Pantheacon (9) - The Feri Revival

If you can imagine a cross between a Wicca-ish ritual and a Southern Baptist revival—you’ll have some idea of what a Feri Pagan Tent Revival is like.  I had heard about this event from previous Pantheacons but had never before attended.

 

I don’t know much about the Feri tradition.  It makes some of my friends “uncomfortable”—they consider it “creepy.”  From what I have read about it, it seems visionary and artistic.  I do sense more ambiguity and darkness than in some other Pagan traditions—but I don’t consider that in itself a bad thing.

As for the Feri “Revival”—I wonder how many of the participants come out of a U.S. Southern, or Southern Baptist Evangelical background.  I don’t, although I have lived in the South.

We were handed fans on the way in, I suppose so that we could fan ourselves as the room “heated up” with our fervor.  The event began with an musical offering from the choir.  Then, in a manner similar to Wiccan rituals, the directions were invoked.  This was done with music—my impression is that Feri is a very musical tradition.  In distinction to Wicca, seven directions, with their associated deities/personalities were called.  These were the four cardinal directions, the Center, and Above and Below.  This brought to mind the Nine Worlds of Norse tradition, which are these seven plus an additional world above and an additional one below.

Then The Preacher preached—and what a sermon she delivered!  It went on for some time—although I didn’t time it.  But it must have been ten…fifteen…or even more minutes.  There were shouts from the assembled of Amen!  I must confess, however, that I have no idea what The Preacher actually said.  I didn’t write anything down.  For how could I truly participate in the Revival and take notes at the same time?  And if The Preacher worked me into a trance, how could I record my impressions at the same time?  All I know is that I was moved, that I did enjoy—that I was transformed (in some undefined and unrecorded way).

I do have a note (but am I sure it refers to the Revival and not the following, Voodoo, event?):  “Full use of senses and emotions for ritual transformation.”  I think the note does refer to the Revival; it used music, words, costume, ritual objects and motion to change consciousness.

I did read later that Feri is related to Faery.  Or is it?  It appears the main connection is the similarity of the two words.  They may (paradoxically) be related simply in the fact that they consider one another different, although using related words to describe themselves.

But I enjoyed the Revival and felt…well…revived by it!  As for better understanding the Feri Tradition—that will come with time, I suppose.