Ritual can mean so many things. On a mundane level, rituals can be the routine approach to a specific part of the day. “My morning ritual includes doing an hour of yoga and eating avocado toast.” My experience of ritual has changed over the years. The first ritual that I ever intended as something more was done in my friend’s backyard. I made it up as I went along, but the intention was a cord-cutting ritual. If I remember correctly, I may have invoked Hekate. It was a surreal experience.

Since then, I have worked countless rituals over the years. My tendency with ritual is to go big. Rituals appeal to me as a sort of doula work. If the weight of my current lived experience (reality), has become too much to bear, I intuit my way through crafting a ritual to ease a transition to a different way of being (reality). Crafting a ritual means an interrogation, followed by some research, intuiting the components, and then engaging with the material to manifest my desired result. Whether you are looking for something big or something small, ritual can be an incredibly potent tool.

Interrogation means that I must ask myself some hard questions. What is not working in my reality that I need to change? What is standing between me and what I want to replace the old way of being with? These are just a few examples of what must be examined in crafting a ritual. Sometimes I need to do a little bit of study; what materials correspond with my goal? What do I have on hand? When I get an idea of what materials would best support what I am trying to achieve, I intuit how best to structure the ritual to achieve the results that I want.

There may be what you could call a spell. You don’t have to call it that or think of it as magick, per se. My approach is rooted in more magical thinking, but I think that many would agree that words have power. I prefer to speak my intention/spell aloud, but that is not accessible to everyone. Even seeing yourself speaking out loud can be powerful. When it comes to ritual work, there are levels of good/better/best, but having to make accommodations within the ritual is not going to diminish results*. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good, right?

One thing that I have learned over the years is that follow-up is important. My experience with ritual isn’t really a “set it and forget it” game. Follow-up can look different, depending on the intention behind the ritual. Sometimes I do rituals that need regular “tending” for a time beyond the ritual itself. Sometimes I just create a way to keep my finger on the pulse of what is shifting. The hardest part, in my experience, is making sure that I am tending to myself as well. Am I ready for what I am trying to manifest, or is my somatic experience preventing me from achieving my goal?

If you need help creating a ritual for your specific needs, we can meet for a free consultation to assess your needs and what you hope to manifest. Together, we will explore your current situation or reality and different approaches that could help shift things. If my approach resonates with you, our next meeting will be about crafting the ritual itself. If you are looking for a professional practitioner to work a ritual on your behalf, the steps will be the same and I will do the ritual itself. Both services include follow-up plans. (By the way, if you have read this far, please take advantage of a coupon code to take 15 percent off of a ritual service: avidreaderritual, all caps.)

If you have something in your life you are seeking to shift, but you aren’t sure how to play with the threads of fate to make it happen, let’s co-create a unique ritual. This service, like all of my others, is intended to be collaborative, inviting you to engage your intuition and build those muscles. This approach positions you as the authority of your own experience, and this practice can help you step into your power. I hope that you will be better equipped to craft and perform rituals for yourself. If this resonates with you, I look forward to making magic with you.