collapse

* Recent Posts

Re: "Christ Is King" by SirPalomides
[Today at 04:12:49 pm]


"Christ Is King" by Altair
[Today at 01:09:34 am]


Re: Cill Shift Schedule by SunflowerP
[Yesterday at 11:04:57 pm]


Re: Stellar Bling: The Good, the Bad, the OMG! by SunflowerP
[March 21, 2024, 11:21:37 pm]


Re: Spring Has Sprung! 2024 Edition by SunflowerP
[March 21, 2024, 10:24:10 pm]

Author Topic: Looking for some stories of "first times" concerning ritual magick  (Read 3757 times)

Carla

  • Sr. Apprentice
  • ****
  • Join Date: Aug 2013
  • Posts: 59
  • Total likes: 0
    • View Profile
Today I made my first attempt at an actual ritual. I have been researching and looking at different ways of approaching rituals. I felt ready to go out and ask for the God and Goddess's blessing and guidance as I start my spiritual journey.
I felt kind of awkward but for the most part I felt things went well. I did not burn down the woods behind my house with my candle, but I am pretty sure my cat killed a mouse within earshot of my circle. I cast a circle (in a crude and basic manner but I felt I needed the creation of space that was only for this purpose) and halfway through my ritual my cat came marching in purring, tried to sniff my incense and nearly caught his tail on fire.
My takeaway from the experience was positive, though: I felt more comfortable with the idea of ritual, I made huge strides in getting over my fear of the dark, and I spent some quality time meditating on the natural order of the world and where I fit in it.

I would love to hear some anecdotes on everyone's first attempts at completing a ritual.  : )

Sobekemiti

  • Master Member
  • ******
  • Join Date: Nov 2011
  • Location: Western Australia
  • *
  • Posts: 437
  • Country: au
  • Total likes: 14
    • View Profile
    • Per Sebek - The House of Sobek
  • Religion: Kemetic Orthodox, Witch, Scribe, Hem-Netjer, Sau Apprentice
  • Preferred Pronouns: they/them
Re: Looking for some stories of "first times" concerning ritual magick
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2013, 11:18:39 pm »
Quote from: Carla;119252
Today I made my first attempt at an actual ritual. I have been researching and looking at different ways of approaching rituals. I felt ready to go out and ask for the God and Goddess's blessing and guidance as I start my spiritual journey.
I felt kind of awkward but for the most part I felt things went well. I did not burn down the woods behind my house with my candle, but I am pretty sure my cat killed a mouse within earshot of my circle. I cast a circle (in a crude and basic manner but I felt I needed the creation of space that was only for this purpose) and halfway through my ritual my cat came marching in purring, tried to sniff my incense and nearly caught his tail on fire.
My takeaway from the experience was positive, though: I felt more comfortable with the idea of ritual, I made huge strides in getting over my fear of the dark, and I spent some quality time meditating on the natural order of the world and where I fit in it.

I would love to hear some anecdotes on everyone's first attempts at completing a ritual.  : )

 
I still remember my first Wiccan ritual attempt I did when I was first starting out. I had set up in the TV room, with candles and other assorted things around, and I managed to almost set my robes on fire as I cast circle. It was only a small burn hole in the hem, but yes. Do not use candles for the quarters unless they are high up and you have more space than I did. XD

I was solitary, and learning from books, so I think the whole ritual was clunky and not very effective. I don't think I really knew what I was doing. I can't even remember what kind of ritual it was. It might've been an esbat? But yeah. I don't think anything went right during that ritual, and I didn't stick with Wicca for much more than a year before I moved on to other paganisms.
Sobekemiti | Hekatean Witch, Kemetic Orthodox Shemsu, Sobek Devotee | My pronouns are they/she

Carla

  • Sr. Apprentice
  • ****
  • Join Date: Aug 2013
  • Posts: 59
  • Total likes: 0
    • View Profile
Re: Looking for some stories of "first times" concerning ritual magick
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2013, 08:10:58 pm »
Quote from: cymrudraco;119254
I still remember my first Wiccan ritual attempt I did when I was first starting out. I had set up in the TV room, with candles and other assorted things around, and I managed to almost set my robes on fire as I cast circle. It was only a small burn hole in the hem, but yes. Do not use candles for the quarters unless they are high up and you have more space than I did. XD

I was solitary, and learning from books, so I think the whole ritual was clunky and not very effective. I don't think I really knew what I was doing. I can't even remember what kind of ritual it was. It might've been an esbat? But yeah. I don't think anything went right during that ritual, and I didn't stick with Wicca for much more than a year before I moved on to other paganisms.

 

Sounds like quite the experience! The more I read about different types of paganism the more I think hedgewitchery is for me rather than anything as ceremonial as Wicca. Too much room for serious injury. :)

Sobekemiti

  • Master Member
  • ******
  • Join Date: Nov 2011
  • Location: Western Australia
  • *
  • Posts: 437
  • Country: au
  • Total likes: 14
    • View Profile
    • Per Sebek - The House of Sobek
  • Religion: Kemetic Orthodox, Witch, Scribe, Hem-Netjer, Sau Apprentice
  • Preferred Pronouns: they/them
Re: Looking for some stories of "first times" concerning ritual magick
« Reply #3 on: August 19, 2013, 11:37:11 pm »
Quote from: Carla;119334
Sounds like quite the experience! The more I read about different types of paganism the more I think hedgewitchery is for me rather than anything as ceremonial as Wicca. Too much room for serious injury. :)


Yeah, Wicca's ritual structure didn't work for me, but there are plenty of other pagan paths to choose from. I've looked into hedge witchcraft a little. It's an interesting path, though not for me. I'm more drawn to folk magic.
Sobekemiti | Hekatean Witch, Kemetic Orthodox Shemsu, Sobek Devotee | My pronouns are they/she

Carla

  • Sr. Apprentice
  • ****
  • Join Date: Aug 2013
  • Posts: 59
  • Total likes: 0
    • View Profile
Re: Looking for some stories of "first times" concerning ritual magick
« Reply #4 on: August 20, 2013, 12:20:46 am »
Quote from: cymrudraco;119354
Yeah, Wicca's ritual structure didn't work for me, but there are plenty of other pagan paths to choose from. I've looked into hedge witchcraft a little. It's an interesting path, though not for me. I'm more drawn to folk magic.


My understanding (and keep in mind I am an extreme newbie) is that what hedge/kitchen/hearth witches use is basically folk magic? I get terminology mixed up sometimes, but aren't homeopathy, herbology (is that a word?), and the like just fancy terms for what comprises "folk magic"?

Sobekemiti

  • Master Member
  • ******
  • Join Date: Nov 2011
  • Location: Western Australia
  • *
  • Posts: 437
  • Country: au
  • Total likes: 14
    • View Profile
    • Per Sebek - The House of Sobek
  • Religion: Kemetic Orthodox, Witch, Scribe, Hem-Netjer, Sau Apprentice
  • Preferred Pronouns: they/them
Re: Looking for some stories of "first times" concerning ritual magick
« Reply #5 on: August 20, 2013, 12:47:15 am »
Quote from: Carla;119356
My understanding (and keep in mind I am an extreme newbie) is that what hedge/kitchen/hearth witches use is basically folk magic? I get terminology mixed up sometimes, but aren't homeopathy, herbology (is that a word?), and the like just fancy terms for what comprises "folk magic"?


Well, hedge witchcraft as a term tends to refer to two different types of practice. It's another name for green/kitchen/hearth witchcraft, yes, and it's also a term for witchcraft based around hedge-riding and spirit work. Folk magic can be used in either path, but it's not essential to what hedgecraft is. I wouldn't call homeopathy folk magic, though.

Folk magic, as I understand it, comprises of magic and spells based on the old traditions from various cultures, particularly European ones. It's a form of low magic, and it can be practised with or without religion attached. I like it because it's practical and doesn't require me to do energy work in order to cast magic, which I am terrible at. You do ritual and magic for long enough, and you do tend to figure out what works for you. Though, thirteen years on, I still spill wax on my shrine cloths and occasionally attempt to set things on fire, so. Even an experienced practitioner can still do ritual wrong.
Sobekemiti | Hekatean Witch, Kemetic Orthodox Shemsu, Sobek Devotee | My pronouns are they/she

Aeronis

  • Apprentice
  • ***
  • Join Date: Aug 2013
  • Posts: 48
  • Total likes: 0
    • View Profile
Re: Looking for some stories of "first times" concerning ritual magick
« Reply #6 on: August 27, 2013, 01:06:50 pm »
Quote from: Carla;119334
Sounds like quite the experience! The more I read about different types of paganism the more I think hedgewitchery is for me rather than anything as ceremonial as Wicca. Too much room for serious injury. :)

 
My first ritual was like, me lighting a candle and doing a protection chant. XD
It was so clumsy and I kept a glass of water outside the circle the entire time- just in case.

I later found out that I liked prayer and meditation, charms and folk magic, SO much more than ritual magic. :D

Laveth

  • Sr. Master Member
  • *******
  • Join Date: Aug 2012
  • Posts: 885
  • Total likes: 1
    • View Profile
Re: Looking for some stories of "first times" concerning ritual magick
« Reply #7 on: August 27, 2013, 02:08:13 pm »
Quote from: Carla;119252
Today I made my first attempt at an actual ritual. I have been researching and looking at different ways of approaching rituals. I felt ready to go out and ask for the God and Goddess's blessing and guidance as I start my spiritual journey.
I felt kind of awkward but for the most part I felt things went well. I did not burn down the woods behind my house with my candle, but I am pretty sure my cat killed a mouse within earshot of my circle. I cast a circle (in a crude and basic manner but I felt I needed the creation of space that was only for this purpose) and halfway through my ritual my cat came marching in purring, tried to sniff my incense and nearly caught his tail on fire.
My takeaway from the experience was positive, though: I felt more comfortable with the idea of ritual, I made huge strides in getting over my fear of the dark, and I spent some quality time meditating on the natural order of the world and where I fit in it.

I would love to hear some anecdotes on everyone's first attempts at completing a ritual.  : )

 
I'm going to be somewhat unhelpful, but for the sake of conversation...

I actually have read a fair bit on ritual casting/spellwork/what-have-you and I really just kept getting the same consistent impression: to be any good at it, you have to be able to memorize and recite the entire thing by memory. I would never be able to do that, I have a great memory for some things but when it comes to rigid structure... not so much. I would constantly be second-guessing myself and looking back at notes just to get through the whole thing, even if it was a short, minor ritual.

So I tend to do the impromptu folk/low magic in my workings.

I think for a lot of people though, the ritual is important. It brings the ceremonial and sacred aspect into the picture that can change your perspective and perceptions in a way to bring about the results you want. So, if you felt that it really helped you, I would take that as a good sign to keep at it. :)

Solstice

  • Apprentice
  • ***
  • Join Date: Aug 2013
  • Posts: 33
  • Total likes: 0
    • View Profile
Re: Looking for some stories of "first times" concerning ritual magick
« Reply #8 on: August 27, 2013, 06:11:40 pm »
Quote from: Laveth;120260
I have a great memory for some things but when it comes to rigid structure... not so much. I would constantly be second-guessing myself and looking back at notes just to get through the whole thing, even if it was a short, minor ritual.

So I tend to do the impromptu folk/low magic in my workings.

 
I'm more for impromptu/unstructured magic, myself.

I tend to shy away from anything where I have to buck down and get serious, because I'm always setting myself up for failure. Then again, I don't do too many rituals. Lately, all I've really done is meditate, pray, and (try) to work with feathers. BUT, when I do set something up as a "ritual," I light a candle, put down an offering, set up a casting circle (in a very lax way), and just open my ritual with very informal requests. I never know if I'm doing it right, but it feels right to me, even if it's kind of uninspired and lazy. I don't know, maybe I'll figure it out as I go on.

Quote from: Carla
I would love to hear some anecdotes on everyone's first attempts at completing a ritual. : )


As for a first time story, my bff and then roommate is Wiccan, and we had a malignant spirit in our dorm, which was doing her harm. She decided to exorcise the spirit and invited her two friends, who were also witches, for the ritual. I volunteered to help out (I was agnostic at the time), so one evening, we all got together for the ritual. When it came time to call the quarters, each one of us picked a direction (I chose South). At my turn, I put on my most sagely voice in the hopes of sounding as serious and respectful as possible... and then I devolved into babbling. I went something like "All entities of the South, I invite you here... I mean, if you want to come. No one is forcing you but it would be nice to have you all here, helping us out. Thank you. I really appreciate it."

After the ritual (which was a success), one of the witches present was like, "you should win rookie witch of the year for that performance." I was like "did I insult anyone?" and she was all, "No, but they were all very amused."

Also during that ritual, my bff called on Epona, and since we were all linked together, she later said, "When I called Epona, somebody was thinking about Link's horse. And then Rapidash. I saw the flaming mane and everything." I was like "...-innocent whistle-"

I'm still a rookie when it comes to ritual, though (and in general). But about a year or two later, my bff and I were doing a ritual to summon Odin (she was going to horse Him). This might have been my third or fourth ritual. We set a few candles on the floor and then we cast a circle. Afterwards, she told me to light the candles. We forgot the lighter. So then she had to open the circle and I ran out to fetch the lighter. When I returned, we closed the circle again, lit the candles, and while we were underway, she told me to open the bottle of beer we purchased for Odin as an offering and pour it in the ceremonial chalice. ...We didn't have a bottle opener. Commence the two of us passing the bottle around, trying everything to wrench the cap open with our bare hands. We had to open the circle yet AGAIN to stomp around the apartment, looking for a bottle opener. I tried using a spoon, the edge of a cabinet, my hands--and then the bottle cap cut me and I started bleeding... After about 10 minutes, we finally found a bottle opener... in the drawer. But hey, at least I could say I used my blood as an offering in the ritual. ...I hope Somebody was amused. XD

All ranting aside, I do think you're on the right track, and if this path feels comfortable for you, I would say stick to it/explore it.

Carla

  • Sr. Apprentice
  • ****
  • Join Date: Aug 2013
  • Posts: 59
  • Total likes: 0
    • View Profile
Re: Looking for some stories of "first times" concerning ritual magick
« Reply #9 on: August 27, 2013, 07:35:26 pm »
Quote from: Solstice;120270
I'm more for impromptu/unstructured magic, myself.

I tend to shy away from anything where I have to buck down and get serious, because I'm always setting myself up for failure. Then again, I don't do too many rituals. Lately, all I've really done is meditate, pray, and (try) to work with feathers. BUT, when I do set something up as a "ritual," I light a candle, put down an offering, set up a casting circle (in a very lax way), and just open my ritual with very informal requests. I never know if I'm doing it right, but it feels right to me, even if it's kind of uninspired and lazy. I don't know, maybe I'll figure it out as I go on.



As for a first time story, my bff and then roommate is Wiccan, and we had a malignant spirit in our dorm, which was doing her harm. She decided to exorcise the spirit and invited her two friends, who were also witches, for the ritual. I volunteered to help out (I was agnostic at the time), so one evening, we all got together for the ritual. When it came time to call the quarters, each one of us picked a direction (I chose South). At my turn, I put on my most sagely voice in the hopes of sounding as serious and respectful as possible... and then I devolved into babbling. I went something like "All entities of the South, I invite you here... I mean, if you want to come. No one is forcing you but it would be nice to have you all here, helping us out. Thank you. I really appreciate it."

After the ritual (which was a success), one of the witches present was like, "you should win rookie witch of the year for that performance." I was like "did I insult anyone?" and she was all, "No, but they were all very amused."

Also during that ritual, my bff called on Epona, and since we were all linked together, she later said, "When I called Epona, somebody was thinking about Link's horse. And then Rapidash. I saw the flaming mane and everything." I was like "...-innocent whistle-"

I'm still a rookie when it comes to ritual, though (and in general). But about a year or two later, my bff and I were doing a ritual to summon Odin (she was going to horse Him). This might have been my third or fourth ritual. We set a few candles on the floor and then we cast a circle. Afterwards, she told me to light the candles. We forgot the lighter. So then she had to open the circle and I ran out to fetch the lighter. When I returned, we closed the circle again, lit the candles, and while we were underway, she told me to open the bottle of beer we purchased for Odin as an offering and pour it in the ceremonial chalice. ...We didn't have a bottle opener. Commence the two of us passing the bottle around, trying everything to wrench the cap open with our bare hands. We had to open the circle yet AGAIN to stomp around the apartment, looking for a bottle opener. I tried using a spoon, the edge of a cabinet, my hands--and then the bottle cap cut me and I started bleeding... After about 10 minutes, we finally found a bottle opener... in the drawer. But hey, at least I could say I used my blood as an offering in the ritual. ...I hope Somebody was amused. XD

All ranting aside, I do think you're on the right track, and if this path feels comfortable for you, I would say stick to it/explore it.

 
I hope you don't take any offense to this, but I actually cried laughing as I read this. The Rapidash thing was too much. It sounds like the kind of mind wandering that I do when trying to be serious. For some reason when I WANT to be serious I get extra silly in my head.  :D:

Solstice

  • Apprentice
  • ***
  • Join Date: Aug 2013
  • Posts: 33
  • Total likes: 0
    • View Profile
Re: Looking for some stories of "first times" concerning ritual magick
« Reply #10 on: August 27, 2013, 08:15:05 pm »
Quote from: Carla;120273
I hope you don't take any offense to this, but I actually cried laughing as I read this. The Rapidash thing was too much. It sounds like the kind of mind wandering that I do when trying to be serious. For some reason when I WANT to be serious I get extra silly in my head.  :D:

 
Oh no, I'm not offended at all. It's meant to be humorous. XD But I'm exactly the same way. When I try to get serious, I either become incredibly awkward and rant, or I start cracking jokes. Then I start telling myself to find a calm center and stop trying so hard, and then I'll just say absolutely nothing and stand there with my mouth agape, wondering what to do next. I mean, I guess it's not bad if the deities/spirits you're working with have a sense of humor, which is why I tend to veer towards those who have been noted for their sense of humor/tolerance towards newbies. But I do wonder what Epona thought over the Rapidash reference, haha.

Sophia C

  • Adept Member
  • ********
  • Join Date: Aug 2012
  • Location: London, UK
  • *
  • Posts: 2041
  • Country: gb
  • Total likes: 81
    • View Profile
    • http://leithincluan.wordpress.com/
  • Religion: Druid, Celtic/contemplative Christian, Gaelic-ish polytheist, on a Mystic path
  • Preferred Pronouns: They/them
Re: Looking for some stories of "first times" concerning ritual magick
« Reply #11 on: August 28, 2013, 02:45:49 am »
Quote from: Solstice;120270
As for a first time story, my bff and then roommate is Wiccan, and we had a malignant spirit in our dorm, which was doing her harm. She decided to exorcise the spirit and invited her two friends, who were also witches, for the ritual. I volunteered to help out (I was agnostic at the time), so one evening, we all got together for the ritual. When it came time to call the quarters, each one of us picked a direction (I chose South). At my turn, I put on my most sagely voice in the hopes of sounding as serious and respectful as possible... and then I devolved into babbling. I went something like "All entities of the South, I invite you here... I mean, if you want to come. No one is forcing you but it would be nice to have you all here, helping us out. Thank you. I really appreciate it."

After the ritual (which was a success), one of the witches present was like, "you should win rookie witch of the year for that performance." I was like "did I insult anyone?" and she was all, "No, but they were all very amused."

 
How incredibly rude. Where did they think beginners learnt anything? I'd have been deeply insulted, myself - at them, not you.
"We're all stories, in the end. Make it a good one, eh?"
- Doctor Who

Solstice

  • Apprentice
  • ***
  • Join Date: Aug 2013
  • Posts: 33
  • Total likes: 0
    • View Profile
Re: Looking for some stories of "first times" concerning ritual magick
« Reply #12 on: August 28, 2013, 10:58:38 pm »
Quote from: Naomi J;120289
How incredibly rude. Where did they think beginners learnt anything? I'd have been deeply insulted, myself - at them, not you.

 
Insulted by the witch's remark or the spirits/beings of the South? Haha, I don't know, I'm used to people being amused by my antics and I usually rely on comedy/self-deprecating humor to get by, so at the time I was just relieved that I didn't overstep any boundaries there. XD

MadZealot

  • Adept Member
  • ********
  • Join Date: Nov 2011
  • Location: So Cal
  • Posts: 2594
  • Country: us
  • Total likes: 339
  • Eye yam tu papi.
    • View Profile
  • Religion: Founder of the Church of No Pants.
Re: Looking for some stories of "first times" concerning ritual magick
« Reply #13 on: August 29, 2013, 11:41:35 pm »
Quote from: Lauren L.;120256
My first ritual was like, me lighting a candle and doing a protection chant. XD


One of my earliest was an attempt to consecrate an athame.  
Basically I went to a park at 9 pm on a full moon night, stood on a concrete park table, and showed my knife to the moon.
I'm sure I said something dumbassedly profound, like, "Look, Moon, this is my knife."
In this town it's a wonder I didn't get stabbed or arrested.
You have my sword
And my shield
And my... um... slacks.

Thebes

  • Sr. Newbie
  • **
  • Join Date: Aug 2013
  • Posts: 15
  • Total likes: 0
    • View Profile
Re: Looking for some stories of "first times" concerning ritual magick
« Reply #14 on: September 01, 2013, 08:36:40 am »
Quote from: Carla;119252
I cast a circle (in a crude and basic manner but I felt I needed the creation of space that was only for this purpose) and halfway through my ritual my cat came marching in purring, tried to sniff my incense and nearly caught his tail on fire.
My takeaway from the experience was positive, though: I felt more comfortable with the idea of ritual, I made huge strides in getting over my fear of the dark, and I spent some quality time meditating on the natural order of the world and where I fit in it.

I would love to hear some anecdotes on everyone's first attempts at completing a ritual.  : )


The first circles I cast, some 20 years ago, were based upon a Golden Dawn text which provided very little background or training. I did manage to cast cerimonial magick circles and indeed did so daily for a few months and got a decent handle upon the concept of creating sacred space.

I never found that particular path offered much for me, but it did teach me to cast a circle. Later I found various Wiccan books which added a better religious framework for me on top of the idea of casting a circle as a basic structure of ritual.

I've been in dozens of rituals where the circle was "broken" by something and it seems to me that so long as the intent is clear then the circle still works fine. Sometimes someone has temporarily "cut" a hole in the circle for something to move in or out. Most people I've been with during circles where a cat crossed over feel that cats can cross over a circle without breaking it as cats walk between the worlds all of the time anyhow.

Tags:
 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
4 Replies
1362 Views
Last post October 07, 2012, 08:38:11 am
by Waldhexe
18 Replies
2988 Views
Last post September 25, 2013, 08:16:46 pm
by Katia
5 Replies
1399 Views
Last post October 28, 2013, 05:12:18 pm
by HeartShadow
34 Replies
5915 Views
Last post March 25, 2014, 03:24:05 pm
by Adnarim
3 Replies
2862 Views
Last post December 30, 2015, 08:55:11 pm
by Astani

Beginner Area

Warning: You are currently in a Beginner Friendly area of the message board.

* Who's Online

  • Dot Guests: 192
  • Dot Hidden: 0
  • Dot Users: 0

There aren't any users online.

* Please Donate!

The Cauldron's server is expensive and requires monthly payments. Please become a Bronze, Silver or Gold Donor if you can. Donations are needed every month. Without member support, we can't afford the server.

* Shop & Support TC

The links below are affiliate links. When you click on one of these links you will go to the listed shopping site with The Cauldron's affiliate code. Any purchases you make during your visit will earn TC a tiny percentage of your purchase price at no extra cost to you.

* In Memoriam

Chavi (2006)
Elspeth (2010)
Marilyn (2013)

* Cauldron Staff

Host:
Sunflower

Message Board Staff
Board Coordinator:
Darkhawk

Assistant Board Coordinator:
Aster Breo

Senior Staff:
Aisling, Allaya, Jenett, Sefiru

Staff:
Ashmire, EclecticWheel, HarpingHawke, Kylara, PerditaPickle, rocquelaire

Discord Chat Staff
Chat Coordinator:
Morag

'Up All Night' Coordinator:
Altair

Cauldron Council:
Bob, Catja, Chatelaine, Emma-Eldritch, Fausta, Jubes, Kelly, LyricFox, Phouka, Sperran, Star, Steve, Tana

Site Administrator:
Randall

SimplePortal 2.3.6 © 2008-2014, SimplePortal