How to make ritual part of your regular routine

In my previous post, I shared some thoughts in regards to whether you need a specific ritual or not to enhance your tarot readings.

You can read it here in case you missed it. But to sum up my POV, I don’t feel that ritual is necessary to perform an effective tarot reading.

That’s because I believe that reading is a skill that we develop with time, practice, and experience.

“But what about ritual for your day-to-day life?” Some readers have asked me. “I love the idea of having a little bit of magic happening throughout my day, but don’t necessarily feel the need to incorporate it into any of my tarot work.”

Same here.

I can’t assume to know all that will work for each person out there, but I can share a little bit about what works for me when it comes to weaving magic into my life.

First, I connect to devotion.

I wasn’t raised in a religious household, but had friends who were. There have been times in my life when I felt jealous towards the routines and community they shared by doing like thing like going to church, observing certain holy days, or living in accordance to holy books.

While I never felt I would fit some of the rules or regulations of more traditional religions, I’ve felt envious of the immersion some of them seem to offer.

After reflecting on what it was I felt drawn to from the outside looking in, I realized it was devotion. I love the idea of being in communion with something greater than myself. Call it God, Goddess, Spirit, the Universe, the Earth – whatever terms you put on it, a part of me craves the opportunity to surrender a part of myself to a greater power.

And so I find ways to show my devotion independently of any organized path.

I can do this by committing to my own holy days.

I can do this by leaving offerings to any deities or spirits I choose to work with.

I can do this by keeping my altar space tidy and active.

I can do this by maintaining a relationship with the land I walk.

I can do this by deciding to be devoted to a spiritual life, whatever that may look like for me.

Second, I focus on small things.

I think when people hear words like “ritual,” it can bring up ideas of complex ceremonies. But a ritual is also routine: Something that becomes part of your schedule is a ritual.

For me, that’s making a fresh cup of tea or coffee each morning to place on my ancestor altar. I assume my ancestors might get thirsty, and they seem to appreciate a hot beverage. This is such a simple thing for me to do. I already make a coffee for myself every morning, and I’m so used to it now I do it automatically.

I also take a moment in the morning to review my bigger life’s goals. The things I’m working on long-term. Then I set an intention to do at least one thing that supports those goals for the day.

Connecting to what makes my life purposeful is like making a daily promise to myself to follow through on my intentions and live the life I intend to experience.

It also prevents me from being reactive or impulsive when distractions creep up, as they tend to throughout the day.

Finally, I think about what I’m going to wear and how I want to look for the day ahead. Wearing certain pieces of clothing, jewelry, or pop of lipstick all help me connect to a certain type of energy for the day ahead, and allow me to match the type of day I aim to have.

Those are just a few of the ways I weave ritual and magic into my life, bit by bit.

As I’ve said before, I don’t believe these things should feel like a chore, or become so time-consuming that they cause stress.

Your life can be any kind of spell you want it to be.

Your path, your choice.

Until next time,

Liz xo

p.s. Want to feel more connected to your tarot practice through a simple, guided meditation? I've got one for you right here.