Design a ritual for yourself.
One thing that has been lost in many modern religious traditions is the
powerful experience of the personal ritual. It is one thing to know a religious
or spiritual truth; it can be quite another to actually experience that truth
in a deep and meaningful way. Ritual is perhaps the oldest and most successful
way of bridging this gap.
Too often today when the importance of ritual is recognized, it is seen with
a sort of superstitious awe--as something far removed from the average person
and available only through the mediation of professionals. While the sense
of tradition and community that can be invoked with these formal rituals
should not be discounted, neither should be the personal ritual.
To design a ritual for yourself, first start with a goal--healing yourself,
healing the Earth, celebrating an event or achievement (no matter how
"minor"), seeking strength for the present or the future, improving your relationship
with the Divine, removing yourself (temporarily) from the hustle and bustle
of life, deepening your own spiritual understanding- To design a ritual for
yourself, first start wi
Decide what form of Deity you want/need to invoke. What do you need from
Her/Him/It/Them- Decide what form of Deity you want/need to invoke. What do you
need from Her/Him/It/Them- -healing? strength? support? a chance to
experience them? to explore them
Then consider the physical space you will use. This can be anything from your
desk to your room to a park to a mountain retreat, depending on the ritual,
your needs, and their availability to you. If at all possible designate a
sacred space for the ritual. This can be as simple as envisioning a protected
circle around you as you sit at your desk or closing the door of a room or as
elaborate as a circle physically inscribed on the Earth or in the Air with
candles or incense. The space need not be permanent--it only need last as long
as the ritual itself--but make a point of designating the space as sacred when
you begin and then releasing it back to the world when you are through.
What will you use to assist you in your invocation? Words are powerful and
will work alone--extemporaneo usWhat will you use to assist you in your
invocation? Words are powerful and will work alone--extemporaneo usus prayer,
recited poetry or prose--but consider trying some more physical ritual elements
as an addition to (or a replacement for!) the words. If you have had little
experience with these, you may feel silly when you first start. Don't.
Remember that there is a very good reason that these aids have been used my many
different cultures for thousands of years--they work. They can be invaluable in
removing you from the world of your everyday life and involving you directly
in the ritual. (In
There are many types of ritual items that have been used over the
millennia--incense, candles, flowers, stones, food, drink, clothing--when possible,
always look for connections that are meaningful to you. There are many reference
works on symbols that list the associations that various cultures have made
with colors, scents, and shapes over the centuries. If these work for you,
fine--but don't be afraid to designate your own meanings or to change them as
appropriate. At different times I have used a green candle to symbolize money,
jealousy, or Spring. The important thing, once again, is what meaning does it
have for you?
I've mentioned some of the more popular items here. But remember these are
only starters. It is vitally important to add your own items and make your own
combinations. Ritual is not a matter of reading "light three sticks of
sandalwood incense and one blue candle" and following the instructions. The real
power of ritual comes from what you bring to it. Be on the lookout for
possibilities that will have specific meaning for you. If you notice a particular
stone, one that seems to "speak" to you in some way or that serves as a
reminder or symbol of something for you, pick it up. Use it in ritual--hold it in
your hand as you pray or rest your incense upon it. If you are looking for
strength and courage in a new business venture, try placing a business card on
the altar as you pray. If you are trying to remove an emotion, influence, or
person from your life, try writing the name or word on a slip of paper,
concentrating all your feelings, entanglements, worries, and temptations into it,
then burning it and watching the connection to you float away on the smoke.
Some "trappings" of ritual can also be constants that help you to enter into
a ritual mindframe. Perhaps you always wear a specific piece of clothing or
jewelry, always begin with a short prayer or invokation, or always include a
special color of candle. It's fine to have constants--you may even want to
repeat the exact same ritual at times--as long as the ritual does not become
petrified. Once you stop thinking about what you are doing, you've simply found
yourself yet another form of mundane routine.
So take some time to design and carry out a ritual, no matter how short or
"trivial." Have some fun with it if you like, ritual need not be serious to be
meaningful. (But do remember to take basic precautions: in particular make
sure that only the things you light are going to burn!) And ritual need only to
be meaningful to be effective.
_© Dianne T. DeSha, 1995_
(http://moonlight. dreamhost. com/goddess/ notes.html)
