I have definitely considered that—both for the “Santa” parts as well as particular narrative parts. For instance, this year I focused specifically on Stonehenge and some symbolism that it suggested, and the song that came after Beyond the Reach of God tied in with that.
I think it’s valuable to keep the song, because changing songs each year means that things can’t really acquire ritual oomph. But the song only really made sense in the context of stories I told earlier, and the stories were interesting in part BECAUSE they were genuinely new information for some people.
I think it’d be interesting to change the narrative each year, whether the sillier or the serious parts. It’s worth noting that that IS a lot of work, which I may be willing to do a few times but might come with an opportunity cost of not making it awesomer in other ways. I think I intend to keep all the things I liked for next year (including at least a few lovecraft-inspired things), just so we can see what they look like when done with a full year of work instead of a month.
After that we’ll see what people feel is really worth keeping.
I have to agree with you on the song, although if it only really made sense in the context of the stories you told, perhaps a short prelude could be added to the beginning? (I assume this is one of the songs you wrote yourself?)
Given that it is a lot of work, have you looked at potential collaborators? Again just a suggestion, but the end result could be that more time gets spent on each element of the ritual and it would greatly lessen the strain on yourself. Of course that’s providing your fellow collaborators are as effective as yourself in ritual construction!
If this is what you’ve achieved in a month though, I’m almost scared of what you could achieve in a year.
I actually had a hard time getting local people in the group to collaborate, but I did get good collaboration when I posted things here I needed help with, albeit mysteriously. I kept the project secret because it WAS targeted to a personal audience, I wasn’t sure how the Lovecraft stuff would sound without having a lengthy post to explain it in context, and to some extent I just wanted to be able to surprise people with a finished product.
But this year collaborating on Less Wrong would definitely be valuable.
I suspect you’ll probably find it much easier to get local people to contribute next time around given the awesomeness inherent in this time around.
Perhaps you could put all the resources (in terms of data) you’ve used for this year’s ritual in one place (I’ve no idea where you might host it though) to provide the basis of a kind of “ritualist’s toolbox”. The idea being to over time build up enough resources in order to hold future rituals indefinitely and ensure the kind of variety in content required to prevent cultishness.
An added bonus is that it means you can make the resources to be used for the next ritual open to collaboration while keeping the specific narrative planned a secret, the ritual the oomph can be maintained all the better. (While a new narrative may not contain more information than present in the toolbox it will present it in a different manner causing its implications to be perceived differently, something along the lines of Making History Available )
I have definitely considered that—both for the “Santa” parts as well as particular narrative parts. For instance, this year I focused specifically on Stonehenge and some symbolism that it suggested, and the song that came after Beyond the Reach of God tied in with that.
I think it’s valuable to keep the song, because changing songs each year means that things can’t really acquire ritual oomph. But the song only really made sense in the context of stories I told earlier, and the stories were interesting in part BECAUSE they were genuinely new information for some people.
I think it’d be interesting to change the narrative each year, whether the sillier or the serious parts. It’s worth noting that that IS a lot of work, which I may be willing to do a few times but might come with an opportunity cost of not making it awesomer in other ways. I think I intend to keep all the things I liked for next year (including at least a few lovecraft-inspired things), just so we can see what they look like when done with a full year of work instead of a month.
After that we’ll see what people feel is really worth keeping.
I have to agree with you on the song, although if it only really made sense in the context of the stories you told, perhaps a short prelude could be added to the beginning? (I assume this is one of the songs you wrote yourself?)
Given that it is a lot of work, have you looked at potential collaborators? Again just a suggestion, but the end result could be that more time gets spent on each element of the ritual and it would greatly lessen the strain on yourself. Of course that’s providing your fellow collaborators are as effective as yourself in ritual construction!
If this is what you’ve achieved in a month though, I’m almost scared of what you could achieve in a year.
I actually had a hard time getting local people in the group to collaborate, but I did get good collaboration when I posted things here I needed help with, albeit mysteriously. I kept the project secret because it WAS targeted to a personal audience, I wasn’t sure how the Lovecraft stuff would sound without having a lengthy post to explain it in context, and to some extent I just wanted to be able to surprise people with a finished product.
But this year collaborating on Less Wrong would definitely be valuable.
I suspect you’ll probably find it much easier to get local people to contribute next time around given the awesomeness inherent in this time around.
Perhaps you could put all the resources (in terms of data) you’ve used for this year’s ritual in one place (I’ve no idea where you might host it though) to provide the basis of a kind of “ritualist’s toolbox”. The idea being to over time build up enough resources in order to hold future rituals indefinitely and ensure the kind of variety in content required to prevent cultishness.
An added bonus is that it means you can make the resources to be used for the next ritual open to collaboration while keeping the specific narrative planned a secret, the ritual the oomph can be maintained all the better. (While a new narrative may not contain more information than present in the toolbox it will present it in a different manner causing its implications to be perceived differently, something along the lines of Making History Available )
Just some thoughts.