Flipping routines into rituals

There is something magical about summer when it comes to favorite pastimes and rituals. Weekend walks along the Hudson at sunset, dinner or a quiet night home on Friday evening, and Sunday morning grace where I free myself of any leftover tension and set intentions for the week ahead.  Overtime, the routines became rituals and these rituals became sacred to me. In essence, the joy they brought to my daily life reaped benefits beyond what I could imagine.

A ritual can be interpreted many ways. Some may view it as part of a religious tradition. For others, it evokes a sense of spiritual practice. Simple girl that I am, I turned to the dictionary. Merriam Webster defines rituals as sequences of gestures, words, actions, or objects followed by a set pattern. Even mundane moments of my life, such as grocery shopping or getting ready for work, can become rituals for me. Think about that for a moment; flipping your routine from mundane to meaningful.

Rituals can transcend from an act of solitude to a shared bonding experience with another.  In the wake of the pandemic, many rituals were private, but now they can be shared as part of celebrations. The act of moving forward with intention. 

Is there any part of your daily routine that you can make a ritual out of? Are you able to think of a simple thing you can add to your daily routine to lead to a place of peace, love, ease, joy, or happiness? To go from the mundane to the meaningful?  My journey with rituals has had twists and turns, all of which involved being true to myself and doing the work necessary to be my best self.  Through rituals, I learned where I needed to focus, what areas in my life needed attention, and where I was having problems. As time passed, I began walking meditations, moon cycle rituals, and addressing a greater power every night.  All the while, I was always fascinated by astrology, tarot, and how I could incorporate them into my rituals.

As I was transitioning between jobs in 2016, I asked myself what I wanted for this next chapter. From the bottom of my heart and gut, I knew this was the beginning of a new phase of my life. My practitioner, Richard, helped me become aware and knowledgeable about myself and how to navigate life's ebbs and flows. Since then, we have connected practically every quarter without a calendar reminder. As if I had an internal alarm reminding me to reset, to check in, and to listen. Each time, I receive wonderful energy and guidance.