The Best Ritual

The best ritual is the one lived outside the Lodge.

First, I guess we should define what a ritual is. The dictionary defines it as a noun.

The established form for a ceremony. While the term “ritual” may be a noun, it is anything but. The act of ritual is very much a verb, an action.

Ritual, and I am talking about dedication and initiation rituals, are designed to teach and show a part of a “hidden truth.”  Since rituals are done with symbols and actions and the mind speaks in this language. Trust me it does. The letters you are reading are symbols, strung together to make words or other symbols that your mind is interpreting so you can understand. Someone who cannot read or speak English may not view or read it the same once translated. But they will be able to get close. There are some good translation apps out there.

The goal of ritual, as mentioned, is to bring about an inner change. To alter your mindset or worldview. Not just about a group, be it your church, spiritual order, Lodge, etc. But about how you see the world as a whole.

But maybe that thought and statement were a bit off. Why Brother Marshall? That is the point, right? Well, maybe the whole point if ritual is not how you see the outside world, but the inside. How do you view yourself? You are, after all, the Microcosm of the Macrocosm. The Universe in miniature.

Now, the key point to all of this is how do you take and show that newfound knowledge (it’s not wisdom yet) to the rest of the world? Ritual cannot reside inside. It is a seed that, when planted, germinates and takes root in time. That root can be positive or negative, depending on the soil it is planted in. But food or weed, it will grow, based on how it is tended.

That seed and intent will change you one way or another. As stated, you are a smaller version of the whole. While the whole may be greater than the sum of its parts, it is still made up of those parts.

So, Craftsman, how has your ritual changed you? How has it changed the way you see yourself, and in turn, the world around you? Now, how are you going to adapt that change to impact your world? Because you will, one way or another.

 

I love you, and may we govern ourselves accordingly