In the previous issue I explained how even the most benign-seeming actions can cause problems at prehistoric sites and monuments, perhaps to the point where it seemed impossible to undertake any ritual act without causing damage. In this issue I shall look at the more common ritual acts performed at sites, and suggest alternative practises and procedures that will leave no lasting impact on a site, preserving both archaeological and spiritual integrity. All the suggestions made here have been tried out by myself or by friends for whom I have a great deal of respect and found to be useful and practical. The attitude of this article is that you are interested in performing ritual at prehistoric sites or anywhere else without leaving any trace of having been there, and goes some way to explaining why this is a good thing.
I should perhaps mention that I find it unnecessary to perform any ritual at a prehistoric site unless the site is actively involved in the ritual. I do not feel that provision of atmospheric surroundings is a valid reason for use in any circumstances. With that in mind, I shall now consider the ritual elements. I have considered only the most common and damaging practises, and the principles behind these suggestions can be applied equally to any other ritual element that may be used.
Circles
Although my own feeling is that casting circle is entirely unnecessary, I do understand that some find it impossible to work without, whether this is because they fear the "Dungeon Dimensions" or because it is simply the way they have been taught. While it appears to be something of a tautology to cast a circle within a prehistoric stone circle, for example, people do seem to feel it is required, so here are some thoughts on how to do so without leaving any trace.
If you feel that your barrier is not effective without the use of salt, consider using lightly salted water to sprinkle rather than a solid line of rock salt. Sprinkle with a feather or draw a wand dipped in the salted water around the circle. Please don’t use rock salt – it is blasted out of the Land and is quite unnecessary when sea salt is also natural and can be collected with no environmental degradation (sea salt ultimately comes from the Land anyway). If you feel insecure enough to require a visible circle, consider using lumps of gypsum or even limestone – both of these are mineral salts but will not poison the grass, and can be removed afterwards and re-used in other rituals. Continued use will even strengthen the warding capability as the purpose is embedded into the tool.
If the visual barrier is important but the nature of the material is not, lumps of opaque quartz do an admirable job and can be found readily in many soils and at beaches. They can even be purchased from garden centres. You may either use sufficient to form a complete circle, or place large pieces at the compass points. The laying of the circle can become, as it should be if circles are that important, a significant sub-ritual with its own unique tools in and of itself.
Reusable ritual items of any type are nearly always preferable (with the exception of obligatory consumables, of course) and it surprises me that more people do not think of the circle in the same way. There are any number of things that can be used over and over – if you are uncomfortable using rocks, then how about raw sugar crystals, which are big enough to be recovered and entirely non-toxic, or even sugar lumps, which can be very effective in the dark? Not only do these options leave no physical remnants when collected afterwards, the warding can be founded in the objects and thus energetic remnants are left in the objects, not in the site. These remnants, rather than becoming a contaminant at the site, become actively helpful in reinforcing the integrity of the circle and the ritual space definition each time they are reused.
Of course, the people taking part can form the circle with their bodies, or it can be confined to active visualisation – although energetic traces can be left if the visualisation grounds the circle in the site, there will be no physical traces. If the site Spirits are consulted before commencement, as they should be, then they may aid removing the energetic traces afterwards. Stamping a circle out in dance or similar should be avoided in wet conditions as this can damage the grass and lead to increased soil erosion.
Fire
Fire is a popular aspect of many rituals. The physical presence of the elemental representation of fire is mesmeric, and many feel unable to do without a real flame because of this. Fire, however, is also the most common cause of severe damage to prehistoric sites, either in the form of ritual fires or in the form of candles. It is both the most difficult and the easiest elemental representation to control – because of this, many accidents do happen.
Part of the attraction of fire is its power. That power can be destructive – the essence of fire is consumption. It is a living, breathing thing that needs to be fed, and it turns that food into heat and light (and carbon dioxide and water, but that’s chemical pedantry). It is the heat that damages, and so it is not just the consuming flame that must be contained, but also the heat which must be confined.
A fire dish is essential as this separates the fire from the site. It is no good building a camp-style fire, lifting the turf and surrounding it with stones – this can cause irrevocable damage. It is not necessary to have a professionally constructed fire dish, although you may find that the effort of obtaining one imparts deeper meaning to its function. A fire dish can be made quite easily from any fireproof container. If Ainsley Harriot can make a barbeque from a flowerpot, I think the pagan community is capable of making fire dishes to protect prehistoric sites.
A large wok makes an excellent, although compact and bijou, fire dish. By resting the wok securely on cinder blocks, placing a layer of insulating material such as clinker or sharp gravel in the bottom, and using a thick board underneath to ensure no scorching, both fire and heat can be contained. Do not overload any fire dish – a well-built fire will give plenty of flame without needing excess fuel, which can overbalance the dish or cause it to give off too much heat. Practise fire-building where there is no danger of causing damage to delicate surroundings. It is a useful skill in many situations. Think also about the fuel used – different woods burn in different ways, some producing more flame than others, and bone-dry wood will give better flame than damp wood.
Put the fire out completely at the end. Take plenty of water and dowse the dish. When organising the ritual, make sure you leave plenty of time at the end so the dish and blocks have a chance to cool to a safe handling temperature and are not likely to ignite anything they are placed against when transporting them home. Do not tip out the ash and spent fuel – you will need to recover the insulating material from the bottom for reuse, and the ash should be disposed of responsibly, not just dumped somewhere on site or nearby. Many groups have designated fire handlers who are responsible for the safe use of the fire. This should be not just to safeguard the people attending, but also to safeguard the site and ensure no trace remains.
Candles
Candles are another important part of many rituals for many people. Whether this has anything to do with "Practical Candle Magick" or is simply because candles have a certain appeal, I do not know. They can embody many different aspects of ritual elements and also provide a certain atmosphere, particularly at night. The difficulty with candles, apart from the risk of fire and the heat, is the wax that is left behind. Simple common sense and a little imagination can easily provide solutions.
Treating candles as sources of potentially damaging fire, no matter what they are representing in the ritual, is a very good place to start. Do not put candles on stones that are part of a site, no matter how attractive it looks. The heat damages the stone, and the wax can damage and contaminate. Do not put candles directly onto the ground, even in damp weather. The wax causes problems even if there is no apparent risk of spreading a fire.
Nightlights or tea lights in clean glass jars are easy to come by and prevent damage, as well as staying alight in a breeze. They are easy to place and easy to remove. Candles designed to consume all the wax and not drip can be used if they are not going to burn right down. Putting candles in containers or on dishes to catch any wax and protect the surface underneath also minimises risk. Place candles so that they will not fall over. Do not use them if there is sufficient wind to blow them over, remembering that even a breeze can have strong gusts. Make sure they will not be knocked over. Above all, take any remains away with you. If you must have a candle burning down to completion as part of the rite, use a candle that has a short burning time so that it is burnt out before you have to leave, and make sure that the wax is contained. Alternatively, light the candle in some form of lantern so that you can take it away with you to burn down elsewhere.
Remember that both fire and candles produce soot, which can contaminate archaeologically significant deposits on rock surfaces. Use of either of these in confined spaces such as passage tombs is to be strongly discouraged and avoided at all costs. Consider performing the ritual in the limnal arena of darkness, or even consider the use of electric lighting. Coloured cellophane and ingenuity can turn electric lamps into an atmospheric light source, and elemental representations require only a little more imagination and the use of appropriate colours. If the physical presence of fire is an important part of the ritual, ask yourself honestly if the ritual could not be performed in an open space elsewhere, or if the fire could not be left in the open space outside.
Incense
The same rules of control and containment apply to incense. Again, it should be used only in open spaces to avoid contamination of surface deposits on rock. A bowl containing sand is ideal for burning either sticks or blocks, as the sand provides insulation form heat, and provides a fireproof surface on which sparks can land. The bowl and the sand layer must be large enough to catch any falling ash. The entire thing can be removed afterwards, leaving no trace.
If performing a rite in a confined space, do not use incense. If scent is important, consider using essential oils, suitably diluted and applied to the skin. The Magical and Ritual Use of Perfume is an excellent source of ideas for such things. Alternatively, fresh herbs can be crushed in a bowl at an appropriate moment, releasing the scent. A little imagination will provide other suitable methods that will leave no trace.
Offerings
I discussed offerings in the previous article. The sort of material left as an offering, if any material offering is to be made, should be chosen with the ideal of it vanishing afterwards and not affecting the site in any detrimental way. A few crumbs of bread, a few drops of wine or a libation of pure water will not cause any harm and will quickly disappear. As discussed before, vegetation is not really suitable as an offering. If you wish to use flowers and vegetation in a ritual, take everything away afterwards. If you are using a fire, it is equally suitable to burn aromatic herbs as offerings.
Organisation
Organisation, I do not need to mention, is the key to any successful ritual. An impulsive rite can be more free-form and perhaps even more expressive, but is unlikely to involve any elaborate equipment that may cause damage. A quick prayer while caught up in a magical moment at dawn at Avebury will not leave any traces. However, the more complex a ritual is, the more ritual elements involved, and the more people attending, the higher the risk of damage and the more thought required to reduce that risk. As part of the organisation of a rite, do not merely consider the needs of the ritual and the attendees. Consider also the needs of the site. Include the site in the ritual – if the ritual could be performed exactly the same way in any other location, then the site is providing no more than an atmospheric backdrop and that is insufficient reason to expose a delicate and unique monument to the risk of damage and the normal wear and tear associated with use. Include the site as an active participant or element in the ritual and the whole event will take on a deeper meaning and greater significance.
Preparation for the ritual should include a long hard look at why you wish to perform the ritual at any particular site. If you have not been to a site, you should not be considering holding ritual there. Even if you are familiar with a site, make a special effort to visit the place before starting the ritual planning and ask the Spirits of Place for their permission and their advice. You may be surprised by the usefulness and practicality of their suggestions. Also take time to ask what you should give back to the site in return – it may be that active inclusion in the ritual is sufficient, or it may be that you will be asked to perform some service. Visiting these places is a privilege, and this should not be refused.
Conclusion
Always aim to leave the site in as pristine a condition as possible. Leave no trace of your visit and you may find it rewarding to repay the site by removing the thoughtless debris of others. It only takes a little forethought and imagination to work out some way of performing a particular element without leaving any trace or exposing the site to damage. For a set of beliefs and philosophies that sets such store in creativity and imagination, one would not think that the extra effort involved would be seen as a burden, more as a way of getting more deeply involved in the practicalities of spiritual practise. No matter what your personal belief system or philosophy, prehistoric sites are important, even sacred, as places where we stand in the dim light thrown from the past by our Ancestors. The more we obscure that light with things from the present – the shadows of our footprints and the traces and detritus of our use – the more clouded and faint that light will become until we can no longer see any trace of it, not even in our dreams. Archaeology may clean the window to the past and allow more light to shine through, but only if we take care not to throw dirt and soot on the glass. Respect and care for these places, not only for the experiences they have given and continue to give but also for the experiences they have yet to give us and future generations.
Samantha Fleming, Bsc (Hons), Msc, Research Student, Institute of Water and Environment, Cranfield University at Silsoe Sam is an environmental scientist married to an archaeologist and has a passion for prehistoric sites. She can be reached for further information at sam@ravenfamily.org. You may also like to help keep a record of the current state of prehistoric sites by adding to the database – fill in the form at: http://www.ravenfamily.org/sam/pag/sitevisits.html