I know many people who shudder at the word ‘ritual’. They see it as something bad and horrible. But our daily life is full of rituals. Making a pot of tea is a ritual and pouring it into a cup is even more so. Do you warm the pot first? Do you add milk to your cup before or after? Have a look at the things you do each day and see how many are rituals. You may be surprised.
But let’s look at some kind of rituals. One I do each morning when I get up is open the door (I only have one door to the outside) and let the stale air out and new fresh air in. I stand there quietly for a few minutes and breath in the morning air. I look at the sky, the birds flying around and listen to them chirping and singing. It is quiet and I can hear traffic on the bypass. It is a few moments of stillness before I start my day and it is special for me to do this. While I am doing this I am also connecting to the elements around me and becoming a part of them. This morning it was raining gently and I let the rain fall on my face. It is a daily ritual but full of meaning and mindfulness.
While eating my breakfast I sit facing the window so I can see the sky and the birds on the feeders. As I do this every day then it becomes another ritual. For the druid rituals for celebrating the seasons and festivals I prefer to use the word celebration as that is what it is. To me it only becomes a ritual if you do the same things each time and I do not do this as I prefer to work spontaneously. A final word here; writing my blog on a Sunday morning is another ritual. I spend time thinking about my theme for the blog, find a photo to add and then write straight from my heart.
I’d love to read your thoughts on ritual and what it means to you.
Just before bedtime, I like to step out of the back door & stand in our little garden, feeling the blessings of Earth beneath my feet & sky above me, of sun & moon & stars. The touch of air or rain on my skin. The sound of the wind & often the sea. The scents of soil and in the summer, flowers…and yes, many homely rituals..x
I do like ritual as a human activity, a way of bringing people together to share and celebrate. I can’t do formal ritual on my own, it just doesn’t work. At the moment I’m working on a seasonal walking calendar so that I can connect with the wheel of the year by going out to places where key seasonal events are happening. That seems to work better for me.
Reblogged this on The Crane Book of Wisdom.