Jump to the following topics:
- What is a ritual?
- Rituals are a part
of our life.
are the "positive" and "negative" side of rituals?
- Our state
is important during a ritual.
- Rituals are
founded on actual dynamics.
- The technique
for creating rituals.
What is a ritual? It is an act
whose significance lies not in the apparent, superficial activity but
rather in the meaning -- religious, personal, social, or
Rituals are a part
of our life. We all participate in rituals every day. There are the
rituals of school graduations, holiday celebrations, club
initiations, the pledge of allegiance, birthday parties, swearing-in
ceremonies, and retirement parties. We also have religious ceremonies
such as baptisms, bar mitzvahs, communion, and "grace" before a meal.
And we have other rituals, such as the rules of etiquette and social
What are the
"positive" and "negative" side of rituals?
- The positive side.
The negative side. The Buddha disliked rituals, and Jesus
criticized the ritualistic behavior of some Jewish leaders. Today,
many people feel that rituals are superficial and meaningless.
- They enhance our sense of meaning in our lives. In rituals,
we seek meaning, and we explore the meaning which we have
- They establish structure. The mind instinctively creates
rituals for the same reason that it creates habits -- to
simplify its operations and decision-making. In the formality
of rituals, we know what to do, and we know how to interact
with other people (who, similarly, are being told what to do).
- Rituals connect us to a larger experience. Through rituals,
we are bonded to society by acknowledging that we experience
many of the same occurrences -- birth, wedding, funeral, etc.
And we share the same history, as acknowledged by our national
holidays, such as the United States' Independence Day. We
recognize our similar emotions, such as those which we express
at a sporting event. Within a family, our unique rituals link
us as a unit. In rituals, we admit our common beliefs and
ideals, whether secular or religious. When a ritual has a
religious context, we are establishing a connection to our
fellow worshippers, and to spirit, and to the forces which are
represented in the ceremony. In all of these types of rituals,
we are recognizing our community and our interconnectedness --
and our personal commitment and membership to those larger
- Rituals themselves have no meaning except that which we
recognize in them, and some rituals lose their meaning as
society changes and develops new symbols and values.
Unfortunately, we persist with many rituals which might have
had power and significance previously but are now mere
formality, superstition, and habit.
Our state is
important during a ritual. We enter this "altered state" when we
sense a meaningfulness and depth which induces our attentiveness,
reverence, and passion. We feel an intense involvement of our whole
being, beyond the conscious actions or words. Intuitively, we
understand the "symbolism"; for example, our domestic chore becomes a
ritual in which we express love for our family; our bath becomes a
purification of body and mind; our dinner becomes a sacred sharing of
the bounty of the earth. Without this state, we are merely "going
through the motions."
founded on actual dynamics. Although rituals might seem to be merely
symbolic, they express and convey the energy which is represented by
that symbolism. Every ritual (indeed, any activity) possesses an
energy which is as "real" as the physical activity which represents
that energy, particularly if we consciously experience and direct the
energy. For example, a handshake creates a literal bond and
communication of energy between people. The ritual of a funeral
ideally facilitates the resolution of the emotional energy of grief.
A wedding helps to create a connection of energy between the bride
and groom. And, of course, the underlying energy-dynamic of rituals
is well-known in the rituals of magick and witchcraft.
for creating rituals. We already create rituals spontaneously, as a
natural part of life. But when we want to create rituals
intentionally -- for meditation, or for enhancing our daily
activities -- we can use the following suggestions:
- Movement. Some rituals include dancing, a procession, holding
hands, or bowing or kneeling. The group can walk (or sit) in a
circle; in the center, we can have an object such as candle or a
- Music and sounds. This might be a solo instrumentalist, or a
group of musicians, or simple tones from a gong or a drum. Certain
pieces of music are traditionally associated with particular
ceremonies; for example, we usually expect to hear "Pomp and
Circumstance" at a graduation.
- Sharing. We might share food, or a gift, or a flower, or a
beverage, or a flame with which to light each person's candle. At
a wedding ceremony, the bride and groom usually feed a piece of
cake to one another; the traditional smearing of the cake
on one another's face is optional.
- Words. This can include singing, chanting, an improvised
speech (as in a "toast"), a prepared oration, the reading from a
text (such as The Bible), and the recitation of vows.
- Props. We might use scents (from incense, herbs, perfume,
etc.), images (photos, paintings, or sculptures -- perhaps of a
religious figure), candles or a bonfire, holy water (i.e.,
ordinary water which has been "blessed"), costumes (including
ceremonial robes and hats), theatrical makeup, and the symbols of
our particular organization (e.g., a crucifix). The construction
of props can be done prior to the ceremony, or as part of the
- An altar. On the altar, we might have candles, flowers,
sculptures, paintings, photos, or symbolic items.
- A sacrifice. (Sacrifice means "to make sacred.") Although
human sacrifice is rarely performed in modern society, many
rituals involve other types of sacrifice -- the giving up of
something for the sake of a greater entity. In our ritual, we
might sacrifice a valuable commodity (such as a tithe of money).
Or we might sacrifice an unwanted item (such as a
destructive habit which we would describe on a piece of paper that
is then burned in a ceremonial fire).
- Portrayal of rebirth. This is the concept in "initiation
rituals," which often include a symbolic "death" before the
rebirth. In some styles of baptism, we depict death through our
immersion; when we arise from the water (which is a traditional
symbol of the womb), we are "reborn."