Recently I went to dinner with a friend..........okay wait. You really don't want to hear about me or my night out. But, you may wish to know a little bit about rituals. And we did talk a little about our own. But, I will skip the play by play, and just say we talked about smudging...so that is the ritual I will discuss here and why you should make it your own, or own it!
Rituals, by definition, literally from a dictionary, are:
rit·u·al
ˈriCH(o͞o)əl/Submit
noun
plural noun: rituals
a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order.
"the ancient rituals of Christian worship"
the prescribed order of performing a ceremony, especially one characteristic of a particular religion or church.
synonyms: ceremony, rite, ceremonial, observance; More
a series of actions or type of behavior regularly and invariably followed by someone.
"her visits to Joy became a ritual"
Okay...cool. That is one definition and boy do I get it. But what if you aren't feeling it?
So let's look at the ritual of smudging.
What if you learn the ritual of smudging... but you just don't feel it. You walk around your house clockwise, you hit every room, nook, cranny, closet. And you are faithful in your intent but it isn't coming naturally to you...And worse yet, your family comes home, and complains that they hate the lingering scents...or it truly does make the kid sick. And you know, it's their room...their space, and they are shouting,...."It's my room, my space... And I burn apple cinnamon from Bed Bath and Beyond!"
Well...guess what. You have just created more negative energy in the very space you were trying to cleanse! Not to mention, you now have a headache!
Or, maybe it's this...you've worked 12 hour days for the past 3 weeks and you are beat! It takes too long to smudge. You don't feel real when you are doing it anyway and the only ritual you want is a glass of wine, bath, and bed! Well...turn it into a ritual...and add a little white sage too!
Okay, here is my point. Ritual is important to focus on your personal growth, manifesting goals, etc, but it has to be YOUR RITUAL.
When I sage my house...I usually will open windows front and back, to let out the negative energy. I always sage myself first...in the mirror. I start at the bottom by my feet, waving the sage upwards like you see most people demonstrate. I chant whatever I need for intention that day. Because sometimes...it's specifically based on my daily experience.
I then go to my front door and I sage asking negative to be replaced with positive...I usually include a reference to the Divine Spirit, and White Light. I go through the main rooms, my spaces. I don't go to the kids spaces...because they have asked me not to. Instead in my chant, I ask for the Spirit to do it for me. This works for me. And I do it a lot. The ritual is my own, and it comforts me. Pretty standard stuff.
But sometimes...I just burn the sage...I go out on my patio, I light candles with it, and I ask our beautiful Mother Earth to cleanse my home with me. I feel the breezes, I look at the stars...and I know that the Divine is with me, and my home is bathed in a white light of purity and positive energy! Truly, I feel a communion with Spirit at these times.
Your ritual could be a bath, a glass of wine, and your white sage burning on the side of the tub. You create your positive energy. You bless your house with your intention. And you will know it because you will feel the peace when you get it right.
If you are worried about the kid's rooms, or your lack of commitment to the rest of your home, use your crystals. Place them in the corners of their rooms and at your doorways smudged first with your intentions. The crystals will hold the energy for you. Hide them so the kids don't know they are there...you know...if they are rebelling. They don't have to know they are there. You are the Goddess of your domain!
A ritual is for your enlightenment. It is to carry your intentions and your focus for your soul. It is to connect to Spirit, our life blood.
If you like to practice a formal ritual...and sometimes I do...because I love the intent that is part of rituals that have been gifted to us through love and divine energy, then of course, do it!
But a ritual can and should be your own. It should be a loving guidance that you feel when you do it...and it will cleanse you and your space. It will guide your intentions much better then trying to force yourself to do something that doesn't feel natural.
Build your own rituals. Make them your intentions. You will feel a great cleansing of self, when you do so. But find something that works. Because ritual is about cleansing your soul, manifesting your desires, and bringing the light of the Divine into your life.
XOXO,
Jahnese, Team Positive Energy!