Why Rituals Matter
Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Phoenix LeFae, author of What Is Remembered Lives, Walking in Beauty, and the new Life Ritualized.
Modern life keeps us distracted and separated from mystery. We are so plugged in and “connected” to a world of wifi and online interaction, that culturally, we have lost a real connection to something greater than ourselves. Without mystery life becomes one dimensional and flat, lacking the luster of possibility. Ritual is a way to reconnect with that mystery, bringing depth and wonder to everyday life.
In my book, Life Ritualized, I share details on how to acknowledge and honor the rites of passage that we all go through, both the big and the little. Rites of passage are the points in life where something changes and once gone through, you can’t go back to who (or what) you were before. When we make space for ritual during these moments of change, we have the opportunity to pause, reflect, and pay homage to the transition.
A ritual serves as a marker. Ritual can take place at the beginning of a rite of passage, at the end of a rite of passage, or at any point in the middle. They can be performed once during a transition or consistently, all the way through the process. The timing of when to perform a ritual isn’t important; what is important is taking the time to ritualize what we are going through.
Rituals also serve as a frame. They make a space for us to look with discernment at the path we are following. Rituals allow us to look clearly at what is going on in life and either step into these changes more aware or course correct to shift the path towards what is really wanted.
Marking moments with ritual also helps us to remember. When we give ourselves time to slow down and connect into what is actually happening in our lives, we have a better chance of remembering what was going on and how we approached it. Ultimately, this gives us more power and set us up as allies for those following along the path behind us.
Most importantly, rituals matter because they are an invitation for mystery to become more pronounced in our day to day lives. Mystery is what keeps us in love with the world, connected to divinity, and connected to our personal power. Ritual is the gateway to the mystery, which is fuel for our spiritual lives.
Our thanks to Phoenix for her guest post! For more from Phoenix LeFae, read her article, “Tips for Making Everyday Moments Magickal.”
