[CoT] Rites

These are the rites we perform regularly. Notice they are a pretty great deviation from the Auctoritas Ritae.

Confession
        Before participating in any other rites all Church members nust cleanse thier soul by confessing and performing appropriate penance for any sins comitted since the last confession. This is a private rite between the church member and the pastor. During the hours before a regular ceremony, or when feeling particularly burdened by sin, the church member should seek out the pastor in a private location, preferably the church.
        The rite begins with the formulaic saying "Bless me father for I have sinned, I has been [Time] since I last confessed and in that time I have strayed and ask forgivness." The church member should then confess his sins with the pastor, including why he felt it nessacary to sin at that time. The Pastor should listen, and discuss the sins commited. When the Pastor is satisfied that the member has covered everything he will assign penance.
        Penance is usually manual labor for the good of the church, often unpleasant or tedious giving the member the opportunity to reflect apon his wrong doing.
        While the member may have confessed everything, and performed his penance The Rite of Confesson is not complete until the member successfully participates in the Asp's Blessing.

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Asp's Blessing
        At the beginning of any communal ceremony the Pastor shall perform the Asp's Blessing Rite to test the fitness of the members to participate in further rites. Any member failing this rite shall immediatly and publicly confess his sins before the Pastor and the Church and shall be required to perform the penance as the church as a whole requires. He shall be excluded from further participation until such penance is performed.

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Vaulderie (Communion)
        All members who successfully complete the Asp's Blessing may participate in the Vaulderie, in fact the two rites are often mixed, with each member coming forward for the Blessing and then contributing Blood before retreating to his place in the church.
        Each member steps forward to the front the church and declares the he is willing to give of himself for the good of the church. Then the pastor takes the Spear and peirces the members side, allowing his blood to flow down the spears groove into the basin, the Pastor shall determine how many Blood traits each member contributes removing the spear when he feels it is appropriate. Once each member has contributed the Ductus and Pastor contribute in turn.
        Once all have contributed the Pastor takes the basin and retires to the altar. There he blesses the blood. He then carries the basin back to the front of the church, and fills the sacred chalice with a single trait of blood. Each member in turn returns to the font of the church and drinks from the chalice. Members who contributed more than one trait drink multiple chalices. Before each member drinks the Pastor ask "Do you accept the Blood of the Pack?" and the member replies "I accept the Blood of the Pack". The member then returns to his place in the church.

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Creation Rites (Baptism)
        Creation rites can only be begun on a Friday. Each member should participate in the above rites with each member contributing twice the usual amount of Blood. At the point of the Vaulderie when the Pastor blesses the Blood instead of returning the basin to the front he calls forth the acolyte and his sponsor who have not participated in the Vaulderie.
        The two come forward from outside the church and complete the Asp's Blessing. Apon its completion the sponsor leads the acolyte on to the stage and turns him to face the church with his back against the cross. The sponsor then straps the acolyte to the cross with one strap on each wrist and one about both feet. The sponsor then takes his place behind the cross and acolyte (a small raised platform is availible ). The sponsor the reaches his arms around the acolyte embracing him and asks "Are you prepared to die and be reborn?" The Acolyte answers affirmativly. The sponsor then reaches up and draws his hand across the acolytes eyes closing them.
        From the altar the Pastor the takes up the sacred hammer and spikes and nails the acolyte to the cross, left hand first. Once complete he and the Decon remove the top of the platform revealing the pool and snakes. The Decon then peices the side of the acolyte with the Spear draining his blood into a second basin. As the acolyte succumbs the sponsor applies the Kiss taking the final trait of blood. The Decon removes the Spear and holds it up for the sponsor to slash his wrist so that he may feed the acolyte and trait of his blood, transforming the acolye into an Initate.
        While the Acoylte drains the Pastor has brought forth the Vaulderie basin and place it before the church. Once the acoylte is embraced the priest fills the chalice and feeds the Blessed Blood to the Initiate in order so ensure his loyalty to the church. The pastor wades amoungst the snakes as needed. The Initiate is given as much blood as was drained into the mortal basin.
        The pack then completes the Vaulderie and any other rituals it may have to do that night, leaving the Initiate on the cross.
        At the end of the night after the Initiate has gone to sleep the Pastor takes him down from the cross, wraps him in white linen, lays him in the bottom of the pool, chains him down and closes the pool covers over him. The Initate reamins in the pool for 3 days (until Sunday night).
        Sunday night the pack again comes to ceremony, and after Vaulderie Initiate is raised from the pool and welcomed into the church.

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Confirmation
        While creation rites welcome the Initiate into a new life it does not complete thier spiritual journey into the Sabbat. Before his confirmation an Initiate can not participate fully in the Valuderie. He is not allowed to contribute blood and may only drink. Once an Initiate has proved himself he must be Confirmed into the Sabbat. The pack comes togeather as usual, and performs the Asp's Blessing. At this point the Bishop will anoint the Initiate with the Blood from his mortal self, and declare the Initate a full member of the Sabbat. The pack then performs a Vaulderie and the new member can participate fully.
        

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Anointing of the Wounded.
        During confession if any of the membership are wounded or ill they should let the pastor know show he can be prepared. After the Blessing of the Blood the Pastor will come forth into the Church and ask the wounded to come forward. The Pastor will say "Through the anoiting by the church may you be healed in your wounds." The church responds "Amen". The pastor then anoits the palms and forhead of the wounded saying "May you be freed from harm be raised up whole again". The church responds "Amen".

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- (Holy Orders)
        Performed by the Bishop (or a Prohpet in a pinch)
        3 Levels: Decon, Pastor, Bishop.
        I havn't worked these out yet.

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If I actually could spell I'd have spelled it right in the first place. 
Shawn Moore <smoore@teuse.net>		
http://www.teuse.net