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According to Traditional lore, the original role of
the Sword Circle was to provide physical security against mundane threats;
while a ritual was being performed, members of Sword would be nearby, keeping a
lookout against anyone who might seek to disrupt the proceedings - a real
possibility in that time and place. They
were prepared to face and repel any interlopers by whatever means necessary -
from reasoned discussion up to and including lethal force.
With the founding of the Cascadian Sean Ciall community, the role of the Sword Circle has evolved.
While the Circle is still responsible for physical security during ritual, its role has become
more participatory, and its responsibilities have extended into the realms of
ritual and magick. Members of this
Sword Circle walk the path of the Magickal Warrior.
During ritual, it is usually the Sword Circle which casts the
circle, establishing and maintaining the boundaries of the ritual space.
Members of Sword also act as Blackguards (known elsewhere as “Door Warders” or “Gate Guardians”).
Within the context of the ritual itself, the Circle’s role is two-fold: To
contain and assist in concentrating and focusing the energies being raised, and
to ensure that no external force - physical or magickal - disturbs or disrupts
the course of the ritual.
Materially and magickally, members of Sword Circle place themselves between the greater Sean Ciall
community and any external threat.
This perspective is not merely metaphorical. People
who work with Sword Circle in ritual should be fully prepared to put themselves
in actual danger. For one thing,
Sword Circle always works with real weapons in ritual; all blades are sharp,
any other weapons are fully functional and potentially deadly. For
another, should a mundane threat to the participants in a ritual appear, it is
Sword’s responsibility to respond and defend against it. And
finally, magickally, if any external force should attempt to disrupt or corrupt
the ritual, Sword Circle is tasked with deflecting and repelling it. These
are serious responsibilities, and should not be entered into lightly or
frivolously. Discipline is an
important element of working with Sword Circle, because in ritual every member
must trust every other member with their physical well-being and, to an extent,
with their life - as do all the other members of the Sean Ciall ritual
community.
Persons working with Sword Circle are expected to become familiar with both physical and magickal
methods of self-defense. Areas
explored in Sword Circle meetings include martial techniques (swordsmanship,
unarmed combat and other weapons), handgun use, physical fitness and
conditioning, tactical theory, first aid, survival skills, wards, protective
and defensive magicks, and other relevant subjects; regular attendance of
Circle meetings will provide a minimal knowledge base, but it is recommended
that members further their studies in both martial and magickal studies on
their own.
Those who wish to Dedicate to Initiation into this Circle will be assigned a specific year-long
training regimen, both physical and magickal in curriculum, intended to help
prepare them to meet the requirements for Initiation. Completion
of the regimen is self-motivated, but the Dedicant will be expected to
periodically check in with the Circle leadership. Once
the preparation regimen and Initiation requirements are completed, a Dedicant
can apply for Initiation.
"Essay (c)G.P."
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