Wiccan Ritual Is Magick Ritual
Wiccan ritual is magick in action! It's like crafting a magick spell with people as the main ingredients. And like any good magick spell, it lifts the ingredients up from being ordinary to being Divine. Once you realise this, the practice of ritual makes intuitive sense. The Purpose of any ritual is then obvious: to create change within ourselves, and thus, in the world. The Means is perceiving spiritual reality, becoming one with it, and then transforming it.
The Process is shifting consciousness, applying intense focus and energy to what we desire, and calling it to us through symbolic actions. The Outcome is that we are lifted into the Good Reality, the world we want to be part of. Ritual Is The Good Bit!Magickal ritual is one of the highlights of being a Witch or Wiccan! It serves many purposes...
There are other ways to manifest changes in the world. But ritual is one of the most powerful. Wiccan CelebrationsRituals are held to celebrate the Earth's seasons, the Moon's phases, and the human life. Sometimes these are large rituals, sometimes very small private rituals. But Wiccans recognise the value of honouring the phases of life, and generally celebrate in some way. Wiccan SabbatsWiccan Sabbats, or holy days, often have large celebrations. They may even be open to family and friends, or the public. The Sabbats mark the major points of the Earth's seasons... the Sun's progression through the year. For information on the individual Sabbats, see Wiccan Holidays. EsbatsWiccan Esbats are the most common Wiccan rituals, though, unless we're counting our individual communications with the Divine through prayer and meditation. An Esbat is a celebration of the Full Moon, and most Witches honour it in some fashion. Contrary to rumour, in most cases this does not involve dancing naked around a tree, but there are known to have been exceptions. Esbats can also be held at other phases of the Moon. Rites of PassageThere are also rituals for the human seasons of life, such as birth, death, marriage, divorce, coming of age, croning, and so on. Any major turning point in life can and should be marked by ritual. Rituals, especially community rituals, help us navigate the changes of life with more grace and pleasure. Using Ritual ToolsPeople make a lot of fuss about using the right ritual tools. Well, there's no doubt that ritual tools can help a lot, especially as they build energy through repeated magickal use. In the final analysis, though, the human body, mind, heart, and spirit are the only ritual tools that are absolutely necessary. You will probably want some tools. A very minimum would be a candle, usually, although Witches on the fly (pun intended The good news is, you can make or find most of your ritual tools. You can read a lot more about Wiccan ritual tools in the section on Altar Tools. Enacting Magick RitualsAll ritual is magick ritual. It takes the wishes and beliefs and energy of people and turns that into transformative power. Of course, not all rituals are equally powerful. When you understand why magick ritual works and what the elements are that give it power, you can create rituals that expand your mind and your world. This section will both guide you in creating powerful rituals, and offer ritual outlines that you can follow to create your own. (For Sabbat rituals, though, see the section on Wiccan Holidays.) Note:
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