Why Rituals?  Rituals are a very powerful way to connect to Magic but because capitalism has commodified everything we often feel overwhelmed by the idea that we can create our own ritual practice. That's because in modern Magic most rituals include a great deal of "things" (objects, materials, tools, etc) that need to be purchased or collected. This gives some folx the idea that they cannot practice Ritual WeRK because they don't have the resources to gather so many "things". 

I created this content because I wanted to remind everyone that the only tool you need to do a ritual is your Imagination Magic, true Intentions, and YOUR Magical Gifts & Tools. 

Rituals are for everyone. Rituals are not made powerful by purchasing fancy stuff or special rocks or certain tools. They are as powerful as you believe them to be and that is really it. 

So let's get started learning about Rituals in general and then we can move on to Moon Rituals and their extremely powerful value and usefulness in daily life. 

rit·u·al; noun

1. a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order. "the role of ritual in religion"

adjective

1. relating to or done as a religious or solemn . "ritual burial"

How To Ritual | The Basics

Rituals are a portal or channel that we can access to set our intentions into motion. Rituals help us focus our Magic in the direction of the desired outcome. There are no set rules for how Rituals need to be created or activated, however, there are some basic rules that should be followed to avoid the Shadow side or underside of the cycle slapping you in the ass. 

What do you need to create a Ritual? 

We only need three things to create a ritual.

1. A desired outcome
2. A true intention
3. Our Magical Gifts & Tools

We create rituals because we have a need or want. We create rituals to heal a wound or celebrate an accomplishment. We create rituals to honor or protect. We create rituals to keep us focused on a goal or path. Whatever the reason, knowing the why of the WeRK is imperative. 

Start by asking your self... 

• What do I need or want? 
• What do I need to heal or celebrate?
• What do I want to honor or protect?
• What is my goal or pathway? 

This process will reveal your Why. It's a good idea to spend some time writing about the why of the WeRK so you can be certain that your intentions are rooted in your reason for the ritual. This also gives you an opportunity to ask your self if what you're doing is also rooted in pure intention. 

A pure intention acknowledges that we are connected to everything and everything is connected to us. It honors the Shadow equal to the light. It assures us that we're not breaking the only rule of Magic... DO NO HARM. 

What does Do No Harm really mean? Well, that's a tricky thing to understand when you've been indoctrinated by patriarchy, whiteness, and capitalism. In order to figure out if we're aligned with the one rule we have to figure out if what we want, need, honor, heal, or move towards will have repercussions or consequences that could harm others. Seems easy on the surface but this is why we have to consistently and constantly do our ShadowWeRK. 

One of the dangerous issues with modern Magic (or what I often call The White WooAnon Ideology) is how it leaves out ShadowWeRK or any acknowledgment of the one rule. Before you start creating or even doing rituals it might be a good idea to learn more about ShadowWeRK. Check out WeRKshop on ShadowWeRK below...

Setting Intentions

Now that you've done your ShadowWeRK and feel certain that you understand how to follow the one rule it's time to do Magic! Yay!!

The next step in designing or creating Rituals is to set an intention. Intentions are similar to plans, but they are not plans in the way we've learned about them under capitalism or patriarchy. There can't be one rule to Do No Harm without some flexibility and space to adjust our rituals as we move thru the process. This is true at the beginning of the process AND all the way thru it. 

Intentions are guidelines, waypaths, and tools but the first thing to remember when you're creating them is to keep them flexible and open. As you practice Magic using your own unique Magical Gifts and Tools you'll find this gets easier and easier to understand and practice. You'll also discover that this is a radical act of Sweet Disruption to the product-focused ideologies we've been programmed with. 

Early in a capitalist life, we learn that only things that are produced for sale or display have value. Magic is the opposite of that. Everything we do, think, feel, want, need, experience, etc. has value. The process has value, it may be the main value. When we re/unLearn the value of the process we are dismantling the beliefs that have been woven into us about the value of our self. When we go into an action or "project", which a ritual can definitely be called, we can get stuck in the belief that whatever we write down at the beginning MUST be the end result. We can feel disappointed or that our WeRK is a failure if we don't end up with the results we wanted at the beginning. 

This is the harm that our current systems create and it's one of the things we can heal by learning more about and practicing life as a ritual rather than a means of producing profits or performances. 

As you set your intention notice where you have resistance because of these ideologies. Notice where you feel afraid of failing or being exposed. Notice if you feel unsafe or uncertain before you even begin. Acknowledge those feelings and keep them in the forefront rather than ignoring them - like much of modern Magic encourages us to do. There is no need to "push thru", "take leaps" or "ignore fear". Your emotions in this part of the process are important messages. 

Set an intention knowing full well you may completely change or adjust it at any time. Sounds easy but this Magical Mindset and open approach will likely trigger many tender spots inside you. Again, this is why designing, creating, and participating in rituals is a powerful way to initiate Sweet Acts of Disruption. 

It's also good to remember that rituals do not have to be performative. You don't have to share this WeRK or any part of your process. You can do rituals in your head, you don't have to do any external action or activity to make a ritual real. 

My basic advice is this: toss out everything you've ever learned about rituals and start over. You don't need me or anyone else to tell you anything about ritual WeRK. You already know how to do this. You already have the skills, tools, and gifts you need to ritualize your life. There is no wrong way to do YOUR Magic and there is no right way to create or participate in a ritual. 

That being said, decide if setting an intention is the right way for you to move forward, and IF it is, do so. Once you have that plan in place you can move on to the next steps you want to use to initiate the action and move forward. 

I know it can be hard to hear that you're already ready to do this, but that is the truth. The belief that you're not capable or ready is an intentional lie created by the systems of oppression that loom large over all of us. It is not an easy thing to ignore or overcome but, one thing I recommend to start the process of waking up and un/reLearning this is to start with a tiny ritual. Tell your self each day that you already know how to do this and then do a tiny thing to move toward that truth in your life. 

it's really that fucking simple MoonBeams. You are so powerful and real. You are Magic and Magic is you.

Maybe that's all you need to hear to get started but if not, let's talk about some of the other things we can do with Ritual Magic. 

Our Magical Gifts & Tools

What are they? Well, this is where an understanding of your Natal Chart comes in. Our Birth Chart is a map or schematic of us. It reveals a whole chest of Magical Gifts and Tools we could access, should we decide to do so. Some come easily, naturally. Some take an enormous amount of WeRK to gather and hone. All of them are ours as a birthright and all of them have value, even when this culture says otherwise.

I am going to talk more about these in the videos in this ritual but the best way to learn about them is to have an Astrology Reading OR to begin your journey of self-study. Astrology is not the only map out there either so any WeRK we do to access and engage with our core self will also help us better understand our unique Magical Gifts and Tools. What other ways do you WeRK to know your SELF better? That WeRK will help you find and hone your Magical Gifts and Tools. 

The other thing that helps us with developing and using our Magical Gifts and Tools is discovering the Magical Gifts and Tools of others. We're not designed to do everything on our own (no matter what this fucked up culture tries to tell us). We are designed for collective WeRK and collaboration too. Sometimes you're not designed to do a particular Magical Task so you'll need another to fill that gap. You may be able to fill a gap for someone else. This is a connection we can reclaim using Magic via a better understanding of our own Magical Gifts and Tools. 

This can take time and energy to dig into and understand but what WeRK could be more important than knowing your self and others in a Magical way??

I am excited to share my thoughts, ideas and experiences but I want to make sure it's clear that there is not one way or a right way to move thru this process. Hopefully, we can share thoughts, ideas and experiences with each other thru this process too. 

Let's get into it... 

Building An Altar

Altars are a Powerful Magical Tool because they help us focus on our WeRK. They encourage us to seek beauty, make connections, and honor the beings and energies that help us in our WeRK. They also remind us to tend to our WeRK over certain periods of time. 

Spells are assisted by Altars and Altars are containers for Spells.

Altars are often seen as these massive endeavors and people often tell me they're overwhelmed by creating them. They get worried about making something ugly or lame. This makes me so sad because they are such a wonderful Magical Tool when we can just connect to what makes us feel happy and focused on our WeRK rather than getting hung up on the fancy images we see on the socials. 

It's okay for Altars to be "ugly" or simple as long as they connect to the WeRK you're doing and you approve of them. If you've never set up an altar or don't feel like you can do it, give it a try this time. You may be surprised how they boost your WeRK. 

I hope this post was helpful in deepening your Moon Magic skills and your Ritual Practice in general. Please share any feedback or comments below. 

Happy Mooning MoonBeams!

xo, d.