Spontaneous or Structured Rituals

by Fer Doirich

I really do try to plan for a ritual, but life doesn't always give me enough time to go through the entire process I like.  My process may differer from others, but if I really have the time this is my process:

1. I prepare all of my tools, herbs, oils and whatever else I need.

2. Take a shower and visualize the water cleansing me.  You can rub with salt, but I use a nice organic soap and it doesn't irritate my skin.

3. I put on some loose fitting clothes.  I live in an urban area so I can't exactly go skyclad.

4. I try to go outside and do my ritual, but sometimes the weather doesn't permit.

5. I then ground myself, Ariel has a great meditation for this, #26 Lesson 2 (A)

6. Lastly, cast circle and I preform my ritual.

by Nyo

Sometimes I skip one or two steps, but I always try to ground myself so I'm not up for the next week bubbling with energy.  I remember my first Esbat and I did not ground myself, I was up for a week beeming with energy, but I was so tired.

I really do try to plan out most of my rituals, mainly because I like to make an effort.  There are only 21 rituals a year, unless I decide to do a spell.  I haven't really done any spells lately, I haven't the need, really I just need to work on my mundane life mundanely.

Going through the effort is a sign of respect to the dieties, directions and any other enities called upon.  I'm inviting them to my ritual, being prepared is just curtious.  It would be just rude to throw it together last minitue and hope for even an average expierence.

How do you prepare for your ritiuals?

Litha, Summer Solstice, Summertime; Blessed Be

Hello summertime!  The kids are out, the harvest is set in the ground and the sun is high in the sky.


I did my first ritual in a while, but I love summer because it's warm and the sunshine.  I love sunny windy days because it is not too hot or cold.  It was a perfect day for the solstice ritual and I enjoyed every moment of it.


Of course when I burrowed through my supplies I realized I needed to restock lots of my herbs and oils, in light of that I decided to keep my ritual simple.


I cleansed myself in the shower using some handmade soap my sister makes, if she ever created an Etsy account I'll post her stuff, grabbed my iphone and headed out into the front yard with some bird seed.


I use the music on my phone to drown out the freeway nearby and the music was just perfect on Pandora.  I called my quarters sat down and just focused on how the earth felt against my whole body.  I thought about the sun and how it gives life to all the living things and how everything only lives because of cooperation.

The breeze felt so nice against my skin and I could help but relax in the rays.  I said a little thank you to the sun and gods who bring balance to the world around us, spreading the birdseed and hoping my plants would grow strong and healthy.


So many little buds were peeking out in my front yard, just beginning to see the sun and preform their photosynthesis.  I felt alive with the plants, like a plant, living off the sun.  I floated around in this feeling for a while, I had nowhere to go, until I felt my blessing was complete, closed the circle and continued with my day.


People forget how simple you can make a ritual sometimes, especially if you are in the city or just on the go.  I even forgot and I feel so rejuvenated.


On a side note I've joined a CSA and I'm sharing with another family.  It's amazing!


The strawberries are amazing, the eggs are all different colors.  The lettuce is so crisp, the potatoes, carrots and broccoli!  AMAZING!


I advise anyone who can join a CSA to join, not only are you supporting your local farmers, but the food is fresh that day you pick it up.  The name of the CSA is Live Earth Farm and if you are close enough I insist you join.

Happy Mabon!

Happy Mabon everyone!

I just did a short ritual today honoring Brigid, I know you're supposed to honor the god aspect, but I've been drawn to her and I thought this would be the perfect time to ask for her help with school and such.

I burned some oil I bought at Moonfyre Metaphysical, made by Sun's Eye Oils. Smells sweet and fruity, like a harvest I guess. I also wrote down what I wanted over this semester and I have a box to add all my assignments and research for Brigid to help me with.

I already have the drive to succeed, but a little help couldn't hurt.

I also did some card reading, one was for my X to see how he is doing and the other was about changing my major.

As far as I can tell my X is fine and I should just stick with my major of creative writing because I already am almost there.

I also found this great wine at Target, sweet and mellow Junebug, white wine, moscato. Really good.

I can't believe it's "fall", it's over 90 degrees here, ugh, my apartment is so HOT. Hope it cools down soon and I have use for my new sweaters!

Happy Mabon, blessed be!
Shadow Moon

Working with the Elements

Elements are everywhere, fire, air, water, earth, and they all nourish each other, fire needs air to burn, earth needs water to feed the plants. They are also associated with directions:
Fire-South
Air-East
Water-West
Earth-North

They are also in our birth sings. For example, my sun-sign is Libra and my moon-sign is Taurus, Libra-Taurus, Air-Earth, polar opposites. I usually accept my sun-sign more because I was born at 3 pm. Air, I'm blond, but that is beside the point because I think I was only an air as a child.

I was free-spirited, happy, floating about but it was squashed quickly because I had to fight for mental survival in my own home. I could not be a free-spirited, intellectual child anymore, I had to become a fighter or die. So my personality developed in fire aspects.

I still hold some air qualities, good student, artistic, loves to write, aspires to learn and teach, also I retain my earth qualities, stubborn, loves food, likes to work with hands, but I am imbalanced so often I retain the negative qualities of the elements, like not thinking before speaking, burning bridged, over indulging, overly emotional, the list goes on. I need balance in my life and I would love to reconnect fully with my sign qualities, because I really don't need to fight with fire too much anymore, so I have a chance to rediscover my born elements.

I'm going to the beach on Monday on a waning crescent moon, a good time for new beginnings and healing, and I've wrote a chant. I'll tell you how it goes after the ritual.