Jaic

The Abommi morning ritual.
Jaic is a ritual performed at sunrise every day. It is intended to be a moment of calm, a reflection on yesterday, and reflection on the day to come.
The ritual is performed on a raised platform, usually made of stone, that dips very slightly in the middle. During the morning ritual, glass beads are cast across the stone platform. Occasionally, in large temples, particularly large beads will also be hung above the platform by translucent string.
An Abommi priestess will lead the present congregation in a prayer just before sunrise. Then, as the sun rises, Jaic revolves around observing the way the sunlight hits the glass and taking meaning from it. The Abommi priestess in charge will generally give a broad interpretation and the congregation are invited to observe and reflect on what it, and the display, means to them specifically and take their own interpretation.

Components and tools

The first component of Jaic is sunlight, specifically sunlight from the religion's god sun Omme Viwint. The ritual can be performed inside or outside as long as the area receives a large amount of natural sunlight. On days when the sun is hidden behind clouds, an alternate ritual is performed.
The second main component of the ritual is glass beads ranging from the size of a pea to the size of a fist. They can be any shape, flat or round. Traditionally, these would be found washed up on Ewe's coasts from natural sources such as Ewe's many active underwater volcanoes, however, glassmaking quickly became one of the biggest and most important industries on Ewe and beads and pebbles are commissioned by Abommeano in a variety of colours and opacities.
The final component that was taken for granted until Abommeano spread from Ewe to places like Mocion, was water vapour. The habitable areas of Ewe are extremely humid leading to high levels of mist and fog that affect the way the sunlight hits the glass. In less humid places, humidifiers are often used to achieve a similar effect, though the results are less random than in Ewe's natural weather cycle.

Participants

The ritual is led by the most senior priestess available at the temple. She is generally assisted by junior priestesses or priestesses in training. On special Abommi holidays, young children from the congregation are invited to assist. This is a great source of pride for parents in the congregation.

Observance

Traditionally, all Abommi members of the community would be expected every morning at the nearest temple for this ritual before starting their day. However, in modern times this expectation is looser. Abommi may only attend their nearest temple once or twice a month. The Abommi priestesses still perform the ritual every morning for employees of the temple and any particularly dedicated members of the congregation who want to join. For Abommi who want to observe the ritual in the morning but can't make it to a temple due to their location, health, or work schedule, small glass shrines or even glass amulets can be purchased and used to perform a miniature ritual in any location with natural sunlight.

Related Ethnicities

• Abommi