Crafting As Ritual

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Raechel Henderson, author of Sew Witchy, The Scent of Lemon and Rosemary, and the new Natural Home Wheel of the Year.

Crafting comes naturally to humans. We made toys for our children, decorated our clothing and utensils, painted and carved at the same time we were hunting and gathering. That same urge, to create and make useful and beautiful items, extended to ritual. Garb, jewelry, and other ritual accessories and tools were made not only to be functional but pleasing to the senses. As pagans, creation is a fundamental part of ritual and vice versa.

Crafting as ritual doesn’t have to be limited to making items for your altar or for a sabbat. The scarf you are knitting for your niece can be part of a ritual that honors family ties. Cross-stitch, painting, and other crafts with a repetitive aspect can be a focal point for meditation. Making bath bombs, lotions and soaps can be part of a self-care ritual. You can also work magic into your crafts through your choice of materials.

You don’t even have to spend a lot of money on craft supplies. Nature is filled with leaves, nuts, sticks, berries, and stones that lend themselves to craftiness. Get outside and forage some natural objects to make collages, stone sculptures, mosaics, and more. The act of bringing together the items to create can offer time to reflect on your own resilience and the abundance around you.

This doesn’t have to be a solitary pursuit, either. Get the family involved. Children love creating and a craft ritual gives you the opportunity to speak about pagan values and ideas. Form a crafting circle with others where you work on crafts either together or individually. This can be a time to connect with your friends and family.

And it doesn’t take much to convert your craft time to ritual time. Start by setting aside time to craft. Gather your items and make sure you have enough space and time for yourself. Dedicate the space/time to your craft through acts such as smoke cleansing, creating a circle around the space, or even just starting with gratitude or an opening prayer. You can work with a particular deity who is related to arts and crafts. Or you can invite your ancestors—the grandmother who quilted, the uncle who whittled, etc.—to join you as you work.

However you go about it, take your time and be mindful as you craft. Think about the movement of your hands, how your materials feel, what it sounds like to create. Consider the finished project and how it will be used. Engage your senses as you work. This is how you bring intention to your crafting and it is that intention that makes it a ritual.

Our thanks to Raechel for her guest post! For more from Raechel Henderson, read her article, “Last-Minute Kitchen Witch Gifts for Yule.”