Creating a Simple Ritual - A Guide.
Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 3:28 pm
I have been thinking about creating such a thread for a while as many people who are new to the craft seem to rely on rituals from internet that someone else wrote and may not really be working for them. In my experience, it's always better to create the ritual yourself, to work on every detail, to think about the elements you are including and to have time to think about the intention. When I started, I read a lot of crap and badly translated good things that didn't work for me. Once I started creating my own rituals, I saw better results and everything just became a lot easier. I would love everyone to add to the thread, because I can only speak from the eclectic prospective.
So here we go:
When you want to create a ritual, there are few things you need to think about before starting doing anything.
1. Clarify the intention. I mean, think about what is your exact intention/wish. Most spells people cast are for granting wishes/getting something they want. Think about what will happen when/if you do get what you wish for. Think about it from every prospective. Do that for a day or two. Don't rush. It's always better to have a time to consider every aspect of your desire and you prove yourself patient enough to get the best result. With me, this is where I call off some of the spells I am considering. The question "do I really need this, or is it just a caprice?" is always telling me the truth. If the spell is not for a wish or anything material, think about the impact it will have on other people. Like if you want someone to change their mind on a certain subject, think about what it will do to them. Or how it will affect other people. What's good for you is not always good in general. Don't be selfish. Basically, think about every aspect of what's going to happen.
2. Think about the paraphernalia you are going to need. Sometimes a ritual works better if it's kept simple. Sometimes not. I like simple rituals better, but sometimes I need a long ritual that takes a lot of things, so I can focus my energy on the subject better. It's mostly just my thing, but I have discussed this with other practitioners who are the same way. So if you are to perform a youth ritual that calls for fresh camomile, you obviously can't perform it in December. At first, it's good to keep it simple. What matters most is the intention. So few candles, maybe some herbs and a chant will do fine. Don't go for the complicated stuff.
3. Consider the Moon phase. I am not one of the people who are affected by the Moon like they can't sleep during full moon (I can't sleep at all lately, but that's another issue ). Still, once I started paying attention to the phases, everything became easier. Like it's a lot easier to focus when you know the time is right. There are many many sources where you can check the current phase and even consider the star sign the Moon is in (which can also improve the final result).
4. Create a chant. It doesn't really matter if it rhymes. Just say what you need the spell for. Try and use nice words. Especially if you are going to ask a deity for help. Still, don't ask, demand. It's always better to state your desire or intention, than beg. For example "I would like this to happen", isn't really the best way to go. "My will is for this to happen" is a lot better, without being rude. "Do this, now, I'm telling you!" is definitely NOT the way, though.
5. Do your research. Doing things by instinct is a good thing. But being prepared is better. For example if you are working with a God/Goddess, you might want to give Him/Her some offerings. It's a good thing to research their preferences first.
6. Start with things that you want, but won't regret if they don't happen. In the beginning most people get overexcited about magick and rituals and everything and start casting spells on their deepest desires. And when/if something doesn't work, they feel disappointed and sometimes even quit. Start with things you don't really care about. Or with small rituals to cleanse your house from negative energies, something positive, but not too important. Sometimes rituals just don't work. It's not the end of the world and you shouldn't give up. Sometimes there is this little inner voice that tells you you are not supposed to do that. Then rituals tend to fail. Or you don't focus your energy right. Or maybe you cast a spell on someone, but they have a good defense or about a million other things.
7. Do not share your practices with others. By this I mean don't go around telling people you made this fantastic ritual and now you are the best mage in the neighborhood. If you are in a coven, you can share your rituals, of course. If you would like help with your ritual, you can share it here for example. But don't tell everyone what you did or what you are about to do. People are skeptic about magick. They can unintentionally ruin your ritual by thinking "yeah, right, whatever". Others may even try to ruin it. Just keep to yourself.
8. Finally, don't expect everything to happen as planned. This is a lesson I learned the hard way. You may have considered everything before casting, or at lest think you have. But something unexpected may always happen. Or you may have wished for one thing, while actually needing another and get what you needed. Magick isn't exact science. The Universe sends us exactly what we need. No matter if we know we need it.
So, this is it for now. Please, feel free to add info or ask questions.
So here we go:
When you want to create a ritual, there are few things you need to think about before starting doing anything.
1. Clarify the intention. I mean, think about what is your exact intention/wish. Most spells people cast are for granting wishes/getting something they want. Think about what will happen when/if you do get what you wish for. Think about it from every prospective. Do that for a day or two. Don't rush. It's always better to have a time to consider every aspect of your desire and you prove yourself patient enough to get the best result. With me, this is where I call off some of the spells I am considering. The question "do I really need this, or is it just a caprice?" is always telling me the truth. If the spell is not for a wish or anything material, think about the impact it will have on other people. Like if you want someone to change their mind on a certain subject, think about what it will do to them. Or how it will affect other people. What's good for you is not always good in general. Don't be selfish. Basically, think about every aspect of what's going to happen.
2. Think about the paraphernalia you are going to need. Sometimes a ritual works better if it's kept simple. Sometimes not. I like simple rituals better, but sometimes I need a long ritual that takes a lot of things, so I can focus my energy on the subject better. It's mostly just my thing, but I have discussed this with other practitioners who are the same way. So if you are to perform a youth ritual that calls for fresh camomile, you obviously can't perform it in December. At first, it's good to keep it simple. What matters most is the intention. So few candles, maybe some herbs and a chant will do fine. Don't go for the complicated stuff.
3. Consider the Moon phase. I am not one of the people who are affected by the Moon like they can't sleep during full moon (I can't sleep at all lately, but that's another issue ). Still, once I started paying attention to the phases, everything became easier. Like it's a lot easier to focus when you know the time is right. There are many many sources where you can check the current phase and even consider the star sign the Moon is in (which can also improve the final result).
4. Create a chant. It doesn't really matter if it rhymes. Just say what you need the spell for. Try and use nice words. Especially if you are going to ask a deity for help. Still, don't ask, demand. It's always better to state your desire or intention, than beg. For example "I would like this to happen", isn't really the best way to go. "My will is for this to happen" is a lot better, without being rude. "Do this, now, I'm telling you!" is definitely NOT the way, though.
5. Do your research. Doing things by instinct is a good thing. But being prepared is better. For example if you are working with a God/Goddess, you might want to give Him/Her some offerings. It's a good thing to research their preferences first.
6. Start with things that you want, but won't regret if they don't happen. In the beginning most people get overexcited about magick and rituals and everything and start casting spells on their deepest desires. And when/if something doesn't work, they feel disappointed and sometimes even quit. Start with things you don't really care about. Or with small rituals to cleanse your house from negative energies, something positive, but not too important. Sometimes rituals just don't work. It's not the end of the world and you shouldn't give up. Sometimes there is this little inner voice that tells you you are not supposed to do that. Then rituals tend to fail. Or you don't focus your energy right. Or maybe you cast a spell on someone, but they have a good defense or about a million other things.
7. Do not share your practices with others. By this I mean don't go around telling people you made this fantastic ritual and now you are the best mage in the neighborhood. If you are in a coven, you can share your rituals, of course. If you would like help with your ritual, you can share it here for example. But don't tell everyone what you did or what you are about to do. People are skeptic about magick. They can unintentionally ruin your ritual by thinking "yeah, right, whatever". Others may even try to ruin it. Just keep to yourself.
8. Finally, don't expect everything to happen as planned. This is a lesson I learned the hard way. You may have considered everything before casting, or at lest think you have. But something unexpected may always happen. Or you may have wished for one thing, while actually needing another and get what you needed. Magick isn't exact science. The Universe sends us exactly what we need. No matter if we know we need it.
So, this is it for now. Please, feel free to add info or ask questions.