A ritual in Wiccan religion simply means a ceremony that you design to create the most positive energy for yourself. Rituals prepare us spiritually and physically to be in the moment and makes the moment sacred. There is no one right way to do this. Here is how I usually do my rituals.

First I find the strongest time of the day, week, month to do my spell. Although I may not be able to start at exactly the minute that is most positive towards what outcome I am hoping for, I know that Thursday at dawn for example, is my time to start. It may be 15 minutes after true dawn but I am feeling the power of dawn and the rightness of setting aside this time for my needs.

Once I know when I will be practicing, I also find out where. In the winter months I use my altar in the office. When it is mild enough, outside. If I am working with my children, we talk about what sort of altar we need to assemble and what every object means.

A ritual bath is next. As I slip into my cleansing part of the ritual, I feel myself becoming closer to my spirituality and my thoughts are focused.

Dressing is the next step. You can wear specific colors or just comfortable clothing. Jewelery is a personal choice, sometimes easier to obtain the right piece and again, if it makes you feel closer to the Goddess and God, then it is the right thing to wear.

The sacred space or circle is next. This space holds in personal power and keeps out distracting energy. You can use a physical thing such as a cord,a string or a row of stones to actually make the circle or you can simply visualize the space around yourself.

Invoking the elements, Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit comes next. I choose my deity carefully as there is always a connected thread from concept to closing of a ritual that keeps my thoughts in tune with my actions. The invocation also puts words to my desires. I keep it short and to the point: Why am I here and what am I hoping to focus on.

Raising energy if it is appropriate. It is not always a part of my ritual and there are times when it is not necessary. If your ritual is for celebration you may not need to perform magic. This is something that you learn with time and experience.

Grounding or Earthing is the release of any remaining energy. This is accomplished by doing something earthly, commonly eating and drinking.

As any good host would do, Thanking the Goddess and God for attending is next. Finally, Breaking the Circle is the final step for me. I visualize myself absorbing the energy that made my circle. Once I feel that has been done I pick up my cording or rocks if used, and I am finished.