It's Ritual if You Say So.

Magic: from the mundane to the menstrual.

Ritual can be as basic as taking your next breath, and noticing the moments that take your breath away.

Summer Solstice was recently upon us, the longest day of the year.

Though I put on some symbolic sun stuff (jewelry and clothes), did my nails, and had dinner with a friend, I was not feeling the call to do an actual ritual, and that is okay. The energy was not with me that day. My own body was tired, and it rained all day making it feel more cozy than summery. Still I was present with the energy of the event, and most importantly—my own energy.

Just because some set of events in the external world says it is time to do ritual, does not mean that we may feel it. And we may be stricken by the need for it when there is no outer indication of its timing. It is for us to feel.

If we want to set ourselves up to experience ritual effortlessly, we need to simply see everything as sacred, and then everything is a potential component of ritual, and anytime becomes the right time for us.

Out of the various roadblocks that people tend to put up (in regards to creating rituals) the two most common are: I don’t know what I am doing. I don’t have time.

The answer to the first conundrum is simple. Make it up. The answer to the second part is actually simple as well; do it on the fly. I believe it was Stuart Wilde who said, “The difference between ritual and routine is the intention with which it is engaged.” I’m paraphrasing because it was a long time ago that I was into his work, and I have long since integrated that attitude with my own practice. Besides, I that I felt that way before I read him. It makes sense.

When it comes to figuring out what makes sense in life, and how to make sense out of life, I frequently find myself turning to ritual. Ritual is not only about meeting our esoteric needs, but is also about brining the mundanity of life into a different light.

One of the reasons that many of us neglect our need for ritual, and fail to integrate it in our lives in a meaningful way, is that we are over-complicating it. Simple rituals can help us set the tone for our day, connect with the seasons, and the elements, bring clarity, and call forth power.

Here are several easy rituals that can enhance your daily life, from the mundane to the menstrual.