THE BIRTH OF THE BEER GOD

Foreword:

Throughout human history, the drinking hall has been equated both with community and the warrior spirit. It is the place where oaths were sworn, ideas exchanged, and plans laid.

The deities connected with the brewing of beer often assumed importance in the mythos of a given culture (cf. Sekhmet and Ninaski), or this attribution was attached to an important deity (cf. Thor). Furthermore, beer has been used even as payment, as it was in the building of the pyramids of Egypt. It unquestionably holds some sort of "special" energy, and certainly is capable of inspiring gnostic states.

The purpose of this working is threefold - as a bonding ritual, as the creation/realization of a group-specific egregore, and as a shaking loose of perceived "objective truths" about oneself and other participants.

Accouterments:

You will need the following on hand: symbols of as many beer-connected deities as participants can find, enough beer to get participants close to passing out, drinking vessels that won't break if slammed down repeatedly, and paper cut into small squares. It would also be useful to have a large, dimly lit room and a table big enough for all of the participants to sit at.

The Rite:

-2. Participants gather in the "drinking hall". The place should be lit only with candles or fire light.

-1. A Gnostic Thunderbolt or Vortex is directed at each of the beer-deity symbols, which have been placed about the perimeter of the room.

0. The first participant stand and holds his glass at arm's length before him, and focuses all of hir attention upon it.

1. The participant makes a toast to the deity connected to the symbol he/she has brought. While he/she does so, the other participants should bang their glasses on the table and rhythmically chant "SIFAM" (transform).

2. When the first participant finishes hir toast, the banging stops abruptly, and all say loudly "CHOBUZU CHO SIFAM" (Do abundance in transformation).

3. All glasses are emptied and refilled.

4. Repeat 0 through 3 for each participant.

5. When all participants have made their toast, the session should break down into bald-faced boasting about one's achievements. All rules of "etiquette" are discarded; participants should interrupt one another whenever possible, and shout each other down whenever they feel like it. The loudest voice rules.

6. Drinking and boasting should continue until the unconsciousness or sickness of every participant seems imminent. At this time, each participant looks at the blank square of paper and writes down the first letter of the alphabet that comes to mind.

7. The squares are placed in a bag or bowl, and the most nearly unconscious participant then draws them out and lays them down in the order drawn.

8. The same participant proclaims:

"CHO OXO VAWEJ CHAXNY UTHEDUS _______."
("The name of our god is most certainly ______.")

The nearest possible pronunciation of the letters drawn from squares fills in the blank.

9. The drawer swears an oath to accomplish some particular thing to this new god. The oath should be viewed as a statement of intent, and the working which the drawer swears should be taken by him as their overriding goal until the act is completed. It is by completing the sworn act that the new egregore is empowered, and thus the group and all of the individuals in it are strengthened in some way.

10. Each participant swears an oath in turn.

11. The Vortices are closed if such were used.

12. Banishing by laughter, vomiting or collapse into unconsciousness.

Note:

You might want to make sure that sleeping arrangements are possible for participants who choose to drive over. Certainly, nobody should be driving home from the drinking hall, unless they really want to return to Primal Chaos and take a few others with them.

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