What is a Ritual?Â
The word ritual feels kinda scary, doesn't it? Does it feel like you are joining a cult? I promise I am not indoctrinating you into anything. According to Cambridge Dictionary, ritual is: "a way of doing something in which the same actions are done in the same way every time". You may not realize it but you likely employ many rituals throughout your day. Maybe you have a coffee ritual, a supper ritual, or a shower ritual. A way you like to do things that make sense for you and offer some ease in your day.Â
For example, the following is my morning ritual:Â Â Â
- Bathroom and Teeth brushing.
- Prepare my coffee grounds.
- Put one of my two favourite cups in my Keurig.
- Set a 12-ounce coffee to brew.
- Go to my bedroom and weigh myself.
- Fill my water bottle with ice and water.
- Take my vitamins with a big drink of water.
- Collect my coffee.
- Go to my office.Â
- Feed my fish, Lancelot.
- Grab my Gratitude Journal and Pencil.Â
- Take my first sip of coffee and begin writing.Â
Why this order every day? Because it keeps me on track and it all flows well. It helps me do things I otherwise might forget. Change one part of this routine and my day might go sideways. To be fair, these are not overly intentional rituals, so much as they are habitual rituals. What I am asking of you today, is to be more intentional.Â
What Do You Mean by "More Intentional?"Â
I am a big believer in the concept that where you focus is where your energy goes. That means it's important to be aware of where you are focusing your attention and, possibly even more important, where you aren't focusing your attention. Take a minute and think about where you spend the most time focusing. Is it your work? Hobbies? Meals? Fitness? Kids? Social Media? Are you starting to see where I am going with this? When I ask you to be more intentional, I am asking that you decide where your energy deserves to be focused.Â
So You Want Me To Focus On Creativity?
Essentially, yes. But it goes deeper than that. In what area of your life would you like to see more creativity? What are you willing to commit toward that creativity? Spend some time thinking about this. This is your creative life after all. The power rests in your hands.Â
Why The Full Moon?
The Moon cycles are incredibly important to me for various reasons. The most important is that the phases remind me that everything has an ebb and a flow. Everything completes a loop and comes back around again. That we will always experience new opportunities, new challenges, new peaks, and new valleys. It's part of what makes life so magical.Â
The Full Moon, in particular, is a time to count our blessings. To recognize that our cup is full and celebrate the gifts we've received. It is also a time when people experience a "lunacy" of sorts and it seems like the world goes a little crazy. What better time to tap into our creativity than when we are feeling a little mad? "We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad." Why not have a little fun with it?Â
OK. How Does This Work?Â
First things first, this is YOUR ritual, so only do what feels right for you. Anything I write here is a suggestion. Only you know what feels good.Â
- Count your blessings.
I like to write this out on a torn piece of paper. Write it on anything you want. Write as much as you want. But spend some time with each of them. Feeling how grateful you are for each. - Set an intention.
Decide where you are going to focus your creative energy for this cycle. For example, "I am going to focus my creative energy on creating four images that speak to my core values and I'm going to invest four hours each week on this project."Â - Write this down on your paper or on a separate piece of paper.Â
- Gather a source of flame, and if needed, water or a fire-proof container.Â
- Take everything outside under the Full Moon.Â
- Spend a few minutes contemplating your intention.
Visualize achieving the goal. Imagine how it would feel to accomplish it. - Offer a prayer or a wish.
Maybe you pray to God, or another deity such as Artemis, or maybe you simply wish on the Moon. Again, this is whatever feels comfortable to you. - Set your paper(s) alight and send them out into the Universe.
Please be fire safe. Safety is always first. Consider the wind condition, dry conditions, and how likely it is that you may inadvertently start a serious fire. Use a fire-safe container in a sheltered place, if necessary, and be prepared with water to put it out. - At the end of the cycle, assess how well you met your intention.
If you met it, pat yourself on the back! Wonderful job achieving your goal! If you didn't, well the next Moon Cycle is always an opportunity to try again. I recently read in The Genius Zone by Gay Hendricks that committing is important, but re-committing might be even more important on the path to reaching our goals.Â
Adopt Your Own Creativity Rituals
This is just one possible way to commit to your creativity among infinite possibilities. Do you already have your own creativity rituals? I'd love to hear them!
If you enjoyed this ritual, you might enjoy crafting other creativity rituals into your life. Doing so only helps your creativity in the long run!
P.S. This Full Moon is also known as Pink Moon for the lovely carpets of pink flowers that begin to appear in some areas of the world at this time. I like to think those little flowers are telling us to spread our love widely. Happy Full Moon!