Whatever you want it to be

The warm half of the year rolls to a glorious end. No matter what the rest of the year is like, October always makes it worthwhile.

We mark the move from summer to winter on Saturday, October 26, from 8 p.m. 'til cock crow, as the invitation says. True to our tradition, it's the last Saturday of the month.

The Sacrifice

A number of traditions have evolved over the past 22 years. Foremost is the Sacrifice, where we burn a chosen friend in effigy. The effigy itself is a human-size "skeleton" made entirely of pinewood and pegs and twine, no metal at all, covered up in corn stalks and tall grass. We call this our Greenman. At the climax of a short, non-religious ritual, we put the Greenman into the bonfire, symbolically burning our friend at the stake. It's meant to be a great honor and, according to ancient 22-year-old lore, a portent of a life-changing year ahead for the honoree. Whether you believe the lore or not, it makes for a wicked entertaining fire.

The Communal Cup

Other traditions surround this central rite. Early in the celebration we pass a cup clockwise to each person around the bonfire. The cup is filled with a lightly alcoholic seasonal brew, often apple cider charged with a liqueur. The shared experience of drinking a mystery drink in the dark around a bonfire helps to focus attention on the Sacrifice that follows.

Breaking the Taboo

Between the passing of the cup and the Sacrifice, we also traditionally break a rule of some sort. One year, for example, I picked out the "Tootsie Rolls" from what appeared to be a cat's litter box and ate them in front of everyone. The litter box was a cake, actually, and the "Tootsie Rolls" were, well, Tootsie Rolls. But everyone was suitably horrified. The point is, violating a social taboo triggers a gut-level, emotional response. In many practices (Tantric yoga, Wicca, psychotherapy), emotional shock can lead to a breakthrough in perception. It's a technique even found in the Bible, in the story where Jesus grossed out his friends by calling the bread his body and the wine his blood. Well, maybe the intent was different.

In any event, the sharing of the cup, the taboo breaking, and the burning are three elements that might be considered ritual. Or together they might make up a ritual. Or they mean nothing at all. It's really up to each and every person who shows up at our bonfire.

This is probably a good time to bring up the definition of ritual in folklore. It's not necessarily something religious in any sense of the word. At least the way we do it, it's just a symbol of a moment in time, an experience remembered. A ritual is setting up a Christmas tree or barbecuing on Labor Day or making a wish and blowing out the candles on a birthday cake.

Our bonfire is whatever you want. Think of it as a lark. Think of it as a feast. Or think of it as a ritual. There is no dogma in a fire.