Designing Rituals

This is very well written and helpful i've practiced strong Visualization, mediatating and intense concentration awhile back focusing on my need at the time w/ a candle as my tool very therapeutic and fascinating..and working with energies and your own personal power giving them a purpose and a direction..ive been interested in wicca since I was 13 through till i was 28 (now)im picking up where i left off and im still a beginner..outdoor rituals involving nature are quite fun scott cunninghams writings are easiest for me to learn and understand and fun too !!
Thxs for the info ..=o)
Blessed Be,
=Celeste=

Fabulous post, Nall. I believe this will really help the newbs. :)

Can candles be used to help build or guide energy or both? They help me greatly with concentration too! Just curious so had to ask.

Candles are good for both of those actually. :)

Most tools are very versatile.

I missed this post when you made it. Good stuff.

I would add that most of what comes of a tool is defined by what you feel about it. That is, if a particular tool feels like it meets the purpose you wish to put it for you can likely use it for that without a hitch.

The rare exception is when an item possesses an energy unto itself. But then, typically, you will have a sense of that energy as well. If not, you should perhaps reconsider your how ready you are to practice ritual magic.

So spells and rituals are two different things. And rituals are for new coven members?

Yes (spells and rituals are two different things). Also, rituals have indeed been used to initiate members into covens.

Thank you.I have forgotten to enjoy my rituals for such a long .But now you have opened my eyes to it's importance.

I want to thank you like a lot of people. This post really opened my eyes. Thank you. Buy I have a question. What do we do with the offerings? Lke if we offer a cup of water, do we drink or pour it to ground after the ritual is done? Or do we pour it after the ritual. What about dirt? Do we just throw it? I would be very grateful if you answer this. Thanks in advance.

~ [Xenyx] ~

I would never suggest throwing offerings away into a place typically designed for just trash, that's a bit insulting.

The best I can do to answer this is by telling it really depends on the offering and the ritual design as well as the deity you're offering it to.
When you're following a written ritual that does not state specifically what you should do, offer it in a way that correlates to the way the rest of the ritual is designed. For a ritual including fire, burning it is always a great way to go. For a ritual including special tools, integrate the offering with the tool in some fashion.
If you're doing a ritual for a forest god, it works to literally just leave the offering in a sacred place and let nature take care of it. For a sky god, if you can let it blow away in the wind.

What you want to do is work with the concepts you're getting in to.

For a cup of water, you can drink if the water symbolizes something purification. You can dump it on the ground if the area has been blessed. You can throw it into a pond if that specific pond is somehow sacred to you.

Throwing a cup of dirt to sanctify an area is fine, but protect your eyes. lol

Be creative. You can do a lot with offerings as long as you remember to be respectful and formal (if preferred) while doing so.