The Art of Ritual

Think about how calming it is to go through a familiar set of steps before you climb into bed at night. Or how hectic your morning would be without your morning coffee and breakfast made just the way you like it. Rituals give us a great sense of comfort in our lives. And today, I want to share with you how creating your own ritual can enhance your spiritual practice.

So what exactly is ritual?

It's simply a series of actions and practices filled with intention. And that's the key - there's an intention behind what you're doing. And depending on your intentions, rituals will help you manifest what you desire, cultivate a deeper sense of self-love, accelerate your healing process, and deepen your relationship with Spirit as you create a sense of sacredness in your life.

It doesn't matter what your spiritual or religious background is, or your age, or your occupation. Rituals are a powerfully important way to stay connected to the Divine. And that's why, since the dawn of time, humans have been using rituals to mark the passage of time, celebrate special events, and honour our ancestors and spirit guides. So if you’re looking to integrate the wisdom and guidance of these guides into your life, ritual and ceremony can go a long way.

You may also find that performing rituals may awaken your creative spirit, illuminate the beauty within, magnify your magic, and most importantly, connect you with the potent power of your intentions.

The sacred feminine is within all of us. But sometimes we lose touch with her presence. We fail to see the incredible manifestations of her energy in the world around us. Rituals and other intentional practices can bring you into the present moment, open your mind to receive wisdom from your guides, and reconnect you to your feminine energy. Not only this, but rituals can be a beautiful expression of your own gratitude, and bring you in sync with your earthly life, allowing your time here to be spiritually supported and purposeful.

Here are a few sacred objects you can use in your ritual:

• A journal and pen
• Adornments to design a sacred space
• A yoga mat
• A meditation cushion
• Your favourite crystals, stones and gems
• Dried roses
• Favourite herbs and bath salts
• Your favourite containers, such as a glass jar, tea mug, or a beautiful basket
• Art supplies
• Candles

... really anything else that has special meaning to you.

Rituals are highly personal so it’s a good idea to try things out and see what resonates with you.

If you love to sing, perhaps songs and chants should play a central role in your rituals. Or if you’re a dancer, you could use your physical body as an instrument of reverence and joy. Remember that creativity is at the heart of femininity, and you should use your unique gifts to connect to your feminine energy.

One of the easiest places to start with rituals is to create a sacred space of some kind.

This is the perfect spot to display images that resonate with you, burn incense, and lay out candles and symbolic items of femininity such as flowers, cups, lunar objects, fruits, and feathers.

You can use this space to meditate, pray, or give offerings to your guides. You can change out the images and objects as you see fit. You can also use this space to invoke the Divine Feminine and give thanks for your place in your maternal line of ancestors and honour each of the Goddess archetypes within you, and be open to receive their wisdom.

Mother Nature is a beautiful and easily accessible energy in which to hold any of your rituals.

Following the cycles of the moon is something that is still practiced today, and it's a perfect introduction to the feminine influence. Consider doing something special to mark the passage of each full moon and/or new moon. Giving thanks for the waxing and waning energy and tapping into your own hormonal cycles.  

• Some ideas for  moon rituals might include: 
• Lighting a bonfire
• Meeting with friends out in the wilderness
• Singing a song or reciting a prayer to the moon
• Dancing
• Creating a mandala from natural materials (crystals, petals, leaves, or rocks).

You can also send prayers or light candles for a specific Goddess, use tarot or oracle cards, or simply spend more time in nature to connect with the Divine feminine energy.

So here's your invitation for today:

1. Create a small altar or special place to display inspiration for your spiritual path. This will be especially helpful if you need to tap into your intuition, answer a question or shift your perspective.
2. Choose imagery or artwork that resonates with you, and include special objects from nature in your sacred space. Make sure you bathe this space in the cleansing and purifying smoke of your favourite smudge - so you can use white sage, or cedar, or sweet grass, or any other burning herb or incense. Allow the smoke to waft through all the objects in this space and this will clear any static or stuck energy.
3. On the next main moon phase, you can light a candle at your altar, and give thanks for the feminine power and guidance you receive, and honor the  cycles of your own life and all the life around you.

Make sure that you integrate your rituals with the rest of your spiritual practice - like yoga and meditation and journaling and other self-care practices. You can combine them with potent mantras and imaginative art and if you weave all of this together then you create a net of support for your strength and wellbeing.

And just know that as you grow - personally and spiritually - and your life changes, you may find your ritual practices also change and evolve over time - and that is perfectly wonderful.

The more time you spend in your sacred space, and perform rituals, the more powerful and personal your spiritual experiences will become.

Make sure to put your heart, your joy and your tears into your rituals. Reflect on the things that are meaningful to you, welcome new insights, sharpen your intuition, and make your rituals a part of who you are.

Please let us know about your own rituals in the Self-care for the Soul group on Facebook and on Instagram. We’d love to see your photos and hear about your experiences of deepening your own spiritual practice. Just use the hashtags #soulwomancircles and #selfcareforthesoul so we can find you.