Preservation Of The Old Ways

It is one of our Laws, within the Aridian Tradition, that nothing may ever be deleted from any ritual or oral teaching. Material may be added to a ritual, or an oral teaching may be expanded, but nothing of the original may ever be removed. Because situations change with time, the Laws do allow us to add and adapt, as needs be.

When looking over the material, it is easy to see the different Time Periods, and needs of the people, reflected in the rituals and Teachings. Therefore, when you look at the Aridian Material, you will see things which reflect the days of hunting, and the days of planting & harvesting. Everything from Hunting Magic, to blessing seeds and fields, still exist in our ritual material. This current Era we live in, will leave information regarding Aids and other concerns of our People, imprinted upon our rituals, down to the Generations which will follow us. Each addition is marked with a symbol, so that it is clear what was added, so that a History of the adaptations may be discerned.      Because we believe in a living connection with our ancestors, we still perform those aspects of the rituals, which may seem out of place to us. Many of us no longer Hunt or plow fields for planting, or copulate in the fresh furrows to encourage an abundant crop. But these rites are still preserved, and we adapt them to our modern needs. For despite our so-called progress as a Race, our basic needs are still the same: Food, Shelter, Safety, Sex, Family, Love, and Purpose.

So, the ritual for an abundant crop is performed for the abundance which our own labors may bring. Fertility rites are performed for our own Family needs, and to return the Essence of Fertility back into a dying World. Because our World is so overcrowded, many Systems feel that Fertility Rites are obsolete. What they do not understand is that it was part of the ancient rites to help "empower" the soil and the plant & animal Life with the condensed energy of Fertility raised within a Circle of Magic. The personal fertility of the Clan, was secondary. Unfortunately, many modern groups have removed all of the sexual energy producing aspects from the rituals, and replaced them with symbolic gestures. While this may appeal to the intellect, and ease personal sexual inhibitions, it does not serve Nature. Because of Judaic-Christian condemnations, many modern groups have abandoned the old Ways of the Nature Religion, and profess a non-sexuality regarding this ancient Fertility Cult. In the Aridian Tradition we do not apologize for preserving our Heritage, and we are proud of the differences between us and Judaic-Christian groups. We have adapted the sexual aspects, to our modern society (and modern concerns regarding sexual issues) but they are still quite plainly visible within the ritual material.

It is a challenge to preserve the old Traditions, and yet to adapt to modern circumstances, without compromising the integrity of either.