All Kinds of Ritual

That first sip of coffee in the morning

A daily walk around the neighborhood at lunchtime

Reading in bed before you turn out the lights

There is comfort in the predictability of day-to-day activities. Even though most people may not consciously focus on them, ritual is present in everyone’s lives.

Thanksgiving dinner each year at your parent’s house

Apple-picking in the autumn

The annual BBQ’s with friends and family

Looking forward to seeing people who you may not see every day is exciting. It feels great to chill in the company of good friends. These regular rituals not only bring joy to our hearts, but they are an important part of us, too.

Predictability is reassuring. A daily routine is not only comforting, but it also helps me to get to work on time.

Spiritual ritual is just as important as the daily or yearly common rituals.

For many people, spiritual ritual can be as simple as going to church regularly or daily prayer or morning yoga – anything that is done regularly that helps to rejuvenate the spirit, calm the mind, and refresh the soul.

My spiritual ritual is similar in that it happens at regular times throughout the year with regular themes at predictable times. However, the activities of each ritual vary from season to season and are driven by my current situation.

Most of these rituals happen at specific intervals during the year, starting with the new year on October 31 (Samhain).

Each subsequent date celebrates different themes, most of which are rooted in the shifting of the seasons and early agricultural cycles. The vernal equinox (Ostara), for example, happens when the day and night are of equal length, so many of the Ostara rituals focus on balance, as well as the spring rebirth of the earth, as days become longer and warmer.

It is reassuring to know that these dates will come at predictable times with predictable themes. All of my ritual involves some predictable actions – the lighting of candles and acknowledging the directions and energies. But each ritual has a separate personality that is somewhat predictable in topic, but at the same time very different from all the others.

Periodically, if something is worrying me, I’ll do a ritual on that particular issue. The timing doesn’t matter. It can occur at any time, regardless of where it falls in the wheel of the year.

Sometimes this ritual can be as simple as sitting in quiet place and focusing on the issue – a meditation of sorts. Or, it can be as complicated as driving to the ocean or journaling my thoughts or inviting another person (or other people) to join in a planned and focused activity around that topic.

These rituals are often just what I need to address the matter, and hopefully, come to a resolution around it. If for no other reason, it forces me to stop, center, and focus specifically on that concern. By calming both my surroundings and my mind – taking a moment for quiet reflection – I am better able to evaluate the situation and make better choices.

So alongside the ordinary rituals of brushing my teeth daily or Memorial Day fireworks each year, I sprinkle in spiritual rituals. All together they help me stay happy and complete.