Personal rituals are powerful for drawing us quickly and deeply into sacred space. They invite us to use clear intention with our senses, movements, feelings, visualization and focus to create meaning and purpose. Draw from and combine the ideas below to create your own meaningful rituals and sacred space. You may choose to set up an altar with some of your favourite things and symbols. This isn’t necessary, however. Rituals can be held anywhere and at any time.

Apply personal rituals throughout the day. It’s especially easy to build rituals at key points such as on awakening, starting the workday, ending the workday and before sleep at night.

• affirmations
• appreciation
• archetype symbols or representations
• aromas like incense, aroma therapy oils or scented candles
• artwork, a meaningful picture or drawing
• awareness, openness, acceptance, mindfulness, observing
• balanced symbols for the male and female energies
• bathing, showering and washing hands for cleanliness, balance, clearing, centering
• bell, gong, chimes
• blessing of food
• board or stick for breaking to represent letting go
• book or notes representing your specific learning
• breathing
• burning a release letter as a symbol of letting go
• candle burning to acknowledge and spread the light
• cards – tarot, divination, oracles, angel, medicine
• colours and their meanings
• create a collage of the essence of your desires
• creating space by cleaning or tidying an area
• crystals, gems, stones
• dance or simple movements
• dowsing with a pendulum
• dreams
• dressing – in unique clothes, or shawl or sash
• eating with mindfulness, presence, awareness
• expression of gratitude when paying for anything
• feeling or creating energy
• focus on having a balanced etheric vital energy body
• greetings: saying hello or waving good-bye as you affirm your positive intentions for others
• grooming rituals like shaving, applying makeup, brushing teeth, combing hair
• hand gestures
• hand washing
• idea representations
• items that represent the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms
• items that represent the four directions from Aboriginal teachings (north, south, east, west)
• items that represent the four elements: earth, air, water, fire * journal writing, your journal and all it represents
• keepsakes
• lighting a candle
• looking out a window for big ideas, clarity, openness
• magnetize your personal environment
• mantras
• meditation
• money - receiving, paying debts, tithing
• mudras – hand and finger positions
• music
• numbers and their meanings
• opening a book
• personal creed or prayer that you create for yourself
• picking up a pencil or pen or symbol
• picture of your master, guru, you, loved ones or a favourite scene
• plants and flowers
• poetry
• posture: legs, arms, fingers, kneeling, bowing, sitting, yoga positions
• prayer for safe journey when embarking on an errand or trip
• prayers, blessings, vows
• random act of kindness
• reading of sacred verses or your own creed
• repetition of actions, speaking or intentions
• reviewing your ‘to do’ list – set an intention that your activities will be quick, easy, efficient, effective and beautiful
• runes
• sacred book of blessings, pictures, prayers, poems, inspiration … anything
• singing or humming
• smudging to cleanse and purify
• something to represent beauty
• something to represent the mineral (gem), vegetable (plant) and animal (feather)
• standing up to engage the day and attract what you need
• stretches and exercises
• symbols
• talisman, charm, amulet
• times of the season, moon cycles, solstice, equinox, holidays
• visions for visualization
• walking – connecting to nature or grounding into the earth
• water – impress your intentions into water (the most impressionable and absorbing medium) and drink it
• yoga or Tai Chi