So I was thinking at work (I do it a lot, not much else to do tbh) about being Balimoran and also this whole magiq thing, and I got to thinking what a Balimoran initiation might look like. I wrote it down and I’m intrigued to see what y’all think:
Balimoran Initiation
The ceremony takes place in a small grove near a large tree. The space can and should change from initiation to initiation, and need only be quiet and connected to nature. The witnesses should all be previously initiated members of the Balimora who are friends with the new initiate. The elder is simply one of their number who leads the ceremony, and doesn’t indicate rank.
E: Welcome, friend. You are here to heed the Earth’s call?
I: I am.
E: Feel free to place your hand on the tree.
All witnesses place their hands on the tree alongside the initiate’s.
E: You may say the pledge.
I: I swear allegiance to the Great Chaos. I feel the call of the wild, and swear allegiance to the Earth and all on it. I swear allegiance to the order that exists within the Chaos, to its rhythms, ebbs and flows, wherever these may take me. I swear allegiance to my kin in the Balimora, that we might live and grow together as life does, and struggle and suffer together, as death does. Most of all, I swear allegiance to myself, that I might be true to my own judgement, individuality and humanity.
Elder and Initiate both kneel to plant a seed of the initiate’s choosing. Both kneel together and both rise together.
E: As you plant the seeds of growth into the soil, let them take root. Let us, your kin in Balimora, plant seeds in you, that you too might grow strong in the light of the world.
Witnesses walk past the initate. As they do, each witness takes a turn to place a hand on the shoulder of the initiate as they pass and offer a blessing.
W1: Let me plant the seed of courage, when all around you is despair.
W2: Let me plant the seed of joy, when all around you is sadness.
W3: Let me plant the seed of compassion, when all around you is cruelty.
W4: Let me plant the seed of freedom, when all around you is slavery.
W5: Let me plant the seed of peace, when all around you is discord.
E: Let me plant the seed of love, when all around you is hate.
All members now stand behind the initiate.
E: We plant these seeds that they may grow and that you might bask in their shade when the heat of the mundane grows to be too much. We also freely offer our shade, and pledge to protect you as the world protects us. You are now kin in the guild of the Balimora and are free to forge your own path across the bountiful Earth. We stand behind you, in aid, solidarity and kinship with you.
The ceremony is over, feel free for all witnesses to rush over and bear hug the initiate. Or tackle them, or play Get Down Mr. President. Go wild – it is the Balimora after all.