We’ve all participated in rituals in our lifetime. Weddings are a ritual, funerals are a ritual, and if you’ve ever celebrated New Years you’ve participated in a ritual. The purpose of rituals is to serve as symbol. Weddings symbolize union, funerals grief and saying goodbye,and New Years represents a new beginning or clean slate. And while these are some major universal rituals there are lot of other ways for you to celebrate rituals on a regular basis.

Rituals can be very energetically powerful. Part of that energy comes from the ceremonial aspect of the ritual. Weddings are a great example of this. There is a very specific ceremony that takes place in a wedding. Rings are exchanged, vows are exchanged, all in order to represent a couples love and commitment to one another. There is also a ceremonial aspect to New Years (yes even though most people are too drunk to remember it the next day). New years eve is a time to write or proclaim resolutions, celebrate the beginning of a new year, and count down till midnight. There may be many variations within that ceremony but the symbolism is the same.

The other reason that rituals are powerful is because they often involve several people holding a similar intention. In reality the calendar means nothing. You could set goals and resolutions any day of the year. But what makes New Years special is that everybody does it at the same time. There is a lot of energy in the collective consciousness and that energy helps to magnetize ones intentions for the year to come. If that sounds too woo woo to you it’s really simple physics. Attention goes where energy flows. When the collective conciousness is all focused on making positive changes in their life those changes become collectively easier for everyone  to make and maintain. When you begin to recognize the collective energy behind rituals you realize that you can use it as a tool for growth in your life.

I personally participate in rituals every chance I get. Full moons, new moons, holidays, birthdays, the change of seasons, and personal special occasions. In fact this past week I participated in a full moon ritual. Full moons are a great time to let go of things that no longer serve you and invite in new intentions. With full moon rituals you have the added advantage of actually working with the lunar energy. And the moons energy is pretty intense. It has the power to control the tides in the ocean and even the water weight in our bodies. Energetically it effects our emotional body allowing things to come up that we may have kept repressed or hidden. This is why people tend to be a little more emotional or moody during a full moon. Now my ceremony during the full moon is really quite simple. I usually set aside 30 minutes in the evening, light a candle, do some journaling, do some smudging (burning sage to help clear out old energies), and do a simple meditation. Nothing really elaborate, but the effects have been profound. For me setting intentions during that time completely shifts my energy. I immediately feel more focused on my goals and a whole lot less stressed. I find that I wake up the next day more motivated and excited. And as I look back in my journal from the past year every intention I have set during a full moon has come true. Now that’s some powerful stuff!

So yes it might seem a bit woo woo and out there but what I want you to get in this blog is that rituals can be a practical tool for bettering your life. We all have goals and dream so why not use the ceremonial aspect of rituals to help you reach your goals and make your dreams come true. And when you practice rituals on a fairly regular basis it helps to refocus you on your goals and helps you to reevaluate them as well. Maybe the intention that you set on New Years has changed and during the Full moon you take time to set a new intention. Any goal setting guru will tell you that it is important that you check in with your goals and your progress at least once a month to keep yourself accountable. Rituals are a great way to keep yourself on track.

Here is a list of common occasions where you can make your own ritual:

• Full Moons: What are you ready to let go? Old limiting beliefs? Old habits or behaviors? 
• New Moons: Manifesting time, dream big!
• Birthdays: What do you want to accomplish or experience by your next birthday?
• Change of Season: Spring for some “Spring Cleaning,” Fall for a time to harvest new goals and dreams.
• New Years: Get really clear on your goals for the year ahead, take time to plan things out. 
• Chinese New Years: Missed setting goals at New Years? Here’s your second chance. 
• Holidays: Valentines day for love or self love, Easter for New Beginnings, Thanksgiving for gratitude, etc..
• Beginning of the Month: The first of every month you can set an intention or a goal for that month.