Art Ritual – To Cast Out The Demon Of War

While a mad drummer, wearing a demon mask, drums the drum of murder.

Go and hold hands in a square of four.

Then one on the North side of the square step into its middle.

Have them hold up a medal with its sharp pin turned outward and say

“Here is a medal for foolishness. This we give to all who go to war. All war is idiocy”.

Then let them try to pin the medal on a red balloon and so burst it.

Let the East side shout, “Guns, fire no more!” and pop a white balloon.

Let the west side shout, “Bombs, explode no more!” and pop a blue balloon.

Let the south side shout, “This is the empty rhetoric of war!” and stamp upon a whoopee cushion.

Now, all within the square, close their eyes and fall down and all say, “Because we are not dead we may rise up again, open our eyes and see the world. That is the good fortune of the living”.

Now all join hands once more in a square of four.

And East and West step forwards and shake hands saying, “Let us have peace and friendship forever more within our world”.

Now North and South step forward and kiss three times and say, “May the power of love heal
this world and bring us all together”.

Now let north step forward and light a candle and say, “Life is a precious flame that only burns
for so long; your life and all life is sacred and should be preserved by peace”.

Now let south ring a golden bell and say, “This is the joyous laughter of love and peace. Long may it ring”.

Now let East step forward with a flower in a pot and say, “Life is a beautiful thing. Life should be joy, not violence and hate. Each life is like a flower. War is like sickness, a spreader of death that only darkens and destroys”.

Now let West step forward and say, “Are we all agreed that we shall put an end to war”

All say, “We are”.

Now let the drumming of murder cease.