Kapparot: A banishing ritual? A ritual for Intitiation?
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I find this ritual to be fascinating.
According to the Encyclopedia Judaica (Volume 10, pages 756-757), several Jewish sages strongly opposed kapparot. Rabbi Solomon ben Abraham Aderet , one of the foremost Jewish scholars during the 13th century, considered it a heathen superstition. This opinion was shared by the Ramban (Nachmanides) and Rabbi Joseph Caro, who called it "a foolish custom" that Jews should avoid. They thought it was a pagan custom that mistakenly made its way into Jewish practice, perhaps because when Jews lived among pagans this rite seemed like a korban (sacrifice).
However, the Qabbalists (led by mystics such as Rabbi Isaac Luria and Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz) perceived in this custom mystical significance which strongly appealed to many people.
Anyway, here it is.
KAPPAROT
At dawn or early in the morning before Yom Kippur, take a live chicken and recite the following three times. Recite the first paragraph, do the rotations and then recite the paragraph again, etc.
Children of man who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, bound in misery and chains of iron --- He will bring them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and will sunder their bonds. Foolish sinners, afflicted because of their sinful ways and their wrongdoings; their soul loathes all food and they reach the gates of death --- they cry out to the Lord in their distress; He saves them from their afflictions. He sends forth His word and heals them; He delivers them from their graves. Let them thank the Lord for His kindness, and proclaim His wonders to the children of man. If there be for a man even one interceding angel out of a thousand accusers, to speak of his uprightness in his behalf, then He will be gracious to him and say: Redeem him from going down to the grave; I have found expiation for him.
When reciting the first twelve words below, rotate the chicken over your head.
This is my exchange, this is my ransom, this is my atonement. This chicken shall go to death and I shall proceed to a good, long life and peace.
I am thinking about performing this ritual for a time and record the results. Any thoughts would be nice:)
There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt.
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To me this seems like the kind of ritual you would do if you felt guilty about having committed some sin, were afraid of facing the consequences, and were willing to let the poor chicken suffer on your behalf. The idea of using a blood sacrifice to pay for forgiveness is a formula found in the Jewish scriptures, and is the central formula of Christianity. It doesn't strike me as very Thelemic, though. (You did ask for any thoughts.)
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@gmugmble said
"To me this seems like the kind of ritual you would do if you felt guilty about having committed some sin, were afraid of facing the consequences, and were willing to let the poor chicken suffer on your behalf. The idea of using a blood sacrifice to pay for forgiveness is a formula found in the Jewish scriptures, and is the central formula of Christianity. It doesn't strike me as very Thelemic, though. (You did ask for any thoughts.)"
Yes I did:)
I agree it follows IAO in principle. I was hoping for some Qab analysis so I could understand it better. I also found interesting was that a ram was also used...replacing the chicken. It would make it a ritualistic recreation of IAO I would think (maybe not. just a thread of thought I am pondering ).
Also, you can replace the sacrifice with anything else of value to you. That being said, it has the feel of TOWER work(again maybe I am wrong, just another thought thread....).
There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt.
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@Frater ALLAShALLA said
"This is my exchange, this is my ransom, this is my atonement. This chicken shall go to death and I shall proceed to a good, long life and peace."
@Frater ALLAShALLA said
"I agree it follows IAO in principle. "
I don't know if it is good magick—I haven't thought about that aspect of it, but I'm pretty sure it isn't IAO, not even in principle.
The dying god formula is not primarily about avoiding bad karma, which this ritual seems to be about. It's about new life.
This life is the soul of Thelema, as I understand it. We understand that death is an illusion—the sun does not die every day, it just disappears below the horizon as the earth rotates on its axis.
FIAOF
Love and Will
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@gmugmble said
"To me this seems like the kind of ritual you would do if you felt guilty about having committed some sin, were afraid of facing the consequences, and were willing to let the poor chicken suffer on your behalf. The idea of using a blood sacrifice to pay for forgiveness is a formula found in the Jewish scriptures, and is the central formula of Christianity. It doesn't strike me as very Thelemic, though. (You did ask for any thoughts.)"
Exactly. It's Black Magick of the purest kind, saturated with avoidance and displacement. (There's a reason it's recommended for right before Yom Kippur!)
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You might be interested in checking out the practice of the scapegoat, an Old Testament practice that was also for Yom Kippur.
Two goats were selected, and one became a sacrifice, and the other would become the scapegoat. The sacrificed one would have it's blood sprinkled in the holy of holies. The other would receive confessions of the people, and then get pushed off a cliff.
The Kapparot practice sounds like it echoes some of this original formula.
You might also find it interesting to compare against the New Testament account of Jesus, when Pilate is going to release one of the prisoners, and the people vote to free Barabbas instead of Jesus.
As mentioned, the entire formula of original sin and propitiation is the dying God formula of the Aeon of Osiris. So, not really sure what you intend to get out of it.
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I think I have heard enough to just leave it alone.
There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt.