Home
>
Spirituality
>
The Power of Ritual

The Power of Ritual

As humans, we are the species that operate with symbols. Other animals use familiar signs, landmarks and gestures given by us, or act purely on instinct. Like humans, they too have rituals of gathering food, procreation and even death rituals. Our normal day-to-day rituals include a shower, combing our hair, brushing teeth and preparing for work.

Early in the morning, take ten deep breaths in appreciation for awakening on a brand new day, under a brand new sky with opportunities to start again with a different attitude-one of gratitude. Every action that you perform in ritual has a deep meaning and impact. Although you may not perceive it on the physical level, it does have astral power. There are many unseen forces, whether earthbound or angelic, participating with you upon invitation and invocation. They are there, always watching and participating when the intention is right. I always call on the forces or angels of Earth, Air, Fire and Water.

The subconscious mind understands and accepts symbols and ritual as very real and will mirror that reality on the physical level in your experience. The purpose of ritual is to strike a balance in spiritual attainment-whether psychic development or achievement of Christ or Cosmic Consciousness. Only you can achieve and master perfection of your spiritual goals. Prayer, chanting, meditation and ritual are ultimately performed to achieve unity with the Divine.

For true spiritual growth, practice is the key and so is persistence. If you are a Christian this week and Wiccan next week, then "Houston, we have a problem." Why? Because rituals and symbols fueled with action and belief must be consistent for them to be actualized.

If you read the sacred text of the Bible, you find that Jesus declared often, "Be it done unto you according to your faith." What a tremendous example of Divine conduct, discipline and unconditional love Jesus was, through his use of rituals, symbols and prayer. When ritual and symbols became too theological and extreme, he rejected the priests of the day and placed importance instead on right action-the ultimate ritual. Unfortunately, many well-meaning "religious" folk in traditional faiths have become spiritually shipwrecked by one-sided "my way only" belief systems.

Prayer is a ritual and "link" to the Divine. Buddha, too, rejected fussy, intensely cerebral ritual of the Hindus during his time, replacing them with his EIGHT-FOLD PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT:

1. Right View
2. Right Aim
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Thought
8. Right Contemplation

Find the religion and ritual you feel the greatest comfort with. Don't judge yourself. God knows who you are and will assist you in your search. No religion works for personal growth unless right action is intended. You cannot love God and hate your neighbor. Divided kingdoms do not last. You cannot hate the sinner and love the sin or judge anyone. Unconditional love is the key.

In my studies of Wicca, or "Craft" of the wise, I found that it is an amazing belief system, which out of reverential respect for nature's beauty, consistency, and color-in the sunshine, moon, storms, stars and rivers-evolved into the varying aspects of God (gods), or Divine aspects of God. There could not have been God without Goddess, or the Great Mother. Many of the great religions on earth have been greatly influenced by Wicca, including Christianity. For example, there is a statement in the Bible which stipulates "As Above, So Below." That is an ancient Wiccan saying. I saw a bumper sticker and repeated it to several Wiccan clients which reads, "Christianity has Pagan DNA." Wicca is a peaceful religion that respects life and nature. Anything that does not promote peace, balance, love and respect for all sentient beings and one's self is not a good practice to be in.

Ritual is necessary to awaken deeper levels of your own consciousness. You use everything-sense, sights, chants, fragrances or any number of cues that you evoke to deepen your own awareness and contact your levels of knowing to make change occur in yourself and your world. Rituals are not mere mindless exercises to effect change. You must be consciously aware and disciplined for change to occur. There is a thin veil or membrane between physical life as we know it and spiritual reality.

It should be our mutual goal that despite our differences and affiliations, we should provide combined, positive sources of spiritual energy and inspiration to renew our lives on the planet for everyone in spite of our differences. From the esoteric perspective, ritual is designed to successfully impact spiritual growth, understanding and commitment to God while in your body on the planet. Ritual is to remind you of your integral part in the mysterious continuum of life which is much larger than this reality. Your organic self-observation of who you are permits you to participate in ritual only on that level. However, you will bridge and accelerate reality on the astral plane, with practice, to eliminate the barrier or restrictive falseness between yourself and what we call God. God loves you whether the ritual is a simple prayer or an advanced exercise in magick or Wicca. It is your intent. As a human, it is difficult to achieve mastery in every part of your life. But please master the daily ritual of a thankful heart, a loving smile, a greeting to a neighbor and a song to the Universe.

Ritual brings us into alignment with the power of God-the ultimate awareness. Once alignment is attained, there is a breakthrough of understanding on all levels and you will evoke material transformation in your character. We all have that ability and are linked on the Pathway of Energy to who God is, whether through salvation, mediumship, meditation or telepathy-it is up to you to find it, and you will.

From the book, The Awakening: Conquering the Sleeping Giant Within by Reginald G. Johnson, Ph.D., a practitioner in past life therapy, spiritual psychotherapy, and soul coaching. He is a teacher, lecturer and speaker who has appeared in print, on radio and is the host of an anticipated national television show dealing with spiritual transformation from several different viewpoints. For private sessions with Reggie, call toll free (866) 711-8324.

non-toxic cleaning company Winnetka ..

In The News:

Researchers are now showing us that old smartphones as data centers could be the next big thing in sustainable tech.

Scientists have created micro-robots for sinus infection treatment that can enter the nasal cavity, eliminate bacteria directly at the source, and exit without harming surrounding tissue.

Let's examine how your data is collected in everyday life, who is buying and selling it, what happens to it afterward, and, most importantly, what you can do to protect yourself.

Researchers at the University of Sheffield in the U.K. developed small robots called "Pipebots" that can travel inside water pipes to find and potentially repair leaks, all without any excavation.

A groundbreaking new study has uncovered disturbing AI blackmail behavior that many people are unaware of yet.

Four teams of autonomous humanoid robots competed in China's first AI soccer tournament, demonstrating advanced capabilities in ball detection and independent decision-making.

The ID. Buzz autonomous van features self-driving technology with 13 cameras, nine LiDAR units and five radars after Volkswagen partnered with Hamburg and Uber for 2026 deployments.

Social Security phishing scams use urgency and impersonation to steal personal data. Learn how to spot fake SSA emails and implement 10 protective measures.

French startup Pazzi Robotics created an AI-powered pizza robot that made pies in under five minutes without human help, but it closed in 2022 despite patents and expert partnerships.

Reclaim your time from big tech with effective screen time reduction strategies for iPhone and Android, featuring steps to limit app usage and create phone-free zones.

Amazon Prime Day shoppers face threats from 120,000-plus scam websites as cybercriminals prepare phishing traps and malware ahead of the July sales event.

Fox News' AI Newsletter brings you the latest on this rapidly evolving technology.

The AEON humanoid robot tackles labor challenges with Nvidia AI, Microsoft Azure cloud and advanced spatial awareness, working alongside industry leaders Schaeffler and Pilatus.

Google's Ask Photos feature brings AI-powered searches to your photo library, letting you find memories with natural language queries while maintaining privacy controls.

The return of blue book exams emerges as universities fight widespread AI academic dishonesty and educators debate whether to ban AI tools or teach responsible usage.

Signs your phone might be hacked include strange behavior, unauthorized texts, battery drain and pop-ups, while protection involves updating software and avoiding public Wi-Fi.

Tokyo startup H2L has launched Capsule Interface technology enabling full-body robot control with muscle sensors, offering immersive remote operation.

The A.I. industry seems set for growing pains as Big Tech companies scramble for solutions to the medium's unprecedented strain on the power grid.

Fourth of July fireworks cause a 60% spike in lost pets, but GPS trackers and AI photo-matching services like Love Lost can help reunite missing dogs with their families.

Protect yourself from jugging, the rising crime by which thieves monitor ATM users and follow them to steal cash, with six practical safety tips to stay alert and secure.

U.S. airlines like Delta, American and United are selling your domestic flight records to government agencies through the little-known Travel Intelligence Program.

Autonomous robots from Uber Eats are rolling out across U.S. cities, featuring LIDAR sensors, secure compartments and all-weather operation for food and grocery delivery.

Costco has expanded into EV infrastructure with new ultra-fast charging stations that can charge most electric vehicles to 80% in 20-60 minutes while shoppers browse the warehouse.

The new Gemini Robotics On-Device AI allows robots to perform complex tasks without internet, offering enhanced privacy, reliability and adaptability for real-world use.

Protect yourself from Amazon phishing scams by spotting red flags like suspicious sender addresses and spelling errors while using Amazon's Message Center to verify communications.

The Power of Ritual

Spirituality