Designing a Ritual

Rituals are available in books, from other witches, online....lots of places. But, it's often satisfying to write one of your own, and occasionally a special need or purpose occurs, and no suitable ritual can be located. Below are some elements commonly used in rituals and spells, so you can write your own as the need arises.

Outline the need or purpose: Determine the purpose of your ritual or spell-----do you need money to pay bills, wish to bind a harmful habit, want to celebrate the full moon or a Sabbat in your own way? In your BOS, write this purpose and any ideas you have about fulfilling it. Choose elements of your spell: Consult your favorite source for witchy information (Like APA's Herb and Correspondences tables!). Choose an appropriate day of the week, moon phase, colors, herbs to use; write these in your BOS and determine the form each will take in your ritual. For example, if you wished for healing for a sick friend, you might do your spell on a Sunday, using a blue candle, annointing a rose quartz to give your friend with sandalwood oil, smudging with Myrrh incense and making an offering of rosemary. Each time you write a spell, keep a record of its effectiveness and any changes you make in your BOS. Write a chant: Make a short verse to describe the spell's purpose; I always end mine with "so mote it be"..........for example, my healing verse is: "Forces of good health, spirits of light attracted by my candle bright the power to heal now flows through me as is my will, so mote it be. Write the Spell: Write the spell, including preparation steps such as setting up the altar, what supplies are needed, purification methods, even Circle casting if you wish. Make it clear and easy to read so your spell will go smoothly. Perform your spell or ritual! Do the spell.......reading it is fine. After doing them for awhile, you will no longer have to read it, but one purpose of a BOS is for use in your work. Here is one of my spells, step by step, as an example. Feel free to use it or its form however you wish. Purpose: To send healing energies to my friend. Materials: Thyme (in a cup of warm water to make an infusion), rosemary, myrrh, mortar and pestle to grind the myrrh, a dish of salt with self-lighting charcoal for incense, salt and water for ritual, a glass of wine and cider and a dish of "cakes" (I use deluxe cookies such as Milano), 2 altar and 4 directional candles, plus a blue candle for the healing, scented sandalwood oil, my altar tools(pentacle, wand, athame, broom, matches, BOS), a piece of rose quartz or other talisman to charge for my friend. Purification: Cleansing bath with thyme infusion; smudge altar area with Myrrh. Cast Circle: Make circle, calling on the healing energies especially of west and water, and calling the deities Brighid and Lugh. Invocation: Invoke the healing aspects of the Goddess and God, thanking them in advance for their aid and making an offering of fresh rosemary and 3 pinches of myrrh incense. Working: Take up the blue candle and annoint it with the sandalwood oil; annoint the talisman also. Hold candle and talisman between palms, blowing 3 breaths into cupped palms and visualizing a charge of healing energy into them. Place both on the pentacle. Visualize the recipient as healed and healthy; light the blue candle and say the verse over and over, until you feel its energy. Send this energy into the talisman. Let the blue candle burn out, then the talisman can go to the recipient. After the working is done, thank the gods and goddesses for their aid. Earth the Power: One good way to do this is to eat something, thus the ritual of "Cakes and Ale": bless the wine/cider and cakes; then eat and drink, being sure to offer the first sip and bite to the gods. End Circle: Dismiss the quarters and uncast the Circle. Allow the blue candle to burn down, and the spell is complete.

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