Ideas for small rituals

Hey all!

I'm looking to actually incorporate more magical practice in my life. Unfortunately, I'm limited by two things: time (as a med resident I work 60-80 hr weeks w an unpredictable schedule), and the fact that I'm very much in the broom closet.
I try to meditate/do yoga when I can, and I try to record something positive that I'm grateful for every day. I keep an eye on the moon phases and always know which full moon is coming up, but before I know it it's come and gone!
So I'm just looking for any small, subtle ways you guys like to incorporate your practice into your day. One of the things I feel a strong affiliation w is the phases of the moon, and ways you guys incorporate that into your practice as well would be great.

Thanks!!

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There's a lot of good ways!

You could light some incense, the scent could correspond to your intent. Same with candles. You could also look into something like sigil magic. Or you could even do some kitchen witchery!

I'm also in the broom closet and I find these the most subtle yet effective ways to enhance my practice.

Meditation doesn't necessarily have to be long sessions sitting still. A moment of awareness of the presence, centering to the breath, can be meditation.

Some people do a daily ritual, such as a banishing (I don't know your tradition so I will make no recommendations here). Many can be just a few minutes. It also works well as a last thing before bed, and associated that ritual with going to sleep, and that may help improve the quality of your rest. That said, I might make a recommendation: A five-minute relaxation ritual, sort of like a body-awareness meditation. It centers the mind, brings you to the present, quiets the mind, relaxes the muscles, and prepares your mind for sleep.

prsona, glad you mentioned that, i recently started studying Modern Magick By Donald Michael K raig and the first ritual you are introduced to is the Ritual of Relaxation and it only take's me five minutes twice a day to complete. The only thing extra i add in the ritual is aroma/smoke, i burn a variety of hand picked flowers/herbs from nature before i begin.

It is important to devote time every day for me. even if it is ten minutes of a book and ten minutes of practice, that is always better than none.

I practice martial arts internally and externally as a way to keep up on multiple practices at once in a timely way. For me this is an organic ritual that has evolved with time, not really a formal laid out on paper kind of thing.

also dancing, which really ties into the above and serves to balance the hard martial forms with soft energy. for me dancing is a form of celebration, and i celebrate the universe itself. this has evolved organically as well into a form of ecstatic trance

think of the things you do already and add to it. you need to eat, say a blessing before a meal, you need to shower, say a cleansing chant and ground the energy. when you leave the house, lock your door and draw a pentacle in front of it to protect your home. on your break, take a few minutes to close your eyes and breathe deeply. decorate your desk with the elements or symbols that represent your deities [a cute water fountain or sand garden can be pretty inconspicuous] you can even look into pop culture decorations, like the tree of life is becoming more of a decoration for most people.

i would also keep a journal and see where you can improve your schedule, maybe when you're at the gym you could visualize your deity and how you wish to live in their image, or when in traffic you could listen to a pagan podcast. it's basically just little things building into larger ones. best of luck.