| What Is a Spell? What Is a Ritual? |
| Here, I wanted to explain a bit about rituals and spells. Some people seem to confuse the terms so I'll offer my input..... RITUAL OR SPELL? The word "ritual" seems to be misunderstood by many people. Usually when someone thinks of "ritual" they think of an intricate and involved ceremony, or even a spell. But, a ritual is actually something that is repeated to create a certain state of mind or state of being- an action performed in preparation for something. When you think of brushing your teeth, bathing, having your morning Mountain Dew (I hate coffee), etc.- these are all daily rituals that we incorporate into our lives. Why do you drink coffee or Mountain Dew in the morning? To "wake up" or to get yourself motivated to begin your daily schedule, right? This, in a way, is something you are repeating daily in order to create a certain state of mind, or to prepare for the day. In your magick, a ritual is what is performed before, during, or after a spell to help you to gain the proper state of mind and help you create a certain state of being in some cases. When we perform "spells," we are intending to create a change- we expect a manifestation of some type of change. Spells are generally quick, to the point, and goal-oriented. A spell can also mean "state of mind." Considering that- a ritual can be an action that is repeated for the purpose of creating a spell. A ritual can be performed to prepare you for a spell, or to keep your state of awareness clear during a spell. A ritual can be performed as a celebration, honoring the seasons, honoring a deity, celebrating a stage of life, as an invocation or evocation, as preparation for astral travel, etc. In these instances, we are not intending to create a change, but intending to prepare for a different state of mind or being. Rituals are performed by habit and rarely out of necessity. Spells are performed out of necessity and rarely by habit. RITUAL TOOLS Ritual tools can also be seen as props that aid in creating a certain state of mind. Often, my magickal practise still involves the use of candles, and/or herbs and incense- however I have no use for other tools. I do not use athames, stangs, cups, chalices, swords, wands, etc. But many prefer to, and using these tools is just a way to aid in "ritual consciouness" and keep you focused on your magickal rites. |