Purpose & Format of Ritual

1. The Need, The Desire, The Emotional Involvement
2. The Knowledge and Preparation
3. Belief and Manifestation
4. Ability to Keep Silent, The Willingness Release and Accept

STEP 1: The Need, The Desire, The Emotional Involvement

• Clearly defining the magickal goal
• Truthfully understanding the ethics of your working and desire
• Deciding the best type of ritual to perform to reach the magickal goal

Clarify the Intention/Purpose
Fist you must answer this deceivingly simple question: "Why am I doing this ritual?" In order to continue successfully you must decide precisely what your desired end result is to be. Before you put pen to paper, you must decide what your intention is. As you progress through the ritual you may find that your need or desire was different than what your conscious mind perceived. Did you really want a new job or did you really want the one you have to be more fulfilling or is it that you really just wanted to find ways to feel more fulfilled? Really think over what you need and desire. Be explicit; remember you get what you ask for. Do not scatter your energy by attempting to do more than one magickal working at a time.

Something to think about: One of the most important elements in the practice of any form of magick is the universal law of cause and effect. This means that whatever you do, or don’t do, you cause something to happen. The most important consideration is the universal law of retribution.

Purpose of Ritual

• Healing the Self and/or Others
  Seeking divine guidance, healing, or insight to the self: emotions, the body, quit smoking, identify the cause of obsessive/compulsive behavior and eliminate behavior, relieve depression, heal disease. All healing rituals are done only done with person's permission.
• Healing the World
  As neo-pagans we seek to find ways to heal and nurture our mother earth: ecology, pollution, endangered species, to prevent or heal the aftermath of natural disasters, alleviate, hunger, drought, think of others.
• Relationships
  These rituals are not limited to “love magick” they are also for and around: endings, beginnings, Great Rite, alleviating problems, insight to partners, discovering the cause of discord, and so on. Love magick e.g. to bring a lover to you, should always be done in a general way. Never take aim at specific person as this is manipulation and breaks the Wiccan Rede. The potential harm of love magick (spells potions charms etc.) can go something like this… the lover who wouldn't leave long after you wanted them out of your life. Never tie yourself magickally to a person.
• Family
  Rituals based around family events: house blessings, holidays, engagement, anniversaries, birthdays, transitions, coming of age, etc. For families with young children ritual can be created specifically for them with sacred activities, crafts, songs, and so on, that are meant to involve and spiritually nurture children. (Involving and/or exposing children to ritual is a personal decision. Even in this day and age there are pressing reasons not to. There are legal agencies out there to help protect pagan parents and their rights to not only practice their religion but to also involve their children.)
• Problem Resolution
  Seeking insight or conclusion to problems such as arguments, job issues, lack of creativity, fertility; the list is endless.
• Seasonal
  Celebrations such as Samhain, Yule, Lammas, Beltane, and those specific to your life, culture, group, what have you.
• Bindings
  A binding is used to prevent harm from being caused and to bring a perpetrator to justice. While this is one of the strongest spells it requires the strongest ethics and preparation. It should only be performed with the utmost caution, preparation, and only in extreme circumstances. In this Order, we do not perform curses or hexes.
• Personal Transformation
  Seeking to find spiritual guidance and insight for personal issues: relieve anger, transformations, self-knowledge, become more creative, etc. This is not a replacement for therapy!
• Ceremonial
  Gnostic, Enochian, Goetic, Abramelin, Golden Dawn, Ancient, Medieval, Masonic, and Thelemic.

Types of Ritual
Decide which type of ritual you are performing. Usually, the most successful group rituals involve both theater and participatory.

• Ritual Theater: dramatic presentation with players and audience.
• Participatory: attendees participate in the ritual through action, words, song, etc.
• Solo: a personal ritual performed by one person with no audience.
  

FUNCTION OF RITUAL

Mystical/Metaphysical/Spiritual

• induces a state of wonder-connects the self with the All (Universe consciousness).
• brings awe at the mysteries of the All
• functions on a universal down to the personal level.

Cosmological

• brings mystery-expressed in themes and motifs-to the people
• helps people make sense of their world

Sociological

• provides a way of verifying, nurturing, and preserving the customs of a social group or individual.

Psychological

• guides and supports individuals through myth
• provides a means of processing transitions from birth to death, the passages of life (birth, menarche, manhood, adolescence, first sexual experience, abuse, rape, marriage, divorce, menopause, death, etc.)
• provides a structure for celebrating life (affirmations)

   

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