There are many benefits of rituals. You just have to engage in them with an open heart to see for yourself. There is nothing superstitious or evil about it. It’s just a way to get in touch with yourself, your ancestors, and the universe.
RITUALS HELP YOU GET ACQUAINTED WITH YOUR WORLD
When you do rituals, you invoke the energy of people, deities, and things to help you. This helps you to get to know the energy of things. Which plants are good for throat ailments? How can trees take your emotional pain away? What element (air, earth, fire, or water) is best for increasing energy? What is good for taking things away?
When you realize that things have energy, it may get you curious about how you are using your own energy. It may help you to be more mindful of the life in things you may currently see as lifeless, like rocks or stars. When you realize the world is alive, it’s harder to abuse things.
RITUALS HELP YOU TO FEEL MORE CONNECTED
When you talk to your ancestors and understand that they care about you, it’s hard to feel lost, lonely or unimportant. You start to realize how important to your entire ancestral line your life is. They want you to be happy and well. They support you on that journey. You can call on them to help you. No matter what society says or what the people around you feel, you have a long line of spirit helpers who are on your side. It’s hard to lose hope when you connect to that.
RITUALS HELP YOU TO FEEL SAFE
I see a lot of people who are scared to death. I suppose there is a lot to be afraid of… unless you put it in perspective. The wheel of life is always turning. When you accept that nothing stays the same, it seems silly to try to grasp at something and keep it the same. Seasons change. People age. Trends change. Babies are born. Life is always changing.
When you engage in ritual, you make this part of your reality. You engage in that change. You celebrate the coming of spring and mourn the passing of people. It’s all just part of life. When you aren’t fighting against it, you lose a lot of fear. Then it’s just okay to be where you are.
RITUAL DEEPENS YOUR CONNECTION TO THE SPIRIT WORLD
Wayne Dyer said that we’re spirits having a human experience. I believe that is true. When you engage in ritual, the time you spend connecting to the energies and listening to your inner wisdom transforms your understanding of spirit. You learn things, ancient things, that you know you were never taught. It’s not easy to explain to one who hasn’t yet experienced it.
RITUAL MAKES YOU GRATEFUL
I think many people first come to ritual to see what they can get from it. It’s a way to manifest things. After while, you realize there isn’t anything to want. So, you just spend your prayer time in gratitude. You think more about how you can serve. Life isn’t about what you can get or how far you can go. It becomes about just being here and enjoying the ride. It’s far more peaceful than striving and wanting all the time.
When I think about the world without ritual, I can see why people feel so lonely and disconnected. Our medicine comes from chemically identical compounds, not real plants. Our food is grown in huge strips of plowed land and sprayed with pesticides. We don’t give thanks except on Thanksgiving. We go through the motions of church without knowing the meaning behind our gestures. Those gestures have no heart in them. We live our whole lives without heart.
I think engaging in ritual is an easy way to transform your life and all of society. With so many benefits of ritual, won’t you give it a try?