***Over the course of 8 weeks, students from XPUB prepared a ritual to perform at the top of Monday morning class. We explored cultural rituals such as the birthday cake and coffee-ground reading, but also more personal rituals such as 'going to sleep' rituals, a personal hard-drive purification, and the creation of worry-dolls.***
*** For 8 weeks, students from XPUB prepared a ritual to perform at the top of Monday morning class. We explored cultural rituals such as the birthday cake and coffee-ground reading, but also more personal rituals such as 'going to sleep' rituals, a personal hard-drive purification, and the creation of worry-dolls.***
### Week 1, January 9th 2023: Tea and Cookies
### Week 1, January 9th 2023: Tea and Cookies
***Performed by... Artemis and Lidia***
***Performed by... Artemis and Lidia***
Artemis and Lidia introduced us to Monday Morning Rituals on the first cold, dark, wintery Monday morning. We shared cookies with tea as a way to open up the semester and get to know each other. The ritual of a hot drink and cookies are well-known around the world as a moment of gathering, peace, gossip, and self-care.
Artemis and Lidia introduced us to Monday Morning Rituals on the first cold, dark, wintery Monday morning. We shared cookies with tea as a way to open up the semester and get to know each other. The ritual of a hot drink and cookies is well-known around the world as a moment of gathering, peace, gossip, and self-care.
### Week 2, January 16th 2023: Coffee Fortune-Telling
### Week 2, January 16th 2023: Coffee Fortune-Telling
***Performed by... Aglaia***
***Performed by... Aglaia***
For Aglaia's ritual, we sat in a circle while the coffee was being prepared from the ancient Stove priestess who placed in the middle. When it was done, it was served to the participants in special coffee cups. We drank our coffees while gossiping and eating cookies. When everybody was done, we swirled the cup counter-clockwise 3 times and turned the coffee cup upside down over the cup's saucer. We waited patiently for 5 minutes for the fortune to be prepared. Everybody had to tell the Fortune of the person sitting on their left side by reading the coffee grounds until the circle was done.
For Aglaia's ritual, we sat in a circle while the coffee was being prepared by the ancient Stove priestess who was placed in the middle. When it was done, it was served to the participants in special coffee cups. We drank our coffee while gossiping and eating cookies. When everybody was done, we swirled the cup counter-clockwise 3 times and turned the coffee cup upside down over the cup's saucer. We waited patiently for 5 minutes for the fortune to be prepared. Everybody had to tell the Fortune of the person sitting on their left side by reading the coffee grounds until the circle was done.
@ -27,8 +29,8 @@ For Aglaia's ritual, we sat in a circle while the coffee was being prepared fro
### Week 3, January 23rd 2023 Hard Drive Purification
### Week 3, January 23rd 2023 Hard Drive Purification
***Performed by... Stephen***
***Performed by... Stephen***
Stephen prepared a few zines with instructions in order to conduct a ceremonial cleansing of not only our browser history and cookies, but also our trash cans/recycle bins. All operating systems were welcome.
Stephen prepared a few zines with instructions to conduct a ceremonial cleansing of not only our browser history and cookies but also our trash cans/recycle bins. All operating systems were welcome.
The zine was a reminder to 'clean' messy space up (for yourself), and was written in such a way that instructed us to recite sentences at the same time, with one person leading the group – a play on the magic circle.
The zine was a reminder to 'clean' messy space up (for yourself) and was written in such a way that instructed us to recite sentences at the same time, with one person leading the group – a play on the magic circle.
@ -56,13 +58,15 @@ The priestess will then interpret the cards and together we shall rejoice in hav
### Week 6, February 13th 2023: Guided Meditation (A Nighttime Ritual)
### Week 6, February 13th 2023: Guided Meditation (A Nighttime Ritual)
***Performed by... Cara***
***Performed by... Cara***
Cara's ritual related to her history of having a hard time falling asleep at night. Over the years, she has found that music - especially quiet music with the sound of nature (field recordings) – really helps her fall asleep. She DJs outside of class and plays a lot of ambient, narrative DJ sets. For her ritual, she played a sound-piece she had made of field recordings around Rotterdam (the sound of water lapping against a water taxi, the sound of wind, the sound of rain) and read out a poem about sleeplessness from a collection of literature about the Night. The ritual was meant to lull everyone to a moment of peace.
Cara's ritual is related to her history of having a hard time falling asleep at night. Over the years, she has found that music - especially quiet music with the sound of nature (field recordings) – really helps her fall asleep. She DJs outside of class and plays a lot of ambient, narrative DJ sets. For her ritual, she played a soundpiece she had made of field recordings around Rotterdam (the sound of water lapping against a water taxi, the sound of wind, the sound of rain) and read out a poem about sleeplessness from a collection of literature about the Night. The ritual was meant to lull everyone to a moment of peace.
### Week 7, February 20th 2023: Worry Dolls
### Week 7, February 20th 2023: Worry Dolls
***Performed by... Irmak***
***Performed by... Irmak***
Irmak's ritual was about how to ease our worries. We wrote down our worries on a pink piece of paper and shared them with a hand-made doll that Irmak brought. These dolls are called Worry dolls (also called trouble dolls; in Spanish, Muñeca quitapena) and originate from Guatemala. There is one in each box of our special issue.
Irmak's ritual was about how to ease our worries. We wrote down our worries on a pink piece of paper and shared them with a handmade doll that Irmak brought. These dolls are called Worry dolls (also called trouble dolls; in Spanish, Muñeca quitapena) and originate from Guatemala. There is one in each box of our special issue.
