Make Way
There are elements of the Basican consecration ceremony that directly address being public, the opening and closing of proceedings, and the display of gratitude and celebration. But why is all this done? What is the point of all this activity?
One can be a Basican either by simple belief or with the trust and commitment of faith. Consecration is done only when there is faith. It does not cause it; it is the response to it. It is a sacred spiritual dedication. How consecration is performed has to do with what it is meant to accomplish. In a sense, consecration can be compared with obtaining new furnishings for your home. In order to redecorate, you must discover and locate what you need. You then make the decision to acquire it, making all necessary arrangements. But before it can be put where it belongs, you must clear a space for it by picking up clutter that might be in the way and removing old furnishings. Then you dust, mop, and vacuum so that you can put your new chairs, bookcases, and artwork in clean spaces. When you are ready, the actual moving and placement occurs. It would be ridiculous to purchase a couch you said you wanted and then never bring it into your home or to forever leave a new table unassembled in its box, leaning against a wall in the basement.
A Basican has already found an appropriate path that includes awareness of Ultimate Divine Spirit and other beliefs. The heart of consecration begins with the freely made statement of decision, delivered with the breath of the body and words of the mouth (or signs of the hands, if that is the preferred mode of communication). As directed in the Basica, this means declaring, for all to know, who you are and exactly what you intend. The ceremony continues with making a place within yourself and your life for Spirit and belief. This is done with fire by coming to be positioned, in the manner given, in the midst of the designated candles. A cleansing is then performed by the water immersion. At the same time, there is a release into trust in the moment of complete suspension. The described breaking of soil and planting of the feet makes clear that it is not just internal change that is taking place. One's body is also dedicated as the vessel of Spirit and the transformed interface between the inner self and the outer world. Finally, it is asserted with breath and speech or with the language of the hands that these actions were not intended to serve a temporary purpose but a permanent one. Nor was all this undertaken by accident, only for show, out of lack of comprehension, without true meaning and intent, or as a form of deceit. The entire ceremony puts into action what was formerly an inner calling. The bond is made manifest.
Consecration is not for the uninformed, the unable to understand, the immature, or those feeling pressured by others to put on a display of proof. There is a rightness to its timing, as there is a ripeness to the candidate. As part of the intimate relationship with Divine Spirit, when the time has come, a Basican will know and be sure of it. All that is necessary to prepare and carry it out will be made possible. When the moment arrives and the candidate fully invests, it will be done.
Because having faith steps beyond simply believing, it calls for something very special and specific to occur. There is nowhere that Ultimate Divine Spirit is not. But in consciously making room for It, you are actively inviting It to be expressed within and through you, not just leaving that expression to be incidental to your existence. You are no longer mindlessly taking part by default. By opening a place for It within yourself and your life, you are knowingly and intentionally making yourself available for it to function in and through you. And that which is true to your nature helps provide the character that will be taken on by that Divine expression. This is to be in sacred harmony.
To become consecrated is not likely to cause an instant and radical transformation, filled with dramatic effect. It will not guarantee a life without difficulty or human imperfection. However, it does set into motion a gradual change that will continue to unfold over a lifetime.
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