The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

I think that most magic, in particular curses and voodoo, works because the 'target' believes in what will happen to them after the ritual and, in a way, actually brings the curse on themselves

I believe that people who practise magic use ceremony to concentrate the huge untapped and unknown power of their minds, maybe allowing them to use naturally occuring energy paths, into making things happen

To me both of these seem to require a structure, a ceremony or ritual, something to 'hang' the magic on - but is that important or can magic be unstructured, simply done by a 'hint' or the slightest thought or desire?

Do the magic folk on here have any experiences of non-ceremonial magic - magic that they just made happen. If so, please share some of the details

... or do you agree with my thoughts that some sort of ritual is necessary, if only to focus the mind. If so, how important do you think the ritual is, do you think it is just a mind-focussing tool or that the ritual summons outside forces to do your bidding, or maybe something else ?

I agree with artemka

Ha-ha! ust kidding!

I'm not one to really believe in "magic" and "spells" etc... but if anyone does hold such powers, it's probably due to an ability to use untapped parts of their brains... areas that most are not able to use.

The power of our minds is amazing and the vast majority of people only realize a small percentage of it. I think this is much more signficant than ceremony.

I think rituals and ceremonies are more of an insurance that it will work. When performinf a cleansing ritual you need to ask the gods and godesses for help and that is done via a ritual.

A good example of magic with out a ritual is love. Natural untamed love is something that cannot be created via potions or rituals, it is magic that happens when two people meet.

Are you sure about that? One of my friends has this ritual of buying women lots of alcoholic beverages and he always gets a lot of love out of it...

Well birra the same result can be had by using a large blunt object and striking them in the head. But don't do that.

I don't know whether to enjoy this strange side track on 'dating techniques' or to get right into the whole ritual bit. For starters, if your idea of a date is ritual sacrifice, then you may want to look at the ideas above from Birra or Morrigon.

As for ritual magic, I would say that magic, be it through spirits, creatures, gods or internal energy, would be enhanced and focused by ritual though it wouldn't seem to necessarily be required. A focus like ritual or tools like a fetish might produce better results. They might help in concentration of the goal but it appears as if the rituals are so varied as to not be set in stone either in practice or requirement.

However, when one's belief holds that magic is an outside force, and that magic is being done by requested spirits or gods, then those entities may have laid down a requirement of ritual before they come to aid so you'd have to talk to your individual deities to make sure they're not sticklers about the process.

To me rituals and ceremonies are merely tools and aren't completely necessary, they are just helpers. If you really wanted to you could focus the energy without them.

it depends on what it is you are trying to do

Magick is all around us and in us. It's something we direct with the power of thought and belief. I believe in many ways we create our own reality. Many of us just forgot how to pay attention to what the cosmos is trying to tell us. It starts as a whisper, listen closely.

Ritual and ceremony simply help to concentrate the intention of the energy and point it in the right direction.

Going through the motions and placing significance on certain words or actions is done in every religion/faith. Perhaps it is us who place the meaning to ceremonial actions and it is our own mind that then in turn makes the ritual work.

i think they are very important. they have been passed down through the centuries. i know of some family riutals and they must be done correctly in order to work

Yeh im just down to sigils now a days, no need for rituals unless im out to impress

Sometimes, I'll be out and magick will be worked without spells. However it's not a conscious choice. For example, once I forgot that a door in a book store was not electronic. I stood at it fully expecting it to open and it did. Scared the crap out of people behind me. Rituals are more for the person to prepare themselves than for the deity.

The ritual aspect really is a focus.

It kinda depends on how you practice too. I mean, the old way of hermetics were pretty in depth! You had to have a sickle of gold blah blah blessed under blah moon and blah blah.

Why do you think that was? probably to weed out the undevoted and aristocratic who 'just wanted to see what would happen'.

Also, it helps you tune into the right 'frequency'. If you are invoking certain gods/goddesses, you'd want to use the right colors, incense, accessories, etc. Why? because it helps you tune in.

Just my exp.

If you put enough personal power and will behind something, then it will happen in some way or another. Actual ceremonies are not necessary, though most still go through with it so that they feel like they are in the right mind set.

With Chinese and Japanese costoms ceremony and rituals are a sign of respect for the old ways.
And so I think with magic it's the same way, to preform magic you must first respect it.

My opinion sorta mirrors your own. I believe that the rituals one uses to prepare for using magic of any sort is a meditation form, even if it's not really meditating. Meditation is used to bring your mind to a certain set that allows you to do what ever it is your doing. Ceramonies allows you to awaken the parts of your mind that deal with that particular skill.

The more you use a ritual or ceremony the stronger it will become. Not because the magic is stronger, but because practice makes perfect and your mind is only getting better at bringing itself to the proper set.

In my experience, rituals more or less 'set the scene' and increase my concentration. I don't believe that they have to be done to perform 'tasks' but can be helpful. It all depends on the person.

For me rituals r not important its just will and intent and the amount of power I put into it.To perform the task at hand whether it be protection or healing.

I don't think the ritual is as imprtant as the intent behind it.

Perhaps a good seondary question to the thread would be - "What constitutes a ritual or a ceremony?"

Does it have to be a long, drawn out thing with dancing and chanting and throwing magic powder in the air? Or can it be much more simple than that?

What are the rituals and ceremonies people here use?

For things like big magickal endeavors, I will use a big, long, formal ritual.

For focusing just enough to get through my next round of crazy kung-fu workouts, I simply use some light visualization of my goal.

depends on what you're doing and your environment methinks

rituals do help focus energy that is needed for spells

Birra - I'd say that a ritual is anything that you do repeatedly as part of a spell or magic. A simple hand gesture would be ritual.

Lack of ritual would point more towards an instinctive thing like the person above who opened a door without touching it because they thought it was an automatic door...force of will kind of thing.

I have zero experience with magic use and/or rituals. But I can see how the ritual aspects would help to focus the practitioner in order to properly manipulate the energy / natural forces to their will.

I think the ritual aspects would make the magical outcome easier and more reliable, but not be a required aspect of the manifestation of the magic.

I always go back to the basics when it comes to magicks. The purification of my alter at the beginning and the banishing ritual when i am done.
I believe if, one does not clean up one's mess,so to speak, it might come back and bite ya in the backside*grins*

Aoibheal-i did the same in my home when i moved in. now feel i only have friendly spirits. :)

yes there is many good points in this thread and I agree with artemka.
rites and circles i use when more magick is needed then i have. and simple things, as with all that i do is guided by the gods.

except for high holidays i dont do alot of "high ritual". i have daily work i do and the things i do for others are usually in a hospital/hospice so theres not "room" for ritual.

Ritual is psychopomp and circumstance. It is a very powerful trigger to tear ourselves away from distractions and use the power of pure thought that we have termed 'magic'. The magic lies in the intent, will, and thought and energy of the caster.

there are rituals in every path of the occult..weither ure wiccan,stregerian, druid..we all have our own rituals we go by..
and there all differnet rules pertain to what ever path u practice...
for example ill use my own paths ...
im a priestess of avalon, but i also have followeed the wiccan paths and driud..
on top of my occult paths i am alo an cherokee shaman....
even the native practioners have rituals we use..
so in my opinion its all up to what path u take..
is it tottaly nessaery?
its mainly has a focus gathering point..

the best target pf a ritual is a non-believer, but, the thing is...paraphrasing...u dont have to believe in the power, it believes in u.

Ritual and ceremony are used to place the magickuser into the reality needed to gather the energy and develope the intent to perform the spellcating. Magick requires the proper mindset and ceremony, dress, and preparation help place the person in the setting required.

It is clear from what I have read so far that most people do require ritual to some degree or another.

Interestingly, so far, everyone seems to be saying that the ritual is to the benefit of the magic user - and that the ritual, by itself, has little effect

If I have understood that correctly, would there be any danger in inexperienced people copying the ritual by itself, after all, they wouldn't be preparing their mindset - they would simply be going through the motions?

My experiences with rituals and ceremonies is that they are a point to focus intention on, to develop the right state of mind. I know a few people who don't need rituals to do things like walk on fire or bend water. of course they're kind of really, really powerful people. I think that they help the person, and play no role in communicating with a higher power. "If God doesn't communicate with us in words, then why do we try to communicate back with them? Use the words of god that can only be spoken with your spirit, not with your voice."

there always has to be a ritual or ceremony

I believe that ritual and ceremony are ways to focus, increase and concentrate energy. Yes, it does use some but without a way to focus, concentrate and increase, you would have a 'magical backwash' so to speak.

I think it is important to follow ritual and ceremony,although i,m new to the magicks study.but following guidelines out of respect for those who have gone before,and to protect ones self.

I agree with artemka and NocturnisOrchid as well when one truly does want to harness enough energy when casting spells if you will then one must call forth the god or goddess of choice to help bring forth the power and energy they require...Then after you are finished you must thank the god or goddess of choice for lending you the power and energy and therefore cleaning up after ones self...

You never wanna open something without closing it afterwards because the ramifications of such can be catastrophic to say the least..

It can however be done without such rits or ceremonies but the spell may not work as well as planned..

Artemka you asked,
“If I have understood that correctly, would there be any danger in inexperienced people copying the ritual by itself, after all, they wouldn't be preparing their mindset - they would simply be going through the motions?”

The thing with the ritual is even gathering the items needed and setting it up starts the process of a spell because you are focusing on it. There’s that focus word again that has cropped up continually in this thread. But I think it is the true purpose of the ritual especially if more than one person is involved in the casting. As others have said after you’ve been doing it for a while you don’t actually need so much ritual on your own but for a group effort it would still be needed just to keep everyone on the same page. So yes I believe it would not be smart to do a ritual even if you don't believe in it. You are putting the possibility out there for it to work.

I think the rituals and ceremonies are kind of like reassurance for yourself

i find that unorganized or unfocused energy can cause alot of unrest to the person doing it as well as the ones around them and not to mention distructions and mishaps but at times for something small its ok if you know what your doing i find ceramonys and certain rituals very calming and i also find them to amke me more orderly so you might want to think on it for yourself and deside whats best for you good luck

Ahoi!

Well, once I thought the ritual in itself bears the magic like a batterie bears the power.

I soon experienced, that simply 'coping' a ritual will have no effect in this matter. This fact already has been mentioned.

Some time later I found out about will, willpower and beliveing in selffulfilling prophecies as well as the effects behind them. I learned, that it really only is the will and faith of the user and weaver of magic.

And then a very important thing happend to me: I found (once again) an old book printed in 18XX: "Mantra der christlichen Lehre."
Peeking and looking through it a bit I quickly realized the meaning of the christian rituals in sunday church and the parallels to rituals done by a befriended wicca.

You really use the same ritual ever and ever again, even pass it from generation to generation, mostly unaltered.
Its often just a repetition of simple words, gestures or combinations of those.
I was stunned to see this similarities, be it a christian priest, a shaman, a pagan priest or even a hermetic.

I tried to find the meaning behind this concept and the wide use. At least it must have been successful often enough to justify its old and ever usage.
And then the meditational part of this rituals, be it christian, wiccan, pagan, hermetic or whatever there may be, became clear to me. So a ritual simply helps you to either focus on or but even more just to leave the every day stress behind you, so your mind gets free and the energy flow unblocked. Thus getting your mind into another state of conciousnes was the real trick behind the magic woven. I later communicated about this and was very welcomed by other free minds.

Back to my book, I was now able to imagine medival monks in there every day duty trying to connect with god thrugh meditanion and rituals, shamans connecting to their inner animal of strength, sometimes with the help of drugs etc., wiches getting connected to the spirits around them and living freely
and most important: I now saw the parallels and thus the greater picture.

I hope, maybe one or two of you may understand my humble attempts writing english and get some new insight here.

No, I never was teached by practiconers of magic, initiated or something like this, neither did I ever activly teached or practiced magic in wider means.

I have only performed within the confines of a magic circle, I beleive tools should onlybe used inside the circle.

I think for the most part rituals work best because it focuses peoples minds and it is harder to forget some step of a spell if it is a practiced ritual. I think it is possible to have some forms of magic without the hoopla but it is good for focus and for magic tools some say don't use them except for rituals and others say to used them often because the more they are used the more energy they will have from you and be more effective

There are many paths to the same outcome
If your very experienced you night not need to prepare or need to focus that much.
Complacence also cause issues lol

yeah i believe it helps.

Ritual is important to some, but from what I have seen, and read, and heard, its the force of will that you put behind it that truly matters. When you break it all down, the actions leading up to the magick, can only make you more focused. If that is what you need most, the preparation to get into the proper mindset that YES ritual is important.

Yes i think it is important... I feel it help you focus and to control what you are doing.... And i do guess it would also depend on what you are trying to do!

scorpnoir, may i just say that that was a really good point, and a really cool story. I've found that tools and rituals only give the person a focus point, much like a tempo gives a musician a guideline. The ritual helps the person reach the state of mind to use their own faith and energies in cooperation with that of the 'spirit that moves through all things' (or the Dao for all you Taoists). Rituals are not entirely necessary, they are tools, much like a hammer. Sometimes, though, it is extremely difficult to perform a magic without anything, much as it is difficult to hammer a nail in without a hammer.

I use the tools and rituals mostly as a way to keepo my mind fucused.. some days I need far more ritual to do this.. days when I have a million and a half things that never got done for example. But are they necessary? I used to think so but i have started to see that altho they do make my life alot easier at times. If I must I can do without them just as well. It is more of a .. comfort thing for me.

IT depends on the one doing it i suppose some might can do it with shear will alone while other have to complete a ritual or incarnations.

Just picking up on the point made there by oxidisingangel, that her magic has to be done (I'm guessing with rituals) vut also inside a magic circle

If this is something that you go along with, is it because the place helps you focus your energy - or is it because the place itself is an energy portal / store ?

Thanks to everyone for keeping this basically on track :)

I believe there are outside forces to do our bidding, however, the ceremony or ritual to raise energy is a must. Both forces are necessary to do major work. Raising energy is the most prodominant ingredient, though.

I love the different points of view that have cropped up in this thread.

I was 'brought up' a certain way with ritual, so even though I use it that way and it works for me, I always want to learn how other people do it.

its more of what one wants done. as to a ceremony or just on the moment.

It Depends On What Kind Of Magic You Mean. There Are Alot Of Kinds, Sex Magic Where You Use A sigil, Incantation Or Spoken Word, but As always A proper setting helps focus the energy to get the desired effect, It is like going to a theater What is better Watching with the lights on or off?

Thats one thing for sure the mind makes it more powerfull and at times it would not work regardless of the amounth of nergy use, the mind will make it work.

I find that I am forced to agree with you because magic only gets it's power from belief. People seem to forget that there is a lot more to magic than simply waving your hands and saying some words. It takes heart and passion which in my opinion are the root of belief.

Rituals do help, but I do not think they are absolutely necessary.

i agree with what u said in the beginning.... that it works only on those who believe in it. once u have that, u have more power than even u realize.

It would seem that with ritual only being a tool and not a necessity, that no-one uses magik where there ritual is meant to appease or call upon power from an outside source.

In that type of magik (either through a god/goddes or spirit creature) I was under the impression that the ritual was to please the being that was summoned. In those cases, it would seem possible to go through the motions of summoning/calling something without knowing what you were doing simply because the ritual was established in order to gain the attention and favor of that being and would do so even if you were merely following written instructions.

I should imagine it would set the scene and all of that.. I couldn't imagine a ritual without people being dressed in monk's hoods. Is this imagery conditioned in us?

yes the cermony is at the least 50 % of all of it but then again so ins knowing that what you do will work so i guess it is really what the other perfers

Using ritual and ceremony are only a sort of insurance policy to those who cannot control the magick and direct it to the intended destination. If you can control the majick then ritual only uses up the extra energy that should be directed into the spell. When you are using a spell, you are already invoking the God and Goddess to help you in your endeavour, so ritual and ceremony is just that Ceremony. Something of order to do in a coven for show and pomp. As a solitary, it is only a waste of time, when a solitary can already direct their own energies where they will.

the key is a belief that the said enegry will wor a ritual is usually used simply to foucs the minds of one or more peple assembled for a desired purpose...rituals are usefull but not needed

Well the power of the mind I think can do great things. I believe the ceremony has to do with what was handed down through generations. Weather they are necessary or not I suppose we would have to try to do the experiment to see if the spell can be done without the ritual. At times I think we have a hard time believing that we our selves may have the power to do things in a thaumaturgic way without asking the aid of another.

I believe that a cermony or a ritual what have you makes it easier for people to see and believe that something will happen and until they see they would more than likely never believe

Well, the thought mentioned here, to use ceremonies and/or rituals especially in groups of people is of course not to be overseen.

To synchronized the energie and effort of at least two people it is necessary.
Humanity tends to be chaotic, such guidelines can help to focus.

I'm cross pollinating :)

There's been some interesting discussion in the summoning thread that leads me to believe that some ritual can have inherent power and therefore can be used by someone who doesn't have any knowledge or skill or power of their own. Perhaps something that tradition or continued use throughout time built some energy into the ritual itself.

So while internal energy may allow a person to skip ritual or use it merely as a focus, there are some rituals that could be important enough or powerful enough to work without using the energy or will of the people involved.

ok, read alot of responces on here.... will try and help, since I have been doing it for over 20 years......

rituals/ceremonies are a must.....why?
the power of more then one is to assure your energy will do what you send it to do. The stronger the forces in numbers, the stronger the energy.......
the power of one man, even at 100% brain use/energy....will only be good enough for simple tasks...... however, if you want real results, without waiting,,,use it in numbers, but ONLY those experianced.
I do not now nor ever suggest that ANYONE try usuing ceremonial technics alone and especially without being Guided into right direction and use.
Always think of it this way.....one man may be able to lift a car, but 6 can pull it off the ground completely and move it freely........think about it.....the more, the stronger it becomes.
I cannot nor will not discuss my practices on a web site to strangers for they are sacred. But this should help you in understanding a little about ceremonies. They also help tune energy into a direction...as discused above.

I believe that the rituals and ceremonies to whatever religion we aspire to gives us a means to concentrate, and therefore to focus on what it is we hope to accomplish.