The Ritual Arts Ritual is a very misunderstood entity. When most people think of ritual, they picture a very intricate, ornate, long, and intense ceremony. Ritual can be that, but it's most often not. Humans are ritualistic beings (not unlike cats), and do certain things every single day in order to make progress within that day or evening. It helps to bring meaning and order into daily living. Despite its mundane nature, it's a form of ritual. So between these two extremes, we see that ritual is done to bring meaning, purpose, and order to something. It can be very elaborate, or simple, as long as it works for you. The following is one of my favorite explanations of ritual: "It is believed that the human need for some kind of formal, often public acknowledgement of significant events is one of the fundamental forces of our development as social beings. At the same time, ritual allows us to transcend our individual selves to gain a sense of participation with the greater environment of the forces controlling our singular and communal destinies." ­John T. Nelson, A Year in the Life of a Shinto Shrine Ritual is also "a fusion of the powers believed to be inherent in the persons, objects, relationships, events, and histories which are represented by the ceremony itself." ­Victor Turner Types of Ritual -seasonal- honoring a specific moment of the climatic cycle -contingent- personal transition/crisis -divinatory- revelation/divination -protective- ensures health/safety -ancestral- honoring the deceased In addition to what we do the Modern Tradition, I also run an open-path Pagan group, and therefore am always created rituals that will work well with a diverse group of individuals. From time to time, I will add bits and pieces of ritual from the open-path group and other inspirations as a guide for the Seeker. Three Rituals To Draw Down the Moon These rituals are simple and elegant. The focus for these rituals is the idea that the three aspects of womanhood (maiden, mother, crone) are present in the phases of the moon. The moon is an important subtle influence on our lives, and it truly does empower oneself to mark its travel through the sky.