Ritual

Here are a few rituals, and some ideas to help you in making up some of your own.

A basic cleansing ritual:

Jewelry, divination tools and your home should be periodically cleansed or cleared of negative energy. You would also benefit by clearing yourself after a hard day or a stressful interaction. Contact with Elemental energy can be used for clearing negativity. Items can be placed in the sun (Fire element) in running water (Water element), held into the wind (Air element) or buried in sand or dirt (Earth element) for a few moments.

Alternatively, you can create a ritual as simple or elaborate as you feel you need for any given situation. Here is one traditional clearing method that uses cedar incense. Just follow the steps:

• Light your incense and place it in a heavy bowl or ashtray.
• Remove your jewelry or other items and hold them in the smoke for a few moments.
• Visualize the smoke flowing through the item carrying away any negativity.
• For a larger item, walk around it in a clockwise direction again visualizing the smoke flowing all throughout.
• For your home, walk the perimeter of each room. Again, clockwise and with appropriate visualization. You can then walk around the outside of the house, if you wish, to further strengthen your perimeter.

A candle ritual:

We have all made candle magic, even if we are unaware that that is what we were doing.  This magical practice is familiar to anyone who has blown out candles on their birthday cake, lit a candle in a ceremony, for a romantic dinner or as an aid to prayer or meditation.

The process of candle-lighting helps to focus the mind and enables you to clarify your goals through visualization. As the candle burns, the power you have concentrated in it is slowly released by the flame. Wax is transformed from a solid into a liquid and a gas; a magical process in and of itself. At the same time, the energy and power you have poured into the candle is released and speeds on its way.

• Begin by visualizing your goal or intention, as you want it to be, clearly in your mind.
• Your mind is composed and calm. If thoughts of doubt or fear enter your mind, banish them immediately. They will only hinder your magic.
• Hold your candle in your right hand, (left, if you are left-handed), and send your visual image into the candle. Feel your power and energy flow into the candle.
• You may scratch an appropriate symbol into the candle at this time, a zodiacal sign, a rune, a shape that symbolizes your goal. I like to draw the same symbol on my body but I’ll leave that up to you. 🙂
• Now is the time to call on any powers with which you feel comfortable, asking them to aid in the manifestation of your goal.
• Place your candle in a holder and light the wick. Watch its flame for a few moments, still holding your objective in mind.
• You may practice relaxation techniques at this time, meditate, read an uplifting book, or simply leave the area and go about your business. The candle is doing your work and may be left burning as long as you like.
• Light your candle for at least a few minutes every day. Alternatively, use a tea light and just let it burn completely. Make sure it is in a safe place with no draperies, cats or other flammable objects nearby.

You may think of the process as programming the candle, or empowering the candle. Program getting a job, correcting a health issue, finding a partner, increasing psychic ability or any other objective or intention into the candle.

You also may enhance the ritual in several ways:

• Anoint yourself or your candle with an appropriate planetary fragrance oil
• Perform the ritual when the moon is in the sign associated with your objective
• Use the time of the waxing moon for increase or prosperity rituals
• Use the time of the waning moon for rituals of banishing or decreasing (weight loss  or habit breaking)
• Wear the gemstone appropriate to your objective.
• Repeat an affirmation as you fall asleep each night
• Burn a large candle for the number of minutes or days appropriate to your objective

To learn more, check the Table of Intentions, below.

If you’d like a color or fragrance suggestion from me just leave me a comment or email with your intended outcome and I will answer.  >^..^<

A Grounding ritual:

The first time you try this, I recommend standing on grass or earth, not indoors. Stand with your feet solidly beneath you and about shoulder width apart. Balance yourself by swaying front to back and side to side until you find your “center”. Bend your knees a few times to get a sense of your energy circulating. Inhale deeply and exhale fully and repeat. As you continue to breathe deeply, picture yourself as a tree. Your arms and hair are branches. Your torso and legs are the trunk. Picture roots extending from your feet into Earth. Each time you inhale, feel energy coursing up into your body through your roots and into your legs, torso and finally into your arms. Each time you exhale, feel your roots extending deeper into Earth seeking new energy. When you feel “filled” then thank Earth and let any excess energy dissipate and draw your “roots” back into you. You are now “Grounded” in your body.

My Table of Intentions:

Rituals help focus the power of the mind. Because the mind can only hold one thought at a time focusing on what you want rather than what you fear will change consciousness. Consciousness is defined as “that of which we are aware” referring generally to our environment. Changing your consciousness will change your circumstances. The first ingredient of ritual is intent. Then you must match your methodology to the task at hand.

For instance, you wish to make your home a more congenial place to be:

• You look up “home” on the list.
• Align your “tools” in a Moon or Cancer oriented way.
• For instance, place a moonstone or rose-quartz on the table or windowsill, anoint a white candle with lemon or camphor oil and burn for 20 minutes each evening starting with the eve of the new moon.
• Alternately, wear a milky stone ring when you are at home.
• Above all, focus and let your imagination respond to these cues.

These are modern correspondences, I can recommend other sources if you’d like a specific tradition.

Intent	Element	Planet	Sign	Color
Accounting	Earth	Mercury	Virgo	Dark blue
Banishing	Earth	Saturn	Capricorn	Black
Banish negative habits	Water	Mars/Pluto	Scorpio	Dark red, black
Beauty	Air	Venus	Taurus	Green
Business	Earth	Venus	Taurus	Green
Committees	Air	Uranus	Aquarius	Mixed colors
Cooking	Earth	Venus	Taurus	Green
Cooking, desserts	Air	Venus	Libra	Pink
Counseling	Water	Mars/Pluto	Scorpio	Dark red, black
Courage	Fire	Mars	Aries	Clear red
Decorating	Air	Venus	Libra	Pink
Divination, Inspiration	Air	Mercury	Gemini	Clear
Divination, Prophecy	Water	Neptune	Pisces	Purple, aqua
Eloquence	Air	Mercury	Gemini	Clear
Employment	Earth	Saturn	Capricorn	Black
Energy, to increase	Fire	Sun	Leo	Gold
Friendship	Air	Venus	Libra	Pink
Healing, health	Earth	Mercury	Virgo	Dark blue
Home, promoting harmony	Water	Moon	Cancer	Milky
Happiness	Fire	Sun	Leo	Gold
Healing illness	Water	Moon	Cancer	Milky
Healing injury	Fire	Mars	Aries	Clear red
Learning new skills	Air	Mercury	Gemini	Clear
Money, making	Earth	Venus	Taurus	Green
Money, luck	Fire	Jupiter	Sagittarius	Sky blue, brown
Organization	Earth	Mercury	Virgo	Dark blue
Overcoming addictions	Air	Mercury	Virgo	Dark blue
Peace, cooperation	Air	Uranus	Aquarius	Mixed colors
Peace, tolerance	Water	Neptune	Pisces	Purple, aqua
Planting crops	Water	Any planet	Any sign	Any color
Planting flowers	Air	Venus	Libra	Pink
Power	Water	Mars/Pluto	Scorpio	Dark red, black
Promotions	Fire	Jupiter	Sagittarius	Sky blue, brown
Prophecy	Fire	Jupiter	Sagittarius	Sky blue, brown
Protection, providence	Fire	Sun	Leo	Gold
Protection	Earth	Saturn	Capricorn	Black
Psychism	Water	Neptune	Pisces	Purple, aqua
Purification	Water	Mars/Pluto	Scorpio	Dark red, black
Romance	Air	Venus	Libra	Pink
Sensuality	Earth	Venus	Taurus	Light green
Sexuality	Water	Mars/Pluto	Scorpio	Dark red, black
Sleep, dreaming	Water	Moon	Cancer	Milky
Sleep, dreaming	Water	Moon	Cancer	Milky
Sports, physical	Fire	Mars	Aries	Clear red
Sports, strategy	Fire	Jupiter	Sagittarius	Sky blue, brown
Travel, short trips	Air	Mercury	Gemini	Clear
Travel, long distance	Fire	Jupiter	Sagittarius	Sky blue, brown

What Gemstones Should I Wear?

This is a little like asking what clothes you should wear. The appropriate choice may depend on a number of issues. You may choose a stone that harmonizes well with your Sun sign and Chart tone and wear it all the time. You may decide to choose a selection of stones that you would wear in turn depending on your goal or need in any particular circumstance. The chart below assigns stones to astrological signs and indicates what the sign represents.

Sign	Color	Gemstones	Uses
Aries	Clear red	Ruby, carnelian, red jasper, garnet	Courage, initiating new projects, physical vitality, energy
Taurus	Light green	Aventurine, emerald	Business, money-making, growth
Gemini	Clear, light yellow	Diamond, quartz, calcite, citrine	Communication, adaptability, new ideas, adjusting to new situations
Cancer	Milky	Moonstone, pearl, shell	Imagination, sensitivity, nurturing
Leo	Gold, orange	Topaz, citrine, tigereye, orange calcite	Self-image enhancement, increased energy
Virgo	Dark blue	Lapis, sapphire, sodalite	Organization, discrimination, health systems
Libra	Pink	Zircon, light opal, rose quartz, tourmaline	Relating to others, harmony, social occasions
Scorpio	Dark red, black	Garnet, bloodstone	Sacrificing selfish desires, regeneration, transformation
Sagittarius	Sky blue, brown	Topaz, turquoise, jasper	Education, philosophy, idealism
Capricorn	Black, smoky	Smoky quartz, jet, onyx, hematite	Ambition, protection, career, tradition
Aquarius	Mixed colors	Malachite, chrysocolla, dark opal	Progressive action, revolution, humanitarianism
Pisces	Purple, aqua	Amethyst, fluorite	Intuition, compassion, meditation

• Keep your chosen gemstone within your auric field for long periods of time. You can accomplish this by carrying it in a pocket or hand or by wearing it in a ring or other ornament. You can also place appropriate stones in work area, near bed, etc.
• “Programming” a gemstone is important. You want to focus on your need, visualize yourself attaining it and then project that image of yourself into the stone. The stone will “save your programmed image” and help attract to you what you need to attain your goals.
• Periodically, or if you have had a particularly difficult day, your gemstones should be cleared of any negativity which they may have collected. Cover with salt overnight, hold under running water or in sea water for a few minutes or hold in incense smoke while visualizing the dissipation of negative energy.