I've been thinking about performing a ritual to a God and goddess,not now of course, but i was wondering how exactly i should go about with doing it? Like,what are the steps should i take to perform it?
I've been thinking about performing a ritual to a God and goddess,not now of course, but i was wondering how exactly i should go about with doing it? Like,what are the steps should i take to perform it?
I can only speak for myself but this is to generic of a question.
While many rituals, ceremonies, etc may have some similarities in structure it is intent and purpose that tend to drive format and construction for me. Then you have to factor in which God, god, goddess, divine or semi-divine being your going to call upon. Depending upon which is being recognized that to can change the whole structure. Then are you calling upon them to aide you or are you calling upon them to do something for you? Again purpose and intent change the structure.
That not including your spiritual world view. Consider I have a Hellenic influence on my world view so a chthonic deity will have a ceremony that involves offerings and libations poured into the earth via sunken depressions or hollows. Representing the womb aspect of the earth and older chthonic association of chthonic things being in the earth. Inversely celestial honoring ceremonies will be raised above the ground upon some sort of altar, platform, etc. Yet both may employ transmutation via fire to convert the offering into another form of energy, essence, or what ever name you wish to use. Yet an offering such as a Deipnon would not be made via flame but left as part of the meal and depending upon the god or goddess would be done differently.
Lots of things to consider as I said when constructing or performing a ritual to a god, goddess or semi-divine being.
I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!
Why not now? A ritual can be anything. Brushing your teeth is a ritual, taking a shower, getting dressed, washing the dishes, cooking a meal, playing miniature golf, swimming laps, hiking, folding clothes... They may not be religious rituals...but they can be, if they are done with mindfulness, or as an act of devotion.Originally Posted by InTheClarity
The complexly simple answer is however you want. Sure, take into account which deities you are performing the ritual for/with/to (although you don't even need a deity for a ritual), and the purposes for which it is being done (healing? thanksgiving? divine assistance? building a relationship? worship?), or if you are working in a specific tradition (Wiccan ritual already has a set format, as do some Druid traditions, and many others)...but at the end of the day, its your ritual. If you don't find meaning in it, its pointless.but i was wondering how exactly i should go about with doing it?
So...generally speaking, I recommend that new Pagans that aren't certain of what direction they are headed familiarize themselves with the basics of Wiccan ritual--1) if you ever go to a public pan-Pagan ritual, it will likely be Wiccan in format, and 2) its an adaptable structure that is easy changed to suit the practitioner. I also recommend that they learn the basics of one or two other traditions...not just *what* they do, but *why*. Seeing that difference in ideas in action can help develop one's own ideas and practices...and you will notice that there are a number of similarities, either in actions or in purpose for actions that are different.Like,what are the steps should i take to perform it?
Some reading:
Basic Wiccan-based Ritual ('ve not read this indepth, but it looks accurate from a quick browse)
The differences between ADF ritual and Wiccan-based ritual
An example of a hybrid Wiccan-based and Druid ritual format
Basic Hellenic Ritual (an example of a modern Hellenic ritual)
A Roman-ADF hybrid ritual
Info about Roman ritual
An example of Celtic Recon ritual
“You have never answered but you did not need to. If I stand at the ocean I can hear you with your thousand voices. Sometimes you shout, hilarious laughter that taunts all questions. Other nights you are silent as death, a mirror in which the stars show themselves. Then I think you want to tell me something, but you never do. Of course I know I have written letters to no-one. But what if I find a trident tomorrow?" ~~Letters to Poseidon, Cees Nooteboom
“We still carry this primal relationship to the Earth within our consciousness, even if we have long forgotten it. It is a primal recognition of the wonder, beauty, and divine nature of the Earth. It is a felt reverence for all that exists. Once we bring this foundational quality into our consciousness, we will be able to respond to our present man-made crisis from a place of balance, in which our actions will be grounded in an attitude of respect for all of life. This is the nature of real sustainability.”
~~Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
"We are the offspring of history, and must establish our own paths in this most diverse and interesting of conceivable universes--one indifferent to our suffering, and therefore offering us maximal freedom to thrive, or to fail, in our own chosen way."
~~Stephen Jay Gould, Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History
"Humans are not rational creatures. Now, logic and rationality are very helpful tools, but there’s also a place for embracing our subjectivity and thinking symbolically. Sometimes what our so-called higher thinking can’t or won’t see, our older, more primitive intuition will." John Beckett
Pagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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