Mother Earth. More and more bright souls are gaining strength and help from our Gods, breaking out of the dope of philistine, consumer fuss, freeing their spirit, soul and will for deeds for the good of the Family and their native land.

The calendar, which adopted the wisdom of our Ancestors, left in itself the cherished days and periods that are under the influence of certain Gods. So, glorifying Perun on his holidays, we strengthen the beneficial power of God the Thunderer for the entire responsible period of the year. And the days of equinoxes and solstices allow us to convey gratitude and the Light of the Power of our Souls to a whole multitude of Generic, natural and cosmic Gods.

To programming ancient rites include those that are held at natural festivals. Their essence lies in the transfer to the Gods and Ancestors of the program, plan, goal that the performers of the ceremony want to achieve. This can be expressed in the form of staging, showing the image-goal in a ritual-game action.

In other cases, especially when the rite is performed at the Tribal level, there is an appeal-petition. For example, when you ask the Ancestors for protection on a difficult path, a talisman against illness, etc. Or, an appeal to the spirits of nature in the natural circle: a petition for permission to cut down a tree, for good luck in picking mushrooms or berries in the forest, and so on.

Basic form of ancient rites

The basic principle of natural and cosmic rituals is the similarity of the earthly action to the heavenly one. This can be seen in the example of many preserved in our primordial tradition ancient rites. For example, a ritual for rain (to stop it), when a river is plowed with a plow.

But here it should also be noted the knowledge of the sacred qualities of objects created by man. The axe, knife, plow, collar, broom and other household utensils, in addition to their obvious direct purpose, also have deeper qualities that imply their connection with the heavenly.

So the process of plowing the river is identified with the plowing of the firmament, which leads to the cessation of rain. Moreover, the participants in the ceremony also take on the functions of the heavenly forces involved in the process.

The same can be observed in the rites of carols, "pahavannya strala", mermaids and many others. The participants in the rites are identified with plants (in the “pahavanne straly” rite they lead a snake around the field around the sitting children, who play the role of rye sprouts, and then throw them high), with the spirits of nature, with the gods, and at this level the programming of events takes place. Perhaps it is here that the origins of the theater are located.

A person with similar qualities was chosen for the role of this or that spirit or god. If it was difficult to make a choice, then games were arranged, the winner of which took on a responsible role. So, in mermaids, the most beautiful girl was chosen for the role of a mermaid and appeased her with gifts so that the summer would not be dry.

The principle of identity comes from the statement "like attracts like". And it brings us back to the point ancient rite. Attracting the forces we need. The purer, spiritually and morally, the person chosen for the role in the rite, the more beneficial forces he will call. In the above examples, "attraction" was made by comparing the qualities of a person and the qualities of the necessary God or spirit. And those people were chosen in whom these qualities were most manifested.

Indirect forms of ancient rites

In addition to such a direct method, more indirect ones were also used in the rituals: a call, a round dance and songs containing both an appeal-call and the formulation of an image-goal.

A click or call is a direct call of forces. Usually natural phenomena, spirits, elements. A vivid example is the Belarusian invocations of Spring, which come as part of the spring ritual complex:

Click, it's clear! Click, it's clear!
And what did you bring us?
Old grandmothers - for a kite,
Small zetka - on the testicle,
Red dzeўkam - pa vyanochku,
Maladzіtsam - pa dzіtsyatku.

The same call is used when creating, so to speak, a quick rite, for example,

under direct threat to life. They call for help the spirit of Chur - the Ancestor-Keeper: "Chur, me (guardian!)" Or simply "Grandfather!"

Round dance - the movement of a closed row of people in a circle. There is a round dance with a song that is sung by the choir. The round dance creates an energy vortex that attracts the required force, whether it be Gods, forces of nature or nature spirits (usually stones and trees).

An example of a spring dance song (Klimovichi district, Mogilev region):

Meadowberry, Meadowberry,
Oh lunatic.
What do you smell, what do you smell
In every pocket?
Oh, you all the pocket.
Smell like me, smell like me
In every pocket.
Oh, in your pocket?
Old women, old women
Prysyadzeli.
Oh, bastards.
Maladzitsy, Maladzitsy
We stopped.
Oh, they jumped.
Red dzeўki, red dzeўki
Jumped.
Oh, jumped.

Driving round dances is a very strong action. One round dance can perform the entire ceremony. The essence here is the rotation of the round dance. Salting - collects, attracts, anti-salting - releases the collected.

After calling, attracting the power and attention of God, we “feed” him. We nourish it with light energies and thereby strengthen it, so that it performs its functions even more gracefully and better. For this, glories are sung and rites are arranged.

Requirements

Treba - a treat of the Gods, Ancestors or spirits with gifts. This action is combined with the formulation of the goal (request). Separately, it is used at the Generic and natural rites. Treba is the GIVING of energy that occurs at the time of making ancient rite or other rites.

The requirement may be a loaf, a pie, or even a kind of toy-image created by oneself. When a person does something, thinking at that moment about those whom he loves, he puts fertile energies and good power into the fruits of his efforts. Creations are imbued with this power. During the Ritual action, by committing the Requirement to the Fire, we transform the Power accumulated in our creations into a form of energy, which is food for the Gods, Souls of Relatives and Ancestral Churs.

The Gods and Ancestors who are in the other world do not eat the food that we eat. Their food is our attention, our mental energy, Light, Goodness and Love that come from our Hearts when we think and talk about them. Treba is a sacrificial offering. It can be a small piece of bread or a whole loaf. Moreover, a small loaf, into which Love and sincerity were sincerely invested, can bring much more benefit to the Gods and Ancestors than a whole loaf cooked mechanically and without feelings.

Our Gods really need the energy of Goodness and Love! Put a part of the Soul into the Requirement and commit it to Fire, which is a transformer of one type of energy into another. Through Fire everything happens faster. And we are only just beginning to master the ability to transfer the Light of the Heart to Churams directly, but we will definitely remember everything and learn this magic to perfection!

Important for attracting forces to ancient rite and preparation for this work of the creator. The higher the strength, the purer in spirit it should be. This is where the rule “like attracts like” plays a big role. When interacting with the Gods, the human spirit must be freed as much as possible from carnal desires and needs. This requires certain cleansing measures: fasting before the ceremony or a complete rejection of food of animal origin, practices that strengthen the spirit, cleansing with water, fire, air, and so on.

glorification

Praise is the pronunciation or singing of glory (enumeration of the useful virtues of the Ancestor, natural strength, or more often the Gods).

As an example, glory dedicated to the winter day of Perun:

Perun is clear and powerful!
Perun is lightning and thunder!
The fire of heaven is possible,
Protective pokon!

Shine and shine of your lightning,
The voice of the sky is a loud thunder,
Heavenly light of your appearances
Protects the father's House!

The source of spiritual hare!
Bayan of spiritual ardent strings!
Guardian of the Awakening Race!
For the enemy, you are a karachun.

Thunderstorm Spirit!
Sign of fiery celestial runes!
The power of the peace movement!
Glory to you, God Perun!

Attributes of ancient rites.

The attributes of the rite also aim to attract creative forces, and also serve as accumulators that accumulate in themselves the grace received during the rite, and then, until the next such rite, they are used as amulets. These include banners - constricting power, idols of the Gods in the Sanctuary and Ancestors in the Red corner of the house. We can say that they are antennas tuned to the desired frequency of one of the Gods or Ancestors. Fire - a candle for a home ceremony or a bonfire for a public holiday - is a "transformer" of energies that connects the Explicit and not Explicit Worlds. Water is the receiver and transmitter of the Force (through drinking).

Also attributes ancient rites there may be stones of certain types of minerals and rocks. They accumulate information and have certain frequencies of its transmission. Runic and swastika symbols help to organize the space of the rite. Creating such a space - a kind of vessel for the attracted force - is the key! The embroidery symbols on clothes work the same way. All this, as we see, requires considerable knowledge and the ability to apply them correctly.

Place and time of the ancient rite.

The place of the rite undoubtedly has a great influence on the success of the sacrament. For the Ancestral Rite, this is the Red Corner, for the natural one, the Sacred Groves and Oak Forests, which are places of Power. For rituals of the cosmic level, key places of the Power are required, or a whole network of these places, tuned to a certain ritual action, when you can, if desired, perform a rite from any “accupuncture point” of our mother Earth. Through these places the planet “breathes”, communicates with outer space. Through these places, the forces we need so much, collected in powerful streams, flow. It often requires seeing or at least feeling these flowing forces.

Timing is again an important point for any ancient rite. And for the Family (there are days of commemoration of the Ancestors, especially favorable days for weddings and other things), and even more so for natural and cosmic rites. This somewhat facilitates the task of the creator of the rite, since strictly certain forces are active on certain days. Knowing what kind of forces these are, it is possible to conduct a rite of praise or a rite of request for help, those who need precisely these energies. Fortunately, our Ancestors have already painted the holidays on these dates for a long time, we just need to introduce amendments to all sorts of foreign calendars that exist with us at the suggestion of the interventionists.

For centuries, all events in the life of the Slavs are closely connected with their rituals and rituals: from the birth of a person to his death. Unity with nature and the gods is at the heart of such traditions. Each ritual or rite carries a deep meaning and has a specific purpose. The observance of such a historical heritage for every Slav is a matter of honor and pride. Therefore, at present, many representatives of this nationality are trying to observe the preserved traditions.

Rituals at birth

Slavic rituals begin from the very birth of a person and accompany him throughout his life. The very first rituals are designed to protect the baby from evil spirits, familiarizing with wildlife with a request for her protection. Depending on the sex of the child at the time of his birth, the shirt of his father or mother served as his first diaper.

When a boy was born, an arrow or an ax served as an object for cutting the umbilical cord. In order for the born girl to become a needlewoman in the future, her umbilical cord was cut on a spindle.

Naming

Among the Slavic peoples, the rite of naming is designed so that a person has a name. Since the future fate and well-being of a person depends on the name itself, the Slavs approached this ceremony with special care. A characteristic feature of naming is the fact that until the age of twelve, all children were called the word "child". As the ancestors of the Slavs believed, a child under the age of twelve is not able to be responsible for his actions, so he was not called by name. At this age, children went through the ritual of naming.

Such a rite was performed by a priest, who introduced the child into a meditative state, allowing the "child" to decide on his own destiny in the future life. If the child could not interpret the images he saw, then the priest had to meditate with the child. Depending on the destination discovered in the process of meditation, the child was given two names. One of them (general) was his personal name, and the second (true or secret) was known only to the priest and the child.

Wedding

In ancient times, all boys and girls, reaching adulthood, and with the consent of their parents, arranged a wedding. Such a rite meant for the girl that she passes into the family of her husband and takes his surname. After the wedding, the wife calls her husband's parents dad and mom. According to the wedding ritual, the groom must bring the bride into the house in his arms. This means that the wife, having entered the family, becomes her own.

The fact that a white dress is considered a symbol of purity and modesty of the bride is wrong. Such an outfit is considered mourning for a girl leaving her kind. Ancient Slavic brides used a thick scarf as a veil, which completely covered their faces. This is due to the fact that until the end of the celebration, the bride's face must be closed from prying eyes. Throughout the wedding, the young people held hands through the fabric.

Unlike modern weddings, many sad songs sounded at such ancient Slavic rites. The reason for the sadness of the bride during the ceremony was the realization that she was moving into another clan, leaving her own. After the wedding, a young Slavic wife was forbidden to braid one braid, which was a sign of girlish beauty. A married woman had to hide her hair under a scarf.

Divination

The divination ritual is a series of special actions using various objects in order to find out your future. At the same time, it is possible to find out how living and dead forces relate to the fortuneteller's way of life.

Most fortune-telling is aimed at obtaining the main answers related to human life: about the health of family members, crops, weather, household and the fate of relatives. Questions were asked to such natural elements as the sun, water, fire, air and earth.

housewarming

The construction of a new house began with the selection of a suitable and safe place. To do this, they released a cow and watched where she would lie down. Such a place was considered the most suitable for the construction of a future dwelling.

After the construction was completed, a cat or a rooster was the first to enter the new house in order to deceive the evil spirits. Following the animals, the owners entered with the icon, bread and salt. The best time for settling was considered the night when the evil spirits are resting.

In every Slavic house, the brownie was considered a symbol of prosperity and prosperity. Leaving the old dwelling, the owner invited the brownie to move with his family to a new house, offering him to climb into an open bag. At the new place, welcoming the brownie, the hostess cut off a slice of bread and left it under the stove. The brownie was also invited to the barn in order for the cattle to take root in a new place.

caroling

Such a rite as kaledovanie originates in ancient times. The pagans conjured evil spirits with such a ritual, producing it several times a year. And Christians dated such a rite to the Christmas period. During it, groups of teenagers went from house to house and sang carols, carrying a six-pointed star with them.

The text of the carols expressed wishes to the owners of a rich harvest, health, happiness, and an abundant offspring of livestock. The hospitable hosts generously thanked the glorifiers, giving them pastries from dough, sweets, food, and money.

Harvest

During the ripening of cereals, the Slavs performed rituals associated with the harvest. The purpose of such rituals was to express gratitude to the generous land for the harvest.

This tradition had both magical and practical significance. The first sheaf was called the birthday man, and the right to reap it, tie it with a ribbon and put it under the icons was given to the oldest woman in the family. After the end of the harvest, the sheaf was given to be eaten by animals.

Funeral rite

The fact of death among the ancient Slavs meant the transition of the deceased to another world, invisible to the living. For life in the afterlife, the deceased tried to provide food, money, jewelry, utensils, weapons, putting all this with him in the grave. Before burial, the deceased was given a rite of purification and commemoration. To win over the deceased, his relatives left food and alcoholic beverages on the grave. On the memorial day, separate dishes intended for the deceased were placed on the table.

Relatives of the deceased, steaming in the bath for the first time after the funeral, invited the deceased to their first par. To do this, they brought a set of clean linen and a separate broom to the bathhouse. The most suitable day for the funeral was considered Friday, which is otherwise called the day of Mokosh. In general, any ritual in honor of the deceased is also called Trizna. Such a rite is a glorification of the Gods so that they accept the soul of a deceased relative.

At the heart of the Trizna is a rite in which such qualities as mercy and justice are glorified, as well as the greatness of the Slavic Gods. In addition, the glorious deeds of folk heroes who defended their native land from the encroachments of enemies can be glorified. In every appeal of the living to the Gods, there is a request to give a decent life in the kingdom of the dead, as well as to forgive all earthly sins. To date, most of the ancient Slavic traditions have been preserved, which have acquired a modern interpretation.

Slavs have long had a lot of customs. Moreover, as a rule, many (if not most) Slavic rites have pagan roots. After all, for many years before the advent of Christianity, the Slavs were pagans.

Customs of the Slavs

However, today everything is so closely intertwined that many of the rites of the Slavs are accompanied by prayers and appeals to God. Let's see what rituals the Slavs used to arrange weddings, the birth of children, and funerals. And, most importantly, that these rituals carried into life.

What ceremonies were accompanied by weddings

For a wedding

Some of these Slavic rites and rituals are a bit outdated. More and more young people generally cease to adhere to any traditions and simply sign in the registry office without any ceremony, or even go to marry on some exotic island.

At the same time, some families still firmly believe that it is necessary to observe the traditions of their ancestors in order for family life to succeed.

So, what wedding ceremonies have survived to this day:

1. The capture of the bride. If today matchmaking is one of the reasons to get the family together at the festive table and, perhaps, to discuss some details of the upcoming celebration, then earlier matchmaking was taken very seriously. So, the bridegroom's mother usually wooed the girl. She also took her married daughter with her. Naturally, they went to those families where there was a “marriage girl”. The opinion of the groom could not be taken into account, the choice was more often made by the parents. If the girl's parents agreed to the marriage, then it was necessary to determine the size of the masonry - the amount of money that the groom's parents gave for dresses for the bride, as well as for wedding expenses.
2. One of the rituals that have survived to this day is the need to bake ritual bread - a beautiful loaf. It is believed that he personifies life and good prosperity, as well as a happy share.
3. Some couples got married. And even the wedding took place with magical rites. So, the road to the church in front of the bride and groom was often swept away with a broom. So that the life of the young would not be “naked”, a linen, a scarf, and later a towel were placed under the feet of the spouses, sometimes money was thrown. In order to dominate family life, each of the spouses tried to be the first to step on the other's feet. There were also wedding paraphernalia. It included candles, rings, and crowns. Dropping something was a bad omen. They also tried to keep the candle under the crown higher - that person was the head of the family. By the way, the rest of the wedding candle was by no means thrown away. It was lit again at the first birth.

Rituals at the birth of children

When children are born

The birth of children, as one of the main moments in the life of a family (at least for a woman, for sure) was also accompanied by special rites. It all started with the fact that the boy's umbilical cord was cut on an arrow or an ax - this meant that the boy could become a craftsman or a hunter. When a girl was born, the umbilical cord was cut on a spindle - it was believed that this would allow her to grow up as a good needlewoman. Then the navel was tied with a linen thread, into which the hair of the mother and father was necessarily woven.

The ceremony of naming among the Slavs was also carried out. The name was considered in antiquity, in fact, as today, an important characteristic of a person. That's just before the name was kept secret. This was done so that the real name of a person could not be used by an evil sorcerer who would be able to damage the name. The real name of the newly born child was known to the child's parents and several other very close people.

But strangers had to somehow call the born child? For this, a nickname was used. Often used such nicknames as Nezhelan, Nezhdan, Nekras. It was believed that this allows you to drive away death and disease. And protects the child from evil spirits.

Rituals at the funeral

At the death of a person

Pagan holidays and rituals of the Eastern Slavs were also used when it came to funerals. Many were simply afraid of the deceased, so the rites, in most cases, were designed to protect the living.

During the funeral, something that he might need in the afterlife was placed in the grave of the deceased. As a rule, it was clothes, household utensils, arrows, a bow, and some food. There were cases when dead animals were also placed in the grave. These are pagan rites of the Slavs, but they have been used in Russia for a long time.

It was customary to leave a glass of vodka, funeral pies and pancakes on the grave. Thus, they tried to appease the deceased so that he would not harm people. And when the commemoration took place, an extra device was always placed on the table. It was assumed that the soul of the deceased might be present, so a pancake or a piece of bread was put on a special plate for him, and vodka was poured into a glass.

With the advent of Christianity, people did not get rid of many beliefs. You can even say that some rituals were added. So, especially for the deceased on the day of the funeral, they hung a clean towel, and also put a bowl of water on the window. This was done so that the soul of a person could wash before a long journey.