Great Rite

Great Rite

In Wicca, the Great Rite is either ritual sexual intercourse, or else a ritual symbolic representation of sexual intercourse. In the symbolic version the High Priest plunges the athame, or ritual knife, (the male symbol) into a cup or chalice (the female symbol) which is filled with wine and is held by the High Priestess. The Great Rite symbolizes creation in the union of the Maiden Goddess with the Lover God, and thus is also known as a fertility rite.

A variety of ritual occasions call for the Great Rite to be performed, such as during the festival of Beltane on or about May 1 in the northern hemisphere and November 1 in the southern hemisphere. [cite book |last=Morrison |first=Dorothy |title=The Craft: A Witch's Book of Shadows |publisher=Llewellyn Worldwide |year=2001 |pages=p. 153] [cite book |last=Hume |first=Lynne |title=Witchcraft and Paganism in Australia |location=Melbourne |publisher=Melbourne University Press |year=1997] Most often, it is performed by the High Priest and High Priestess, but other members can be elected to perform the Rite.

ee also

*Kāmamudrā
*Ganachakra
*Hieros gamos

Notes

----


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Great Rite — noun In Wicca, ritualistic sexual intercourse symbolizing creation. The Great Rite can also be performed symbolically: the high priest plunges the athame, or ritual knife (the male symbol), into a cup or chalice (the female symbol) that is filled …   Wiktionary

  • GREAT POLAND — (Pol. Wielkopolska; Heb. פּוֹלִין גָּדוֹל), historic administrative unit of Poland Lithuania, and a Jewish historical geographical entity within the framework of the councils of the lands . The region, which lay on both sides of the Warta River,… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • rite of passage — [rēt də pä sȧzh′] n. 1. a ceremony, often religious, marking a significant transition in a person s life, as birth, puberty, marriage, or death 2. an event, achievement, etc. in a person s life regarded as having great significance: Also [Fr.]… …   English World dictionary

  • Great Salt Lake Council — serves northern Utah.Districts*City Creek District *Cottonwood District *Deseret Peak District *Eagle Peaks District *East Millcreek District *Farmington Bay District *Golden Eagle District *Granger District *Granite Trail District *Indian… …   Wikipedia

  • Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults — RCIA redirects here. For the company with this stock ticker symbol, see Rogers Communications. The Seven Sacraments by Rogier van der Weyden, ca. 1448. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (often abbreviated RCIA) is the process through… …   Wikipedia

  • rite of passage — 1. Anthropol. a ceremony performed to facilitate or mark a person s change of status upon any of several highly important occasions, as at the onset of puberty or upon entry into marriage or into a clan. 2. any important act or event that serves… …   Universalium

  • Rite of Memphis-Misraim — Part of a series of articles on Freemasonry Core Articles Freemasonry · Grand Lodge · Masonic Lodge · Masonic Lodge Officers · Grand Master · Prince Hall Freemasonry · Regular Masonic jurisdictions · Continental Fr …   Wikipedia

  • Great Apostasy — The Great Apostasy is a term used by some religious groups to allege a general fallen state of traditional Christianity, or especially of Catholicism, magisterial Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy, that it is not representative of the faith… …   Wikipedia

  • Rite Swedenborg — Le rite Swedenborg est un rite maçonnique nommé d après Emanuel Swedenborg et faisant référence à ses enseignements. Sommaire 1 Historique 2 Description 3 Bibliographie 4 N …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Great Synagogue of Vilna — Infobox religious building building name=Great Synagogue of Vilna caption= location=flagicon|Lithuania Vilnius Old Town, Lithuania geo= religious affiliation=Orthodox Judaism rite=Ashkenaz district= functional status=Destroyed leadership= website …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”