Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ Beginners Ritual

Protection first

Visualize a white light all around you, like an orb, and then your house, pets, car, etc.. feel it, really see it in your mind...

do breathing like sol said, then until you're comfortable with it, and its automatic.

I do it everyday, kinda automatic thing..I think.. most of us do?

Anyway, you can light a candle, and think of what your intent is..

Mediatate, on bed, for me, I see myself in a field, on a waterbed, lol, with a creek nearby, whatever scenery makes you feel the most at home and at peace..

Protection, is really impt to learn and many say, that after you see and expand the white light, to add a blue light, as the outer layer.. its very strong and works well..

Thats my starters pointers, for today!!

blessings Whispered~

Are you initiated yet Mystical?
Protection is the most important part, cast the Circle with care and inviting the Elements or quarters, should protect you enough provided you have grounded yourself with care too.
If you are planning to hold your first Ritual to initiate yourself, then doing the above will be enough.
I took a long time before I felt really ready for my first Ritual, keep it simple. Perhaps read a little more about the vital bits before you go ahead? better safe than sorry.

As we talked about in chat why don't you start simply. Start with meditation, breathing deeply, focusing on your breathing and visualise a coloured bubble, circle or shield around you.

Ritual wise maybe you could just light a candle and some relevent incense and speak your intentions, just talk or whatever comes naturally.

Just remember there is no right or wrong way it is between you and the God and Goddess.

Do you know who your God and Goddess are yet? Do you have just the two or several? If you know which Gods have chosen you as opposed to you chosing them from a list in a book, then have things within the ritual to symolise this, symbolic items for me for my Gods would be bees hives/honey/bees, a hammer, water and black feathers.

Your ritual will depend on what path you follow. If you are formally iniated into Wicca then your coven members will guide you, if you follow book wicca then as you want quite frankly, it's been changed so much that its barely recognisable these days.

Ritual can be formal with ritual tools, formal castings, preplanned wording and actions and what have you. Or you have relaxed ritual without the paranaphalia of 'must have' tools, where you commune with the Gods round the fire and where you feel relaxed and not self concious. As you will have found from your books every author tells a different method, do what *you* feel is right. Make meditiation and visualisation a daily part of life, it is crucial to be able to understand and 'feel' energy when working in ritual. Grounding too is massively crucial, easy to do but not always obvious and some people do have problems managing it properly.

All in all, take things easy, but don't rely on books, rely on yourself, on your intuition, on what *you* feel. And do it now, don't wait

I haven't read anything on grounding or calling quarters so i dunno how to do it : (

Any advice on this would be good..

thanks for all your help so far : )

I suggest you write out what kind of ritual you want to get a clearer idea of what it is you are doing, and only then perform a ritual.

Calling the quarters isn't essential (depending on what kind of path you are on) - personally I don't, but then I'm not on a Wiccan or related path. That would be up to you. There are benefits to be had from doing it though (there's a thread around here somewhere about it).

I do recommend that you follow WhisperedWind's advice about protection. I don't want to scare you, but rituals can produce a lot of energies, that might affect you if you don't take a couple of sensible precautions (think of them in the same way as having a smoke alarm, or a lock on your front door: chances are, you won't ever need them, but you wouldn't go without them).

Also look at the threads in Starters Orders - there are quite a few that might be helpful to you there.

Hope this helps,



{edited because I didn't read your original post properly -oops!}

This post has been edited by saraquel: Jul 22 2005, 10:13 AM

I haven't read anything on grounding or calling quarters so i dunno how to do it : (

I have to say that I am astounded that if you have done a lot of reading (I am assuming about ritual) that you have read nothing about calling the quarters or grounding? Even if you don't do ritual that requires the quarters, grounding is an essential part of any type of magical work or even within meditation/visualisation etc. If you have read about raising energy and the methods thereof then the same books should tell you how to ground, if they don't then the author is a money grabbing prat who doesn't know what they're talking about. There are several ways to ground, which include eating, drinking, and even sending the energy into the ground (giving it to a potted houseplant is a good tip) - of course if the plant ails soon after then you're not doing it right, quite often houseplants absolutely thrive on this energy

The Quarters are different things again according to what path you follow, some call them the quarters, others the watchtowers, some I recall have dragons, (there are other names/types still). These are the elements, strong, powerful, forceful, some people place them in different areas, for instance in my case fire was always north. Something that is very rare it seems. Meditate on the elements and what they mean to you, remember that within nature all can nurture, all can kill. Powerful elements, but don't confuse them with elementals either. Within your circle (if this the type of ritual you want) then to represent the elements you would have things that reflect their meaning for you. Fire is alsmost always a candle, water - a bowl of water, earth can be earth, a stone etc, air can be feather or lit incense. A sword or dagger can be used for fire, as it is made with 'fire' but for some it can represent air as it sweeps and cuts through the air, but again this same sword could represent water which is used in the traditional firing/blacksmithing process or even rarer still the sword could be earth because the traditional metals used come from the earth. Therefore a stainless steel, mass manufactured dagger from China or Taiwan wouldn't really fall under the last two categories but a handmade specialist dagger would. You see how confusing it can get?


Quite frankly given your situation, I would sit in the light of a pool of candle light (which in itself is a circle) and think things through. A chat with the gods this way has always been far more productive for me than formally cast circles with all the 'must have' (don't need) paranaphalia most of the books will tell you need. Ask them for guideance as to your path and what you want.

Keepit simple. My Gods have never gone in for the fancy goods lark, in that they'd be more likely to teach me a lesson and take the piss, but each to their own. Do what you are happy with, but understand the problems and potential problems involved

Yep, agree with the above. You don't have to perform a ritual to communicate with your god and/or goddess. Thinking about what you want to achieve, who you want to speak to, are probably the main things rather than worrying about the paraphanalia and fripperies of formal ritual.

Yeah, I agree. Rituals can be as simple or as complicated as you want them to be, and as you grow in confidence, you'll add your own flare to the mix. Setting protection is very important, as everyone else has been saying, and I think you should just talk with your Deities to start with, perhaps with a little offering of incense, fresh water, or/and candle light, that way, you'll get used to the feel of communicating with the divine, safely protected, but with nothing too elaborate. I'm in a similar situation to you, and I performed my first 'ritual' yesternight, and I did just that, with a few meditation sessions added in to help clear my system, focus my intentions, and ground my energies. Hope that was of some use!

Blessed Be xx

This post has been edited by Halo: Jul 22 2005, 12:54 PM

In my experience 'intention is all' works pretty ok.

If you want to open yourself up and do a wee self dedication, they will understand.

Protection is a good idea but if you are only intending good, what harm can you do?

Put yourself in their hands and I am sure everything will be well, all manner of things will be well
Bless.

ma, imo and experience, it doesn't matter what her intent is.

She needs to learn protection, for those energys that do feed upon one.

Its just a really good and Needed basic. I learned that the hard way.

Imo.. I wouldn't worry about doing magik, just yet.

I'd work on visualization,.. visualizing and feeling that protection around you.

Also , like weatherwitch said, grounding is also essential.

For some real basics, try Silver Ravenwolfs To Fly a Silver Broomstick.

Its simple and a good beginners book.. imo..

Blessings and welcome here!!!

Whispered~

ps; prayer and lighting a candle, is fine, just picture that light around you and feel your feet connecting to the earth, like roots to a tree.. thats what I do..

I wouldn't bother with such things at such an early stage. Just pray if you wish to communitcate. I'm sure that any God or Goddess will be glad of the attention whether or not you call quarters, wave knives, pace bowls of water, light incense.....and so on.

I know it is my own opinion here, but I can't help feeling that rituals are invented to please humans rather than Gods or Goddesses.

I also think that you should read as much as you can about such things before attempting them. Not only so that you know what you are doing, but also so that you know if you really need to! Study is not to be sneared at, even if it is no substitute for getting out there.

mike

Protection is a good idea but if you are only intending good, what harm can you do?

Well, harm can be done to you even if you yourself are just intending to " do good ". One puts oneself at risk, even if a minor one, every time one opens oneself up to focussing/directing energy so decent basics like protection are always worth while practising even for something pure and simple. Its not scary or overreacting, its just an easy normal practise. Clunk, click, with every trip

Dunno if this is in the right place but here we go
having spent a bit of time researching and reading re pagan paths I feel I need to start doing something with my spirtuality..... but don't knoiw what that really means. As a christian I am used to prayer, worship and bible reading/meditation and have done some meditation/contemplation stuff - any hints and ideas for what I could do as a starter in a more pagan way.
And what is ritual for?

Generally a ritual has much the same purpose as in Christian practices. Its really a question of whatever deity/spirit you wish to honour or pay tribute to. The ritual can be according to given convention or whatever that deity/spirit aspires you to do. In some Pagan paths it can be a purely inspirational thing where a deity/spirit comes to you in a dream or vision without the need of ritual.

Eagle, Im a newbie too and what Ive discovered is that its best to start by just followinf what you feel comfortabl;e with. If singing hymns is what you are used to, then sing. Sing about how you feel, what you love what you hate, whats troubling etc.
If you like candles, try meditating with a candle (that's what I started with). Imagine yourself opening up and just see where your heart and mind take you.
Its a start!

tree

[ a quote from another post]:
At risk of being accussed of christian bashing..... 'All things work together for the good of those who love him' - St Paul, somewhere in the bible
Trite cliched shite that is perennially trotted out in the church when something bad happens
Oh well, you know my daughter just died but its fucking ok cos all things work together...
get my drift?
gets my fecking goat!" [quote ends]

Sorry Eagledance, but I think you might be best to step back and think about what it is you want from whatever faith you finally decide to follow. Your profile says you are Christian, but - like many, are seeking further truths. I too have been in a similar place, and I know it's not at all straightforward.
However, there is NO part of Christianity's teachings (or the O.T.'s) that either advocates Paganism, or even turns a blind eye to it. Or if there is, I have missed it.

Maybe, as has already been suggested here, you could begin with incorporating those aspects of ritualised worship with which you are already familiar?
Candles, song, prayer.

However the rest will be up to you - ultimately, no one else can tell you - only advise and (hopefully) be suppoprtive.
I hope you don't take any of this the wrong way, and I wish you well in your questing.
B.B. Tas.

Work out what is most important to you. What do you/did you most connect with in Christianity? What aspects of that religion make or made sense to you? You've chosen to look elsewhere because you don't feel complete?

I don't think that Christianity and paganism are seperate, always, but it's important to know how it comes together, and that can only be done in your own head. Modern Christianity demands a lot- you have to believe that Christ is the son of (one) God. I can't follow that belief, and that makes me Pagan in some views. It is somehow unimportant if I believe or disbelieve that Christ existed as a man.

As far as ritual goes- I think it's up to you. If there is something that you want to do regularly, a thanksgiving or a acknowledgement of spirits, or a celebration of spirit, that's up to you. Make it your own, and celebrate as you wish. There is a freedom with Paganism, I feel, and also an obligation. Find what works for you and go with that. Explore paths and be religious in a way that feels natural to you.

Ah, but I'm babbling. Anyway, I wish you well with you explorations.

I think Christ is perhaps one of the most misunderstood individuals in human history. Eagledance, perhaps you can find peace in the fact that his intent was that his people see reason in spirituality as personal thing, rather than what was being dictated by a religious institution- that by this time had become entirely corrupt. He understood that the first step in process of enlightment was to educate the commonfolk of that ancestral knowledge passed down in writing- something that the powerful orthodoxy of the time jealously guarded to secure its own political/economic control. Were it not for this knowledge that his people so painstakingly collated on parchment in Qumran, there would probably be no bible at all. Honor Jesus as the man who sought to free the individual from the political exploit of blind faith. The icon that Evangelism is trying to make him into, couldn't be more contrary to his teachings.

I think Christ is perhaps one of the most misunderstood individuals in human history.  Eagledance, perhaps you can find peace in the fact that his intent was that his people see reason in spirituality as personal thing, rather than what was being dictated by a religious institution- that by this time had become entirely corrupt.  He understood that the first step in process of enlightment was to educate the commonfolk of that ancestral knowledge passed down in writing-  something that the powerful orthodoxy of the time jealously guarded to secure its own political/economic control.  Were it not for this knowledge that his people so painstakingly collated on parchment in Qumran, there would probably be no bible at all.  Honor Jesus as the man who sought to free the individual from the political exploit of blind faith.  The icon that Evangelism is trying to make him into, couldn't be more contrary to his teachings.

Exactly. And he wasn't a peaceful chappie either!

Quite frankly, Eagledance, your problem is not a matter of finding a Pagan path, rather, realizing that you are too much of a "true Christian" to be fooled by the misguided attitudes of your colleagues. I know, because both sides of my family descended of that path; one- of the Silurians, and the other- of the Cathari of Joachin of Flora. Theirs was the path of enlightenment, knowing that the spirit must come from within. They taught by example and understood that faith without wisdom does not save a soul from deception. They aspired to become temple knights, and rose up against the Borgias in the Protestant rebellion that sacked Rome in 1592. That I came to be born a Pagan out of this is no irony, because when you get down to the grass-roots of it, its all about spiritual enlightenment and the ®evolution thereof!

Hi Eagledance,

I know where you are coming from-I was brought up christian and got immensely frustrated with the dogma and the church's portrayal of Christ. Like others have mentioned I think the figure of Jesus has been distorted.

For me the easiest way into ritual was through the natural world. One of the first things I did when embracing paganism was to take myself for a walk in the country at the weekend, find a nice quiet spot, meditate/sit in stillness and give thanks for the beauty around me. My ritual would end with a scattering of seed for the birds/animals.

Good luck with the quest.

I agree with Quasi lol

Quasi is spot on.

In terms of what sort of ritual you do, that differs some depending on your path. I think it would be best to start with something your are familliar with. light a candle or meditate, use incense ( if you were high church or Catholic ) If it helps you. Ritual serves a purpose. There are different sorts of ritual for different things. The same applies for Christian services. Perhaps a good start would be to think about what you are doing this ritual for?

Hi I'm new to. I have no idea where to start. Can someone please maybe point me on the right path?

Thanks,
Melinda

What is it you want to start doing?

Is it general "starting out" or is it ritual?

I can point you in the direction of some useful threads etc if I get a bit more info.

This maybe a really naff idea, but it did help me in the early days, I suppose its a type of guided meditation (before I knew what one of those was) but poetry was a really useful way into ritual for me.

I flick through books of poetry almost at random, until I found something that 'spoke' to me. Then I'd go somewhere, the beach or local woods, but a quiet times, were I was fairly certain I'd be undisturbed and read it again and just think about the words.

I always used to refer to this as 'communion' i'd try to communicate through different mediums, the words on the page, the landscape around me.

It worked for me!

Q

its all about spiritual enlightenment and the ®evolution thereof!

Be ALONE in Nature.
it sounds simple but give it a try. take a full day and get away from the city/'concerns' of modern life etc. If experience any dreams about the place you plan to walk note them down, they may be useful later.

Wander.. investigate lonely trees on the horizon, find ancient sites, follow old roads.as you move across the landscape ask the spirits of place to welcome you and show you their world. let the power of sheer curiosity guide you.. an attitude of 'i wonder what's down that path/behind those rocks'.when you reach a place of interest or one that evokes a strong feeling stop..and SIT.

now 'open yourself' to the site... how do you do that?
well as a bare minimum i'd suggest slow and deep breathing and closing the eyes ( you can add chakras, the middle pillar or anything else you fancy at this stage the main thing is to relax and focus).

'open yourself'..to what?
the psychedelic revolution of the 60's gave us a great word, a word which everybody immediatly understands even if they know nothing about the 60's.
THE VIBE.
'open yourself' to the vibe of the place.. if you think 'that sounds like hippy nonsense Lumi' then think of this..
we ALL sense 'vibes' all the time.. alleyways that you dont go down on 'gut feelings', rooms in your house that evoke different feelings, pubs that 'just feel wrong' when you walk in:)
you just have to apply this to nature. what feelings does each place evoke? always try and go with your first intuition ..no matter how silly it seems. there will be 'good' and 'bad' places, try to experience as many as you can. what you're looking for is a place that 'shouts out' to you.

the longer you spend in nature the easier this becomes..
on your 'day out' try it , say, 3 times... the 2nd and third will be easier/more rewarding.

as for 'proper rituals' (?!).. you could try casting a circle at one of the 'spots'/ places of interest you've found by the above method.

------------i'm rambling now..but-------------------------------------------------------

on Christianity etc..Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas have written a series of books about freemasonry/the holy grail...etc which might be of interest. i dont hold with their idea that the grail is buried in Rosslyn but they do present an interesting take on the origins of Jehova/biblical paganism.

in brief.. Jehova was part of a pagan belief system, the 'other gods' mentioned in the bible ( Baal, Moloch, Astarte etc) were part of pagan pantheons.. jehova took over/got promoted/is exaggerating/is in denial


LUMI
a-rambling rambler

I suggest you both try begin by learning as much as you can about the natural world around you. Obviously, there are books and the web to give you info.

Do you already have a favourite type of tree? Or if you haven't a clue about trees, go for a walk and take time to look at the ones you see. Does any one "speak" to you, (attract you by feel/shape etc)?

Get a book and find out as much about it as a species as you can. Look up any herbal uses it had/has. Is there any folklore attached to this type of tree? Spend time reseacrching all you can, and write it all down.

As you discover things, keep going to the tree and sitting calmly with it. watch it change as the seasons change. Are birds nesting in it or eating its fruits? Take some leaves and press them, or make rubbings. Gather any nuts or, if non-poisonous, try some fruits. As you learn about it, you should go to it and meditate with it.

Do this with different species and also with plants. Not only will you gain useful knowledge, you will connect more readily with the energies around and this will enable you to connect with your chosen deities as well.

All this takes time - years in fact to build a full knowledge. But you have time. So enjoy!

Actually you know all those things you mentioned doing as a christian are sorts of rituals. So you actually have more experience with rituals than you think!!

If your question is about what ritual to do for what purpose then you are heading towards getting about 20 different answers. My best advice would be to decide why you are doing the ritual or what you want to achieve with it. Then find thgings which mean something or have some symbolism to you. AFter all I could tell you that such and such is what you want. But if it is not personal then wont work as well or not at all.

Simply standing still and listening can be a ritual in its own right. Start simple, do what you know and feel comfortable with.

hope this helps.