Just a candid post about expectations in Mediterranean trancework.
Mediterranean trancework is built different. Sometimes I forget how different until I am among the Friendly Uninitiated and then I see how they respond to it. There are a few popular concepts out there in mainstream neo-pagan circles that are at odds with the sort of trance rituals that I do and talk about here.
Mediterranean trancework produces a lot of energy. Even the most basic of trance ceremonies can and will do this. Those who go under, the entranced, they may weep uncontrollably, they may scream, they may speak in tongues, make animal noises, pound on the ground, dig their fingers into the earth. It looks intense and it feels really good, honestly. But it is normal. Expected. This is just what it looks like to be free. It is not something that requires intervention and trying to intervene in it can actually cause physical harm. The moment someone bursts into tears is not the moment to try to "ground them."
The Friendly Uninitiated do tend to freak out a little when they see it and when they see us not responding to it immediately. It is just energy leaving the body so that the human body and psyche can self-regulate through the process of trancework. Out it goes! We do not repress that sort of thing. We do not try to squelch it. We definitely to not lay hands on the entranced when they are going through it because we do not want them to experience unexpected physical sensations as that will pull them back into their body--sometimes violently, depending on how much of a shock it is.
Putting even well intentioned uninitiated hands on the entranced can cause feelings of nausea, physical pain, and grief for something that can't be explained. We just don't do it. Not until the PTFO--which is the formal signal that the entranced is begining the return to their body. And then we have a very specific routine to help us gently bring them back with no expectation of sobriety because even with "grounding" they will still be trance drunk until they get some sleep.
I have attended many neo-pagan rituals and most have a sort of Protestant feel to them. There is an expectation of revered silence or a spectrum of sensible polite ways to respond. Some people do weep and find them very powerful and I have seen others respond to them with hugs and putting hands on the shoulders to share the burden of energy. The goal there seems to be to quiet the emotion. These are valid and wonderful rituals but the expectation of what participation should look like just happens to be very different from Mediterranean trancework.
We loud. We can be very loud. Very emotional. Liberty is a part of trancework and some folks have to actively learn to let go of old habits that have instructed them to be smol and quiet. But these are the often unspoken expectations of these two types of ceremonies. Which is why I wanted to ake a moment to talk about them. I forget that I should probably warn the Friendly Uninitiated who may be off in the background looking on with increasing horror at the people screaming ancient chants and rolling around on the ground. We good. No grounding needed. Thank you though!
(I'm just using any rando pic as a page break these days...)
During the course of those stately neo-pagan rituals that I mentioned above, I can't say that I have ever witnessed someone catching a case of the "oh holy-holies!" Which is to say, someone you did not expect to get ridden by an invited spirit or god jumping out of line and launching into a full proof-of-state. (Proof of State= Doing something that only spirits or gods would want to or be able to do. Usually a part of ecstatic spirit possession and Bridal rituals.) That doesn't mean that it doesn't happen or hasn't happened, just that I don't think the expectations of those rituals are built for that. I would be perfectly confused if I did see it because I have never seen any of the triggers that could cause it being used in a stately neo-pagan ritual.
Mediterranean trancework is built different. We ready for that sort of thing. Ecstatic rituals, any ritual where spirits are expected, are considered highly contagious and spirit possession is not rare in the slightest. It is not an honor. It is not special. It is a tremendous PITA and it is coming for YOU! Just kidding... kinda.
There are built in fail-safes to discourage these things from happening included in all types of Mediterranean trance rituals and just in day to day folk religion. We have them there because they happen and it is very much a normal--if undesireable--thing.
We do not invite spirits anywhere. They just show up.
We do not try to put spirits into human bodies. They just show up.
We do everything we can to prevent it. They still show up.
They show up because where there's one, there's more. So, if we know someone has a spirit, we do not let them trance with those who do not. This is because it is contagious and sensible people do not want to live like that.
Fortunately spirits have rules that they have to follow. Always. These rules are solid. And knowledge and experience with these rules are what allows us to interact when we have to. Once someone is confirmed (by ritual) to have a spirit, they no longer get to trance with those who do not. They have very specific trance rituals that they get to do with the other folks in the same situation.
Lots of folks in the neo-pagan world "work with spirits." And that is treated as a fairly normal and even desireable thing. I have not observed any kind of tradition of contagion in those rituals. (And yes, I have watched. From afar. With bells on. Because I am a curious idiot.) I feel about neo-pagan spirit rituals the way I imagine the Friendly Uninitiated feel about my lack of grounding when the entranced get fussy.
Expectations are different. Different strokes for different folks.
(Hands are such complicated creatures.)
3. Group Trancework vs Solo Trancework & Misleading Terms
Any attempt at doing Mediterranean trancework solo is going to leave things out. It is not built for that. From the very beginning and throughout all of history, Mediterranean trancework has been done in groups. Every aspect of it is built upon that foundation. Attempting to do it alone will not yield the same spectrum of expected results.
This is not to come down on those who try. Many many times I have wished that it were possible to be a "solitary practitioner" with folk-ritual based trancework. I have made every effort that I could think of to find ways to replicate the rituals on a smaller scale and the absolute minimum that I could bring it to was 3 people. One to make the music, one to monitor the entranced and keep the external needs running, and one to go under. And even that was too few to replicate things like shapeshifting, spiritwork, and deity Bridalwork rituals.
Trancework itself is possible solo. You can trance on purpose with recorded music and feel all the feelies and have a great time but the end result of that kind of ceremony is completely different. A trance ritual is a recipe. An experienced chef knows what pieces they can replace and still get the correct results. The more you change that recipe, the more you change the outcome.
There is this idea floating around that to make any kind of trance ritual happen you need big music + wild dancing or chanting the right words and you will get whatever you desire as the outcome. That has been slowly changing in the last decade to add elements like color coding but there's a lot more to it if you want to get the same results as those who engage in living ecstatic traditions (not just from the Med but all over).
Those who engage with living ecstatic traditions have a different set of expectations for what trance rituals of all kinds might look like and what their outcomes might be when compared to those who come from a solo trancing background. There are more recipes in the cookbook, so to speak. A different recipe for every outcome. While solo trancework often uses the same recipe for every outcome. Both styles are valid and worth pursuing but they do yield different experiences. Mediterranean trancework comes with a village mentality wherein we expect that certain roles will be filled communally and that there even are differentiated roles to be filled. And that is a big part of what powers the ability to create different recipes to begin with.
People often use the same terms for different experiences--which really doesn't help. This is part of why I maintain a separate set of terms and I often shy away from the words "ecstatic dance" because it has a very different set of expectations among those who do not come from a communal folk tradtion background. It is popularly used to mean any form of wild dancing that makes you feel kinda funny. And for the trancing soloist who is limited in what they can do in the kitchen, this makes sense. It will be a bit confusing if you bring the expectations of one into the expectations of another.
There are probably more comparisons I could make about expectation in Mediterranean trancework but these are the big three that have been rolling around in my brain recently. Thanks for reading and I hope it gave you something neat to ponder.
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