Post by mikaya on Sept 20, 2015 10:21:48 GMT -5
I just had the pleasure of partaking in Sha and Michelle's online autumn equinox ritual, and it has inspired me to start a thread about the power and importance of ritual in our lives.
In modern days, we tend to have forgotten the power of ritual and that is a mistake, imo!
A ritual, or ceremony, is about setting a clear intention and making a clear commitment, letting go of and moving on from the old that no longer serves us to something new that does serve us. It is about tapping into and honoring the unseen reality around us that affects us constantly, and working (or playing) with energies to create what we need and want in our lives. We can do rituals for anything: to cement a commitment, to honor a partnership (that's called a wedding), to celebrate a change (such as growing older -- that's called a birthday!), to access help from those unseen realms, to offer gratitude to all those allies, guides and others who are there for us, to find answers to questions . . .
All indigenous people had regular ceremonies, and many modern rituals follow those ancient traditions. But there is no wrong way to do a ritual (although I would recommend certain practices, and certainly staying well away from anything that might be called black magic). You can choose to follow certain standard ways of doing them or you can make up your own.
Sha and Michelle, what traditions have you studied? And others of you reading this thread, what have you found that works for you? I started doing Wiccan rituals with friends, and then I studied the Four Fold Way back in the eighties, with Angeles Arrien, which pulls together threads from many shamanic/indigenous cultures all over the world. Nowadays the rituals I lead are a combination of everything I have ever learned; I feel as though something flows through me and takes charge.
I wasn't sure how doing a ritual on-line would go, and i am delighted to have felt how the magic transcends the distance. That opens all kinds of potential!
In modern days, we tend to have forgotten the power of ritual and that is a mistake, imo!
A ritual, or ceremony, is about setting a clear intention and making a clear commitment, letting go of and moving on from the old that no longer serves us to something new that does serve us. It is about tapping into and honoring the unseen reality around us that affects us constantly, and working (or playing) with energies to create what we need and want in our lives. We can do rituals for anything: to cement a commitment, to honor a partnership (that's called a wedding), to celebrate a change (such as growing older -- that's called a birthday!), to access help from those unseen realms, to offer gratitude to all those allies, guides and others who are there for us, to find answers to questions . . .All indigenous people had regular ceremonies, and many modern rituals follow those ancient traditions. But there is no wrong way to do a ritual (although I would recommend certain practices, and certainly staying well away from anything that might be called black magic). You can choose to follow certain standard ways of doing them or you can make up your own.
Sha and Michelle, what traditions have you studied? And others of you reading this thread, what have you found that works for you? I started doing Wiccan rituals with friends, and then I studied the Four Fold Way back in the eighties, with Angeles Arrien, which pulls together threads from many shamanic/indigenous cultures all over the world. Nowadays the rituals I lead are a combination of everything I have ever learned; I feel as though something flows through me and takes charge.
I wasn't sure how doing a ritual on-line would go, and i am delighted to have felt how the magic transcends the distance. That opens all kinds of potential!
) and now I enjoy to practice an eclectic form of rituals, taking what resonates with me and making it my own. One thing I do stay consistent with though is the practice of honoring the elements as well as both the male and female aspects of deity. 
