Rituals

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Mostly rituals and spells are mostly misunderstood by the general public. Filled with stories of ritual abuse and horrifing cults.
I will start this off by explaining about rituals and spells. Spells and rituals are used by many relgions. You will encounter these on a daily basis, for example if your a christian a holy communion is a ritual. Not all rituals are thought of as good and not all bad. Spells are used in many rituals but most famiously in wiccan and pagan rituals.

**Ritual altars**

In a ritual the users will use what is called a altar in most rituals.
Above you can see a simple pagan, spiritulist, wiccan or occult altar. I will explain some of the stuff on this altar and what it is used for.

**Athame:** This is the knife on the table it will generally have many uses in rituals. The Athame represents the east which means mind, thought and choice. The object will also hold yang energy.
This object is used to create ritual circles and bring them back, sometimes used to cut energetic ties. Not usually used to cut actual things that are physical and most are blunt.

**Candles:**As you can see round the edge of the altar are candles. These are used in most altars and rituals. The candles are generally used to represent the god, godess or the four elements. The colours represent diffrent things for the ritual user. Mostly candles are used to open or close a ceromoney.

**Chalice:**This the the cup looking object. They can range in looks depending on the ritual and the altar. It represents Yin energy rather then the Athame's Yang energy, This means usally on diffrent sides of the altar.
The Chalice is mostly used for a cermonial drink or offerings but can also hold a salt water solution.
**Bell:**Between the Chalice and the candles you will see a object this is a bell. The Bell represents the Godess's voice and will call healing energy to the user. It may also be used to clean and clense energy.

**Crystals:**As you can see scattered round the altar are crystals. Each crystal will represent a diffrent thing depending on the type of crystal. Most crystals will be used for grounding in rituals but there are also many other uses for the crystals.

**Feather:**The feather represents the ai and can be used to clense the air and smudge insense.

**Insense:**Generally it depends on the type of insense as to how and it what it will be used for. These can be used to Clense a area, call certain powers and help with meditation. You will often smel insense in temples too.

**Pentacle:**This is the 5 point star on the table and probibly the most sacrid of all the symbols. It will offer power and protection in magick, rituals and spells.

**Offerings and sacrifices:**These depend on which deity or ritual is being used flowers are common but some and most dangrous rituals can require a blood sacrifice.

This altar looks very diffrent and is the altar used with christians. You will see it is decorated with expencive fabrics and very rich colours used. Generally the colours use change during the year and the festival. The candles represent the light Jesus brings. Under the cloth on the altar is a chalice much like the one in the other altar but is used to put wine in to represent the blood of Jesus which is then drank.

Behind is the cross the most used of christian symbols and used to rember that Jesus died for humans under christian belief.

**The use of rituals**
Not many rituals will be done in public or with audiance which is not in that relgion or cult.
Alot of Abrihamic relgions will do their rituals in a place of worship which is called a church for christianity and the name depends for the relgions. They will often hold or read from their holy book which is held sacrid to them and is always well cared for.
Rituals can be used to thank or prase a god, spirit, demon, deity or godess. The ritual will always depend on the person being thanked or prased. Offerings can come in many shapes or sizes too.
Many spells are done with the use of rituals with herbs and other stuff.

**The dangrous side of rituals**
This topic has been very popular for a long time and usuallt is bad news for many religions or cults where it can be aimed at.

**Ritual abuse**
Over recent years many cases of ritual abuse have come in to the local autories, many of these cases involving satanic or occult rituals. This may eb due to the rising intrest in these types of rituals or just them getting reported more.
These are caused by blood sacrifice. It can also be a seconary effect.
One of the most common is being stabbed, raped or hurt in some way. The most common is sexual offences but it can happen to any gender by any gender usally by a high preist or preistess.

**Summoning**
People have been known to summon things they dont know by accdent. Many things have been summoned from manevolent spirits to agressive enitities. Therefore many recomend knowing exactly what your doing.
Over all rituals can do amazng things and if your doing it right totally worth it.

**Horsyqueen**

Mind over Matter