Elements of an Effective Ritual
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!
