Hidden treasures discovered while digging through Frank Moore's huge archives.

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Gestures Intro

From Frank Moore’s performance, Journey to Lila.


A Chanter sings:

“This is a ritual, a magical ritual, a ritual of Gestures which will open up a physical, magical force within those who choose to participate. At times the ritual will be very silly. At other times there will be a raw vulnerability, an intimacy that is not limited by social taboos, not framed in by romance or sex.”

“This magical ritual operates on the random principle. Magicians and mystics have used the factor of chance throughout the ages to get past the rational, the logical, the linear, to get to inner knowledge or to universal wisdom. Shuffling the tarot cards and the throwing of the yarrow sticks for the i ching are but two examples of this random principle. In this ritual, the random principle, pulling gestures out of the box, will direct the ritual. Some gestures are silly. Some gestures are intense and intimate. The random principle makes each gesture equal. The random principle will remove the linear limiting taboo, sexual, romance context.”

“Linda will now pair people … to do the gestures.”

The Chanter waits until Linda finishes pairing. Then the Chanter sings:

“Slowness is important and the quiet gentle sounds and laughter will help the magic. Watchers should refrain from talking during the ritual.”

“Each gesture has a special time length. You should keep doing one action until Linda sings the next gesture.”
“You will start releasing the physical force of eroplay in your bodies. This ritual will take eroplay out of social, moral, sexual, and romantic contexts, so that the focus will be on the pure magical fun and pleasure. It is important that each act be done gently, slowly, softly, completely.”

The Chanter quietly exits. Linda takes over.

“ART EVOKES CHILDHOOD…HIDDEN PLACES WHERE YOU CAN PLAY AND EXPLORE…IT IS THE KIDS’ UNDER-THE-COVERS WORLD, THE PLAYHOUSE, THE TREEHOUSE, THE CAVE, BEHIND THE BARN, PLAYING DOCTOR, CARS AT DRIVE-INS BEFORE GOING ALL THE WAY, HUCK FINN’S RAFT, TEPEES. PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF THIS AREA OF LUSTY EXPLORING THAT THEY THINK THEY HAVE OUT GROWN…BUT THEY ARE SUCKED INTO IT.”

“WE ARE IN THE CAVE OF DREAM. WE ARE IN A BATTLE OF AN UNDERGROUND WAR AGAINST FRAGMENTATION. ART IS WAR AGAINST FRAGMENTATION. THE BATTLE IS ON ALL REALITIES. THE CONTROLLERS HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO FRAGMENT US. FRAGMENT US FROM EACH OTHER. IMPRISON US IN ISLANDS OF SEX, COLOR, RELIGION, POLITICS, CLASSES, LABELS, ETC., ETC., ETC., ETC., ETC. THEY FRAGMENT OUR INNER WORLDS, THEY BLOW OUR INDIVIDUAL REALITIES APART, AND PLAY THE PIECES AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. THEY ARE US, OR A PART OF US.”

“THEY ARE THE CONTROLLERS, THE POLITICIANS, THE SEXISTS, THE WOMEN’S LIBBERS, THE PORNOGRAPHERS, THE CENSORS, THE MORALISTS, THE CHURCH, THE MEDIA, THE BUSINESSMEN, EDUCATORS, THE VICTIMS AND THE POWERFUL.”

“THEY ARE US. THEY HAVE DIVIDED US FROM OUR POWER, FROM OUR BEAUTY, FROM OUR LUST OF LIFE AND PLEASURE. THEY HAVE DIVIDED US FROM MOST OF REALITY…DYING FROM LIVING…SEX FROM LIVING, SEX FROM PLEASURE. WE ARE KEPT IN BOXES OF FEAR, OF MISTRUST. WE ARE KEPT WAITING…KEPT WAITING TO DO WHAT WE WANT…WAITING FOR ENOUGH MONEY, ENOUGH SCHOOLING, FOR EVERYTHING TO BE RIGHT. WE ARE KEPT WAITING AND PROTECTING AND HIDING AND SUFFERING.”

“TIME TO DO BATTLE WITH THE BOXES.”

“OUR TOOLS ARE MAGIC, OUR BODIES, AND DREAMS.”

“IN MAGIC WORDS HAVE POWER. TO CREATE A WORD FOR SOMETHING IS TO CREATE THE POSSIBILITY FOR IT TO EXIST IN OUR REALITY…FOR IT TO HAPPEN.”

“EROPLAY IS A MADE-UP WORD FOR INTENSE PHYSICAL PLAYING AND TOUCHING OF ONESELF AND OTHERS. EROPLAY IS ALSO THE FORCE OR ENERGY WHICH IS RELEASED AS THE RESULT OF SUCH PLAY.”

“IT WAS NO ACCIDENT THAT THERE WAS NO WORD FOR EROPLAY. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE PLOT OF FRAGMENTATION TO KEEP THE SPECIAL POWER IN THE ORGASMIC SEX ACT. SO IT WAS HARD BEFORE THE WORD EROPLAY TO TALK ABOUT IT CLEARLY, TO THINK ABOUT IT CLEARLY, AND TO EXPERIMENT AND PLAY WITH IT WITHOUT SEXUAL UNDERCURRENTS AND FEARS CREEPING IN. THIS WAS BECAUSE WE HAD TO USE WORDS LIKE LUSTY, SEXY AND EROTIC TO ATTEMPT TO TALK ABOUT IT. IN OUR LANGUAGE, ALL OF THESE WORDS HAVE SEXUAL CONNOTATIONS. IN MAGIC WORDS CREATE. SO IF YOU USE SEXUAL WORDS FOR A NON-SEXUAL PLAYING, THE SEXUAL WORDS WILL SET A FALSE SEXUAL CONFUSION. THIS IS WHY THE WORD EROPLAY ITSELF IS IMPORTANT.”

“EROPLAY IS NOT FOREPLAY, EVEN THOUGH FOREPLAY IS EROPLAY.”

“KIDS PLAY VERY PHYSICALLY BOTH WITH THEIR OWN BODIES AND OTHERS’ BODIES. THEY GET TURNED ON BY THIS PLAY, TURNED ON BOTH PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY. THIS TURN-ON IS NOT SEXUAL IN KIDS. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT BABIES WHO ARE HELD, TOUCHED, AND PLAYED WITH ARE MORE HEALTHY AND ALERT, WEIGH MORE, AND HAVE A LOWER RATE OF DEATH THAN BABIES WHO ARE DENIED THIS EROPLAY. STUDIES ALSO SHOW THAT OLD PEOPLE WHO LIVE ALONE, WHO DON’T GET PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL CONTACT, ARE LESS HEALTHY AND DIE SOONER THAN PEOPLE OF THE SAME AGE WHO LIVE WITH OTHERS AND GET THAT PHYSICAL CONTACT.”

“WHEN WE GROW UP INTO ADULTS, EROPLAY IS LINKED TO SEX, MAYBE TO ASSURE PROCREATION. BUT THERE MAY BE DIFFERENT RESULTS WHEN EROPLAY IS NOT CONNECTED TO THE SEXUAL ORGASM.”

“FOREPLAY IS EROPLAY, BUT EROPLAY IS NOT FOREPLAY. WE NEED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF STRAIGHT EROPLAY (NOT CONNECTED TO OR LEADING TO SEX) TO BE AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE.”

“FOREPLAY LEADS TO ORGASM…EROPLAY LEADS TO BEING TURNED ON IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS AND IN ALL PARTS OF THE BODY. IT CAN BE DIFFERENT EVERY TIME.”

“SKIN TOUCHING SKIN SEEMS TO BE WHAT RELEASES THE FULL IMPACT OF EROPLAY.”

“EROPLAY CAN BE INTENSE. IT IS LIKE WHEN YOU RUB A PUPPY ON ITS BELLY AND THE PUPPY GOES INTO A STATE OF RAPTURE, BOTH TOTALLY TURNED ON AND RELAXED. TO USE SOMETHING THAT IS NOT NORMALLY CONFUSED WITH SEX, EROPLAY IS THE BLISSED OUT, WARM, RELAXED, TURNED ON, TOTALLY SATISFYING FEELING OF A GOOD HEAD RUB.”

“THE SAME FEELING COMES FROM PLAYING WITH EARS. EROPLAY IS THAT INTENSE FEELING THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE BODY.”

“SEX IS CONNECTED TO MATING; WHEREAS THE COMBINATION OF BOTH PHYSICAL AND PSYCHIC FORCES RELEASED DURING AND AFTER EROPLAY ARE CONNECTED MORE TO COMMUNICATION AND ATTRACTING PEOPLE TO YOU.”

“WHAT STOPS MOST PEOPLE FROM PHYSICALLY EROPLAYING WITHOUT CONNECTING IT TO SEX, WITHOUT SEXUAL UNDERCURRENTS OR EXPECTATIONS, IS THE INABILITY TO SEE WHERE EROPLAY ENDS AND SEX BEGINS. FOREPLAY IS EROPLAY, BUT EROPLAY IS NOT FOREPLAY. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FOREPLAY AND PURE EROPLAY IS ONE OF INTENT…PHYSICALLY THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE. BUT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE PHYSICALLY BETWEEN EROPLAY AND SEX. EROPLAY IS SATISFYING IN ITSELF, IN RELAXING INTENSITY. THERE IS NO BUILD UP OF PENT-UP ENERGY IN ONE CLIMACTIC ACT. IN SEX, HOWEVER, THERE IS A POINT WHERE FOREPLAY (EROPLAY) CEASES TO SATISFY AND ENERGY GETS PENT UP AND BUILT UP TO BE RELEASED IN THE SEX ACT. THIS BUILD UP IS A CLEAR AND BROAD DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN THE TURN ON OF EROPLAY AND SEX.”

“EROPLAY STARTS WHEN THE POSSIBILITY OF THE PHYSICAL EROPLAY ARISES…THE POSSIBILITY OF THE BREAKING OF THE NORMAL RULES, SOCIAL CONVENTIONS AND MORALITY.”

“THE TALKING AND THINKING ABOUT EROPLAY WILL EXCITE, WILL TURN YOU ON, EVEN PHYSICALLY. THIS SEEMS TO BE A NATURAL PART OF EROPLAY, AN INNATE PART.”

“BREAKING TABOOS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF ART…AT LEAST THE AREA OF ART THAT SEEKS TO CHANGE CONSCIOUSNESS, CHANGE MORALITY, CHANGE REALITY.”

“THE WAR IN THE CAVE OF DREAM IS NOT A WAR OF HATE, PAIN, KILLING, DYING. IT IS A WAR OF LAUGHING, LOVING, TOUCHING, DREAMING, OF PLEASURE, OF BREAKING TABOOS. IT IS NOT A MASS MEDIA WAR. IT IS AN INNER WAR, A PERSONAL WAR. IT IS A WAR OF FUN.”

“EROPLAY IS FUN. EROPLAY IS FUN. EROPLAY IS FUN.”

“EROPLAY IS INNOCENT AND CHILDLIKE.”

“EROPLAY’S FOCUS IS ON PHYSICAL ENJOYMENT AND PLEASURE FOR ITS OWN SAKE. THIS IS ONE REASON WHY EROPLAY IS TABOO IN OUR SOCIETY WHERE RELIGION TEACHES PHYSICAL PLEASURE FOR SELF IS BAD.”

“EROPLAY CONNECTS YOU MORE WITH YOUR OWN BODY AND WITH OTHER PEOPLE. IT DECREASES ISOLATION AND ALIENATION. IT INCREASES SELF-TRUST AND TRUSTING OF OTHERS. IT MAKES YOU HARDER TO BE CONTROLLED. THIS IS ANOTHER REASON WHY EROPLAY IS TABOO.”

“BECAUSE THE AFTER-GLOW OF EROPLAY ATTRACTS PEOPLE TO YOU, YOU GET MORE OPPORTUNITIES IN ALL ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE. AND BECAUSE EROPLAY RELAXES YOU AND GIVES YOU MORE ENERGY, YOU ARE IN A BETTER POSITION TO USE OPPORTUNITIES.”

“BECAUSE EROPLAY IS NOT FOCUSED ON GOALS OTHER THAN PHYSICAL ENJOYMENT IN MANY WAYS, AND BECAUSE IT DOES NOT LEAD TO A MATING LIFE, EROPLAY WOULD BE MUCH HARDER TO USE TO SELL PRODUCTS THAN SEX. THIS IS A REASON WHY EROPLAY IS TABOO.”


Read more about Gestures here:
http://eroplay.org/gestures/

and here:
http://eroplay.org/gestures-part-2/


From the book Frankly Speaking: A Collection of Essays, Writings and Rants by Frank Moore: http://www.eroplay.com/franklyspeaking/

Evolution Ritual

This is one of the many ritual “modules” that Frank created for his performances.


We are going on a journey to Lila. Lila is an inner island. On Lila there is no isolation or competition or fear. But to get to Lila, we have to let go of our personalities and fears and inhibitions. We have to pass through the transition that is death, through rebirth, through losing our old personalities in the form of our clothes, then going playfully through all the stages of evolution until we are reborn on the island of Lila in the bodies of babies who will grow up slowly into teenage Lilans, and then will do rituals of play. Death is not something to fear. It does not hurt. It is not an end.

But this journey is only for heroes…only because heroes are the only people crazy enough to make this journey. Heroes think that only by risking, they will find the hidden treasures and the hidden meanings of Life. Heroes actually think taking risks and going beyond limits is fun! Sane people do not think like this.

We will now divide the ritual community into those of you who think of yourselves as heroes and those of you who think you are sane. The heroes should sit in the middle of the ritual space, and those of you who are sane should sit against the walls. The heroes will actively take this journey both for themselves and for the sane people. As heroes, you will go on an adventure of risk and vulnerability. As heroes, you will be stripped of your old personality and approach death in nudity and vulnerability. You will have personal guides who will move you into death in a soft and gentle way, into the floating reality of between lives. You will then experience the evolution of life.

Those of you who are too sane to be heroes, please sit against the walls. You are now the watchers…which may be much more risky. As the watchers, you should just watch. Please do not talk.

Now, you heroes, lie down on the mat and close your eyes. Lila is an inner island, warm and green. The people are playful. They know no isolation, no fear, no violence. Lila is cut off from our world by death…so, to reach Lila we have to die. Death in itself is not painful, it is not an end. It is a transition. Soon the guide of death will come to help you through the transition.

Now those who are along the walls make soft sounds, gentle noises to help the death process. The guides should gently lift the heroes/spirits into a sitting position. The guides should hold the heroes/spirits and rock them. Melt into one another as you rock. When the heroes/spirits are melted, both the heroes/spirits and the guides should stand up. Because we are now beyond time, there is no reason to rush. To prepare the hero for death, the guide will take the old personality in the form of clothes from the hero, slowly undressing the hero and then will lie him back down.

Evolution Ritual at “Journey to Lila”, Berkeley, 1990. Photo by Kevin Rice.

Now Death is approaching…quietly, gently. It is like a soft, warm blanket. It will slowly cover you. It will start at your toes and travel up your body like caresses. When it reaches the top of your head you will be in an in-between state where you will not have either your old body or old personality. Enjoy floating. Some of you are floating in a cozy dimension. Explore that bodiless state. Do not try to get up because there is no up. The floating is the womb of life, all life, all matter. You are all life, all matter.

Now, keeping your eyes closed, roll in slow motion towards the center of the room, stopping only when you are surrounded by a web of warm soft skin.

You are now parts of a huge rock. Act, sound, move, and relate as parts of the huge rock. Most people think the inorganic is not aware. We now know different.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

You are now parts of a single-cell organism. Act, sound, move, and relate as parts of a single-cell organism.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

The single-cell is now dividing. You are now cells in a multi-cell organism. Act, sound, move, and relate as cells in a multi-cell organism.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

You are sea weed. Act, sound, move, and relate as sea weed.
Open your eyes.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

You are snails. Act, sound, move, and relate as snails.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

You are a school of fish. Act, sound, move, and relate as a school of fish.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

You are dolphins. Act, sound, move, and relate as dolphins.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

You are jellyfish. Act, sound, move, and relate as jellyfish.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

You are frogs. Act, sound, move, and relate as frogs.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

You are snakes. Act, sound, move, and relate as snakes.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

You are ants. Be, act, sound, move, and relate as ants.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

You are mice. Be, act, sound, move, and relate as mice.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

You are birds. Be, act, sound, move, and relate as birds.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

You are vegetarian dinosaurs. Be, act, sound, move, and relate as vegetarian dinosaurs.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

You are kittens. Be, act, sound, move, and relate as kittens.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

You are chimps. Be, act, sound, move, and relate as chimps.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

Close your eyes.
You are newborns on Lila.
On Lila, there is only one family. All are brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers. You are in a playpen. Act and sound and be newborns.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

You are now six months old.

But even at six months old, you will notice the difference from the old life. There is no violence or competition on Lila. Act and sound and be six months old. Open your eyes. What cute babies!

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

You are now one year olds and the differences are more obvious. Be and sound and act and relate as one year olds on Lila. But stay in the playpen of the mat.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

You are now two year olds. Not the terrible twos you vaguely remember but the fun, playful twos of Lila. Be and act and sound and relate as two year olds.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

You are now five year olds. Act and be and relate as five year olds.

Time freezes.
Time flows by.

You are now sixteen years old and it is time for the ritual of eroplay and becoming a full member of the Lilan community. You will always be sixteen years old on Lila even after this dream has faded. Now for the ritual. We will now do the eroplay ritual of Gestures.


Evolution Ritual at “Reality Games”, Antioch University, San Francisco, California, 1988. Photo by Linda Mac.
Evolution Ritual at “Reality Games”, Antioch University, San Francisco, California, 1988. Photo by Linda Mac.
Evolution Ritual at “Reality Games”, Antioch University, San Francisco, California, 1988. Photo by Linda Mac.
Evolution Ritual at an in-class workshop at the School of the Art Institute, Chicago, Illinois, 1991.

The text of this was published in the book, “Frankly Speaking: A Collection of Essays, Writings & Rants” by Frank Moore, published by Inter-Relations in 2014.

“Pure” and “Applied”

Excerpt from Cherotic Magic Revised, “Reality Shaping”, Section 15, by Frank Moore.


In the primitive world, reality shaping was the function of magic and of the shamans. The shamans used rituals and myths as dream boats to travel outside of the normal frame of reality into the web of all possibilities to communicate with the gods and to shape reality for their tribe. Sometimes through the myths and rituals, the shamans took the whole tribe into the web. But often the shamans went deeper into the web alone…alone because of the increasing dangers that exist in the web. This magical activity was seen by the tribe as vital to their survival. The shamanistic activity was not limited by the reality frame, by what was practical, although the practical reality was shaped by the shamanistic activity. As a result of these common mythical journeys, the frame was very flexible for all in the tribe.

But this began to change in the modern cultures, especially in the West. The shamanistic activity began to divide into philosophy, religion, art, science, and the occult. Each of these areas began to subdivide into sects, schools, disciplines, mediums, etc. They also divided into “pure” and “applied.” “Pure” activities are done for themselves to explore, shape, create reality, to travel outside the normal frame, to capture possibilities not enclosed within the frame, to bring these “new” possibilities into the frame to magically widen or shift the frame of reality.

The “applied” activities try to use, to control, harness these new possibilities into the service of the established frame. This is the washte brain activity. In the modern culture, the pure activity is seen as being of value only as it relates to the applied activity. This severely limits the magic change of reality shaping which is what the pure activity is meant to be. What also limits the shamanistic magic in the modern world is the fragmentation of the pure activity. There is a holistic myth developing in science, in philosophy, in art and theatre, in religion, in psychology, in the occult. But this myth cannot get into the frame because the modern myth travelers are talking, thinking, and seeing in different technical languages, depending on their fields. Because of this, they do not realize they are visualizing the same myth. So the new possibilities contained in this myth cannot get through except in fragments.


Artwork from Cherotic Magic Revised by LaBash

about play (playing)

By Frank Moore, May 1, 1995, from his book, Cherotic Magic.


Enjoying playing unlocked every possibility.

Schechner defines performance as “ritualized behavior conditioned (and) permeated by play.”

We will get technical in this. But we should always remember that at the root, the student comes to the teacher, the audience comes to the performance, the person comes to the bodyplay to be deeply and intimately with a flesh and blood person or a group of flesh and blood people in a way that is usually denied to her in normal polite social life. She comes for touching, holding, rocking, playing, having fun, and healing. This has been usually forgotten under rigid serious rituals, techniques and theories. Again, western medicine is a prime example of this forgetting. But even spiritual methods of healing in our culture have put the rituals and techniques over the playing and fun.

This is why, before we get into the techniques of chero bodyplay, we have to be clear about what we are doing. By doing the apprenticeship, by doing performances, by doing bodyplay, we are calling forth the liminal state of controlled folly. Controlled folly is liminal because it is a combination of the awake reality and dream reality. Rituals make this combination possible.

In the state of controlled folly, the activities of playing and creating fun are intensified and expanded, because rituals take the place of the normal rules, taboos, fears, and inhibitions. This makes it possible to go into the unknown where anything is possible. Ritual is what makes this magical playing safe by giving the playing a living, breathing structure. Playing is only possible within a structure. But when ritual becomes important in itself, rigid and serious, it starts limiting and killing the play and fun. So it is important to remember that the ritual is just the channel of the play and fun.

Playing is a primal state in which things are drained temporarily of their normal meanings. Life goals for a time fade in importance in this state. Tensions and stresses of normal life are safely transmuted into creativity. In play, newness appears. This newness is translated into inspiration, into new ideas, new ways of doing things. The young, both in the higher animals and humans, learn the most through the state of play. Both man and the higher animals use play to transform violent energy into safe acting out. The human mind and civilization were evolved by playing.

In bodyplay, chero is aroused by playing with the body. Fun is created and released by this play into the world directly. Fun is energy focused upon itself, rather than upon some goal. The fun we are talking about in this work is a deep, intense fun that corrects imbalances and induces newness. This kind of fun comes from risk taking and work. This deep fun feels very different from the surface, light, fast fun of the world of politeness, glamour, romance, and social rules.

Through bodyplay, erour is slowly reached by calling forth chero in all parts of the body by eroplaying. This is true not only in the “receiver,” but also in the “healer.” Moreover, through the energy released through these magical sessions, a collective social erour is gradually created for the general world. This is the ultimate reason for this work. The chero released as focused fun “writes” upon the place in which this magical play is performed. It transforms the place into a magical site. The more play is done in a place, the more chero is stored in the physical site. The more chero that is contained in a physical site, the easier it is to perform more intense play.

Cherotic bodyplay releases, frees, creates new possibilities. This is true for the people who are actually directly playing together. But this is also true for the society, the people, the world, the outer reality surrounding the eroplaying people. This makes bodyplay not just an individual problem solving therapy. Instead, it is a playful but powerful ritual that has effects on many different levels. There is a danger in focusing too much on what it will do for the individual, how it will affect his life, what does it mean in terms of his life, how it will help him. This kind of focus can turn bodyplay into encouraging individualism which keeps the person in the prison of fragmentation.

To be successful, bodyplay has to be intensely personal between the playing people, but should not be individualistic. It should not push the people inward onto their “selves.” Bodyplay should expand them outward into others.

Front page of the handout which was on display and available to take for free at performances. Drawing by LaBash.
Handouts on display at a performance.

Download the handout here:
https://www.eroplay.com/aboutplay.pdf

Gestures – Part 2

Here is the list of “adjectives” … see the previous post about Gestures here:
http://eroplay.org/gestures/


arousingly

joyfully

gently

suggestively

deeply

warmly

desiringly

playfully

SWITCH PAIRS

lovingly

child-like

knowingly

healingly

passionfully

magically

calmly

confidently

happily

JOYFULLY

exploringly

softly

vulnerably

soothingly

calmingly

intimately

pleasurefully intensely


Gestures Ritual – An excerpt from Frank Moore’s The Uncomfortable Zones Of Fun, recorded Saturday, February 27, 2010 at Temescal Arts Center, Oakland, California


Gestures

Gestures was a ritual that Frank developed during his three year performance series at University of California, Berkeley in the 1980s and that he continued to use as a module in many of his performances for the next 30 years.

It is based upon the book MANWATCHING by Desmond Morris. During the ritual, those who choose to participate are paired, then strips of paper are drawn randomly from two bags and read aloud; one bag filled with the gestures (the complete list is below), one bag filled with adjectives.

The Gestures bags
Adjective and gesture strips.

Here is the introduction to the ritual that was read during a performance:

A Chanter sings:

“This is a ritual, a magical ritual, a ritual of Gestures which will open up a physical, magical force within those who choose to participate. At times the ritual will be very silly. At other times there will be a raw vulnerability, an intimacy that is not limited by social taboos, not framed in by romance or sex.”

“This magical ritual operates on the random principle. Magicians and mystics have used the factor of change throughout the ages to get past the rational, the logical, the linear, to get to inner knowledge or to universal wisdom. Shuffling the tarot cards and the throwing of the yarrow sticks for the i ching are but two examples of this random principle. In this ritual, the random principle, pulling gestures out of the box, will direct the ritual. Some gestures are silly. Some gestures are intense and intimate. The random principle makes each gesture equal. The random principle will remove the linear limiting taboo, sexual, romance context.”

“Linda will now pair people … to do the gestures.

The Chanter waits until Linda finishes pairing. Then the Chanter sings:

“Slowness is important in the quiet gentle sounds and laughter will help the magic. Watchers should refrain from talking during the ritual.”

“Each gesture has a special time length. You should keep doing one action until Linda sings the next gesture.”

“You will start releasing the physical force of eroplay in your bodies. This ritual will take eroplay out of social, moral, sexual, and romantic contexts, so that the focus will be on the pure magical fun and pleasure. It is important that each act be done gently, slowly, softly, completely.”

The Chanter quietly exits. Linda takes over.

………….

( read the complete “Gestures Intro” text here:
http://eroplay.org/gestures-intro/ )

“Gestures”, U.C.B. Series, Spring 1985. Photo by Mary Sullivan.

Here is the complete list of gestures:

HUNCH YOUR SHOULDERS

PUT YOUR HANDS OUT PALMS UP

TILT YOUR HEAD TO ONE SIDE

LOWER THE CORNERS OF YOUR MOUTH

RAISE YOUR EYEBROWS

HUG YOUR LEGS

CROSS YOUR LEGS

CROSS YOUR LEGS

CROSS YOUR LEGS

CLASP YOUR HANDS ON YOUR THIGHS

OPEN YOUR EYES WIDE

OPEN YOUR LEGS WIDE

OPEN YOUR LEGS WIDE

OPEN YOUR LEGS WIDE

OPEN YOUR LEGS WIDE

SHAKE YOUR WHOLE BODY

SHAKE YOUR WHOLE BODY

OPEN YOUR LEGS WIDE

OPEN YOUR LEGS WIDE

WAVE

SMILE

LIFT YOUR EYEBROWS UP

BLOW A KISS

SHAKE HANDS. Focus on having all touching and exchanges be deep, gentle, firm, self-confident, and fun.

SPREAD YOUR ARMS AS IF YOU ARE GOING TO HUG

LOOK AT ONE ANOTHER, VISUALLY EXPLORE ONE ANOTHER, PASS TABOOS

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S BACKS

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S RIBS

PUT YOUR ARMS AROUND ONE ANOTHER’S SHOULDERS

MAKE BRIEF EYE CONTACT WITH THE OTHER, THEN JERK AWAY

HOLD HANDS

RUB EACH OTHER’S HANDS. Feel the gentle warming pleasure

EXPLORE EACH OTHER’S HANDS. Feel the gentle warming pleasure

HOLD HANDS. We have started releasing a physical force in our bodies, EROPLAY. We feel this EROPLAY now as we hold hands. This ritual will take EROPLAY out of social, moral, sexual, and romantic contexts, so that the focus will be on the pure magical fun and pleasure. It is important that each act be done gently, slowly, softly, completely.

RUB NOSES

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S BARE ARMS.

RUB FORHEADS

RUB EACH OTHER’S HEAD, HEAD TO HEAD. Turn on each other’s scalps. Make one another feel like a puppy having its belly rubbed.

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S SHOULDERS

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S BARE ARMS, ARMS ON ARMS.

RUB FORHEADS, FORHEAD TO FORHEAD

RUB EACH OTHER’S HEAD, HEAD TO HEAD. Turn on each other’s scalps. Make one another feel like a puppy having its belly rubbed.

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S SHOULDERS

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S ARMPITS GENTLY

RUB CHEEKS, CHEEK TO CHEEK

LOOK DEEPLY INTO ONE ANOTHER’S EYES

RUB ONE ANTHER’S FEET. Turn them on to an intense warm glow of relaxing pleasure.

STICK YOUR TONGUE BARELY OUT, CURL IT UP AND MOVE IT

HUG ONE ANOTHER…AND ROCK BACK AND FORTH GENTLY. Rock out of any fear or taboos…rock back to primative humaness of being one with another by physical contact

STICK YOUR TONGUE BARELY OUT, CURL IT UP AND MOVE IT

HUG ONE ANOTHER…AND ROCK BACK AND FORTH GENTLY. Rock out of any fear or taboos…rock back to primative humaness of being one with another by physical contact

STICK YOUR TONGUE BARELY OUT, CURL IT UP AND MOVE IT

HUG ONE ANOTHER…AND ROCK BACK AND FORTH GENTLY. Rock out of any fear or taboos…rock back to primative humaness of being one with another by physical contact

STICK YOUR TONGUE BARELY OUT, CURL IT UP AND MOVE IT

HUG ONE ANOTHER…AND ROCK BACK AND FORTH GENTLY. Rock out of any fear or taboos…rock back to primative humaness of being one with another by physical contact

CURL UP, HUG YOURSELF, AND GENTLY ROCK BACK AND FORTH. Rock into comforting trust

JERK YOUR HEAD VERY SLIGHTLY

SHOW EACH OTHER YOUR BARE BELLY AND RUB YOUR BELLY

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S BARE BELLY LIKE A PUPPY’S BELLY, SOOTHINGLY

RUB BELLIES, BELLLY TO BELLY

EXPLORE ONE ANOTHER’S BELLY

HUG ONE ANOTHER

SQUEEZE ONE ANOTHER’S HANDS

SHOW YOUR BARE CALVES TO THE OTHER

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S CALVES

EXPLORE ONE ANOTHER’S CALVES

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S CALVES, CALVES TO CALVES

RUB ONE ANOTHER, ALL OVER

RUB HEADS, HEAD TO HEAD

STROKE ONE ANOTHER’S HAIR

RAISE YOUR HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEAD AS HIGH AS THEY WILL GO

PUT YOUR HANDS ON YOUR GENITALS

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S BACK

EXPLORE ONE ANOTHER’S BACK

LOOK AT ONE ANOTHER

PUT YOUR HANDS ON ONE ANOTHER’S GENITALS

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S SHOULDERS AND NECK

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S CHEST

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S BREASTS

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S CHEST, CHEST TO CHEST

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S BREASTS, BREASTS TO BREASTS

EXPLORE ONE ANOTHER’S CHEST

EXPLORE ONE ANOTHER’S BREASTS

EXPLORE EACH OTHER BY USING EVERY PART OF YOUR BODY

RUB BODIES

INTERTWINE YOUR BODIES AND SLOWLY MOVE TOGETHER

ONE LAY UPON THE OTHER AND MOVE IN SLOW MOTION

EXPLORE ONE ANOTHER’S BODY BY USING EVERY PART OF YOUR BODY

RUB BODIES

INTERTWINE YOUR BODIES AND SLOWLY MOVE TOGETHER

ONE LAY UPON THE OTHER AND MOVE IN SLOW MOTION

EXPLORE ONE ANOTHER’S BODY BY USING EVERY PART OF YOUR BODY

RUB BODIES

INTERTWINE YOUR BODIES AND SLOWLY MOVE TOGETHER

ONE LAY UPON THE OTHER AND MOVE IN SLOW MOTION

EXPLORE ONE ANOTHER’S BODY BY USING EVERY PART OF YOUR BODY

RUB BODIES

INTERTWINE YOUR BODIES AND SLOWLY MOVE TOGETHER

ONE LAY UPON THE OTHER AND MOVE IN SLOW MOTION

RUB YOUR GENITALS FOR BODY COMFORT

EXPLORE YOUR GENITALS FOR BODY COMFORT

PUT THE OTHER’S HAND ON YOUR GENITALS AND GUIDE IT SENSUALLY

RUB EACH OTHER’S GENITALS, NOT FOR SEXUAL REASONS, BUT FOR BODY COMFORT

HUG ONE ANOTHER…AND ROCK TOGETHER

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S BACK

LOOK AT ONE ANOTHER

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S SHOULDERS AND NECK

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S CHEST

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S BREASTS

PUT YOUR HEAD ON THE OTHER PERSON’S SHOULDER. HUG AND ROCK TOGETHER

RUB FACES

RUB FACES, FACE ON FACE

EXPLORE FACES

STICK YOUR TONGUE WAY OUT

LICK ONE ANOTHER’S EAR

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S KNEES

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S THIGHS

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S KNEES, KNEES TO KNEES

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S THIGHS, THIGHS ON THIGHS

EXPLORE ONE ANOTHER’S KNEES

EXPLORE ONE ANOTHER’S THIGHS

HOLD ONE ANOTHER’S WAIST

EXPLORE ONE ANOTHER’S BUTTS

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S BUTTS

RUB ONE ANOTHER’S BUTTS, BUTT TO BUTT

RUB YOUR GENITALS FOR BODY COMFORT

PUT THE OTHER’S HAND ON YOUR GENITALS, GUIDE IT EXPLORINGLY. RUB EACH OTHER’S GENITALS FOR BODY COMFORT, CALMING AND RELAXING

RUB ANYWHERE ON ONE ANOTHER’S BODY

EXPLORE EACH OTHER BY USING EVERY PART OF YOUR BODY

RUB BODIES

INTERTWINE YOUR BODIES AND SLOWLY MOVE TOGETHER

ONE LAY UPON THE OTHER AND MOVE IN SLOW MOTION

RUB YOUR GENITALS FOR BODY COMFORT

RUB EACH OTHER’S GENITALS FOR BODY COMFORT

IN VERY SLOW MOTION, RUB YOUR BODIES TOGETHER AND TALK TOGETHER


Gestures at University of California, Berkeley, July 24, 1986