LIKE MAGICK, (THE FOCUS OF LAST WEEK’S CHAPTER,) RITUAL IS A TOPIC WE COULD SPEND WEEK’S EXPLORING, BUT THE BASIC CONCEPT IS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD…RITUAL IS A SPIRITUAL, OR RELIGIOUS CEREMONY, CONSISTING OF A SERIES OF SPECIFIC ACTIONS, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE A SPECIFIC RESULT OR STATE OF MIND.
Originally launched January 16, 2021
updated February 25, 2021
WATCH CHAPTER 10: THE SEVEN WONDERS OF RITUAL NOW (click on image to play full video)
chapter 10 review
RITUAL IS A WORD LIKE “AWESOME” OR “AMAZING.” THROUGHOUT THE YEARS IT HAS BECOME OVERUSED, AND IN MANY WAYS, HAS LOST SOME OF ITS SACREDNESS, AND TRUE MEANING. I RECENTLY ASKED SOMEONE WHAT THEIR MORNING RITUAL WAS, AND THE ANSWER RAN SOMETHING LIKE: “OH, I GET UP, PEE, FEED THE DOG, TAKE THE TRASH OUT, MAKE COFFEE AND CATCH UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND NEWS.” THAT’S NOT A RITUAL, ITS A ROUTINE. WHEN I ASKED MY FRIEND IF HE HAD AN EVENING RITUAL, HE REPLIED, “YEAH, I SMOKE A CIGARETTE BEFORE I HIT THE SACK.” WELL, THAT’S A HABIT. HOWEVER, BOTH OF THESE EXAMPLES COULD BE TURNED INTO RITUAL, WITH A FEW SIMPLE MODIFICATIONS.
IT’S EASY TO BECOME INTIMIDATED WITH THE IDEA OF A FORMAL RITUAL. FOR ONE THING, SOME OF US DON’T HAVE THE LUXURY OF TIME TO DO COMPLEX SUNRISE RITUALS, OR ELABORATE FULL MOON CEREMONIES. WHILE FORMAL RITUALS ARE BEAUTIFUL - AND I KNOW MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE DEEPLY REWARDED BY PRACTICING FORMAL/TRADITIONAL RITUAL… IF OUR FOCUS IS ON “GETTING THE DETAILS RIGHT,” RATHER THAN EXPERIENCING THE DESIRED INTENT- WE MISS THE POINT, INTRODUCE ANXIETY, AND MAY LOSE INTEREST IN PERFORMING RITUAL ALTOGETHER.
BUT JUST AS A DAILY EXERCISE ROUTINE KEEPS US PHYSICALLY FIT, DAILY RITUAL WILL MAINTAIN OUR SPIRITUAL FITNESS. AND LIKE EXERCISE, THERE ARE COUNTLESS METHODS AND MODALITIES OF RITUAL TO CHOOSE FROM.
LAST WEEK, IN CHAPTER 9, THE SEVEN WONDERS OF MAGICK, WE EXPLORED THE BASICS OF HOW MAGICK REGISTERS AND FEELS IN OUR BODY. TRAINING OURSELVES HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAGICKAL ENERGY AND EMOTIONAL ENERGY, (AND HOW THE TWO CAN OVERLAP), IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ROUTINE AND RITUAL. AS I MENTIONED ABOVE, SOME OF US MISTAKE ROUTINE WITH RITUAL…BUT AS A LONG TIME PRACTITIONER MYSELF, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE REVERSE CAN ALSO HAPPEN…MEANING…RITUAL CAN SOMETIMES BECOME TOO ROUTINE. “YES, I’M RECITING MY NORMAL MORNING PRAYERS, BUT MY MIND IS RUNNING THROUGH THE GROCERY LIST, OR LAST NIGHT’S NEWSCAST.” WHETHER WE CALL OUR ROUTINES RITUAL, OR EXPERIENCE OUR RITUALS AS ROUTINE…IT’S A GOOD IDEA TO PERIODICALLY EXPLORE FRESH ALTERNATIVES AND/OR ALTERATIONS IN BOTH..