Ritual Scourging

[qos]

I was making notes for my class this morning, and it suddenly occurred to me that I don't have any personal experience with ritual scourging as practiced in some branches of Traditional witchcraft (or other groups with codified rituals and initiations).

Does anyone here have that experience, or know someone who does who would be willing to share with me? Or have a pointer to good material on it? (There's an account in Kaldera's Dark Moon Rising, but I'd like to have several resources.)

You can comment here, refer friends here, and/or use the Send Message feature to contact me privately.

Thanks!

Comments

[queenofhalves]

the farrars discuss it a bit in the witches' bible. not a lot.

[qos.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the pointer.

I did a little bit of googling today during some breaks at work, and most of what came up was people breathlessly affirming that Gerald Gardner was kinky and we-don't-do-that-kind-of-thing-now!

*sigh
Not exactly helpful.

[dorjejaguar.livejournal.com]

Uh, yes we do do that kinda thing now. *rolls eyes*

[dorjejaguar.livejournal.com]

I've given a ritual scourging. It was kinda a while ago though. I don't remember too many details. But perhaps the scourgee would be willing to talk.
What you wanta know?

[qos.livejournal.com]

Let's see. . .

What was the ritual context and purpose?
How was it carried out?
What was your experience of doing the scouring? How did you know when your purpose was fulfilled?
What was the experience of the person receiving it? Were expectations and/or purpose fulfilled?

Those are the first questions that come to mind.

Thanks!

[dorjejaguar.livejournal.com]

You know I really don't remember the answers to some of those questions.
It was a real long time ago.
I'll see what I can remember.
My friend asked me if I would do the whipping on him in this ritual context. It was his idea. I believe he wanted a sort of purging/cleansing ritual. I'd really have to check with him what his intentions were though.
Anyway he asked me if I'd do this and I made a whip for the purpose. I wanted one that would be just for ritual. In this case I added things I never would have with a whip for play. Specifically little silver balls at the end of some of the strands. The effect of that means the strokes would be more vicious, they'd hurt more. There were other ways I made this just for ritual use but that was really more in my intention while I was making it than anything. I did make a point of it having details of lunar significance.

Lets see, I think he did a banishing first, probably the lesser pentagram. Then I think he did a bit more ritual. The word "consecration" is floating into my memory. Perhaps that was what he was aiming for.
This was something like 15 years ago, which is why the remembering isn't so easy.
At a certain point he was ready for the whipping and I came forward and gave him that. I believe we had agreed on a certain number of strokes though I'm not sure about that detail. Could have been left up to me.
I was more aggressive than I normally would have been had it been a play situation. I let the strands wrap for instance.
I enjoyed it, I was feeling love and a sort of happy sadism, a sort of hungry predatory thing.
I'm pretty sure that we had decided on a number of strokes, so I knew when I was done. He took it well so that was satisfying.
After I finished the whipping he did a bit more ritual and closed the circle.

His experience? I imagine it hurt. :) I can't say if his expectations and/or purpose were fulfilled. I'd have to ask him.
Would you like me too?

I do have another friend that I think probably uses S/M in a ritual context a great deal more often than I have.

Would you like me to refer your question to him?

ps

[dorjejaguar.livejournal.com]

I realized that I didn't really say what sort of magickal tradition the woo woo was coming from. I'd say, probably mostly Thelemic, the sort of stuff the OTO uses and the stuff that Crowley taught.
Even so anyone in any tradition can use the stuff so it's not exclusive.