Archive for the ‘Ritual’ Category
Now that we have explained the seven elements of an effective ritual and have presented three workable examples of how the elements fit together, you can learn to create your own rituals. Just work through the following step-by-step action plan:
- Decide exactly what you want your ritual to accomplish.
- Select a colour which you think suits this goal. For example, yellow is used in prosperity rituals because it symbolises gold. (Some people use green to represent the colour of banknotes in some countries).
- Obtain a candle of the selected colour.
- Obtain the incense you would like to use for the ritual (if any.)
- Prepare your affirmation, confirmation and conclusion beforehand if you wish by writing them down.
That’s all there is to it! All that remains is for you to perform your ritual and wait for the results – it really is that simple!
You can perform a ritual whenever you like, but it is best to limit yourself to performing no more than one each week. Any more than this and the effect of your rituals will become diluted as the ‘sacred’ becomes ‘commonplace’.
Conclusion
Remember, spiritual power does not equate with hard work or complexity. What seems simple on the surface is often just as powerful – if not more so – than something which seems amazingly complicated. The ritual methods we have discussed in the last few articles are extremely powerful. They cut through the mumbo-jumbo which most people associated with rituals and get right to the heart of the matter – the intensity of genuine spiritual power.
Creating your own rituals using the principles we have outlined will make them even more powerful because they will contain more of your personal energy. And – as if we need to remind you yet again – it is the energy within you which makes success possible.
Of course, rituals are not the be-all and end-all of a successful metaphysical life. There are still many other techniques which you need to master before you can truly ‘have it all’. The power of ritual is, however, very important, and using it wisely can improve your life quite considerably.
Having seen how the seven elements of an effective ritual fit together, we now present three of our own rituals which are built on this pattern. Study them, change them to suit and use them whenever you wish.
Ritual For Wealth And Abundance
- Light a yellow or orange candle.
- Light an oil burner and use an incense oil of your choice (patchouli is useful).
- Centre yourself by gazing at the candle flame or closing your eyes and watching the breaths.
- Affirm that this ritual is for the production of wealth and prosperity in your life, but be specific. For example, ‘The purpose of this ritual is to help increase my experience of prosperity by $100 per week.’
- Close your eyes and imagine that you already have the wealth you are seeking. Feel the emotions which accompany this fact. Imagine what having this money will enable you to do, be and accomplish.
- Confirm that the ritual has worked and that you already have what you want. For example, ‘I thank the power within me for the $100 per week pay rise I have just been given. I thank the universe that my faith has made it so.’
Relax for a few minutes, enjoying the emotions of the moment, then bring the ritual to a conclusion with a brief word or two. For example, ‘This ritual has now served its purpose. The desired pay-rise has now been created, and for this I thank the power within me.’
Ritual For Health And Vitality
- Light a green candle.
- Light an oil burner and use an incense oil of your choice.
- Centre yourself by gazing at the candle flame or closing your eyes and watching the breaths.
- Affirm that this ritual is for the production of health and vitality in your life, but be specific. For example, ‘The purpose of this ritual is to cure my insomnia and ensure that I sleep well.’
- Close your eyes and imagine that you already have the specific aspect of health that you are seeking. Feel the emotions which accompany this fact. Imagine sleeping soundly for eight or nine hours, and waking only when you feel fully refreshed and bursting with energy.
- Confirm that the ritual has worked and that you already have what you want. For example, ‘I thank the power within me that I no longer suffer from insomnia. I thank the universe that each night now brings me eight solid hours of deep and beneficial sleep.’
Relax for a few minutes, enjoying the emotions of the moment, then bring the ritual to a conclusion with a brief word or two. For example, ‘This ritual has now served its purpose. Insomnia is no longer a problem in my life, and for this I thank the power within me.’
NOTE: If you use ritual to improve your health, you must not stop using any prescribed medication until your doctor authorises it. Perform your ritual, wait for the manifestation and then visit your doctor for confirmation of any change.
Ritual For The Attraction Of A Lover
- Light a pink candle.
- Light an oil burner and use an incense oil of your choice (Ylang Ylang is particularly beneficial for this ritual.)
- Centre yourself by gazing at the candle flame or closing your eyes and watching the breaths.
- Affirm that this ritual is for the attraction of a lover or partner in your life, but be specific. For example, ‘The purpose of this ritual is to attract a six foot tall, blue-eyed blonde female/male into my life and to myself for a long-lasting platonic (or intimate) relationship.’
- Close your eyes and imagine that you already have the lover you are seeking. Feel the emotions which accompany this fact. Imagine spending time with your lover, and be as passionate as you like. Remember, the more emotional (intense) you get during this element of the ritual, the better.
Confirm that the ritual has worked and that you already have what you want. For example, ‘I thank the power within me for my new lover. I thank the universe that we have a wonderful and satisfying platonic/intimate/passionate relationship.’
Relax for a few minutes, enjoying the emotions of the moment, then bring the ritual to a conclusion with a brief word or two. For example, ‘This ritual is complete. The lover of my dreams is now a part of my life, and for this I thank the power within me.’
In The Power of Ritual we said that there are seven elements that make up an effective ritual. The seven elements of an effective ritual are as follows:
Element 1 - Illumination
The first element is that of illumination, and primarily we are talking about light. Candles are used in a wide variety of rituals, whether it is in a Christian church setting or in the private temple of an individual. Candles provide a good source of illumination because the flame is a perfectly natural part of the universe. It symbolises the light of the universe (the power within) and also give the practitioner something to focus on. We will come back to this point a little later.
The type of candle used is entirely up to you. We suggest that you choose a candle which seems fitting for the ritual you intend to perform. A white candle might symbolise pure spiritual awareness, a green candle might symbolise wealth, a red candle might symbolise power, a pink candle might symbolise love, and so on.
Our rituals always begin with the lighting of the candle. This helps us to focus our attention on the serious metaphysical task in hand.
Element 2 - Sanctification
Whenever you perform a ritual, the space you work in is, for all intents and purposes, your private temple. If you can perform all of your rituals in the same place then this will be helpful because this area will become charged with spiritual power over the long term, and soon you will just have to go to that place to feel more powerful and in control.
Whether or not you can set aside a specific place for your ritual work, the area around you should be ‘sanctified’ for your use. This simply means that you should make the place as conducive to spiritual work as possible. One of the most common and most effective ways of sanctifying your working area is through the use of incense. This comes in a variety of forms, from pure incense which burns on charcoal, to much simpler joss sticks which are lit and allowed to burn slowly.
Another type of incense comes in the form of an oil and is heated on a dedicated oil burner. All types of incense fills the room with a certain odour which is meant to relax and prepare you for spiritual work. The odours available are numerous and, you should choose one which you personally find pleasing.
Once you have lit a candle and some incense, your working area is prepared and you can begin the ritual itself.
Element 3 - Centralisation
This is where the ritual begins proper, and the aim of centralisation is simply to still the body and mind so that the individual can tap into the power within him.
The easiest way of becoming centred is to sit comfortably with your back straight, focus your mind on one object and then deliberately breath deeply for a few minutes. Many people gaze at their candle in order to still their minds and allow themselves to relax, but others simply close their eyes and concentrate on feeling the air flow in and out of the nostrils.
When your body and mind feel relaxed, quiet and comfortable then the centralisation element of your ritual has served its purpose.
NOTE : Centralisation is the third of our seven elements, but many people use it as the first. Some people simply do not find it convenient to light candles or incense and so omit them altogether, beginning with a period of centralisation. There is nothing at all wrong with this and, as always, you should feel free to adapt and change any suggested routine that we present so that it fits your personal needs and desires.
Element 4 - Affirmation
The element of affirmation is when the individual declares exactly what he wants the ritual to do. The affirmation can be short or long, depending on which suits you best, but must be as specific as possible. Instead of saying, ‘I am performing this ritual so that my finances improve,’ one should say, ‘I am performing this ritual so that my hard work will be noticed and my employer will give me a pay rise.’ As with all affirmations, the more specific you are, the more dramatic your results will be.
If you have trouble thinking of spontaneous affirmations, you should consider preparing them before the ritual begins. There is nothing wrong with writing down your affirmation on a piece of card and then reading it during the ritual itself, as long as your heart is in your affirmation.
Element 5 - Imagination
Once you have affirmed your intention, the next step is to close your eyes and imagine that the reality you want to experience has already been manifested. For any spiritual exercise to work, your inner energy must by put into motion through the deliberate use of the imagination.
For example, if your ritual is designed to help you receive a pay rise from your employer, you should imagine yourself in your normal working environment. Picture yourself being effective at work and reaching your goals with ease. Then imagine your boss approaching you and complimenting you on your good work. Smile and thank him for his kind words.
Then imagine your boss asking you to his office, and you being offered a pay rise. Feel the satisfaction that this brings. Imagine what you will do with the extra money. In your imagination, picture how the extra money will help to improve some aspect of your life, and feel the emotions associated with this.
The more detailed you can be when visualizing your affirmation as reality, the better the results will be. The more emotionally involved you can get in the visualization, the faster the results will come.
Element 6 - Confirmation
The sixth step is to confirm that you already have what you want. It is a word or two of thanksgiving – a moment where you show your appreciation to the power within for making this miracle possible.
Your confirmation, like your affirmation, can either be spontaneous or prepared before the ritual begins. Be sure to word your confirmation in the present tense as though you already have what you want.
For example, if you have just imagined receiving a pay rise from your boss, your confirmation might sound something like this:
‘I thank the power within me for making this miracle possible. I am happy that I have received my pay rise and I affirm that my employer will join me in experiencing a greater level of financial joy and abundance.’
Element 7 - Conclusion
Now the ritual is almost over. All that remains is for you to bring it to a satisfying conclusion. The best way of doing this is just to close your eyes again and relax, happy in the knowledge that your ritual has worked and has helped you to create the reality you wanted to create. Feel free to continue visualizing your success in the here-and-now if you wish, or simply meditate for a short while.
When you feel totally relaxed and satisfied, open your eyes and affirm the conclusion of the ritual. Such a conclusion might sound like this: ‘This ritual has now served its purpose. The desired pay-rise has now been created, and for this I thank the power within me.’
Then extinguish the candle. This symbolizes that the ritual is over and your goal achieved. The incense may be left to burn itself out (if it is safe to be left) or it may also be extinguished, according to personal preference.
These then, are the seven elements of an effective ritual. As we said earlier, feel free to experiment with the structure and/or components to suit your own temperament and needs. For example, you might like to play some soothing music in the background whenever you perform a ritual. Others might want to use several candles instead of just one. Whatever your preference, please understand that what we have presented here is a flexible framework – not a rigid set of rules.
The next article here at Create Good Things will present three ready-made rituals for wealth, health and the attraction of a lover, so don’t miss it!
Rituals have been with us for millennia, but many have lost their original power and have instead become almost meaningless traditions which are passed down from generation to generation. This plethora of seemingly powerless rituals has led to the common misconception that for a ritual to be effective you need to use a lot of mumbo-jumbo and expensive paraphernalia. This is simply not true! The most effective rituals do not involve any mumbo-jumbo, and as for paraphernalia, it isn’t as vital as many people think.
When all is said and done, a genuine ritual is simply a deliberate outward expression of an inner metaphysical belief. A true ritual is designed to serve as a ‘contact point’ between you and the power within so that a manifestation of spiritual power can occur.
As well explaining why most of what people believe about rituals is wrong, and how anyone can create their own ritual which works the first time they use it, in this series of posts we will present a number of ‘stand alone’ rituals which can be adapted to suit your own needs. The rituals which are included in this series are general ones which have been chosen for their simplicity and ease of use.
You will also learn how to construct your own rituals for more specific purposes, such as attracting more money, love and success into your life. Once you truly understand the power of ritual and how to use it effectively, your ability to transform your life will be dramatically increased. Instead of being a victim of circumstance, you will be a creator of circumstance!
When most people think of the word ‘ritual’, they think of the Hollywood definition. They think of groups of people wearing theatrical gowns and bowing solemnly before altars. They think of pentagrams, amulets, chalices and incantations. What these people do not understand is that rituals come in all shapes and sizes, and in most cases this theatrical stereotype simply does not fit.
Consider the person who automatically knocks on wood or throws salt over his shoulder to try and prevent bad luck from taking place. Or the way many people automatically kneel when praying in a Christian church. Or the way candles are blown out on a birthday cake after a wish has been made.
All of these are rituals. What prevents most people from recognising them as such is the fact that they are all rituals which have become traditions. The form of the rituals – the outward expressions – have been handed down from generation to generation. But the real meaning of the rituals – those qualities that gives the rituals their power – have been lost.
A ritual is, according to the dictionary, ‘a formal ceremony or custom.’ To our minds, this is not a good definition of a ritual because it only concerns itself with the outward ceremony. In reality, the most important part of a ritual is what happens in the mind and spirit of the practitioner.
What we must always be careful to remember is that rituals are not mere traditions. They are powerful tools which are only effective when used for a genuine purpose. A true ritual serves three main purposes, and these are as follows:
To Express An Inner Belief
The first purpose of a ritual is to allow the practitioner to express an inner belief or desire in a structured manner. Consider the blowing out of candles on a birthday cake. This is a tradition which is based on an ancient candle magic ritual, and its purpose is to let the practitioner make one wish. In other words, it allows him to make a deliberate declaration about what one thing he wants out of life more than any other.
Once the wish has been made, it is said that it will come true if all of the candles are blown out with one breath. Thus the whole ritual is a framework upon which the coat of inner belief and expectancy can be hung. And because belief and expectancy are two important keys to working miracles, it should come as no surprise that this particular ritual has survived more or less intact for centuries.
To Focus Energy
The second main purpose of a ritual is to help focus the spiritual energy of the practitioner. Often, focusing your spiritual energy on a specific goal or outcome can be difficult, yet focus is exactly what one must do to achieve any tangible results.
A ritual can help this focus by providing a structure and framework within which the individual can work. It gives the individual a routine or system which he can follow, helping him to focus his energies on the goal he has set for himself.
To Encourage Manifestation
The final purpose of a ritual is to help encourage the manifestation of a specified goal or desire. Manifestation is, of course, the ultimate aim of any metaphysical endeavour, so anything that can help to make it happen faster is most welcome.
Rituals encourage manifestation by giving the individual a sense of confidence that his spiritual energies have been focused correctly. This allows him to expect the results to follow once the ritual has been completed, thus unleashing the energy within and bringing about the desired result.
Rituals come in all shapes and sizes, from the extremely simply to the highly complex. The most effective rituals, however, have a number of elements in common. Our own study and experience has revealed that there are seven elements of an effective ritual. This is not to say that a ritual with only three elements is less effective, or that a ritual with ten elements is more effective – just that seven is the ideal as far as we are concerned. Metaphysical systems are not rigid, but are meant to be flexible and adapted by each individual practitioner according to his own needs and tastes. In the next post we will now discuss these elements and explain how they can be so beneficial in the working of miracles…
