Ritual

[OlaMystique]

Merry meet!

Being new to Wicca and Paganism, though incredibly drawn to it for its intrinsic beauty, I am not yet comfortable with ritual. I think it stems from being uncomfortable with ritual even in Christian church as a child.

Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions for a very basic ritual I could begin with as a solitary practitioner? I have a small altar prepared, with candles representing the God and the Goddess, and a crystal offering bowl, as well as incense to burn. I know that if I give myself time and something simple in the beginning to focus upon, ritual will become rewarding but I just don't know where to begin. Any thoughts are appreciated!

OlaMystique

[Shy Hawk]

Maybe you should start on a meditation, and taking a walk down a forest path. You know....so many things can be ritual, it does not have to be stiff or calculated. It can be as simple as planting your garden while thinking about how you are helping our mother and giving life.
It can be you sitting in a field listening to the birds. You can make it anything you like...as long as you associate special meaning to it, and try not to be interrupted.
Ritual can be like....your time to get close to the God and Goddess....it doesn't have to the be the kind of ritual where you are casting a circle and preparing to do spellwork.
Take an interest in nature, and you will start to hear prayers in the birds morning calls....then you will will be celebrating the Earth aswell. That may be a good place to start......
Hope I didn't babble too much, I'm awful tired.
Shy Hawk

[OlaMystique]

Thank you, Sky Hawk, for those ideas! They surely make me more comfortable for delving into ritual. Start off simple -- it's the emotional and mental experience that counts, not so much the step-by-step routine. I think I will start this today. :)

Oh, this will sound dumb...but on meditation...I have never been able to do this. I am a constant thinker and every thought distracts me to no end. My friend suggested I practice focusing on one thought, like my new son, while concentrating, but is this a good start to learn to meditate, in any of your opinions?

OlaMystique

[Mariposa De La Luna]

I've recently checked out Meditation for Dummies from the library. Its very good but starts with more Zen meditation, which is as good as any place to start, I guess. so one of the first basic exercises is following your breath.

Sit upright but comfortably and take a few deep breaths to get you settled and into a natural rythm. Breath naturally, every breath will not be the same, legnth and time varies between. Then choose a focus either 1) feel/see your chest rising and falling and explore how that affects your body or 2) Feel your breath as it travels down into your lungs and then back out. Count every breath like in,1, out 2, in3, out 4, up to ten. If you get a stray thought just go back to your breathing and start again at 1. The goal is to count to 10 without stray thoughts, which is prectically impossible for the beginner. Then once you can do that count your breathing in, out 1, in out 2, in out 3 up till ten untill you have no stray thoughts.

If you want more get the book because that is as far as I got. It says it can take weeks/months to successfully do it. Sitting upright is very important and practice every day, just a few minutes till you slowly get better. It also gave other tips and things you can explore but I think I got the basics down.

Meditation helps slow us down and appreciate things, says the book, the author recounts hearing someone brag how his commercial on tv has 6 different frames per second. This is one reason we can't calm our minds, lots of bombardment at rapid rates and our brain gets used to it so when you slow it down it starts throwning this stuff at you to keep busy. The author equates learning meditation to training a stubborn puppy because in effect you are training your mind.

Hope this helps! :D

[Shy Hawk]

Sahm's suggestion is great.
I too have problems focusing. Here's what I do. To start out with good meditation habits I first visualize situations, instead of objects. I still have the freedom to explore it, but it's focused on one scene.
Okay, here's an example. I picture myself in a field (this is my favorite, you can pick anything...in a boat, on a beach, swinging on a swing) and I focus on the field and what I'm doing in the field. I visualize the colors and the flowers in great detail. I visualize what I'm wearing...every last detail. It is not as boring and slow paced. With each visualization you gain the stamina it will take to do a more structured meditation. And, here's a plus....every time you do it, it gets easier to enter that state.
This is a good way to begin meditation. Just visulization in detail while you breathe deeply.
Another meditation I like is sitting outside somewhere, closing your eyes, and listening very closely to every sound. It will bring you closer to the world around you and help you focus on the small unnoticed things.
Hope this helps!
Shy Hawk