(no subject)

[rm]

Can someone tell me what the deal is, not just with Wiccans, but also with all sorts of generally not that fluffy Pagans, and the gratuitous rhyming in spells? Why do we think that works? I mean, i get rhythm, specificty, musicality, and making shit easier to remember, but COME ON. Say what you will about Crowley, but among other things, you've got to give him that he's not a gratuitous, or Hallmark-style rhymer.

Comments

[delchi.livejournal.com]

** applause **

I've thought that for years. The hallmark style rhymes always drove me nuts.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

Rhyming imparts power into a statement as does creating poetry in general. However, bad poetry and trite rhymes do not. Being nothing of a poet, I avoid such things and attempt to instead go for more of an impassioned public speaking style of ritual. The point is to make the words both important and distinct. Sadly, some people do not realize that hallmark cards are neither.

just so I can get the flavour

[radiantfracture]

Could you cite a (wholly hypothetical) example?

{rf}

Re: just so I can get the flavour

[delchi.livejournal.com]

Bide within the Law you must, in perfect Love and perfect Trust.
Live you must and let to live, fairly take and fairly give.

For tread the Circle thrice about to keep unwelcome spirits out.
To bind the spell well every time, let the spell be said in rhyme.

Light of eye and soft of touch, speak you little, listen much.
Honor the Old Ones in deed and name,
let love and light be our guides again.

Deosil go by the waxing moon, chanting out the joyful tune.
Widdershins go when the moon doth wane,
and the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane.

When the Lady's moon is new, kiss the hand to Her times two.
When the moon rides at Her peak then your heart's desire seek.

Heed the North winds mighty gale, lock the door and trim the sail.
When the Wind blows from the East, expect the new and set the feast.

When the wind comes from the South, love will kiss you on the mouth.
When the wind whispers from the West, all hearts will find peace and rest.

Nine woods in the Cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow.
Birch in the fire goes to represent what the Lady knows.

Oak in the forest towers with might, in the fire it brings the God's
insight. Rowan is a tree of power causing life and magick to flower.

Willows at the waterside stand ready to help us to the Summerland.
Hawthorn is burned to purify and to draw faerie to your eye.

Hazel-the tree of wisdom and learning adds its strength to the bright fire burning.
White are the flowers of Apple tree that brings us fruits of fertility.

Grapes grow upon the vine giving us both joy and wine.
Fir does mark the evergreen to represent immortality seen.

Elder is the Lady's tree burn it not or cursed you'll be.
Four times the Major Sabbats mark in the light and in the dark.

As the old year starts to wane the new begins, it's now Samhain.
When the time for Imbolc shows watch for flowers through the snows.

When the wheel begins to turn soon the Beltane fires will burn.
As the wheel turns to Lamas night power is brought to magick rite.

Four times the Minor Sabbats fall use the Sun to mark them all.
When the wheel has turned to Yule light the log the Horned One rules.

In the spring, when night equals day time for Ostara to come our way.
When the Sun has reached it's height time for Oak and Holly to fight.

Harvesting comes to one and all when the Autumn Equinox does fall.
Heed the flower, bush, and tree by the Lady blessed you'll be.

Where the rippling waters go cast a stone, the truth you'll know.
When you have and hold a need, harken not to others greed.

With a fool no season spend or be counted as his friend.
Merry Meet and Merry Part bright the cheeks and warm the heart.

Mind the Three-fold Laws you should three times bad and three times good.
When misfortune is enow wear the star upon your brow.

Be true in love this you must do unless your love is false to you.

These Eight words the Rede fulfill:

"An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will"

Re: just so I can get the flavour

[radiantfracture]

Thank you.

{rf}

[feyandstrange.livejournal.com]

If you've got to recite a long screed from memory, possibly while waving your arms, fire, pointy things, or other dangerous objects, rhyme and rhythm help. Since Wicca likes to pretend it's an Old Tyme Religionne instead of something almost entirely invented much more recently, maybe they think rhymes make it sound more authentic.

To badly misquote from memory from one of my Shinto books: it's in the original Japanese, although translations are provided, because the sounds and rhythm have power. Some of it is, in fact, nonsense syllables. It's more about the meditative aspects and the music than the semantic content.

That said, there is no excuse for bad Hallmarkian poetry, religion or magic included. I suspect that the sorts of teenage-mentality people who write bad poetry are drawn to Wicca, but it may just be that I'm even further away from people who write bad Hallmark cards to Jesus - which, now that I think about it, I do occasionally run across when I end up on the wrong side of the Web.

[roadnotes.livejournal.com]

To make it easier to remember, and because most people can't write really good poetry. "Da-dum da-dum da-dum da-dum, da-dum da-dum da-DUM," somehow sticks in many people's heads, as much as it grates in ours.

I always suspected the gods prefer assonance, consonance, and vivid imagery, myself.

[aynatonal.livejournal.com]

Can we blame Shakespeare?

The Rhymes

[keith418.livejournal.com]

For spells that rhyme
I have no time.

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

It all reminds me too much of the long night I realized you really can sing (almost) any Emily Dickinson poem to the tune of "The Yellow Rose of Texas."

Not only that,

[czarchasm.livejournal.com]

but most news headlines can be done to the tune of "Camptown Races".

[czarchasm.livejournal.com]

Well, I spoke to a Gardnerian Wiccan about this, and he told me, "Dude, I can't tell you: It's a secret."

When I asked an Alexandrian Wiccan, she told me to ask a Gardnerian Wiccan.

When I asked a Buckleyan, I was told to go to some page in a big, blue book.

Considering how language isn't a necessary component for workings, I think it's what all poetry is done for: To get laid.

As for Crowley: It's very difficult to do rhyme and meter in Enochian.