Ritual

[Mannun]

What does Ritual mean to you?? Why is it important to do Ritual?? What does Ritual do for you??

[Rudas Starblaze]

What does Ritual mean to you?? Why is it important to do Ritual?? What does Ritual do for you??

youre guess is as good as mine. i dont do rituals. i think its a wiccan/catholic thing.

im sure others will have something completely different to say. to each their own. ;)

[Xentor]

your guess is as good as mine. i don't do rituals. i think it's a wiccan/catholic thing.
i'm sure others will have something completely different to say. to each their own. ;) Quite. I, for instance, do enjoy ceremonies, but loath ritualistic performance. Some of the motions can be considered ritualistic, but I tend to minimize their time consumption.

[Windsmith]

Ritual gets me into a different state of awareness. It gives me access to parts of myself that I can't always get at while I'm running around earning money, keeping my house clean, telling the cat not to eat that, etc. Ritual forces me to slow down, to be truly present in my life and in the world.

When I'm working with other people, the best ritual allows me to see past the everyday annoyances that I use as excuses to stay apart from people. If done right, I glimpse a deeper beauty in everyone, and a deeper connection between everyone. Doesn't make the annoyances go away, but it helps me find - and want to find - ways to move beyond that.

Mostly, it allows me to experience life from my Deep Self for a while, and give my Ordinary Self a rest. And maybe when I come back to Ordinary Self, it's moved a little bit deeper from the experience.

[cheddarsox]

Ritual, to me, is a tool I use to access certain brain patterns, feelings and connections. It is a shortcut, created by myself, to get me to a state of mind that I find useful.

I have little rituals that I use daily to remind myself of my path. Doing that can get me to a state of calm, or happiness, or whatever I have programmed myself to respond to said ritual.

I have some other rituals that I use on special occasions to connect with certain thought patterns, deeper stuff, more serious stuff. In these cases, the elements of ritual, rather than repeating the exact same formula are the most important thing. What I mean is that I can write or create a ritual for a specific event or purpose, that is new and unique, but because it incorporates certain elements, I can use it to lead me where I want to go (though new rituals are also apt to bring surprises and make new connections)

I think ritual is only as important as you make it. If it is a useful tool, and if you've designed it well and practiced your skill with it, it can be useful. If it is poorly designed, and you don't know how to use it, or if it doesn't fit the job...then it is useless and pointless.

People have created ritual to serve them. There are some universal elements to many rituals, because people tend to respond to similar things in similar ways, it is a species thing. Other rituals are based on particular beliefs and cultural norms. Others are completely personal. (I'll bet you have a certain way you brush your teeth every night)

I don't think ritual serves any purpose just for its own sake, or that it should be done "just because".

Some of my rituals I began intentionally, and others just sort of grew organically from my lifestyle. I find them useful. They tend not to be showy or complicated, because that is my personality. Others get better results with more drama and flair.

My trad does not have a long history of specific ritual, so I don't have that aspect to deal with.

[Teresa]

A ritual can be a simple routine that you perform everyday. An example You taking a shower everyday could be considered a ritual. Rituals can be simplistic and they can also be complex. There are many different viewpoints on this as there are very different people in this world.

[Zephyrstorm]

My definition is like Shalaye's.
Ritual is action with intention that is done repeatedly.

what it does for me varies.

[Enlightenment1]

My definition is like Shalaye's.
Ritual is action with intention that is done repeatedly.

what it does for me varies.

What you said :D