Ritual

Ritual.

Ritual is something that is a primal part of being human.

We, as living beings on the Earth, are creatures of ritual. We use ritual constantly; anything and everything that we do, to move along a path toward a specific goal or state, is a ritual act. Unless it is something we have not done or tried before, we fall into certain patterns of behavior, which take us through a familiar process to accomplish a specific goal. We have certain rituals we go through to start our morning, continue to use rituals throughout our day, and have rituals that we perform at night.

One of the compelling reasons for this is simple practicality… the process is familiar, often automatic, and consistently gets us results.

So, these same principles govern rituals in the more “formal” sense in our practice of the Craft. 
Why ritual in Witchcraft?

First, let’s take a minute to look at the term in general.

We are ritualistic animals. A ritual is, fundamentally, a set of a actions that take us through a process, to a desired goal, often in a series of steps.

This describes everything from driving to work to connecting with deity.

In Wiccan ritual particularly, there are traditionally quite a few steps that are involved. Are all of these necessary?

The short answer is no. To accomplish magic, to work with energies, to connect with deity; all of these can be (and often are) done without elaborate steps, sometimes spontaneously.

But ritual serves a couple of other purposes. Going through each step, mind focused on the words, deeds, and actions focuses and clarifies our will, which is fundamentally the basis for magic. Doing this the same way over and over brings you to the desired state unconsciously and automatically.

Finally there is what is referred to (thank you Rhiannon Ryall) as “traveling the well trodden road”. A part of a ceremony that has been done before, by many others, accumulates its own energy, which makes that particular act more effective. Rituals that have been passed down or along also have the benefit of having been tested already.

A good ritual will “work” the first time…
Rituals can be extremely simple (adding a little cinnamon to the coffee for luck), or quite long (a “full” Wiccan circle). Over time ritual becomes a clear, familiar path to a state of mind and spirit that is focused and effective.

So Mote It Be