Classification of Rituals: The Feminist Cat Lovers

Classification of Rituals

The institution of government has a Battle Ritual which can be seen as a therapy ritual. This is when they pray to the Moon Goddess before the young Lobas go into battle for the title of Izel. The process of praying and giving thanks to the Moon Goddess is therapeutic for the Loba community because it helps the society come to peace with the battle that is about to happen. If any of the young Lobas get hurt in the battle for leadership then her family will make a soup with healing ingredients to deal with the injuries and hope for her recovery.

The institution of  family has the Extrar Sangre Ritual which can be seen as a technological ritual. The reason for this is because the Lobas use a clovis point with significant meaning to the community in order to cut the Loba child’s palm. The clovis point has been passed down from each Loba generation and contains powers from the very first Loba Tribe. This is how the human-born child of a Loba is able to turn into a Loba herself. The blood that leaves the palm of the young Loba becomes sacred and is tossed into a fire. The way the fire is constructed has to follow set rules so the ritual can be completed.

The institution of community has the Ritual of Complete Transformation which has rites that can be seen as protective rituals. The Lobas pray to the Moon Goddess once again but this time it is for the protection of the Lobas that will make their way into the city to hunt their prey. The hunt for a male heart becomes very competitive between the Lobas. Even though they are a community, once they turn into animals they fight for food like animals. The prayers for protection are for a safe journey but also to protect them from each other and the world of the humans.

The institution of religion has the Ritual of Seclusion and Isolation and this contains the ideological ritual. When the eighteen year old Loba girls seclude themselves in the countryside, it is because it is showing all the morals of the Loba community. These morals include not being able to fall in love, not befriending anyone outside the Loba Tribe, and ideas of independence and loyalty. The rites of intensification include the continuity of this ritual done by every Loba generation. This ritual also enhances social unity because all Lobas must go through the ritual in order to be a part of the community; therefore, it brings the Loba Tribe closer together. Lastly, the Ritual of Seclusion and Isolation renews sentiments on cohesion because after these Loba girls come out of this stage of liminality and rejoin the community there is a sense of being a part of something greater than the self.