Spirituality and Self Help
Craft Haven
Ritual Basics
While there are as many rituals as there are people and their needs,
all rituals have a basic similarity. A structure if you will, and
knowing that structure can allow you to create your own meaningful
rituals to suit your needs at any given time. Within this structure
or outline there are many options for each step. There are steps
that can be left out and some that can be added.
The way to choose your steps and options are to first decide what
the purpose of the ritual is. In this way your rituals become
something meaningful to you and not just a repetition of what
someone else has used that was meaningful, no doubt, to them.
The first decision of course is where your ritual is to be held. You
will want to find a place that is safe for you, where you will not
be disturbed or interrupted. If it is outside, choose a place like
your own backyard, a quiet place in the country side or nearby
forest or recreation area, or even in a local park if that is an
option you feel safe with. Indoor rituals can be held in a rented
hall for groups, a large living room, or even your own bedroom for
solitary or very small group rituals. Just try to pick a time and
place that will be conductive to your concentration, comfort and
privacy.
(Just a personal note here, most of my own work is done in my
bedroom where I have a permanent alter set up. It's private,
decorated to reflect each season and always ready to go! My second
most used place is in the middle of my garden. I must admit that for
me, ritual and spellcasting take on a certain extra oomph when done
under the full moon and surrounded by the growing things that I've
tended and loved. I swear they give me an extra "charge" of power
for everything I do. And I thank them.)
Next you might want to think of the "trappings" that might make the
ritual more productive or comfortable to you. Is your ritual being
designed with a certain Sabbat in mind? Is it to cast a certain
spell? Or is it simply a celebration of our lifestyle? You may want
to dress in such a way that reflects this choice, or decorate your
alter in such a way that pleases you and connects you with the
season or work being done.
Now, the basic design for all ritual includes
purification (usually)
casting the circle (usually)
invoking the directions (usually)
invocation (purpose of the ritual)
the actual ritual
raising the power to cast the spell
grounding
thanking the elements and dispersing the circle
Rituals can and often do include
Drawing Down the Moon, charging the Goddess, meditations, blessings
and having food. But please understand that for everything listed
here you can find someone who is uncomfortable with some aspect,
never uses it and still manages to be very successful as a witch.
Some do not cast circles for spells or "small magics", they just use
a "sacred space" like their permanent alter, some never call on the
elements, and some find no need for grounding at the end. My
suggestion would be to use what is most prevalent and after you've
learned your way around ritual creation, you can pick and choose
what works best for you.
Purification:
This can consist of bathing beforehand in scented oils, taking a
shower, sweeping the air in the area or room with your witches broom
to clear the air, burning incense in the area to cleanse things,
burning herbs, such as sage, cedar, or sweetgrass, meditations
and deep breathing to cleanse yourself of negative energies, some
combination of these and more. Be inventive and use something that
makes you feel "cleansed" and ready to face the Goddess.
Casting the circle:
This is an area that has been written about in abundance! Some say
that you must raise the energy first to create the circle and this
can be done by rubbing your hands together vigorously until you have
sort of an energy ball that you then grow to the proper size, some
say you can just walk in a circle saying something appropriate,
going faster and faster building the energy the until you feel the
circle is complete. Some use simple methods like taking your athame
or wand or just your power hand and standing facing the east start
walking clockwise around the circle saying "I summon the circle, the
circle I summon, Power and peace and protection will come in, And
bind to the womb of our spiritual birth, Through air and fire and
water and earth." (This is found on the Witches Calendar 1999) Some
simply sit in the center and imagine their circle as a ball of power
that they are projecting out around themselves until they feel the
job has been accomplished.
The main idea of casting a circle is
to create a sacred space, a place used as your temple. That is the
most important thing to keep in mind and use methods that will allow
you to accomplish this. Visualize your circle, it's dimensions. And
remember that it is more of ball than a circle. It has height and
width and is not just a circle around you on the ground. It extends
up above you and down into the ground below you.
Another point to keep in mind about
the circle is why you may want one. Some still think of casting a
circle in terms of something Satanic, they think it is something we
need to protect us from the awful things we are calling up. This is
far from the truth! The circle is a "cleansed" area that will hold
the power we are gathering for spell casting. It keeps it near us
until we can send it out to it's goal. It's not used to keep
anything harmful out, its used to keep energy in.
Invoking the directions: or calling the quarters
Here too is an area where there is some disagreement as to what is
and what isn't. I have put invoking the directions after casting the
circle because that is the way I do it, but know that some say it
should be done before casting your circle so as to have the help of
the elements in the casting itself. Others call them after the
circle is cast to invite them to witness and help in your ritual
and/or spellcasting.
As to what the elements
actually are, again, you will find some disagreement, but I will
explain the three that seem to be the main choices you have.
The first is that these "powers" or
directions are simply the representation of the elements used in
magic. East is the element of air, south is fire, west is water and
north is earth. By invoking these directions you are enabling or
energizing these elements to empower your spell. This idea stresses
the fact that these powers are not "creatures" or beings per say but
only representations of certain energies.
The second idea is that the
directions are actually creatures or spirit beings of some sort that
are connected to that direction and element. That they are in fact,
the beings that rule each of their respective powers, element and
direction. This line of thinking holds that the success of your
spellcasting may be measured directly by the relationship you have
with these beings and that they, in fact, help your spell become
successful by seeing to it that it happens! This belief is of
course, the one that makes it clear you invite these creatures to
your circle and never try to demand or control their presence.
That's just rude. And of course you would later thank them for their
interest and assistance. Many who are not sure of this belief still
only ask for their presence and never demand it. Just in case, you
see!
The last idea I have come across is
the idea that the elements are different aspects of the Goddess and
God. This line of thinking suggests that you could help invite these
aspects by giving each direction the name of a Goddess/God that you
relate well to and using that in the invitation. You might want to
give each the name of a Goddess/God that in some way has a
connection with that direction or element, such as Gaia for
earth/north, Hestia for fire/south or Aphrodite or Poseidon for
water/west, etc. And there are Goddesses and Gods in abundance, in
cultures around the world, to make this practice an exciting and
interesting one.
All of these beliefs are often
combined into some sort mix that encompasses some aspects of each.
You will have to find the place where you are happy. To find out
more about the qualities of each direction...
Invocation:
This is simply the act of stating the purpose of the ritual, such as
"We are here today to honour the death of the God and show thanks
for his sacrifice in our behalf. We know that death always precedes
rebirth and look forward to his return with the life giving light of
Solstice." Or, "I am here this night, My Lady, to dedicate this
garden to your honour. I would make a place that pleases you and
would be a place you will find joyful to visit. Help me this season
to create a place that will bring honour to you in the minds and
hearts of all who visit it. It would give me great joy to feel you
with me here as I work this small part of our earth and I ask now
for your blessing on my little patch of life." Anyway, you get the
idea, the invocation is about what you are there for, whatever that
may be.
The Ritual itself:
If you thought there were lots of choices before, now it really gets
interesting! The main body of the ritual is of course directly
related to the purpose of the ritual and is not what we are going
into here. There will be specific rituals listed elsewhere on the
site. Our purpose here is to understand the basic underlying
principles of creating rituals so you must ask yourself what you
want to accomplish from your ritual. Is it to dedicate your tools to
the Goddess? Then do so by including some kind of step for each of
the elements. Dedicate your tools in salt or soil for earth/north,
use incense smoke for air/east, run things quickly through a candle
flame for south/fire and sprinkle with water for west/water. Is your
purpose to cast a prosperity spell? Include things that mean
prosperity to you. Silver coins, green (for money) candles, golden
cords, expensive chocolates, small pieces of rich fabrics such as
silks or satins, or if getting a sucker has always been the height
of decadence to you, then by all means use heaps of suckers to show
just how rich you will actually become! If you are doing the ritual
to show your appreciation to the Goddess for something that you have
recently received use something appropriate to give thanks for that
success. "Sacrifice" a corn bread God to re-enact his death at
Lughnasadh, sacrifice (by burying it in the earth) a special trinket
that shows your appreciation for some gift you've recently received,
or just take the time to say thank you. If you are trying to banish
a bad habit or negative feelings or thoughts, "wash" them away with
water, destroy them with fire by writing them on paper and burning
it, put them behind you by "placing" them into a handful of soil and
tossing it to the four winds. I'm sure by now you have a dozen ideas
of your own!
Raising the Power:
This is basically a visualization process of imaging a cone of power
and then sending it on it's way to do your work. The energy needed
can be raised any way that works for you. Many use chanting, walking
the edge of the circle, singing, drumming, or some combination that
will generate energy to a point that is intense. If you are
practicing alone or do not like the noise factor here, you can chant
to yourself in your mind, use the rubbing hands technique described
above or just tense your body to the point that you are generating
energy. When it feels rights, send it off.
Grounding:
Or "earthing the energy", is used to get ride of any excess energy
that tends to hang around. And this is a step that I personally find
uncomfortable to leave out. I find myself edgy, unable to sleep and
even cranky the next day if skip this step. Some ground themselves
by partaking in "cakes and ale", a ritual feast. What it is, is
simply a small snack that lets you wind down, and the digestion
process uses up the left over energies. You may use wine, breads,
beer, cookies, milk, fruits, crackers, tea, whatever suits you. Just
make sure it's in the circle with you before you begin. Another way
is to place your hands on the earth (if you're outside) and
visualize the energy draining away into the earth. One I personally
use when in the garden is to run my hands over the plants that are
within the circle with me (usually quite a few) and give the energy
back to them since I seem to draw on them when spellcasting. In the
house I do the same with my houseplants. Then I eat anyway! I tend
to need both. (Note: my plants seem to like this process and do very
well after each circle. There's always a real growth spurt
afterwards and some come into bloom right away!)
Thanking the elements and dispersing your circle:
This is the last step of the process. Here you would thank each of
the elements for whatever help they have given, using the
Goddess/God names you assigned them if that's the method you used.
Some say to start with the last one called and work your way
backwards, others say to thank them in the same order as they were
called. Suit yourself. Then you can walk your circle, either way,
and say something like "Earth will crumble my circle, Water will
cause it to fall, Fire will burn what's left in the urn, And the
winds will scatter it all." (Taken from the Witches Calendar 1999)
If you are having a holiday meal afterwards, or a gathering of some
sort you may thank the elements and invite them to remain if they
choose to do so, and share in your feasting. Never tell them you are
dismissing them. It's just not done!
( A note about the order of the last three elements here. I have
listed grounding before thanking the elements and dispersing your
circle but for many (myself included) grounding is best left until
the very last thing you do. I personally thank the elements,
disperse my circle and then do my grounding routine. For me it's the
only way to get rid of the last vestiges of energy hovering about.)
And there you have it! You can now design rituals with the "old
hands" with complete confidence and success.
May the Goddess bless your efforts.
