A ritual is a series of actions performed and repeated in a prescribed order. The repetition of these actions makes them familiar and meaningful, thus bringing about a psychic or energetic change in addition to any physical change that the actions themselves may cause.

Ritual and Ceremony

Rituals differ from ceremonies in that rituals are repeated and may be contained within a ceremony.

For example: A wedding ceremony contains rituals binding – vows, clasping/binding hands, kissing, signing the license, etc. The rituals within the ceremony are familiar. The ceremony itself is unique to the occasion and individuals, but the rituals contained wthin it are familiar. There are repeated in some form at nearly every wedding ceremony. Observing them cements the idea that the people involved are now married, both to the onlookers and to participants.

Rituals also exist outside the ceremonial context.

A specific example many of us experience is the ritual of starting a meeting with a pledge or anthem. This brings everyone to a central energetic point from which to engage with each other, even if the next step involves conflict. This might take place within a ceremonial context, such as at the start of a graduation ceremony, or not.

Habits and Everyday Rituals

Habits become rituals if they have the side effect of altering the energy around a situation or changing the mood. For example, the ritual of putting on your make-up, like putting on armor, can bring you self-confidence. The ritual of stopping in for a cup of fancy coffee whenever you’re out running errands makes errands more fun and less drudgery.

We make these every day rituals magickal by making them intentional. And the truth is, the intention doesn’t have to come before the ritual. Sometimes it can be tacked on later.

Ritual and Meaning

Many long-standing rituals are passed down culturally or within families, even though the original intention is lost. There are many common explanations for ancient rituals that have nothing to do with the original intention. Just about everything to do with Easter and Christmas springs to mind. They are full of possible reasons why we do things a certain way, competing between religions, historians, and even retail marketers.

In truth, any of them can be right because the important thing about a ritual is what it does for the people experiencing it. Even people in the same room experiencing the same thing can get something different out of it. The important thing is what you think it’s about. Sometimes, though, it’s okay to just decide that we do things because it seems right and it feels good.

Ritual Warnings

Rituals can be soothing and healing, but they can also be limiting. People and institutions can become reliant on their rituals, doing things because that is how it has always been done and because it feels familiar and safe. Rituals shift energy and maintain the flow as they are repeated after the shift.

People experiencing emotional and mental struggles may engage in ritual as well. These rituals, with their familiar repetitions, bring about a sense of calm and control that can be difficult to achieve without them. Thus, rituals can be useful coping mechanisms in times of stress. If these coping rituals become a source of stress themselves, they are no longer useful and must be discarded. This can be difficult and may require the guidance of a mental health professional.

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