Magic of the Ages

Moon brother/sister ritual

The moon-brother/sister ritual is a funeral ritual.

When the deceased had in the community "moon-brothers/sisters" that is people born in the same month with them to which they were very close, a specific ritual had to be performed in order to separate the living brother/sister from the deceased one.

Before taking out of the house the coffin with the deceased, a chain with a lock would be put in place to link the deceased's right ankle to the ankle of the living moon-brother/sister. Then another person, who would be a moon-brother/sister with the other two (born in the same month) but hadn't been close to them, would come with the key to the lock and would perform the ritual.

It consists of a series of questions and answers, questions asked by the new moon-brother/sister to the surviving moon-brother/sister. They would be asked three times if they wish to release the brotherhood/sisterhood, then three times again if they swear brotherhood/sisterhood to the new moon-brother/sister. After which, the new moon-brother/sister unlocks the lock and unwinds the chain.

The surviving moon brother/sister must then, when the coffin with the deceased is taken out of the house and starts the journey towards the graveyard, break the teeth of a three-toothed distaff and cast them after the coffin. If this is not done, any of the two new moon-brothers/sisters would die within a year.

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