5 Rituals to Try this Autumn

In case it isn’t obvious, I’m not only a psychic medium, but I’m also a fully fledged and electric gray witch. This basically means that I do magick to the beat of my own drum. One of my favorite ways to embrace the powers of magickal energy is through ritual. 

Rituals are a fantastic way to connect with your own magick, and they’re an easy way to get comfortable with magickal practices. 

Today I am sharing with you some of my favorite rituals that you can try out this autumn.

Ritual 1: Offerings to Ancestors

What you need:

• A photo of your ancestor
• An item representing the ancestor that they would love (my grandma has a rosary, my grandfather has an addiction coin for example)
• Anointing oil (optional)

The Ritual:

• Open up a circle/create sacred space in your preferred way.
• Call upon the powers of those deities, guides, or spirits that you work closely with.
• Grab the photo of your Ancestor and hold it while saying the following out loud. 
  • “Dear [Ancestor’s name], I miss you. And I am so thankful that you are on the other side watching out for me. Please accept this [item] as an offering of my love and gratitude for you.”
• Use your anointing oil to anoint and bless the item.
  • Feel the ancestral connection within your body and imagine the item receiving the power of that vibration.
  • If you don’t have anointing oil, just pause and feel this. 
• Once you are done, state the following out loud,
  • “May your memory live on through me, may you always be there to protect me, so mote it be” 
• Thank those that we called upon to join us
• Close the circle/sacred space

Now place the photograph and the item somewhere that you can see it often, maybe even an ancestor altar that you created!

Ritual 2: Blessings to those Passed

Since Autumn is the perfect time to continue to connect with those who have moved through the veil, why not send them some blessings? This ritual is fun and healing. 

What you need:

• A favorite meal of someone that passed
• Others that would like to participate

The Ritual:

• Opening up a circle/creating sacred space.
• Call upon the powers of those deities, guides, or spirits that you work closely with.
• Set the table for however many folks have joined you PLUS one before you serve any of the food, say the following
  • “[name of loved one that passed], we are here today to celebrate you. We are inviting you to share this food and this drink with us. You will always be welcomed next to us now and forever as though you have never left”
• Serve the food, eat and celebrate!
  • Talk out loud and share memories of the loved one that passed. Even include them in the conversation! The more you include them, the more welcomed they will feel.
• Once you are all done, state the following out loud,
  • “My dear loved one, thank you for joining us. May your travels on the other side be filled with blessings and may you be there to greet us when we are ready to join you. Blessed be.” 
• Thank those that we called upon to join us.
• Close the circle/sacred space.

Moving forward, anytime you feel that you are missing them, just sit down to this same or a similar meal with someone you love and share their memories.

Ritual 3: Harvest Magick

So many of us have memories of carving really messed up looking pumpkins as a child, but have you done it as an adult? If not, this next ritual is perfect for you!

Not only do you get to play with pumpkin squishy innards, but you can also manifest some seriously potent harvest magick while you tap into your inner child!

What you need:

• A pumpkin or a gourd
• Carving tools or painting tools
• Anointing oil (optional)

The Ritual:

• Opening up circle/creating sacred space
• Call upon the powers of those deities, guides, or spirits that you work closely with
• Grab your pumpkin or gourd and begin to decorate it. While you do so, begin thinking about all of the things that have come to fruition for you this year.  
  • What goals have you worked hard for?
  • What fabulous news did you hear?
  • What new thing did you learn?
  • What came into your life that you planned or DIDN’T plan?
• Use your anointing oil to anoint your newly decorated pumpkin or gourd
  • Feel the vibration of excitement within your body and imagine the decorated pumpkin or gourd receiving the power of that vibration.
  • If you don’t have anointing oil, sit with it and feel it. 
• Once you are done, state the following out loud,
  • “May my blessings in life be endless, may I continue to reap the rewards that my beautiful soul deserves, so mote it be” 
• Thank those that we called upon to join us.
• Close the circle/sacred space.

Now place your newly decorated pumpkin or gourd somewhere that you will see it, preferably on a holiday altar. Whenever you glance at it, be reminded of all of the blessings that you’ve received.

Ritual 4: Receiving of efforts and manifestation in the preceding year.

This ritual is simple, but it’s also kind of long. So be sure to set aside a good block of time, because it will extend between Samhain (Halloween) and Yule (Christmas). 

What you need:

• A Box or container (shoebox works perfectly)
• Slips of paper
• Pen

Time to start: 

• The first two weeks of November

The Ritual:

• Opening up circle/creating sacred space
• Call upon the powers of those deities, guides, or spirits that you work closely with
• Grab the box, the papers and the pen and say out loud 
  • “As we move into the darkest time of the year, as the days get shorter and shorter, I allow the darkness to show me what I do not yet know. And when those moments of shadow enlightenment happen, I will be reminded to write it down!”
• Place the box, paper and pen in an area where you will see it and be able to access it on a regular basis.
• Thank those that we called upon to join us
• Close the circle/sacred space.
• As you go about life over the next few weeks, when the box and pen catch your eye, write down what pops into your mind
  • This could be things that you want to let go of
  • This could be people that have crossed boundaries
  • This could be things that you desire
  • This could be things that you want to change
  • This could be prayers for people you love 
• Around Yule time you will continue the ritual (stay tuned for how I incorporate this work INTO Yule’s ritual!!!!) by opening the box and reading each one to separate them into two piles
  • Pile one: Everything you want to leave behind in the dark
  • Pile two: Everything you want to shed more light on
• Write each of those piles on a list in your Book of Mirrors.
  • A book of mirrors is a journal about your spiritual journey!

Now as the daylight begins to lengthen, you have a list of items to continue to let go of and a list of items that you want to work on. These are wonderful lists to pull from as you approach the years seasons, new moons and full moons!

Ritual 5: Gratitude

When we give gratitude for what we have, we create more space to receive. That’s why this simple ritual is one of my regulars.

What you need:

• Index Cards
• A Pen
• Anointing oil (optional)

The Ritual:

• Opening up circle/creating sacred space
• Call upon the powers of those deities, guides, or spirits that you work closely with
• Grab your writing utensil and begin to scribe on each index card one thing that you are grateful for. 
  • “I am grateful for…[fill in the blank]”
  • Try to write 20 things. Think about mental, physical, spiritual, business, pleasure, family, friends. Explore everything possible!
• Use your anointing oil to anoint and bless each of the index cards you just scribed while reading out loud what you are grateful for.
  • Feel the vibration of gratitude within your body and imagine the index card receiving the power of that vibration.
  • If you don’t have anointing oil, just say each one out loud. 
• Once you are done, state the following out loud,
  • “May my gratitude today live on in these cards, may they lift me up when I am in need, so mote it be” 
• Thank those that we called upon to join us
• Close the circle/sacred space

Now anytime you find yourself down, having a bad day, or just in a funky-ass mood, grab the cards and say them out loud one by one and watch that bad mood just melt away.

Once you’ve tried out these rituals, head on back here to share your results with me. If you’ve mixed anything up, I’d love to know that, too. Have fun connecting with your magick!