We’ve been discussing the use of ritual within
children’s play because stories with a child as the protagonist have
been cropping up a lot over the past week.
Some of my strongest memories of rituals are from before I was seven
and were self-made, situation-based play – we took on roles and were
all complicit in the rules. It was a way of bonding in a specific place
with a particular group, for enjoyment, excitement and sometimes fear.
Perhaps most relevant is the fact that we all knew it was ‘play’ – a
fantasy, and understood when we were playing and when we weren’t. This
seems different to most adult rituals I have encountered, which have
implications beyond the ritual itself and bind or sign you up to a
specific way of leading your life.
I think I am more interested in the childs approach to ritual for
Treasured, the last thing we want to do is try to create our own cult –
we’re not charismatic enough for a start!