Dear Baya,

     I wish I had more power. I don’t mean political power, but rather the power to control spiritual forces. I mean magical and ritual power. Then I’d be able to solve lots of problems – make people well, destroy my enemies, bring good fortune.

     But what do I know about ritual and magic in detail? Very little. Since you’ve worked a lot on magic and sorcery, could you explain how it all works?

     For instance, what are rituals? Why are certain things powerful (totems) and others forbidden (taboos)? Why do rituals seem to congregate around important points in our lives – birth, marriage and death? Why do they often seem to involve pain? Why do they seem to have a sort of structure, a beginning, a middle and an end.? What are the similarities between religious rituals and ordinary ceremonies, between rituals and art?

     Why are humans so fascinated and indeed compelled by ritual? Why is our life often filled with so many small, repeated, actions without which we feel insecure? And are these what you would call rituals?

      I feel that this is kind of central, but I can’t really get my teachers to explain. The lessons and indeed much of my school life is very ritualistic and I know that my graduation from school and joining university will be full of rituals. But no-one I’ve met seems to have much idea of what is behind so much of our formal life. Could you tell me what it’s all about – and then perhaps I’ll be able to invent and use rituals in a more creative way?

Lots of love,