Smoke Blessing of the Storm

Smoke Blessing of the Storm is a religious ritual, performed by the faithful of The Lord of Storms from the City of Kohaku, although commonly recognizable among the Kohakujin outside of the city. It's intended purpose is to grand The Lord of Storms the strenght for him to retain the capability of helping the people during the nearby period of time, usually the upcoming year.

Execution

Ritual consists of the group of the priests (typically female, also barefoot - to signify the humility) gathered around the fireplace, with various items prepared on the side. Each prayer is said in a rythm specific to this ritual
At the beggining, one of the priests lits the fire and says the begging prayer:

The Lord of The Storms, who command the Clouds
Your faithful servants have prepared the gifts
Look at our offerings with your graceful eyes
Take the blessed smoke coming from the flame
Make it part of the Clouds of Yours
Make the Storm be born from them

Each of priest(esse)s is doing those things in a consecutive order:

1. Taking particular sacrifical item with symbolic meaning
2. Approch the fire place
3. Say the words of prayer, unique for the sacrificial item and generally related to it's symbolic meaning
4. Throw the sacrificial item into the fire

After all items has been thrown into the fire, all of the priest(esse)s come closer to the fire, grab their hands to form a circle and say the words of the finishing prayer together:

The Lord of The Storms, who command the Clouds
The flame consumed what was prepared
Look at our offerings with your graceful eyes
The blessed smoke now will come forth
Make it part of the Clouds of Yours
Give us all your providence

The ceremony closes by the preistess(es) exinguishing the fire by pouring down the water on it. The goal is to create as many smoke as possible in order for it to bring within itself the sacrifices thrown into the fire for the Lord of Storms could have incorporated into the clouds of his storm.

Components and tools

Giant, ritual hearth - able to make a huge flame
Customary gifts thrown into the fire:

• Rice - symbolizes prayer for fertility and life-giving rain

  The Holy Flame who takes it all
  Sacrifice is beared to you
  Consume the produce that we made
  To bring the help for The Lord of Storms
  To shun the drought and make rain fall

• Fish meat - symbolizes prayer for the beneficial winds of the sea for the sailors

  The Holy Flame who takes it all
  Sacrifice is beared to you
  Consume what we took from the sea
  To bring the help for The Lord of Storms
  To guide the winds like would sailors want

• Wool of a sheep - symbolizes prayer for protection from the coldests of blizzards

  The Holy Flame who takes it all
  Sacrifice is beared to you
  Consume what brings us warmth
  To bring the help for The Lord of Storms
  From the winter chills, protect us all

• High-quality purple-dyed cloth - symbolizes prayer for the overall prosperity

  The Holy Flame who takes it all
  Sacrifice is beared to you
  Consume the wealth we worked so hard
  To bring the help for The Lord of Storms
  To shun away poverty that looms

• Bamboo slips with valued poem written down - symbolizes prayer for the power of the lightning to destroy what is needed to destroy

  The Holy Flame who takes it all
  Sacrifice is beared to you
  Consume the wisdom cherished by us
  To bring the help for The Lord of Storms
  To let Great Thunder strike with force
  That was never seen before

• Wood from the citrus tree the most fetrile this season - symbolizes prayer for the growth no matter what conditions reign supreme

  The Holy Flame who takes it all
  Sacrifice is beared to you
  Consume the tree that gave the fruits
  To bring the help for The Lord of Storms
  To let our fruits be born in all of time
  Even in the Perill that brings the death

• Hair of all the priest(esse)s involved in the ritual - symbolizes personal devotion of the people involved to the cause, always thrown last, and always present (even if other gifts are changed)

  The Holy Flame who takes it all
  Sacrifice is beared to you
  Consume us, those, who call a prayer
  To bring the help for The Lord of Storms
  To become the part of his strengh
  We are the tools for Him to use

The exact items sacrificed and prayer said can change dependent of the need, with the exception of the hair.

Participants

Chief priest(ess) - One and only a one, needed for the ritual to be performed, she is the one who lits the fire and says the prayer at the beggining, her role is also that of throwing the first gift into the flame. It is customary for this role to be performed by the head priestess in the local temple or be chosen by her
Lower priest(ess) - Perform the rest of duties, the needs be at least one of them, usually their number is at most one less than the number of gifts, although it is not a crucial factor

Observance

The ceremony is traditionally held publically at the beggining of the each year, during the Holiday Period. However, it can be performed in the other times if the unusual circumstances require it. During those times, it's usually performed without an audience.

Important Locations

• Kohaku

Related Ethnicities

• Kohakujin