I tend to think of animist rituals as not so much interacting with the great spirits or their lesser counterparts, as interacting with the natural forces of the world. Here is my take on how this would work in general terms.
Gloranthan animists see the world itself as being animated by spirits, which is a profoundly different world view to a theist. The natural world itself is something that needs relating to on a personal level, attending to it with all of the senses, and responding with one's own spirit.
So with this in mind let's look at a yearly "keep disease away" ritual. The form itself will be heavily culture dependent, but it is likely to involve a direct confrontation with disease. One culture may travel to a place evocative of disease, a swamp or an infertile area perhaps; another may bring something into a prepared space, an infected plant or foodstuff or water from a stagnant pool; yet another may seek to actually infect the participants with a disease.
The important element here, in my way of seeing this, is a direct non-symbolic experience. (Although things may be symbolised they have the effect of becoming the thing itself not representing the thing, becoming animated by the spirit that is sought.)
Once the disease is introduced to the ritual in the correct manner next it needs to be observed for what it is. This would be achieved through the natural senses, although some cultures may introduce enhancements or magical means of discerning the essence of the thing. By either seeing, feeling smelling, listening to or perhaps even tasting the thing without the normal filters of perception, it is then possible for the spirit that is animating it, in this case disease spirits, to be observed, and interacted with. The interaction itself would be sense laden, perhaps through dance, imbibing, mimicking or responding to sounds, grasping or shaking but always direct and physical.
This direct interaction is here and now with these spirits. A single disease spirit is not a representative of disease; instead it is a particular disease spirit which is a part of a greater whole that is disease.
By interacting with the disease spirit one gains an understanding of disease, maybe how to avoid it, maybe how to act to keep it from approaching, maybe how to placate it, but the thing learnt is personal and needs to be enacted or internalised. So the kind of thing added to a character sheet could be actions, chants, understandings, recognitions, dances or warding signs. Also, because the ritual involves discerning the spirits the outcome may be that spirits are more easily sensed or recognised by the participants.
Jamie
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