How To Start A Ritual

Confession: I might be a little voyeuristic. Not in a creepy way, in the 2020 way: watching strangers’ routines on YouTube. I don’t know why girl, but there’s something oddly calming about watching someone take you through their skincare or morning routine. Don’t even get me started on, ‘What I Eat In A Day’ videos—I will be in bed with my laptop on my chest looking at these folks for hours.

Routines are peak adult and ooze earth-sign-energy. The older I get, the more I appreciate having a specific set of steps to commemorate different occasions, especially my spiritual practices. That’s where rituals come in. 

Rituals are sacred—unique, yet common; personal, yet communal. When you think of spiritual rituals, your mind might go to elaborate ceremonies like baptisms or spellcasting, but they can also be simple and completely created by you. The key is to define your purpose, set your intention, and get clear on the 5 Ws. 

Creating Your Ritual 

Why?

The most important question to answer is, “Why am I performing this ritual?” What’s your purpose for making this space? Think about what you want to accomplish and how you’d like to feel after your ritual. Come back to your why if you get stuck on any step after this or feel disconnected along the way. 

Who?

When creating your ritual, think about who it’s for and who’s participating. Is it a cleansing ritual for yourself or an ancestor ritual to connect to your lineage? Will you perform this ritual solo or with members of your soul tribe? It might seem too obvious to state, but defining the different aspects of who your ritual is for will make the next steps easier. 

What?

Ok, now to the meat. What are you gonna do during your ritual? Don’t rush through this—think about your purpose and how you’ll accomplish it. What tools will you need? Crystals? Your tarot deck? Maybe just a pen and paper. Do you wanna start with a grounding meditation? Are there any steps you should take to protect your energy or space during the ritual? How will you end it? Every single act is important and needs to be intentional, but remember, this can be as simple or complex as you’d like it to be. If it helps, write out your ritual to refer to for the first couple of times you perform it. (Perfect excuse to buy a journal.) 

Where?

Where will you perform your ritual? Think about what you’ll be doing and who’ll be involved to pin down the location. Is this something you’ll need to perform outside or at your altar? You may even need to use different locations for specific steps. For example, a part of my full moon ritual involves being outside under the moon and ends with a cleansing bath in my home. Don’t forget to take privacy into account—you don’t need people barging in on you. 

When?

Another important aspect is figuring out when and how often you’ll perform your ritual. Go back to your why and see if this is something you’ll need to do on a certain date (for example, if you do an ancestral ritual around a loved one’s birth date) or time of the month (in the case of moon rituals). If your ritual is more dependent on circumstances, like a manifesting ritual, it may be good to determine the time of day you’d like to perform it.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Ok, now it’s time to get your rituals together. If you’re looking for more help, then we got you! Our ritual toolkit goes in-depth on different types of rituals and how to create your own. Download yours from the BGI Shop!